With the 2019 Rugby World Cup drawing closer, 888sport look at four of the best individual performances in the history of the competition.

New Zealand, 6/5 in the latest sports betting odds to win the Rugby World Cup for the third time in a row, are the most successful team in this tournament and plenty of punters will be backing the All Blacks to go on and lift the trophy later this year.

888sport punters will notice that we tipped New Zealand for 2019 Rugby World Cup glory over a year ago and they remain clear at the head of the betting.

For the time being though, we’ve decided to take a look at some of the standout performances in Rugby World Cup history. Let’s hope that a player can join the list during the 2019 tournament...

Jonah Lomu (New Zealand)

One of the most famous names in New Zealand’s illustrious rugby history, Jonah Lomu was an unknown quantity ahead of the 1995 Rugby World Cup in South Africa. Always a Rugby World Cup Player of the Tournament contender, Lomu will go down as one of the All Blacks' greatest players.

With just two All Blacks caps to his name ahead of the tournament, his inclusion in the New Zealand squad raised eyebrows across the world.

However, it didn’t take him long to make an explosive impression. New Zealand had cruised into the semi-finals and a World Cup final four clash with England was looming.

Still only 20 years old, Lomu ran riot – literally bulldozering Mike Catt to the floor. With Catt helpless on the ground, Lomu touched down for the first of FOUR tries as the All Blacks marched into the 1995 World Cup final.

Takudzwa Ngwenya (United States)

The inclusion of a player from the United States may shock some rugby supporters but the USA are starting to develop into a strong union team.

One of their first major moments on the Rugby World Cup stage came at the 2007 tournament, with Takudzwa Ngwenya scoring one of the greatest tries in the competition’s history.

At the time, Bryan Habana was widely regarded as the fastest player on the planet. He was the poster boy for South Africa’s 2007 World Cup campaign but was left red-faced by the speedy Ngwenya during a pool stage game.

The Springboks went on to lift the trophy later in the tournament but Ngwenya’s try is still talked about to this day. With the United States at 250/1 to win Pool C at the 2019 Rugby World Cup, the current crop could take a leaf from Ngwenya’s book.

Karne Hesketh (Japan)

We’ve put Karne Hesketh’s name down here but the whole Japan squad deserve credit for this Rugby World Cup highlight. With no victory in this tournament for 24 years, Japan went into their pool stage clash with South Africa as massive underdogs.

However, Eddie Jones’ side managed to claim the greatest scalp in Rugby World Cup history, with Hesketh scoring the winning try four minutes into overtime.

It was an incredible moment for rugby fans across the world and one that will live long in the memory. Japan are set to host the 2019 Rugby World Cup and 888sport punters may fancy the 20/1 for a shock Pool A triumph later this year.

It may seem like a longshot but if Japan can emulate their performance against South Africa from four years ago, anything is possible!

Jonny Wilkinson (England)

The man who needs no introduction, Jonny Wilkinson is arguably the most famous England rugby player of all-time.

It was Wilkinson who stepped up to convert a drop goal attempt on his weaker foot with just 20 seconds remaining on the clock – England fans were going wild in the stadium and even wilder back on home soil.

That kick was enough to secure England their first ever Rugby World Cup triumph. Securing victory over Australia back in 2003 remains one of the nation’s greatest sporting feats but a win at the 2019 Rugby World Cup would certainly rival Wilkinson’s drop goal.

At the time of writing, 888sport are going 5/1 for England to lift rugby union’s famous trophy later this year.

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

We are just days away from the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations and 888sport is the place to be for the latest AFCON 2019 tips, odds and tournament news. Egypt head the Africa Cup of Nations betting odds at 9/2 – the Pharaohs have lifted this famous trophy a record seven times, most recently in 2010.

Drawn alongside Egypt in Group A are Zimbabwe, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mo Salah and co will be quietly confident of advancing to the knockout stages as group winners, particularly taking home advantage into account. 2/5 for Egypt to finish top of the AFCON 2019 Group A is well worth considering.

Next up in the Africa Cup of Nations betting odds are Senegal. With the likes of Sadio Mane, Kalidou Koulibaly – linked with a summer transfer to Manchester United – and Idrissa Gueye in the squad, Senegal are capable of going all the way to the 2019 AFCON final. 5/1 is a price worth considering for Senegal to win the competition for the first time...

Mane is up there with Salah in the AFCON 2019 top goal scorer betting odds with 888sport. The Liverpool duo were simply sublime in 2018/19 and Anfield supporters will be keeping a close eye on this summer’s competition. Salah is the 5/1 favourite but Mane carries plenty of betting appeal at 7/1 for the Africa Cup of Nations Golden Boot.

The Ivory Coast regularly reached the latter stages of this competition during the 2000s but they have lifted the AFCON crown just once since 1992. At the time of writing, punters can back Ivory Coast at 7/1 to win at AFCON 2019. This isn’t the powerhouse squad of old but it would be foolish to write Ivory Coast off completely.

Topping Group D will not be straightforward for Ivory Coast though – Morocco present an early test for Ibrahim Kamara’s men. 888sport’s Group D odds show Ivory Coast at 6/5 with Morocco at 8/5; punters may find it difficult to split the two. Keep up with the latest Africa Cup of Nations betting tips and news here!

Nigeria were once regarded as the dominant force in African football but their last success in this tournament came back in 2013. With 14 semi-final appearances, Nigeria have been consistently strong at the Africa Cup of Nations and another last four showing could be on the cards. 13/10 to reach the semi-finals is a good price.

Asamoah Gyan and Jordan Ayew could carry Ghana into the latter stages of AFCON 2019. In the top goal scorer betting, they are priced as third and fourth favourites respectively – the former is 11/1 with the latter at 14/1. Ghana are well fancied to finish top of Group F this summer and plenty of punters will be backing the outsiders for a shock success.

Earlier this week, 888sport previewed five of the best players set to shine at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. Fingers crossed for an exciting and entertaining tournament – Egypt is the ideal country to host such a prestigious competition and we could see the hosts go all the way this summer. Watch this space…

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*

The Cricket World Cup is an opportunity for the best white-ball bowlers in the world to shine.

Some of cricket’s biggest names have produced the most memorable moments in the tournament's history, from unplayable fast-bowling to impossible-to-read spin. This article highlights seven of the best bowlers in Cricket World Cup history.

Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka)

Lasith Malinga is unique, his slingy action bringing the ball out of the non-striker’s stumps. He mixes that with exceptional deception, leaving batsmen bewildered as they struggle to pick up length and pace.

He holds the record for most consecutive wicket-taking deliveries (4) and ranks fifth all-time in Cricket World Cup wickets. He boasts the best strike rate in competition history, too.

While he’s not the bowler he once was, his action makes him a challenging prospect for any batsman. In 888sport’s sports betting, he’s 6/4 to be Sri Lanka’s top wicket-taker in the 2019 Cricket World Cup.

Wasim Akram (Pakistan)

Wasim Akram was the star of one of the most famous Cricket World Cup moments as Pakistan beat England in the 1992 final in Melbourne.

Akram smashed 33 off 18 balls at the end of the Pakistan innings and took three wickets, including Ian Botham for a duck, as Pakistan skittled England for 227.

Only Glenn McGrath and Muttiah Muralitharan have taken more World Cup wickets than the Pakistani left-armer.

Allan Donald (South Africa)

Despite the 90mph-plus bowling and devastating spells, Allan Donald’s World Cup career is often associated with that peculiar run out against Australia in the 1999 World Cup.

It is a shame, really, for a bowler as brilliant as Donald, that a batting mishap is remembered.

At his best, Donald was not just capable of taking your wicket, he was downright scary, with that unpleasant combination of rapid bowling and an unwelcoming snarl.

Often preferring to bowl first change rather than take the new ball, Donald was a nightmare in the middle overs. He bowled several special spells, but the 4/17 against England might in 1999 might be his best of all.

Glenn McGrath (Australia)

The leading Cricket World Cup wicket-taker, it was impossible to leave Glenn McGrath off this list.

Unlike Malinga, Akram or Donald, McGrath wasn’t electrically quick (at least for most of his career), but his metronomic accuracy that brought such Test success translated into the shorter form of the game with great success.

McGrath has the lowest bowling average in World Cup history and played a major part in three World Cup winning campaigns.

Muttiah Muralitharan (Sri Lanka)

The first spinner on this list, the unorthodox Muttiah Muralitharan has a claim as the greatest spinner to play the game.

He’s taken 92 Test match wickets more than anyone else, only McGrath has more World Cup scalps and no bowler has taken more four-wicket hauls in cricket’s premier international competition.

Admittedly playing in a different era, Muralitharan’s economy stands out at a mere 3.88, a remarkable number for a spinner even with all his variations and sharp turn.

His strike rate of just over 30 is better than Akram, Donald and his long-time teammate Chaminda Vaas.

The one disappointment for Muralitharan was his failure to take any wickets in the consecutive World Cup finals Sri Lanka lost in 2007 and 2011, though he bowled a superb 10 overs one for 31 in 1996 as Sri Lanka stunned the cricketing world against Australia.

Mitchell Starc (Australia)

Mitchell Starc is only part way through his World Cup career, but he’s already enjoyed great success. The Australian left-armer has taken two four-wicket hauls and two five-fers in just 13 World Cup matches, contributing to a hilarious strike rate of just 18.8(!).

Australia and Starc featured in our Cricket World Cup 2019 preview, and remain one of the favourites to lift the trophy. Starc is 11/20 to be Australia’s top wicket-taker.

While winning this summer would consolidate Starc among the World Cup greats, he’s already on the right trajectory regardless of team success.

The threat of a bumper with the left-arm angle and his ability to nail those toe-crushing, swinging yorkers make the 29-year-old a threat to any batsman in the world.

Shane Warne (Australia)

Playing in just two World Cups, Warne did not amass the same number of wickets as his spin-bowling rival Muralitharan or his accomplice McGrath, but his numbers were similarly extraordinary.

Warne bowled 16 maidens in 17 matches, helping him to a 3.83 economy rate (marginally better than Muralitharan).

His 19.50 World Cup average is a smidgen lower than Muralitharan’s too, and he took an incredible four four-wicket hauls in those 17 matches.

His infamous ban for taking Moduretic just before the 2003 World Cup cut his one-day international career short – who knows how good his numbers would have been if he’d played in 2003 and 2007.

*Odds subject to change - correct at time of writing*