Mitre 10 Cup: Round 7 Weekend Preview

This weekend will throw up five fascinating Mitre 10 Cup Round 7 fixtures with the action getting underway on Saturday the 29th of September.

This weekend sees three Mitre 10 Cup Round 7 fixtures taking place with three games set to go down on Saturday and two games happening on Sunday. The pick of the action is a blockbuster tie between Premiership rivals Wellington and Tasman.

Waikato v Southland
Saturday 29 September
FMG Stadium
03:35

To Win (80 Mins)
Waikato 1/50
Draw 43/1
Southland 10/1

We get this weekend’s proceedings underway at FMG Stadium where the Champions log leaders Waikato will be looking to further entrench themselves at the top of the standings by claiming a bonus point win over cellar-dwellers Southland.

The hosts have been in great touch since the close of August winning four games on the trot. They head into Saturday’s fixture off the back of a mightily impressive 21-54 away win over Bay of Plenty.

Southland are yet to win a game this term and head into this one off the back of a 26-10 defeat to Northland. Despite losing the contest, Southland did give a good account of themselves and will be buoyed by their performance.

Verdict: Waikato 1/50
The men from Chiefs country are in great touch and I can’t see them having any trouble dispatching a poor Southland team on home soil. My money is on the hosts taking this one by 20 points or more.

Taranaki v North Harbour
Saturday 29 September
Yarrow Stadium
06:05

To Win (80 Mins)
Taranaki 5/10
Draw 18/1
North Harbour 17/10

Taranaki will be looking to put the heartbreak of narrowly going down to Auckland behind them when they take on North Harbour in Saturday’s second fixture. The hosts were desperately unlucky not to pull off a major upset last week as a try in extra time saw them move within a point of Auckland. Fly-half Steven Perofeta was unable to convert the kick at goal despite being given two bites at the cherry and Taranaki ultimately went down 31-30.

North Harbour fared far better in Round 6 as they racked up a comfortable 34-51 victory over Hawke’s Bay. The win has left North Harbour in with a slight chance of claiming a semi-final berth headed into the final three rounds of the regular season.

Verdict: North Harbour 17/10
Yes, Taranaki are playing for their survival in the Premiership but I still can’t see the hosts getting one over a North Harbour that has been rather clinical this season.

Wellington v Tasman
Saturday 29 September
Westpac Stadium
08:35

To Win (80 Mins)
Wellington 9/20
Draw 24/1
Tasman 18/10

We close out Saturday’s action with the clash of the weekend that sees Premiership rivals Wellington and Tasman square off. The hosts currently sit fourth on the table and a win here would secure them a semi-final and give them a shot at claiming a home semi headed into the final two rounds of the regular season. Tasman are in an even stronger position, lying second in the Premiership a point clear of both Canterbury and Wellington.

Both sides head into Saturday’s fixture off the back of very positive weeks with Wellington beating  Manawatu 7-49 and Tasman beating both Manawatu (19-29) and Counties Manukau (21-19).

Verdict: Wellington 9/20
This should be a very tight affair with the two sides evenly matched. My money is on Wellington edging it by the smallest of margins due to home ground advantage.

Canterbury v Hawke’s Bay
Sunday 30 September
Christchurch Stadium
07:05

To Win (80 Mins)
Canterbury  9/20
Draw 25/1
Hawke’s Bay 18/10

Canterbury will be looking to build on their 25-47 victory over Otago when they take on Hawke’s Bay this Sunday. The hosts are in desperate need of a bonus point win if they are to host a home semi-final as they sit third on the Premiership log at the time of writing.

Hawke’s Bay head into Sunday’s opening fixture off the back of a midweek 55-44 victory over much-fancied Northland. The results underlined both their strengths and weaknesses as they were brilliant on attack but shocking on defence.

Verdict: Canterbury 9/20
This should be bread and butter for a strong Canterbury outfit. Hawke’s Bay have been handed some heavy hidings in recent weeks and I can see Canterbury inflicting another one upon them here despite the Bay coming into this one off the back of a win.

Counties Manukau v Northland
Sunday 30 September
Navigation Homes Stadium
09:35

To Win (80 Mins)
Counties 16/20
Draw 25/1
Northland 1/2

Counties will be looking to move further clear of the Premiership relegation zone when they take on Championship semi-final hopefuls Northland in the final game of Round 7. The hosts gave a great account of themselves last week as they went down by just two points to Premiership outfit Tasman. If they can put in the same sort of shift here, then they could well put a massive dent in Northland’s semi-final aspirations.

Northland have already had their home semi-final chances dealt a massive blow this week as they went down by 11 points to Bay of Plenty on Wednesday morning. They will need to claim a win here or they could slip to fourth on the Championship standings.

Verdict: Northland 1/2
I expect Northland to bounce back here. They’re a good side and they’ll be pumped up after the midweek loss.