The start of the Rugby World Cup is under a month away and Hollywoodbets have some cracking outright betting markets available including the ‘Top Try Scorer’ market.
There are only a few weeks left until the 2019 World Cup starts and a number of players will be eyeing the coveted top try-scorer accolade. While the award has mainly gone to flying wingers, we could see a couple forwards end up near the top of the table with the lower numbers sure to get involved in the try-scoring exploits.
Tournament Top Try Scorer
Rieko Ioane (NZ) 6/1
Sevu Reece (NZ) 9/1
Jacob Stockdale (IRL) 10/1
Johnny May (ENG) 11/1
Aphiwe Dyanti (SA) 12/1
Ben Smith (NZ) 14/1
Jordie Barrett (NZ) 18/1
Ngani Laumape (NZ) 20/1
George North (WAL) 20/1
Josh Adams (WAL) 20/1
Cheslin Kolbe (SA) 20/1
Makazole Mapimpi (SA) 20/1
Bradon Ennor (NZ) 25/1
George Bridge (NZ) 25/1
Liam Williams (WAL) 25/1
Juan Imhoff (ARG) 25/1
Keith Earles (IRL) 25/1
S’Bu Nkosi (SA) 28/1
Jack Nowell (ENG) 28/1
Malcolm Marx (SA) 33/1
Dane Haylett-Petty (AUS) 33/1
Joe Cokanasinga (ENG) 33/1
Santiago Cordero (ARG) 33/1
Dane Coles (NZ) 40/1
Stuart Hogg (SCO) 40/1
Ardie Savea (NZ) 40/1
Semi Radradra (FIJ) 66/1
Gael Fickou (FRA) 100/1
*There are many top try-scorer options for you to check out on the Hollywoodbets mobi and website.
How the Market Works
You are required to select which player will score the most tries at the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Your bet will stand regardless if the player is withdrawn from his nation’s World Cup squad. So if Aphiwe Dyanti doesn’t make the South Africa squad and you bet on him your bet will still stand.
In terms of the dead-heat ruling where two players score an equal amount of tries and both are at the top of the standings at the close of the World Cup??????/
Overview
The Rugby World Cup top try-scorer has almost solely gone to wingers with the occasional fullback sometimes appearing on the list. The accolade has been shared on five occasions;1987, 1991, 1995 and 2011.
New Zealanders have dominated this segment of the tournament with a Kiwi winning it in 1987, 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2015.
Only one Australian has one it, with David Campese claiming the honour back in 1991 alongside Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Lafond. Lafond is joined on the list by countryman Vincent Clerc who shared the accolade with the only England representative on the list, Chris Ashton, back in 2011.
South Africa have only one man on the list with Bryan Habana’s 2007 heroics seeing him top the charts in France.
The most recent winner was former All Black Julian Savea, who ran rampant at the last World Cup in England.
The tournament’s top-try scorer has generally come from the winning team with only 1995, 1999 and 2011 seeing a top try-scorer whose team did not win it. (*There have been years where the award has been shared with a player whose side was not the eventual winner. These have been discounted, however, as the award was shared with a member of the winning side).
1987
Total: 6 Tries
Winner/s: Shared between Craig Green and John Kirwan
Craig Green
Position: Wing
Country: New Zealand
John Kirwan
Position: Wing
Country: New Zealand
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1991
Total: 6 Tries
Winner/s: Shared between Jean-Baptiste Lafond and David Campese
Jean-Baptiste Lafond
Country: France
Position: Wing/Fullback
David Campese
Country: Australia
Position: Wing
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1995
Total: 7 Tries
Winner/s: Shared between Jonah Lomu and Marc Ellis
Jonah Lomu
Country New Zealand
Position: Wing
Marc Ellis
Country: New Zealand
Position: Utility Back
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1999
Total: 8
Winner/s: Jonah Lomu
Jonah Lomu
Country New Zealand
Position: Wing
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2003
Total: 7
Winner/s: Shared between Doug Howlett Mils Muliaina
Doug Howlett
Country: New Zealand
Position: Wing
Mils Muliaina
Country: New Zealand
Position: Fullback/Wing
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2007
Total: 9
Winner/s: Bryan Habana
Bryan Habana
Country: South Africa
Position: Wing
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2011
Total: 6
Winner/s: Shared between Chris Ashton and Vincent Clerc
Chris Ashton
Country: England
Position: Wing
Vincent Clerc
Country: France
Position: Wing
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2015
Total: 8
Winner/s: Julian Savea
Julian Savea
Country: New Zealand
Position: Wing
Top Three Tips
Sevu Reece
He may still be a rookie on the Test scene but Reece has a massive shout of claiming this year’s award. The Crusader’s flyer was in devastating touch during the Super Rugby season finishing as the tournament’s top try-scorer with 15 tries.
His All Black debut against Argentina in the Rugby Championship didn’t go to plan as he was unable to mark it with a try but he did grab a beautiful try against Australia during his second start.
New Zealand have a very handy pool when it comes to try-scoring as they play Namibia, Italy and Canada. Reece is likely to get game time against two if not three of these minnows, which means he could bag a whole host of tries during the pool phase.
Fiji born Reece is also on the precipice of usurping Ben Smith to the starting right wing berth. So a solid pool phase could well see Reece starting for the All Blacks during their knock-out phase.
Verdict
This one is definitely worth backing. Reece was trading around the 18/1 mark a few weeks prior to the second Bledisloe game. He’s now shortened drastically to 9/1 and that price will come down a lot more in the coming weeks. Get on now!
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Rieko Ioane
He may be out of form at the minute but you cannot discount the Blues flyer. Ioane is actually with the Auckland Mitre 10 Cup at the moment with Steve Hansen sending him to play some domestic rugby in a bid to recapture his form. It’s a smart move as it worked wonders for Sonny-Bill Williams who put in a masterclass in Bledisloe 2, with the performance coming after a week-long stint with Counties Manakau.
Ioane is a devastating finisher and has already bagged 23 tries in just 26 Tests. He’s also unlikely to be kept in cottonwool by Steve Hansen, which means he’ll play against at least one of the minnows in Pool B. He could easily score four or more tries against a Canada or a Namibia and has already done it this year, albeit in Super rugby where he dotted down for four five-pointers when the Blues took on the Sunwolves.
Verdict
Ioane is extremely short on form and with the ‘books. I’d leave this one at the moment as he just doesn’t offer much value at 6/1.
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Cheslin Kolbe
The little magician will be key to the ‘Boks chances of going all the way in the tournament. Admittedly, he isn’t the most prolific of wings and is more of an allrounder than a finisher. but he does know his way to the try-line and can create five-pointers from nowhere.
There is an issue with backing Kolbe, though, and that is that he may well be kept back when South Africa play the Tier 2 and 3 nations in their pool. That means the Toulouse man would need to score most of his tries against the big guns.
Verdict
20/1 is a massive price for Kolbe but one does have to worry about how much pool phase game time he will get.
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A Couple Roughies
Malcolm Marx
There’s a reason that all of my picks thus far have come from Pool B and that is because the pool contains a poor Tier 2 side in the form of Canada and a very limited Tier 3 side in the form of Namibia.
One man who could provide massive headaches for the aforementioned minnows would be Malcolm Marx. Marx would generally be kept away from these games but with Bongi Nbonambi putting in some stellar showings during the recently concluded Rugby Championship, Marx may well be given game time against one of the minnows as Rassie Erasmus looks to split playing time between his hookers.
Even if Marx came off the bench against Namibia or Canada, the Golden Lions man could well bag himself a number of tries as South Africa’s driving maul is likely to take these two sides to task.
Verdict
The previous World Cup try-scoring stats say this one is a no go but at 33/1 it may be worth having a strike on the prolific Marx, who is always there and thereabouts on the Super Rugby top try-scorer lists.
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Geroge North
The giant Welsh winger will be a real thorn in the sides for opponents with his power running. He’s had a heap of injuries over the years, and at 27 this may well be his last World Cup.
The only issue with backing North is that he’s unlikely to get game time against Georgia who are the real Pool D minnows. As such, North would have to score the majority of his tries against the likes of Fiji and Georgia. While he could well grab a few here, he’d still need to bag a whole bunch during the play-offs which would mean wales would need to advance to the semi-finals for the big man to have a real chance of topping the try-scoring charts.
Verdict
While North is capable of dominating any defence I fear a Wales capitulation in the quarter-finals may well rob him of a chance of becoming the 2019 top try-scorer. 20/1 is a big price, though, and it may worth be sticking a fiver on.
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George Bridge
The Crusaders man has been in great touch this year and scored a marvellous try against Australia in Bledisloe 2. While he has been in great nick, he’s unlikely to replace Rieko Ioane on the left-wing from the get-go.
This is actually good news for punters as Bridge is almost certain of game time against Canada and Namibia, and should Ioane’s form continue to slump, Bridge may well take over the reins come the knock-out phase.
Verdict
A lot could depend on Ioane’s form here as if the Blues man does continue to slump then Bridge is a runner to top the charts. He’s certainly worth a crack at 25/1!
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The Dark Horse
Joe Cokanasinga
I was shocked to see the price available on this man’s head. He still a bit of an unknown quantity outside of England having only started a handful of games for Eddie Jones’ side. He’s an impressive specimen though and like any good Fiji born man knows his way to the try-line.
England face both Tonga and the USA in the Pool phase and Cokanasinga is likely to be unleashed against both of these teams. Do not be surprised to see headlines featuring his name following those games as this young man is more than capable of tearing opponents apart.
Like Bridge, Cokanasinga is unlikely to be a first-choice player from that start but a couple of big pool phase performances could see him force his way into the starting XV come the quarter-finals.
Bottom Line
I’ll be having three strikes on this market. My first bet and my biggest will be on Sevu Reece to top the charts. The other two will be for minor money and I’ll be backing George Bridge and Joe Cokanasinga here.
Written by Darry Worthington for Hollywoodbets
