Rugby League World Cup odds & tips for Australia vs. France

THERE will be several fresh faces for Australia when they take on France in the Rugby League World Cup on Friday night.

Dane Gagai, Valentine Holmes, Boyd Cordner, David Klemmer and Matt Gillet drop out of the starting 13 that battled to an 18-4 win over England in the opening game of the tournament.

Tom Trbojevic and Reagan-Campbell Gillard come in for their Kangaroos debuts, Josh Mansour takes the number five jersey and James Maloney replaces the rested Cooper Cronk at halfback.

Also out of the squad is Jake Trbojevic, who was this week ruled for the rest of the tournament with an injured pectoral muscle.

France have it all to do after losing 29-18 to a Mitchell Moses-inspired Lebanon side in the Australian capital last Sunday.

With England and the tournament favourites still to come, that defeat has all but crushed the European nation’s chances of progressing past the group stage.

Bookies and punters are showing very little faith in the French, who are paying as much as $61 in the match betting markets.

Kangaroos margin specials at Neds.com.au

With Australia expected to make pomme frites out of the French, online bookie Neds has launched a series of special margin bets for Friday’s clash:

• Kangaroos to win by 60 points or more – $2.60
• Kangaroos to win by 70 points or more – $5
• Kangaroos to win by 80 points or more – $11

Sign up Neds.com.au today and enter the promo code GETON500

Australia vs. France first tryscorer odds

$6.50 – Tom Trbojevic

$7 – Josh Mansour

$7.50 – Billy Slater

$8.50 – Any player not listed

$9 – Will Chambers, Josh Dugan

$11 – Michael Morgan

$13 – James Maloney

$15 – Tyson Frizell, Wade Graham

$17 – Josh McGuire

$21 – Ilias Bergal, Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Cameron Smith, Fouad Yaha

$26 – Olivier Arnaud, Jordan McLean, Mark Kheirallah

$31 – Bastien Ader

$61 – Theo Fages, Remy Marginet

$67 – Benjamin Garcia

$81 – Benjamin Jullien, Eloi Pelissier

$101 – Jason Baitieri

$151 – Julian Bousquet, Maxime Herold

Market courtesy of CrownBet.com.au

Players to watch

Tom Trbojevic – A standout for Manly throughout the 2017 NRL season, Trbojevic is perhaps the most exciting of the new inclusions. He should be at the forefront of every punter’s thinking in the tryscorer betting.

James Maloney – This is an important game for Maloney, who will want to show coach Mal Meninga that he belongs in Australia’s best 17. Anytime tryscorer odds of $1.91 at Sportsbet are overs compared to other bookies.

Bastien Ader – This guy was France’s best on ground in the defeat to Lebanon, finishing with two tries and 172 metres gained. He is paying $10 at Ladbrokes to cross the line at any time, which might be well worth a punt.

Australia vs. France match tips

Despite a scratchy opener against England, the Aussies are heavily backed for a big win in Canberra.

The question is why we should expect a better, more cohesive display when Meninga and company have rung the changes one game into the tourney.

France have some decent players, but the loss to Lebanon has killed off any real chance of snatching a top-two spot in the group.

Expect a slowish start before the Kangaroos new boys settle in and turn it on.

Australia -56.5 handicap – $1.95 at CrownBet

Australia squad

Billy Slater, Tom Trbojevic, Will Chambers, Josh Dugan, Josh Mansour, Michael Morgan, James Maloney, Jordan McLean, Cameron Smith (c), Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Wade Graham, Tyson Frizell, Josh McGuire.

Interchange: Cameron Munster, Felise Kaufusi, Aaron Woods, David Klemmer.

Reserves: Valentine Holmes, Matt Gillett, Boyd Cordner, Dane Gagai.

France squad

Mark Kheirallah, Fouad Yaha, Bastien Ader, Olivier Arnaud, Ilias Bergal, Remy Marginet, Theo Fages (c), Maxime Herold, Eloi Pelissier, Julian Bousquet, Benjamin Garcia, Benjamin Jullien, Jason Baitieri.

Interchange: Thibault Margalet, Mickael Rouch, Romain Navarrete, John Boudebza.

Reserves: Lucas Albert, Antonio Maria, Nabil Djalout, Lambert Belmas.