Super Rugby AU is back on the menu this weekend with two tantalising fixtures set to tickle your tastebuds!
Image Copyright – Steve Haag Sports
This weekend’s Super Rugby AU double-header sees two David versus Golliath clashes with the first instalment seeing the comp’s second-placed team, the Brumbies, take on the fourth-placed Western Force on Friday, while Saturday’s clash sees the cellar-dwelling Waratahs tackle the unbeaten and log-leading Reds.
Brumbies v Western Force
Friday 26 March
GIO Stadium
To Win (80 Mins)
Brumbies 1/8
Draw 33/1
Force 5/1
Handicap
Brumbies (-15.5) 9/10
Force (+15.5) 9/10
The Brumbies will be looking to hit the ground running following their bye week. The men from Canberra suffered their first defeat prior to last week’s bye as they went down 38-40 to the Reds in a Round 3 thriller. They had been on a solid run previous beating the Waratahs 61-10 and edging the Rebels out 27-24 despite being a man short for most of their fixture with the Melbourne side. They have also already bagged a win against the Force, beating their opponents 11-27 in Round 1.
The Force gave a very good account of themselves last week as they ran what up until then had been a rampant Reds side extremely close going down 26-19 to the table-toppers in Queensland. They have actually managed to keep things tight in their last two fixtures as they also went down by just a 7-10 margin to the Rebels in their Round 3 fixture.
Verdict: Force (+15.5) 9/10
While the Brumbies are capable of tearing teams apart, I reckon they’ll struggle to put daylight between themselves and an extremely dogged Force outfit. As such, I’m on the plus handicap for this one.
Waratahs v Reds
Saturday 27 March
Stadium Australia
To Win (80 Mins)
Waratahs 6/1
Draw 35/1
Reds 1/11
Handicap
Waratahs (+17.5) 9/10
Reds (-17.5) 9/10
Our second instalment has historically been a rather hard-fought affair but with the Waratahs in dismal form this year, this may well be a rather one-sided fixture.
The hosts are yet to win a game this term and have suffered some heavy defeats going down 61-10 to the Brumbies and 41-7 to the Reds. Their other two defeats were closer run things as they went down 16-20 to the Western Force and 33-14 to the Rebels this past weekend.
The Reds have enjoyed a stellar start to the season and are the only team in the tournament that has yet to be defeated. They did struggle last weekend, however, as they huffed and puffed to a far from convincing seven-point victory over the Western Force.
Verdict: Reds (-17.5) 9/10
They will know they were poor last weekend and I can see the Reds atoning for that lacklustre showing by running up a big score over the ‘Tahs.
