I fancied England to win the Rugby World Cup at the beginning of the Tournament and a few weeks ago finally took the plunge and backed them at 9/2. I knew they would have to beat New Zealand in the semi-final and that would quite likely set up a final against South Africa.

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I was delighted to cheer England home against New Zealand last week having also backed them to win the match at 28/10. When the Springboks edged Wales by 3 points on Sunday it left me in a rather awkward position with my heart urging me to support the Springboks in the final, but my wallet set to get nicely bolstered by an England victory.

Over the years my head has generally ruled my heart in sports betting and this will be no exception as analyzing the game I do feel that England will be that bit too strong for the Boks and have also taken them to win by 4 points or more. This is a final and the Boks are not without hope but I just think England will pack too many guns.

My intention was to watch this game at home alone where I didn’t have to feel icy or perhaps even aggressive stares from Bok supporters every time the English scored, but as it happens we will be attending a braai and now I am going to be forced to stare passionate Boks supporters in the eye as I carry out an imaginary fist pump after an English try.

How, some will ask, can you back against the Springboks?   Well as a sports better I have learnt to a large extent to separate emotion from the decision making process as far as possible.

I would also argue that looking to profit from an England win is no different to taking money offshore as you look to protect your nest egg against a volatile and weak Rand. Most people would applaud such a decision as being wise given the current state of our economy but it certainly doesn’t help the country and I see my decision to profit from the English this weekend as no different.

Should the Boks win I will shrug off the financial loss and celebrate a great win for South Africa. If England win I will quietly enjoy the profit. Come to think of it, I cannot lose.

Click here to read Brent's preview of the Rugby World Cup Final 

Twitter: @BrentGraham

This article was written for the CitiGaming supplement of the Citizen Newspaper and was published on the 31 October 2019.

Brent Graham is a blogger on www.goodforthegame.co.za and sends a free weekly e-mail list just CLICK HERE to register