ABs vs France Best Bets

All right, here we go! We are just over 24 hours away from another All Blacks season getting underway.

This isn’t just any new All Blacks season either. It marks the start of a fresh chapter for the crown jewel of New Zealand sport, as the side is led out by the Dave Rennie and Ardie Savea combination for the very first time.

To open this new era, the All Blacks are once again hosting France on home soil.

What makes this one different from last year is that it is the first game under the brand-new Nations Championship structure, which is designed to raise the stakes beyond your average Test match.

Adding to the occasion, this will also be the first game at the brand-new Te Kaha stadium in Christchurch, and the first Test match in the Garden City since July 2022.

So, with all that covered off, it’s finally time to dive into what we could see over the 80 minutes and throw in a couple of tips along the way…

Over 58.5 total points is our first best bet of the season, and for good reason. If you have listened to any of the press conferences with players and coaches in this All Blacks set-up, the key word has been “optimism”.

From what I understand, this means being positive with ball in hand, looking at every situation in all zones of the field, and trying to figure out how to score from there. I won’t go as far as saying they are going to put up as many points as the Canes were during the Super Rugby season, but I would expect them to play a similarly expressive style to the 2026 Super Rugby champions.

In regard to a try scorer, had Fehi Fineanganofo or Josh Moorby been announced as starters with the form they are in, I would have been all over it. However, with neither of them making the XV, I am making the switch to Will Jordan, who is set to slot into the right wing jersey.

For Jordan, we all know the try-scoring record in the black jersey. Alongside that, throw in the fact we should see the ball getting into wide areas often with this new system, and with it being the first Test match in his new home stadium, I could certainly see Jordan getting over the line.

Rounding out the tips, we will go for a same-game multi, which will include the first two tips. To make it a three-leg bet, I am going to add in Theo Attissogbe to score.

Attissogbe is going to be deployed on the left wing for the visitors and will no doubt be the biggest threat with ball in hand, maybe on the whole park. Even if I feel the All Blacks should get the job done, Attissogbe only needs half a chance to come his way to convert it into a five-pointer.

Tips

Best Bet: Over 58.5 Total Points @ $1.87

Best Goalscorer: Will Jordan ATS @ $2.00

Same Game Multi: Over 58.5 Total Points + Will Jordan ATS + Theo Attissogbe ATS @ $6.05