The Weekend Four-Timer: Six Nations, Premier League and the Irish Hennessy

We came within a whisker of a massive pay-day last week, with only France letting us down for about €490. (They won by 18, we needed them to win by 22.) Anyway, we'll give it another try this week, with two more picks from the Six Nations and selections from the Premier League and Sunday's big race in Ireland.

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Bolton to beat Wigan @ Evens

It’s a risky proposition backing one team in the bottom three to beat another team in the bottom three. But any risk is offset by the fact that we’re backing Wigan to lose. And losing is something Wigan do much better than anyone else in the league.

They got lucky against Everton last week with Tim Howard’s howler, and they still couldn’t win. They’re unlikely to get lucky two weeks running. Bolton’s position in the bottom three masks the fact that they haven’t been too bad lately – they haven’t exactly been very good either, mind, but they’ve been better than they were before.

They’re at home and Wigan are dire. That’s enough for us.

Italy to win on the handicap (Italy +8 pts v England) @ Evens

Did you see Scotland v England last week? If the answer’s ‘Yes’, then you deserve our commiserations. It was horrendous stuff, a ramshackle bunch of 30-plus players who looked like they’d only just been introduced to a rugby ball.

Now, England are favourites to win in Rome, and they probably deserve to be. They’re pretty far from great, but they won last week while Italy have finished bottom of the Six Nations in each of the past four years and lost by 18 points last week.

But still. Italy’s first home game of the season is always a tricky one for visiting teams. Ireland won there by two last year (remember Ronan O’Gara’s late drop goal?), England by five in 2010 and by four in 2008. Over the last four years, only Ireland in 2009 and France in 2007 have run riot in Italy’s first home game of the season. Ireland and France won the title in each of those years. Away from home, this England team would struggle to beat the Naas thirds by eight points or more. So a toss of a coin on Italy to cover that handicap looks a nice bet to us.

Quel Esprit (Irish Hennessy) @ 5/4

Willie Mullins’s up and comer has been heralded as a dark horse for the Gold Cup at Cheltenham next month. The Hennessy doesn’t look the strongest field in the world, with contenders like Lexus Chase winner Synchronised and last year’s RSA Chase second Jessies Dream withdrawn this week.

Boston’s Angel is a danger if repeating last year’s form but he has looked a bit below that so far this season, while Quel Esprit looks to have ironed out his jumping problems. Could well be another big winners for the all-conquering Mullins-Ruby Walsh combination.

George North to score a try at any time (Wales v Scotland) @ 11/8

George North is an absolute rugby colossus. He’s only 19, yet he’s scored ten tries in 17 internationals. Wales are playing Scotland. And he’s a better than even money chance to score.

This one is like taking sweets off a child.