Round 3 of the 2018 Mitre 10 Cup will see six games played between Friday the 31st of August and Sunday the 2nd of September.
The Mitre 10 Cup throws up six games this coming weekend with the headline clash seeing the in-form Bay of Plenty take on a resurgent Canterbury side on Saturday. Another game that should provide fireworks is Sunday’s clash between Hawke’s Bay and Counties Manukau.
Wellington v Southland
Friday 31 August
Westpac Stadium
09:35
To Win (80 Mins)
Wellington 1/100
Draw 43/1
Southland 16/1
Wellington will be looking to bounce back from their 27-20 away defeat to Canterbury when they play host to whipping boys Southland in Saturday’s opener. The hosts have managed to claim six points from their opening two games with five of those points coming from their 34-16 opening round victory over Otago, while the other point came by virtue of them losing by seven points last weekend.
Southland have endured a far more trying start to their season than their opponents, with the Championship outfit losing their opener against Hawke’s Bay 10-31 and then following that up with a 45-24 defeat to Tasman.
Verdict: Wellington 1/100
I fear for the visitors here. Wellington will be looking to bounce back from last week’s defeat by claiming a bonus point win against the minnows. I can see the hosts doing just that and winning this one by 25 points or more.
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Bay of Plenty v Canterbury
Saturday 1 September
Tauranga Domain
04:35
To Win (80 Mins)
Bay of Plenty 33/10
Draw 23/1
Canterbury 2/9
Our next Saturday fixture sees undefeated Bay of Plenty take on a Canterbury side who head into this game fresh off the back of their first win of the season. The hosts for this game have started their campaign like a house on fire beating Championship outfit Southland 10-31 and then downing another Championship outfit, Otago, 25-31.
Canterbury may have suffered an opening round 25-17 defeat to Tasman but this weekend’s visitors managed to bounce back to their best last week as they beat a solid Wellington side by seven points in Christchurch.
Verdict: Canterbury 2/9
Canterbury looked a lot sharper last week and I can see them improving further here. There might not be much value on the outright win market but its banker that should be added to all weekend multiples.
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Manawatu v Otago
Saturday 1 September
Central Energy Trust Arena
07:05
To Win (80 Mins)
Manawatu 11/20
Draw 19/1
Otago 16/10
Otago will be looking to secure their first win of the season when they travel Manawatu’s backyard for Saturday’s penultimate fixture. The visitors have opened their campaign with successive losses going down 34-16 to Wellington in their opener and then losing their second round fixture against Hawke’s Bay 25-31.
Manawatu have enjoyed a more solid start to the season winning their opener against Waikato 25-19. They were brought abruptly back down to earth in the second round, however, as they went down 41-21 to Taranaki in a Ranfurly Shield clash.
Verdict: Manawatu 11/20
Manawatu have played some decent rugby thus far and I can’t see them having too many problems overcoming a struggling Otago outfit.
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North Harbour v Tasman
Saturday 1 September
QBE Stadium
09:35
To Win (80 Mins)
North Harbour 19/10
Draw 20/1
Tasman 9/20
A plucky North Harbour side will take on attacking juggernauts Tasman in Saturday’s final fixture. The hosts head into this one off the back two one-point victories beating Northland during the opening round and then beating Waikato in Round 2.
Tasman have a good opportunity to make it three wins on the trot here. The men from New Zealand’s South Island currently sit atop the Premiership table having claimed nine points from their opening two games against Canterbury and Southland.
Verdict: Tasman 9/20
Tasman are the form team in the competition at the moment and while North Harbour should provide a challenge, the hosts should still win this game by more than 10 points.
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Hawke’s Bay v Counties Manukau
Sunday 2 September
McLean Park
04:05
To Win (80 Mins)
Hawke’s Bay
Draw
Counties
* Please note odds to be added on release
Sunday’s opener will see in-form Hawke’s Bay take on struggling Counties Manukau at McClean Park. The hosts head into this one off the back of impressive victories over Southland (10-31) and Otago (25-31).
Counties have been far less impressive than their opponents, with this Sunday’s visitors losing their opening two games to Auckland (23-19) and Bay of Plenty 17-22. They made it three losses on the trot earlier this week as they went down 27-19 to Taranaki
Verdict: Hawke’s Bay * Please note odds to be added on release
Counties really are struggling this season and I can’t see them getting anything from their tie against a solid Hawke’s Bay outfit.
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Northland v Taranaki
Sunday 2 September
Toll Stadium
06:35
To Win (80 Mins)
Northland
Draw
Taranaki
* Please note odds to be added on release
We close out Round 3 with a fascinating tie between Northland and Taranaki. The hosts have suffered two defeats thus far while the visitors bounced back from their opening round defeat to Bay of Plenty by beating Manawatu by 20 points.
This game will be a clash of styles with the host’s gameplan heavily reliant on a strong defensive showing while Taranaki will simply try outscore whoever they play and not worry too much about how many points they concede. While Taranaki did show some defensive skills against Counties Manukau midweek, they’re a side who prefers to run the ball rather than hit it up in the trenches.
Verdict: Taranaki * Please note odds to be added on release
If Taranaki can replicate their attacking showing from last Saturday then they should have no troubles getting an away win under their belts.
