Rugby World Cup Odds: Who Will Be The 2023 Tournament’s Top Try-Scorer?
With a whole host of players now having significant points on the board, UK betting sites are once again looking at potential candidates for overall top try-scorer at this year’s Rugby World Cup in France.
Across 16 games on the opening weekend of the tournament, no fewer than 43 players crossed their opposition’s whitewash at some point in the action.
While the vast majority of those within this extended group contributed just one try, there were a plethora of stars who were fortunate enough to grab a brace for their sides.
Seven Players Tied At Top Of Try-Scorer Charts
Given they were the biggest winners of the weekend with an 82-8 victory over Romania in Bordeaux, Ireland unsurprisingly had a number of players who registered two tries.
From the seven names that were lucky enough to dot down more than once in their opening appearances at the 2023 RWC, four of them were playing in green.
In his first game in almost six months, skipper Jonathan Sexton claimed two tries to go along with the seven conversions he knocked over prior to being replaced by Jack Crowley inside the final-quarter.
Official player of the match Peter O’Mahony, Bundee Aki and Tadhg Beirne also came away with two-try hauls as Ireland laid down what they hope will be the first of several markers in the tournament.
Joining them on the top of the try-scoring charts at the end of the opening weekend were Ben Donaldson (Australia), Amato Fakatava (Japan) and Mark Telea (New Zealand).
Interestingly, the latter of this triumvirate was the only one of the seven who was on the losing team despite securing a brace of five-pointers.
Telea Now The Favourite To Be Top Finisher At World Cup
Coming into the tournament as a 15/2 third favourite to be the World Cup’s top try-scorer, Telea’s prowess in a 27-13 reversal to France has suddenly made the Auckland native a frontrunner.
The best betting sites for rugby union now have the North Harbour winger as a 4/1favourite in the race for this individual accolade.
When you consider the All Blacks are expected to bounce back from their loss to New Zealand with convincing wins against Namibia, Italy and Uruguay, Telea will be expected to add to his tally if selected in these games.
He has also amassed five tries in just six international tests to date and there is a sense that the 26-year-old is only getting started in the New Zealand jersey.
Penaud And Arendse Also In The Running
Coming into the tournament, it was France’s clinical right-wing Damian Penaud who was leading the betting for top try-scorer.
While he has fallen behind Telea since then, he did get France’s first try of the game against the All Blacks last Friday and remains a viable contender in the eyes of UK bookmakers.
BetVictor have even gone as long as 11/2 on the former Clermont star to lead the way come the end of the tournament.
Even though he had an excellent record of 11 tries in 10 senior caps in advance of the tournament, South Africa’s Kurt-Lee Arendse was only seen as an outside bet to be the World Cup’s main try-scorer.
Yet his impressive five-pointer against Scotland in a Pool B clash at Stade Velodrome in Marseille last Sunday has significantly raised his profile in recent days.
South Africa might be the kind of team that likes to keep the scoreboard ticking over with shots at goal, but it is the likes of Arendse who will provide a strong threat in open play.
His odds have now been cut in half with BetUK now offering 8/1 on the Springboks star.
Jordan Capable Of Joining Try-Scoring Ranks
Arendse is now third favourite with betting sites in the hunt for the tournament’s top try-scorer, just ahead of his New Zealand counterpart Will Jordan.
The Crusaders flyer had 23 tries from 25 international tests coming into the World Cup, but things didn’t go according to plan for him at Stade de France last Friday.
Aside from failing to get his name on the scoresheet, he also spent 10 minutes in the sin-bin at either end of the third-quarter mark.
Nevertheless, he will have a chance to leave that behind him when the All Blacks face Namibia in Toulouse on Friday.
Like his team-mate Telea, he is more than capable of making hay in the remaining games that New Zealand are set to play in Pool A and potentially in the knockout rounds as well.
The most common odds available on Jordan at the moment are 9/1, which can be found with Parimatch.
Nawaqanitawase, Welsh Duo And Kolbe Could Be Worth An Outside Bet
Australia’s Mark Nawaqanitawase is also in the running, having scored a first-half try in the Wallabies’ 35-15 triumph at the expense of Georgia at Stade de France in Pool C on Saturday.
Only just turned 23 at the beginning of this week, Nawaqanitawase is very much in his infancy as an international player.
There is every chance that he could emerge as a surprise package however, and he is currently available at 16/1.
Try scorers in their sides 32-26 victory against Fiji in Pool C at Stade de Bordeaux on Sunday, Louis Rees-Zammit and Josh Adams are others who could come under consideration.
Rees-Zammit is sitting at a price of 20/1 and there is a similar value on Adams – the top World Cup try-scorer in the 2019 edition of the tournament.
Whilst the Irish players who contributed two tries apiece in their facile victory over Romania are well down the list, South Africa’s Cheslin Kolbe is still somewhat in the reckoning in spite of not getting in on the scoring act against Scotland on the tournament’s opening weekend.
Some betting apps are even going as far as 25/1 on the diminutive Springbok emerging as top try-scorer in the tournament.