Six Nations Betting: What Are The Odds Of A 2022 Triple Crown Winner?
Daire Walsh
It has a history that spans four different centuries and while it is one of just several honours that is up for grabs every spring in the Six Nations Championship, the Triple Crown remains a much sought-after honour.
The best betting sites are offering odds on which of the ‘home nations’ are most likely to be anointed as Crown champions for 2022, with all four sides in the reckoning having secured this accolade on numerous occasions in the past.
England are the most prolific when it comes to accumulating Triple Crowns, but Wales, Ireland and Scotland have also enjoyed their days in the sun.
What Is The Six Nations Triple Crown?
First played out as far back as 1883, this year will be the 126th edition of the competition. While it was absent from the sporting calendar for a combined period of 12 years because of World War I and World War II, it has nonetheless enjoyed a special place in the hearts of rugby union supporters.
In order to become Crown winners, you must defeat the other three home countries that you face in the Six Nations – otherwise it remains idle until the following year’s championship.
Interestingly, the Triple Crown was often referred to as the ‘invisible cup’ with no actual trophy being handed out to the winner of it. This all changed in 2006 however, when the Royal Bank of Scotland (the Six Nations’ principle sponsors at the time) commissioned Hamilton & Inches to design and create a dedicated Triple Crown trophy.
This means that, should a team put together a winning run against their fellow home nations in 2022, they will come away with a piece of silverware.
England The Team To Watch In The Triple Crown Race
As 26-time Triple Crown winners, England are the current favourites amongst the majority of the best betting sites for rugby union in the UK. This is in spite of the fact that they lost all three of their home nations encounters in 2021.
After beginning the Championship with a shock 11-6 home defeat to Scotland – a game that also doubled up as the Calcutta Cup – Eddie Jones’ side were on the receiving end of a 40-24 reversal at the hands of Wales at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff. To round off an underwhelming campaign, England also lost out to Ireland on a scoreline of 32-18 in Dublin.
This was the first time that they had been defeated by all three of these teams in the same year since 1976, when the compeition it was still known as the Five Nations Championship.
Yet, England have bounced back from disappointment before under Jones’ watch and with Ireland and Wales both coming to Twickenham in this year’s competition, it is felt that England might be about to leave the woes of 2021 behind them and their 2022 Six Nations betting odds reflect that.
Jones is certainly hell bent on the injection of fresh blood, with 17 of the players he has selected in his Six Nations squad having five caps or fewer. Six of these players are currently uncapped, but have all been justifiably rewarded for their fine form at club level.
The majority of UK bookmakers are offering odds of 7/4 on England securing the Triple Crown. If they were to be successful in this endeavour, it would be their third time to do so since Jones assumed the head coach reins from Stuart Lancaster in 2016.
Triple Crown May Prove Elusive In 2022
Before we delve into the chances of England’s big rivals, it should be noted that the prospect of there being no Triple Crown winner is seen as a major possibility.
Betfair are offering odds of 15/8 on this happening and with none of the home nations regarded as minnows in the world of rugby, this could very well come to pass.
In-Form Ireland In The Hunt
On a crest of a wave following an encouraging end to the 2021 Six Nations and a superb Autumn Nations Series, Ireland are rated at 5/2 with BetVictor to earn their 12th Triple Crown when the Championship reaches its conclusion on March 19.
They were perilously close to securing this prize last year as they lost out narrowly to Wales in their opening game of the competition having played 66 minutes with 14 players, owing to the early red carding of flanker Peter O’Mahony.
Victories over Scotland and England were to follow in the closing weeks of the Championship and with Jonathan Sexton back from his recent battles with injury and Covid, Ireland appear primed for a big challenge.
Scotland An Outside Bet With Bookmakers
Scotland are also seen as a long shot for the Triple Crown, which comes as little surprise for a side that hasn’t claimed this honour since 1990.
Yet this is one of the most formidable Scottish outfits in modern history with Gregor Townsend having won 28 of his 48 games at the helm to date.
They face tricky assignments away to Wales and Ireland, leading 888sport – amongst others – to rate them as 22/1 in their quest to bridge a 32-year gap to their last Triple Crown triumph.
Wales Not Expected To Retain The Triple Crown
Although they are the defending Triple Crown champions – and are seeking to win it for the third time in the space of four years – a catalogue of injuries sees Wayne Pivac’s Wales being viewed as rank outsiders coming into 2022.
You can also see that in their price for the Grand Slam in this year’s Six Nations betting too.
Also the current holders of the Six Nations title, the best Triple Crown betting odds on offer for the Welsh are at 25/1 on Paddy Power.