I had this nagging feeling going into Super Rugby 2017 that this year was going to be different – that a new competitor was going to emerge or that an old competitor was going to fall away.
But so far, much of the same.
Round 6 of Super Rugby is upon us and the top teams are (still) the Chiefs, Hurricanes and Crusaders and I don’t expect that to change.
The bottom feeders are the Kings, Sunwolves and new entrant – the Waratahs.
This week we have been challenged by legendary sports blogger and radio personality @thebounce but before we get into our predictions, let’s look at the weekend’s fixtures:
Round 6 fixtures:
Friday
Highlanders vs Rebels 08:35
Friday only offers one appetiser; the showdown between the Highlanders and Rebels. The recent champion Landers have had a tough couple of fixtures so far this year but should have way too much firepower for the Rebels.
Saturday
Blues vs Force 06:15
Only people who haven’t slept yet or have kids will be up for this one but this should be another one sided affair. I backed the Blues to get it done this year but so far, they have underwhelmed – could this be a watershed match for them? They should pummel the Force.
Chiefs vs Bulls 08:35
Bulls have problems and while we can expect a slightly improved performance this week – expect the Chiefs to run them ragged. This could get ugly for the Pretorians.
Reds vs Hurricanes 10:45
Another game with only one clear winner. The Canes are just a points scoring machine at the moment and the Reds not so much.
Stormers vs Cheetahs 15:05
This is an SA derby so expect more of a test match feel to this one. I was so excited to see the Stormer’s game plan against the Bulls, but it’s been absent ever since (saving for Kiwi opposition?). The Cheetahs, as usual, know their way to the try line but due to absent defence, opposition sides typically score more tries than they do and any expert will tell you – that’s a good way to lose matches.
Lions vs Sharks 17:10
The Saturday blockbuster puts the slow starting Lions up against the inconsistent Sharks. Which Sharks team will turn up this week? The crew who played the Waraths or those that played the Kings? Only time will tell but I am backing the Lions.
Sunday:
Waratahs vs Crusaders 08:05
The Tahs are woeful this year but they have some good players and may turn things around at any moment. Don’t bother setting an alarm for this one though – this should be one way traffic.
Just before we get into our picks, let’s take a look at how the teams stack up on World Sports Betting:
World Sports Betting predictions:
Highlanders by 23
Blues by 19
Chiefs by 19
Hurricanes by 16
Stormers by 10
Lions by 8
Crusaders by 7
Predictions: @leftbacks vs @thebounce
For someone that writes about sport – I am notoriously pathetic at SuperBru but every year when that invite from the General pops into my inbox – I sign up.
Never the less, here are my picks vs Ben from the Bounce.
@FollowTheBounce
Highlanders by 11
Blues by 16
Chiefs by 20
Hurricanes by 14
Stormers by 5
Lions by 7
Crusaders by 11
@LeftBacks
Highlanders by 7
Blues by 16
Chiefs by 12
Hurricanes by 14
Stormers by 6
Lions by 8
Crusaders by 10
Very similar so it’s going to come down to accuracy this week.
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Who’s your money on? Let us know your thoughts on in the comments or via a tweet @leftbacks and let’s get the banter started.