The Autumn Nations Series begins this week with four weeks of fantastic rugby union test matches to look forward to. Throughout November, some of the best international rugby union teams face off in some high-stakes friendlies. Below is a collection of Autumn Nations Series predictions and betting tips 2024 to help you make some winning bets.
England vs New Zealand is the first game of the series on November 2, and the final game is Ireland vs Australia on November 30th. Ireland has several exciting international test matches coming up, including games against New Zealand, Argentina, Fiji, and Australia. We will provide you with individual match predictions for each game, but for now, let’s look at an overview of the competition.
Autumn Nations Series Preview
The Autumn Nations Series (ANS) or Autumn Internationals is a special tour for southern hemisphere teams to face off against the best countries in Europe. As part of the tour, teams from South America and Europe also engage in the tests. Last year, these matches took place in August to avoid a clash with the Rugby World Cup. This time, we have an uninterrupted schedule to enjoy.
Each team typically plays three to four games on the tour, with special exceptions for the second-tier national teams. That means countries like Portugal, Japan, Georgia, and Argentina will also compete in the test series but in fewer events. There is no grand prize for undefeated teams, but a Grand Slam is up for grabs if the touring nations can defeat England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Autumn Nations Series Predictions
Tournament Prediction: No Grand Slam winner but Ireland to win all four games
Every country takes international tests seriously, so there is no need to write these games off as just friendlies. Our rugby prediction is for the home nations to struggle in the Autumn Nations Series 2024, except for Ireland. Irish rugby is in a fantastic place right now, and we expect comfortable wins over the likes of Australia, Fiji, and Argentina. Ireland’s first game against New Zealand will be the toughest test, but we back the boys in green to get the job done.
This series will offer a fantastic yardstick as to where New Zealand is right now. They face a tough first game against England at Twickenham, but we fancy the Kiwis to start with a bang. After that game, they have an even sterner test against Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in the ANS. Following that, they play France and Italy before heading home. We predict they will win three of the four matches, falling short of the Irish side.
England is in a transitional state on the international stage, so expectations are low. However, they have the personnel to do some damage if they can get things right tactically. They face four hard games against New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and Japan. We expect to see victories against Australia and Japan, but we think they will fall short against the All Blacks and Springboks.
Scotland does not have it easy either in the ANS. They also play on November 2nd as part of the opening round against Fiji. The Scots should win their opening match, but Fiji is more than capable of causing an upset. After this game is South Africa, Portugal, and a final match against Australia. The most interesting clash will be Scotland vs Australia on November 24. That will offer a better reflection of how Scottish Rugby is progressing.
Wales has been in decline for years, but there are signs that stability is returning to the international side. They only have three matches; however, each one is going to be a fascinating clash from a neutral perspective. Their first game in the ANS is against Fiji on November 10, followed by Australia and South Africa. We don’t think they can win against the Springboks, but they have a chance of boosting their stock against Fiji and securing revenge against a struggling Australia.
Australia has arguably fallen the furthest out of every team we have mentioned. They have consistently lost to New Zealand, South Africa, and Argentina this year. They lost both recent clashes with the All Blacks and Springboks, not including an utter humiliation at the hands of Argentina. The Aussies lost 67-27 in September, and let’s just say every team will be licking their lips at the chance to play a weakened Aussie side. They face England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland, in that order, and we are not sure they will win any of those contests.
Our rugby prediction for the Autumn Nations Series favours Ireland, but we think the other European sides will struggle. France and England lack the bite to take on South Africa or New Zealand. While Australia is way off the pace now, they can offer blistering attacks and a rugged defence. Betting against SA or NZ will be risky, but that is where the profit lies.
Autumn Nations Series Betting Tips
Placing bets on rugby matches is often difficult, especially for international friendlies. While most teams take the Autumn Nations Series seriously, these fixtures offer an opportunity for the best teams to experiment on the world stage. You could see unorthodox formations, players in new roles, or debuts for untested talents.
Starting with the first round of ANS fixtures, we like a bet on New Zealand and Scotland to win. The underdogs in those games will have tantalising returns but asking England to get a result against the All Blacks or Fiji to turn up at Murrayfield, is a big risk. Instead, we prefer a safe bet on the favourites in week one.
Week two is interesting, as there are six matches taking place. Betting on any of these rugby union matches will be a lot of fun as there are some tasty clashes. If you are going for an accumulator bet, including Ireland will be a risk. We fancy them to beat the All Blacks, but it could be a tight game. Instead, bet on England, France, Wales, and South Africa. Italy could get the job done at home against Argentina, but the Argentines are playing some fantastic rugby.
The Autumn Nations Series 2024 continues with another six fixtures in week three. Ireland should smoke Argentina and Scotland will dominate Portugal. However, England vs South Africa and France vs New Zealand are too difficult to call. We recommend waiting until the round begins or even holding off for a live bet. Betting on these matches as they take place will help you avoid any upsets or injuries. Also in this round, we have Italy vs Georgia and Wales vs Australia. We like a bet on Australia to get the job done against a poor Welsh side. Depending on how the Italians look, you could go for a shock upset with Georgia coming out on top.
The fourth week of the rugby union test series offers more interesting clashes. France should get the better or Argentina and Ireland should beat Fiji. However, the Irish side may rest players ahead of the final and solo clash in week five. Betting on South Africa to beat Wales feels like a safe bet, plus England should beat Japan. However, Scotland vs Australia will be an excellent clash as either side could win. Once again, it is worth waiting until we are closer to the game before placing a bet on the rugby international friendlies.
The teams for the Autumn Nations Series have been confirmed, but there can be changes depending on injuries. The Irish backline is stacked with quality, which means calling the starting lineup in advance will be impossible. Players like Garry Ringrose, Jacob Stockdale, Robbie Henshaw, and Bundee Aki all made the squad, but they can’t take to the field at the same time. Plus, if things go right, expect Sam Pendergast to make his Ireland debut when the stakes are low.
If you are going to consider player pop bets on the rugby, Jamison Gibson-Park should be instrumental in all of Ireland’s important games. Manie Libbok could be the best South African player if he gets the game time. Antoine Dupont has proven himself in the blue of France, but they only have three games in this series. Plus, look out for Duhan van der Merwe as this Scottish side could be the best we have seen for a long time.
Autumn Nations Series 2024 Key Stats and H2H
Most international rugby sides took to the field not too long ago. However, if you are going to bet on the rugby, it never hurts to recap how the teams have been performing. Below is a summary of the best teams and their recent performances.
Ireland
The Irish national rugby union team last played in July in a two-part series against South Africa. They lost the first game by seven points but won the second by one point. Before that, they beat Scotland in the final game of the Six Nations. In the past 12 months, they have lost to South Africa, England, and New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup quarter-final. They are the best team in world rugby for a reason and should shine again in this series.
England
There is no other way to say it; England is a topsy-turvy side. Since losing the Rugby World Cup semi-final against South Africa, they have narrowly beaten the likes of Italy, Wales, and Ireland. However, they lost matches against Scotland and France and twice against New Zealand. There is no doubt the side is in a transition period, but they will fall short again of the All Blacks.
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Wales
Welsh rugby is in a slump. They received the Wooden Spoon in the 2024 Six Nations and have not won a single international match since the Rugby World Cup group stage. Betting on Wales to get any wins in this tournament will be difficult. They most recently lost both matches against Australia and a one-off game against South Africa. They lost their last match against Italy in the Six Nations and need a miracle to turn a new leaf after some abysmal performances.
Scotland
There is no doubt the Scots can play some fantastic rugby. Just ask England during the previous Six Nations. However, while they decimate weak opposition, they fall short of the big guns like France and Ireland. Since the Six Nations, the Scottish side has smashed Canada, the USA, Chile, and Uruguay. There is no doubt, those are games they should win, but beating teams by 30+ point margins will have their tails up entering the Autumn series.
New Zealand
The All Blacks are a force to be reckoned with. However, they do not look as invincible as they have done over the past decade. Since losing the Rugby World Cup final to South Africa, they have lost to Argentina and the Springboks twice. The All Blacks have beaten Australia twice in September and humiliated Japan, but this series on foreign soil will give us a good yardstick. We think they could win every game, but the one against Ireland will be their greatest test.
Australia
Australia has played nine games since July 2024. Most of these fixtures have been unsuccessful for the Aussies, as they have only picked up four wins. They have lost five games in this period. Two against South Africa, two against New Zealand, and one heavy defeat in Argentina. It is fair to say the gap between Australia and the elite international rugby sides has widened in recent times, and no indication it will change this month.
France
The French underperformed at the last Six Nations. They were joint-favourites to win alongside Ireland but fell short to the men in green and drew to Italy. Since then, they have played Argentina twice and Uruguay. They have won every match except their most recent fixture against the Argentines. French rugby is still a powerhouse, but less dangerous than the team we saw two years ago.
South Africa
South Africa has been busy since winning the Rugby World Cup in 2023. They faced teams like Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina in doubleheaders. They won both matches against the All Blacks and Aussies but lost one against Ireland and Argentina. We expect the South Africans to be up there with the best, winning all three matches in the Northern Hemisphere.
Fiji
There is no doubting the ability of Fijian rugby players. Just look at the Rugby Sevens team. However, there is a big step up when there are 15 players on a team, and other nations have more experience working the entire length of a rugby pitch. Recently, Fiji has beaten Georgia, Samoa, Tonga, Japan, and the USA. However, when they faced tough opposition like the All Blacks, they fell to a humiliating 47-5 defeat. We have faith they will put on a good show, but wins in Europe would be a shock.
