Tag: Blues

Australian Super Rugby Teams Must Step Up to Save Futures

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Crusaders ($1.41) v Blues ($2.90)

The impressive Crusaders are three from three so far, even though they’ve left it incredibly late to sneak wins in all three of their games. They’ll relish being back at home and hosting the struggling Blues team, who are still no closer to finding the first five that will bring them back to past glory – Piers Francis is the next to try, replacing Ihaia West. Crusaders by 1-12.

Rebels ($7.90) v Chiefs ($1.08)

Nothing but trouble awaits the Rebels this weekend when they host the high-flying Chiefs at AAMI park in Melbourne. The Chiefs have wonder kid Damian McKenzie starting at number ten in what could be an ominous sign for the home side, who have shown very little by way of ability or effort so far this year. Chiefs 13+.

Bulls ($1.01) v Sunwolves ($16.75)

This won’t be a question of who wins but rather a question of how much the Bulls win by. We’re picking fifty points, but then again the Bulls haven’t been that flash this year and have disappointed a loyal fan base that thought this year could be their year with two close losses to South African teams they should’ve beaten. Still, they’re playing the Sunwolves, so they will win. Bulls 13+.

Hurricanes ($1.23) v Highlanders ($4.10)

The Hurricanes / Chiefs showdown last week wasn’t the great spectacle many were hoping for. That’s probably because of the persistent NZ rain, but Saturday night’s match against the Highlanders could match the hype. In a repeat of the 2015 final, the Hurricanes will need to get the win without luckless All Black, Nehe Milner-Skudder, after the winger injured an ankle against the Chiefs. Hurricanes 13+.

Waratahs ($1.48) v Brumbies ($2.64)

All the talk during the week was which teams will be culled from Super Rugby when changes are introduced next year. One of the possibilities was the Brumbies merging with the underperforming Rebels. Accordingly, the Brumbies need a win here to outline their credentials and the reason they should stay in the comp. We think they’re actually a chance to get an upset here. Brumbies 1-12.

Lions ($1.23) v Reds ($4.20)

The Lions rested a lot of their side from the Argentinian tour, but their return should see them get the better of the below par Reds. The Reds did everything but beat the undefeated Crusaders last week and may take some heart from the close loss. However, we still think the Lions will be too strong. Lions 1-12.

Sharks ($1.01) v Kings ($14.75)

Bonus point for the Sharks. 13+. Enough said.

Jaguares ($1.29) v Cheetahs ($3.50)

The Jaguares are the surprise package of the competition so far. Wins in two out of three of their games and the home ground advantage gives them the favourites tags over the Cheetahs. However, the Cheetahs are no mugs either, sitting 5th in the South African conference and showing enough promise in their efforts to suggest they might be contenders in the conference. Jaguares 1-12.

Super Rugby Round 14 Results

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Round 10 was always going to feature some riveting Rugby with the top of the conference New Zealand duel expected to grab most of the headlines.  However, it was the performances of the Blues and the Reds that surprised most and grabbed plenty of newspaper space.

Here’s the mashup from Super Rugby’s Round 14 Results

Blues (23) v Bulls (18) 

The leadership struggle between private investors and the Auckland Rugby Football Union at the Blues took a back seat to the footy action on Friday night as the Blues were able to hold on for win number three of 2015.

An understandably dismal crowd saw quality individual tries from Lolagi Visinia and George Moala get the better off the Bulls rolling mauls and a quality individual performance by Jan Serfontein.  The pieces of back magic gave the Blues a five point win and gave a hint of what the Blues could be capable of if they were led well and governed by strong administration.

The third win at Eden Park means respite for Blues fans, and possibly points to some 2016 magic at the home of New Zealand rugby.  Considering two of the wins have come against the Bulls and the Brumbies, the 2015 season will always be an enigma.

Youngsters Blake Gibson, Akira Ioane, lock William Lloyd and halfback Jamison Gibson-Park all took their chance to shine for the hosts.

Blues: Tries – L.Visinia, G.Moala, Pen – I.West 3, Con – I.West 2

Bulls: Tries – J.Serfontein 2, Pen – H.Pollard 2, Con – H.Pollard

Reds (46) v Rebels (29)

The Reds got win number three of 2015, shocking the Rebels at home with a deadly five try burst in the second half at Suncorp.  The Reds, now, might just be the most unfancied opponents, as playoff contenders will view the Queensland outfit as banana skin foes.  The Reds’ final two games of the season come against the Chiefs and the Waratahs – they could have a big influence on the final standings.

The win means the hire of former Wallabies coach John Connolly paid instant dividends for the Reds who put together their best effort of the season, despite trailing by 11 after just 36 minutes.  However, the second half was full of quality from Lachie Turner and Liam Gill in particular, but also a solid effort from young Jack McIntyre at fly half.

As much as the backs benefited on the scoresheet there were plenty of bumslaps for a forward pack that dominated the Rebels tight five.  Led by lock Rob Simmons the Reds back men were worthy recipients of plenty of praise.

The loss is a major blow for the Rebels playoffs chances, now six points outside the top 6.

Reds: Tries – R.Simmons, J.McIntyre, L.Turner 2. C.Feauai-Sautia, L.Gill, Pen – J.O’Connor 2, Con – J.O’Connor 5

Rebels: Tries – S.Naivalu 2, D.Shipperley, L.Jones, Pen – M.Harris, Con – M.Harris 3

Hurricanes (22) v Chiefs (18)

The Chiefs were left to rue a controversial TMO decision in the final stages as they lost to the Hurricanes 22-18 in Wellington.  An undermanned Chiefs side missing a host of players and then losing two locks inside they first half were brave and perhaps deserved more out of the top of the NZ conference match.

The controversial incident came in the closing stages as the Chiefs were camped in the Hurricanes 22.  Replacement halfback Augustine Pulu snuck out from the back of the ruck to score a potential game winner but the TMO ruled a knock on in the ruck and called the play back.  In fairness the knock on was courtesy of Hurricanes hands in the ruck and should have been a penalty to the Chiefs.  They deserved the chance to tap that penalty and look for a match winner but the decision went against them.

Ma’a Nonu scored a double for the Hurricanes in an accomplished performance.  He lost midfield partner Conrad Smith but made the most of breaks from the Savea brothers and displayed super handling to score his five pointers.  He was one of only a few bright spots for a Hurricanes team that were down a gear from when Beauden Barrett plays, and one that struggled to take advantage of a numerical advantage when Liam Squire was binned.

Elsewhere, James Broadhurst and Brad Webber continued to press their All Black claims with fine efforts.

Hurricanes: Tries – M.Nonu 2, A.Savea, Pen – J.Marshall, Con – J.Marshall 2

Chiefs: Tries – C. Ngatai, S.Cane, Pen – D.McKenzie 2, Con – D.McKenzie

Waratahs (33) v Sharks (18)

The Sharks lost their sixth match in a row and helped the Waratahs to top of the Australian conference and second overall at Allianz Stadium.

A disappointing fixture saw plenty of clumsiness, plenty of errors and ultimately another Sharks loss – equalling their work streak in 19 years of Super Rugby.

They had their opportunities to win this one, especially when Francois Steyn scored to make the score 20-18 with a quarter of the match remaining.  But Bernard Foley’s converted try made it impossible and inflated the scoreline in the Waratahs favour.

The Waratahs will be concerned about their 12 handling errors and the fact that they conceded 18 turnovers.  Those worries may be cancelled out by the realisation that they have one of the most damaging ball runners in the competition in the form of  Rugby League convert Taqele Naiyaravoro who scored his fourth try of the campaign.

Waratahs: Tries – A.Ashley-Cooper, T.Naiyaravoro, B.Foley, Pen – B.Foley 4, Con – B.Foley 3

Sharks: Tries – O.Ndungane, F.Steyn, Pen – F.Steyn 2, Con – F.Steyn

Lions (20) v Brumbies (30)

Six Super Rugby points during a difficult tour to South Africa is a decent return for the Brumbies who grabbed five of them in a win over the Lions on Sunday morning.

The bonus point win courtesy of four tries to two keeps the Brumbies in the hunt for a home semi-final (the Hurricanes a 14 points clear with a game in hand and the race is essentially one for second place).  It’s the second time in succession the Brumbies have grabbed a win in Johannesburg, and helps atones for last weeks shocker against the Stormers.

Defence was again critical for the Brumbies.  They have conceded less than 200 points in their 13 games, and in this fixture were able to support the defence with some devastating attack.  Tevita Kuridrani, Christian Lealiifano and Joe Tomane were the best for the ACT side, while the Lions got plenty of work out of flanker Jaco Kriel.

Lions: Tries – J.Kriel, A.Coetzee, Pen – E.Jantjies, R.Combrinck, Con – E.Jantjies, J.van der Walt

Brumbies: Tries – T.Kuridrani, I.Vaea, C.Lealiifano, J.Tomane, Pen – C.Lealiifano, J.Mogg, Con – C.Lealiifano 2

Cheetahs (24) v Highlanders (45)

The Highlanders scored a bonus pint win over the Lions in Bloemfontein to make it three New Zealand teams in the top six.  Much like last week a destructive first half saw the Highlanders run out to a 26-3 lead, and unlike last week this time they were able to build on it and win crucial competition points.

The seven try to three win was full of quality running footy in nice conditions at Free State Stadium.  Rugby League convert Ryan Tongia scored two well taken tries, as did Aaron Smith. Ben Smith, Patrick Osbourne and the prolific Gareth Evans also got on the scoreboard as the Highlanders moved to 5th on the Super Rugby table.

The final scoreline has a hint of competitiveness to it, but that wasn’t the case as all of the Cheetahs were scored late in a consolation mould.  The respectability of the scoreboard however won’t do anything to improve the mood of the Cheetahs, nor do they get any competition points for their efforts.  They remain last in the South African conference.

Cheetahs: Tries – R.Benjamin,C Wegner, F.Venter, Pen – F.Brummer, Con – F.Brummer 3

Highlanders: Tries – R.Tongia 2, A.Smith 2, P.Osborne, G.Evans, B.Smith, Con – L.Sopoaga 4, M.Banks

Super Rugby Preview Round 14

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Odds, tips and snippets from the latest round of Super Rugby action.  Here’s the weekly Super Rugby Preview Round 14 Edition:

Blues v Bulls 

Blues – $2.15

Bulls – $1.70

The Blues have had plenty of distractions this week.  Most of them revolve around their coach John Kirwan’s future, which apparently won’t be decided until August.  Will he stay?  Will he get Wayne Smith as an assistant?  Those are the questions being asked, notably because the Blues season is already well and truly over.

However, they play pretty decently at home so they could sneak some points from this picture against the susceptible Bulls outfit.  The Bulls have not won outside of South Africa since 2013, but have plenty to play for as they currently top the South African conference with the Stormers.

On this seasons results the Bulls should be too strong, but we’re sensing an upset, even though the Blues got licked by the Rebels last week.

Blues 1-12.

Reds v Rebels

Reds – $2.25

Rebels – $1.62

Game two of the week also features two teams enjoying contrasting seasons.  Former Champions the Reds are done and dusted.  Struggling with injuries and form, the Reds were badly beaten last week and look to be second best in this fixture too.

In contrast, the Rebels are still in the hunt for a playoff spot – just 4 points behind the Brumbies and will undoubtedly bring plenty of confidence to Suncorp Stadium after mauling the Blues last week.

Jake McIntyre has been asked to make his Super Rugby debut at 10 for the Reds, while Karmichael Hunt returns from injury at outside centre.  Big things are expected of McIntyre.  The 21 year old replaces Nick Frisby who is out with concussion in the Reds problem position.  He could thrive without the pressure of a playoff spot beckoning.

We’ll go for an upset here.  Reds 1-12.

Hurricanes v Chiefs

Hurricanes – $1.62

Chiefs – $2.30

The New Zealand conference decider features two of the better teams in 2015’s Super Rugby season.  The always enterprising Hurricanes face the equally ambitious and attacking Chiefs team at home, bidding to win their 11th game of the season.

The Hurricanes have a poor overall record against the Chiefs, having won just twice of their last seven matches against the side from Waikato.  However, the most recent matchup saw the Hurricanes destroy the Chiefs 45-8.

The Canes are bolstered by the return of TJ Perenara and Julian Savea, returning them to full strength.  Conversely, the Cheifs have lost James Lowe and Sonny Bill Williams in what appears to be two massive hits to their chances.

Hurricanes 13+.

Waratahs v Sharks 

Waratahs – $1.30

Sharks – $3.50

The bookies are giving the Sharks little chance of beating the Waratahs at Allianz on Saturday night.  The Sharks have been disappointing all year and particularly poor away from home, something that is frustrating Bismarck du Plessis no end.  Sydney appears an unlikely venue to turn that statistic around however, as the Sharks have won just 2 of 10 encounters in the area.

That pretty much points to a Waratahs win.  A desperately needed one too after they dropped valuable points against the force last week.  The Tahs have not lost two games in a row all season and we don’t believe that will start on Saturday night.  Buoyed by the inclusion of Michael Hooper, who looked set to miss a few weeks after limping off last week, the Waratahs will win 1-12.

Lions v Brumbies

Lions – $2.10

Brumbies – $1.72

In arguably the most difficult of the round’s games to predict, the Lions face the Brumbies at Ellis Park.  The Brumbies top the Australia conference but are currently in the midst of a mini form slump.  Narrow losses to the Waratahs and the Stormers (3 points and 1 point respectively) have left the ACT franchise needing to win in Round 15 to avoid three straight losses that would equal their worst ever losing streak.

Matt Toomua returns for the Brumbies to aid the cause.  His inclusion adds a tremendous amount of sought after experience in the cauldron that is Johannesburg.

The Lions have surprised many in this campaign.  Most recently they surprised the Highlanders with a stirring second half fightback.  They might not have the paddock across the park, but they can grind out wins at home better than most.

We like their chances and will give them (the Lions) the win by 1-12 (because the Brumbies always lose narrowly if they lose).

Cheetahs v Highlanders

Cheetahs – $2.50

Highlanders – $1.53

An important match for the Highlanders at Free State Stadium this one.  The Highlanders have failed to win any of their four games in the republic and need to keep in touch with the New Zealand conference pack that is currently chasing the Hurricanes.

Last week’s win will still be hurting, and the best tonic will be a win against a Cheetahs side featuring a new halves pairing of Tian Meyer and Francois Brummer.  The Highlanders are not without their own changes. They lose breakout star Waisake Naholo to a bruised foot – replaced by little known Ryan Tongia.

We see the Highlanders finally breaking their South African hoodoo and getting a win by 1-12.

AFL Round 6 Results

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An unimaginable number of upsets gave bookie all sorts of headaches over the AFL weekend.  The upsets also made a mockery of our predictions – we struggled to four tips for the week.

All the action reviewed in our weekly piece titled AFL Round 6 Results below:

Collingwood (8-11-59) vs Geelong Cats (15-10-100)

A hot first half from the unfancied Geelong team helped them get the better of the Collingwood Pies at the MCG on Friday night.  In the first of many upsets in Round 6, the Cats jumped out of the gates and kicked the first seven goals of the match before surviving a brief comeback in the second stanza to win by 41 goals.

An incredible 425 possession form the Cats undid the Magpies and confounded them to their second loss of the season, no doubt incredibly flummoxed as to how they gave up 11 goals in the first half to their 2.

Mitch Duncan, Steven Motlop (3 goals) and Cory Gregson (3 goals) were all standouts for Gellong.  While Scott Pendlebury was excellent in a losing cause for Collingwood.

Geelong’s third win of the campaign gets them to three wins from six matches and up to 12th on the ladder, however they’re equal on points with Hawthorne who currently occupy 8th.

North Melbourne (16-13-109) vs Richmond (10-14-74)

A 16,000 strong crowd at Blundstone Arena saw North Melbourne get the better of Richmond in the first of Round 6’s Saturday games.

In a close first half only a goal separated the teams as both teams benefitted from a direct running game and tight control of the ruck.  However, six consecutive goals in the crucial third term sent North Melbourne on their way as Richmond suffered a monumental lapse in concentration.  They’ll need to get to the bottom of that ahead of their difficult upcoming fixtures against Collingwood, Port Adelaide, Essendon and Fremantle.

Lindsay Thomas will receive most of the praise for his five goal effort (from just nine attempts), but Shaun Higgins and Brent Harvey were also key contributors.

North move to 9th on the competition ladder but will face much more tougher matches than this one.  They were gifted 92 points from Richmond turnovers, a statistic that is unlikely to be offered by the competitions stronger teams.

Western Bulldogs (13-9-87) vs St Kilda (14-10-94)

St Kilda staged a dramatic comeback to shock almost everyone and beat the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium.  The cellar dwellers were down by 55 points in the third quarter but amazingly kicked twelve goals to three in an incredible second half.  The comeback is the fifth biggest comeback in AFL history and will no doubt have had bookies seething.

The comeback may have been sparked by an all in brawl right on the stroke of halftime because directly after the break the teams showed up with wildly different energies.

St Kilda midfielder David Armitage was the star of the show.  He had a career best 45 possessions and 8 clearances.  Together with Jack Billings who kicked 4 goals, he was largely responsible for sparking the wild scenes.

GWS Giants (16-12-108) vs Hawthorn (14-14-98)

In another Round 6 match we failed to predict the Giants beat last year’s premiers by ten points in Sydney.

The win is arguably the Giants greatest ever in their short history and was delivered courtesy of an incredible second half that completely shocked the Hawks.  Jeremy Cameron was the hero at Spotless Stadium kicking seven goals to help reel in a 27 goal first half deficit.

Much like other games in the round the impetus came in a flurry.  GWS kicked five straight goals to finish the half and take an unexpected cushion into the second half.  They managed to hold on to that lead and with it two valuable completion points.  They are now ahead of Hawthorne six games into the season.

The Giants’ 2015 record resembles a symmetrical gang sign – WLWLW.  They’ll be hoping to turn this into a web address over the next few weeks.

Gold Coast Suns (11-12-78) vs Adelaide Crows (18-11-109)

Fellow league infants, the Gold Coast Suns, couldn’t replicate the amazing win of the Giants, instead suffering a large defeat at the hands of the Adelaide Crows.  The match was largely one-sided.  The undermanned Suns struggling to feature after conceding five straight goals in the first quarter.

After a number of their players were given bans for breaching the alcohol policies of the Club, the Suns were always destined to struggle, and that’s exactly how it panned out.  The Suns were simply not good enough.  The only silver lining was a last quarter win.

Eddie Betts had five goals, taking him to twenty for the season.  He’s currently second behind West Coast’s Josh Kennedy in the Coleman Medal race, and the Crows are back on track.

Melbourne (7-8-50) vs Sydney Swans (12-16-88)

Sydney atoned for last week’s shock loss to the Western Bulldogs by beating a wasteful Melbourne side in Melbourne on Saturday night.  The Swans got plenty of return from star forward Kurt Tippet (4 goals) but are facing six weeks without talented youngster Isaac Heeney who badly injured his knee.

The Swans crushed the haunting memories of last years grand final disappointment and reeled of seven goals to one in a first half that essentially killed off the contest.

Melbourne may cling to some positives from a gutsy second half.  They actually took the half out by two points in a display that had coach Paul Roos pleased his side didn’t lose by 100.

Fremantle (12-8-80) vs Essendon (7-10-52)

The Dockers kept up their unbeaten start to the season by beating the Bombers in a low scoring encounter at home on Saturday night.  A crowd of 37,000 packed Domain Stadium to see their ladder topping heroes get the better of an Essendon side that were expected to give them more trouble than they did.

The Bombers have gone away form their aggressive hard nosed footy and looked directionless at times in the face of constant Fremantle pressure.

Aaron Sandilands, was brilliant for the home side, registering 33 hit-outs, and he was aptly supported by the disposals of Lachie Neale (33), David Mundy (28) and Nat Fyfe (27).  That service was in stark contrast to the ball Fremantle had to deal with, but they were wrong around the stoppages.

A 54 goal three quarter lead was shortened in a fourth quarter that won’t concern the Dockers coach Ross Lyon too much.  It felt as though the Dockers were simply going through the motions, and that’s understandable after five consecutive wins and a handy lead in the sixth.

Carlton (11-9-75) vs Brisbane Lions (12-12-84)

Carlton lost to the Brisbane Lions in the battle of the early season wooden spoon.  The Lions were given little chance by the bookies ahead of their matchup, however overturned their $4.00 odds to grab a narrow victory over 17th placed Carlton.

The nine point win came courtesy of a brave second half as they built up a third quarter lead and held on to it during a tense finale.  The win gets them underway for the season and helped answer the critics who accused them of not caring about their results.

Dayne Beams and big off season recruit Allen Christensen were instrumental in winning quality ball for their unlikely attacking spearhead to kick the goals.  Daniel McStay was that unlikely spearhead – he kicked a career best 4 goals in what turned out to be a one on one battle with Brisbane’s Levi Casboult (4).

The drought breaking win will give Carlton some confidence ahead of their Round 7 home match against the Giants, whereas the Lions have now lost four in a row, amounting to huge pressure on coach Mick Malthouse.

Port Adelaide (10-8-68) vs West Coast Eagles (11-12-78)

The final match of the round at the Adelaide Oval continue the trend of Round 6 upsets as the West Coast Eagles got up over the more favourited home side.

The Eagles ripped the form book, and their pre match odds of $4.50, to shreds as they responded brilliantly to a fierce last quarter barrage by the Power.  Port gave it their all in an engrossing last quarter, but their all wasn’t enough to get past the Eagles desperate backline.

We had said before the game that the Eagles start to the season was a little misleading because of their favourable draw, however, on this evidence that is simply not true.  They are genuine contenders, and with a number of youngsters (Jeremy McGovern, Elliot Yeo) starting to hit their straps they have the basis of a strong team for a number of seasons.

The Eagles remain near the top of their leaderboard after the win.  The four points gets them to second on percentage.  Port are in 10th, but with no cause for immediate panic.

Super Rugby Round 13 Results

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The Super Rugby weekend again turned in a handful of surprises, and in general wasn’t a good time to be leading at halftime or late in the game.  The Highlanders, Brumbies and Sharks all saw leads disappear late and with it valuable competition points.

Read our round-up of the Super Rugby Round 13 Results with descriptions from each game below:

Crusaders (58) v Reds (17)

The Crusaders turned back the clock and delivered one of their most memorable performances in recent time when they defeated the Reds at home on Friday night.  In what was billed as a farewell for Crusaders legends Richie McCaw and Dan Carter, the Crusaders dominated all 80 minutes and by registering a bonus point win could fins themselves in the playoff reckoning.

The combination between Andy Ellis, Colin Slade and Nemani Nadolo was the winning of the math as the numbers 9, 10 and 11 put on a clinical display and Nadolo kept up his incredible try scoring strike rate.  He also set up Ellis’ 90 second opener, before intercepting a stray James O’Connor pass for his own first try and then finally accepting a Carter pass to cross for a second.

Watching the Waratahs an Highlanders lose further rectified the likelihood of a playoff position, and will send the Crusaders into their bye week positively beaming.

Crusaders: Tries – A.Ellis, C.Slade, N.Nadolo 2, S.Whitelock, M.Todd, J.Macilai, D.Bird, Pen – C.Slade 2, Con – C.Slade 6

Reds: Tries – S.Kerevi, C.Feauai-Sautia, Pen – J.O’Connor, Con – J.,O’Connor 2

Rebels (42) v Blues (22)

The Blues again failed to win an away game.  The loss is their eighth away loss of the season and means they have only won away form home twice in the last three years under John Kirwan.

In this one the Rebels were better in every facet throughout.  The Rebels noticed their second consecutive win and their sixth of the season – the most they have record in their short Super Rugby history.  The Rebels benefitted from the Blues keenness to throw the ball around by exploiting the copious amounts of space available and picking up several intercepts from loose passes.

Scott Higginbotham was one of the Rebels players to take his chances.  He ran over for his 30th Super Rugby try – the most by a forward in the history of the competition.

Credit due to both teams for the attractive and enterprising way the game was played.

Rebels: Tries – C.Fainga’a, T.Smith, S.Higginbotham, D.Shipperley, J. Debreczeni, Pen – M.Harris 3, Con – M.Harris 3

Blues: Tries – M.Nanai, J.Gibson-Park, G.Moala, Pen – I.West, Con -I.West 2

Hurricanes (32) v Sharks (24)

Prince Harry brought good luck to the Hurricanes as they avoided a potentially trick encounter against the Sharks in the capital.  Trailing 24-21 late in the game, the Hurricanes needed late tries from Reggie Goodes and Jeremy Thrush to seal the points and continue their utter domination of the New Zealand conference.

Despite trailing at half time the Sharks got the better start, and had the lead early when Bismarck du Plessis opened the scoring.  However, the Canes worked themselves into the contest, and Cory Jane levelled things up prior to Conrad Smith dotting down to grab a half-time lead.

The Canes trailed twice in the second half but utilised the home crowd and their big game experience to get through the potential banana skin game by a narrow margin.

Hurricanes: Tries – C.Jane, C.Smith, R.Goodes, J.Thrush, Pen – J.Marshall 2, Con – J.Marshall 3

Sharks: Tries – B. du Plessis,  S.Sithole, O.Ndungane, Pen –  L.Cronje, Con – F.Steyn 3

Force (18) v Waratahs (11)

For the second time in 2015 the Western Force beat the reigning Super Rugby Champions.  The Force beat the Waratahs in Round One and completed the double over their NSW opponents with a narrow win in another low-scoring match.

The Waratahs entered the game as one of the form teams of the competition, but lacked accuracy and intensity.  They struggled to break through a staunch defensive effort and managed a solitary try and a solitary competition point (losing margin).  Not a catastrophic result though given the Brumbies loss.

The Force won’t make the playoffs, especially considering their woeful form with the boot (they gave away 17 points in this one), but have gained plenty of admirers for their bizarre record of 10 losses, 2 wins, but both of them against the defending champions.

Force: Tries – R.Louwrens, M.Hodgson, Pen – L.Burton 2, Con – L.Burton

Waratahs: Tries – T.Naiyaravoro, Pen – B.Foley 2

Lions (28) v Highlanders (23)

The Highlanders’ inability to close their match out against the Lions at Ellis Park on Sunday morning might come back to haunt them in the race for playoff spots.  The Otago men led 20-3 at halftime after Gareth Evans and Malakai Fekitoa took opportunist tries with Fekitoa’s in particular a fine 70m effort after goof work from Richard Buckman.  Lima Sopoaga’s soon to be All Black boots were also on form, slotting conversions, penalties and droppies from all over the place.  Probably in response to the 51m monster kicked by Marnitz Boshoff to open the scoring.

The second half was a different story.  The Lions completely dominated the final 28 minutes where they edged ahead with two tries (Kriel for one and the uber- impressive Vorster the other) after a Ben Smith drop goal had pushed the Highlanders back in front.  A further penalty to replacement Elton Jantjies prevented any last minute heartache and sent the Johannesburg crowd into hysterics.

Lions: Tries – Skosan, Kriel, Vorster, Pen – Jantjies 2, Boshoff, Con – Jantjies 2

Highlanders: Tries – Evans, Fekitoa, Pen – Sopoaga, Con – Sopoaga 2, Drop – Sopoaga, B Smith

Stormers (25) v Brumbies (24)

The Newlands match will be remembered only for Christian Lealliifano’s glaring miss in the closing stages that should have delivered his Brumbies side a win adjacent the Stormers.  A conversion right in front of the sticks that many 12 year olds will kick today during their lunch breaks drifted wide and the Stormers were gifted the win.

Demetri Catrakilis contributed all but five of his sides points.  The five came via Schalk Burger who bravely brushed off a dangerous tackle moments earlier to dive over and send the Stormers into the bye round ahead of the Bulls thanks to their superior wins.

The loss was yet another example of a narrow Brumbies defeat, a trait undoubtedly frustrating the Canberra side.  It should never have been though as Lealliifano would kick that goal 9 times out of 1o, blindfolded.  The Brumbies single point gets them up to third courtesy of topping the Australian conference.

Stormers: Tries – S.Burger, Pen – D.Catrakilis 5, Con – D.Catrakilis, Drop – D.Catrakilis

Brumbies: Tries – J.Tomane, D.Pocock, Pen – C.Lealiifano 3, J.Mogg, Con – C.Lealiifano

Super Rugby Round 13 Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Another round of Super Rugby is upon us, albeit a shortened week with three teams enjoying a bye.  Check out all the team changes and predictions in this week’s Super Rugby Round 13 Preview below:

Crusaders v Reds

Crusaders – $1.07

Reds – $9.25

Richie McCaw’s career mind be grinding to an early concussion conscious halt, but the Crusaders season is just starting to heat up.  Despite losing to the Hurricanes last week, the Crusaders returned to some decent form and should make a late run for a playoffs spot over the closing weeks, starting with a comfortable victory over the Reds on Friday.

The below par Reds are still without Cooper, Hunt and Fainga’a who are all still out injured.  Therefore the bookies have given them no chance at all.  In fact they’re the least favoured team of the round even with Jake Schatz returning.

The match is probably the last time the Canterbury faithful will see heroes Dan Carter and McCaw at home.

Crusaders by 13+.

Rebels v Blues

Rebels – $1.52

Blues – $2.60

The Blues have revamped the side that easily beat the Force last week for this week’s head to head with the Melbourne Rebels in Friday’s latter game.  Steven Luatua has been instilled as captain and Ihaia West returns to the pivotal number 10 position as Dan Bowden overcomes a groin injury.   Charles Piutau, Luke Braid and Jerome Kaino are also out, but the Blues get a boost in the strange form of concluded legal proceedings as George Moala avoided an assault conviction and can now put the three year distraction behind him.

The Rebels are favourites thanks to a surprise win against the Chiefs last week and their five win and five loss records in this year’s competition.  Mike Harris is a key addition this week and will resume the goal kicking from Debreczeni.

Blues by 1-12.  (But great money on the Blues 13+ if you’re brave – $7.25)

Hurricanes v Sharks

Hurricanes – $1.24

Sharks – $4.20

The table topping Hurricanes franchise have rewarded some of their stars with a week off when they take on the Sharks at home on Saturday night.  Wing Julian Savea and halfback TJ Perenara will sit this one out, replaced by Chris Smylie and Matt Procter.  Beauden Barrett is also injured, meaning James Marshall comes into the run on side.  Victor Vito and Blade Thomson also start ahead of regulars Brad Shields and Callum Gibbins.

The Sharks get a boost too, from international quality utility back Frans Steyn and other key contributors Jannie du Plessis and Renaldo Bothma.

Interestingly, the game will also feature royalty in the crowd.  Literally, royalty, with Prince Harry watching from the stands.

Hurricanes 13+.

Force v Waratahs

Force – $3.75

Waratahs – $1.29

The Waratahs are odds on favourites to make it four wins on the bounce when they travel to Perth to take on the competitions worst side.  The Waratahs are expected to be much too strong for a side who won a solitary match in 2015.

The Waratahs have made a switch out wide with Taqele Naiyaravoro coming in to replace Peter Betham and another in the front row that sees Tolu Latu replacing the concussed Tatafu Polota-Nau.

Notwithstanding a couple of point scoring splurges, the Force have struggled to match the name of their home ground (‘Force Field’) and have leaked far too many tries to come close to a second win.

Lock Adam Coleman is the only major change to the side that suffered a heavy defeat to the Blues last week.

Waratahs 13+.

Lions v Highlanders

Lions – $1.88

Highlanders – $1.96

The entertaining Highlanders team face their most difficult portion of their season as they embark on a couple of tricky South African and Australian assignments in the race home.  First up is the a Lions team who will be smarting from their first loss in six games last week to the Bulls.  They have reacted by making a handful of changes to their team including Schalk van der Merwe starting at loosehead and Robbie Coetzee, included at hooker.

In the backline, Ross Cronje will start at scrumhalf and will play alongside Marnitz Boshoff.

The Highlanders attracted more support as the week has progressed and it’s close to even-stevens between the two teams in the bookies eyes.  We like the Highlanders here, building on their impressive effort against the Sharks last week.

Highlanders 1-12.

Stormers v Brumbies

Stormers – $1.57

Brumbies – $2.45

The Brumbies look to have their work cut out for them at Newlands early Sunday morning.  The Cape Town venue is one of the competitions toughest to travel to and has become a fortress this season.  Although the Brumbies get back Rory Arnold and Nic White, we can’t see them having the firepower to get past a strong Stormers side that has been strengthened even further with the return of Eben Etzebeth – who sat out last week under instruction by the SARU.

Stormers 13+.

This Weeks Multi

Head to Head pays $12.54

Margin pays $234.06

Odds taken from Luxbet.