There’s another ‘Super Saturday’ in store for rugby fans this coming weekend with four games taking place on the 6th of April.
There will be no fooling about this Saturday with four crucial Super Rugby games set to go down. While most of the fixtures are likely to be hard-fought, the game between the Blues and the Waratahs really stands out with the Eden Park side in great form and the men from New South Wales desperate for a win after they suffered a loss to the Sunwolves last weekend.
Crusaders v Brumbies
Rugby League Park
07:15
To Win (80 Mins)
Crusaders 1/12
Draw 31/1
Brumbies 8/1
*Forecast Odds
Handicap
Crusaders (-18.5) 9/10
Brumbies (+18.5) 9/10
*Forecast handicap
We start off proceedings with a clash between a hit-and-miss Brumbies side and the reigning champions, the Crusaders.
The hosts responded to their Round 6 defeat to the Waratahs in ideal fashion as they hammered their local rivals, the Hurricanes, 8-32. The victory did come at a coast, however, with All Black skipper Kieran Read suffering a double haematoma to his right leg. The injury is likely to keep the veteran sidelined for the next couple of weeks.
While the Crusaders were winning a New Zealand derby last weekend, the Brumbies would have had their feet up with the Australian outfit enjoying a bye week. The bye actually came at the perfect time for Dan McKellar’s men who will have had a few extra days to recover from their 36-14 Round 6 defeat to the Reds.
Verdict: Crusaders (-18.5) 9/10 *Forecast handicap
This really is a large handicap, so it’s hard to punt it to the hills. While I will back the Crusaders to clear it, it will be for a minimal outlay.
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Blues v Waratahs
Eden Park
09:35
To Win (80 Mins)
Blues 8/15
Draw 25/1
Waratahs 13/8
*Forecast odds
Handicap
Blues (-4.5) 9/10
Waratahs (+4.5) 9/10
*Forecast handicap
The Blues will be looking to make it four wins on the trot when they take on a Waratahs side that will be reeling from their defeat to the Sunwolves last Friday.
The men from Auckland really have enjoyed a fantastic March following up their 28-20 win over the Sunwolves with victories over the Highlanders (33-26) and the Stormers (24-9).
While their derby victory over the Highlanders was one to remember, their result of the season has to have been last weekend’s win over the South African’s as they were down to 14 men with only eight points separating the two sides but still managed to walk away with a bonus point win courtesy of a late Rieko Ioane try.
The Waratahs experienced a joyless past weekend as they conspired to lose 29-31 at home to the Sunwolves. Daryl Gibson’s men had a number of opportunities to bag the win during the final ten minutes of the game but poor execution saw them fluff their lines on a multitude of occasions.
Verdict: Blues (-4.5) 9/10 *Forecast handicap
The Waratahs are not the team they were last season and I can see them struggling at Eden Park this Saturday.
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Rebels v Sunwolves
AAMI Park
11:45
To Win (80 Mins)
Rebels 1/5
Draw 30/1
Sunwolves 7/2
*Forecast odds
Handicap
Rebels (-12.5) 9/10
Sunwolves (+12.5) 9/10
*Forecast handicap
The penultimate game of the weekend will see the Rebels take on the Sunwolves in an all-Australian Conference affair. Both sides will be extremely confident heading into this one having picked up solid Round 7 wins.
The visitors had a fine time of it last weekend as they bounced back from their heavy home defeat to the Lions by beating the Waratahs 29-31 in New South Wales. This was their second win of the season with both of the victories coming away from home.
A derby win was also what the Rebels achieved last weekend as they made a big statement after returning from a disappointing tour of South Africa by beating the Reds 13-32.
Verdict: Sunwolves (+12.5) *Forecast handicap
This should be a cracking game of rugby with both sides more interested in running the ball than playing a territorial kicking game. My money is on the Sunwolves staying within a rather large handicap in what should be a high-scoring affair.
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Bulls v Jaguares
Loftus Versfeld
15:05
To Win (80 Mins)
Bulls 1/3
Draw 30/1
Jaguares 13/5
*Forecast odds
Handicap
Bulls (-8.5) 9/10
Jaguares (+8.5) 9/10
*Forecast handicap
The Bulls will be looking to build on their dramatic victory over the Sharks when they host the Jaguares in the final fixture of Round 8.
Pote Human’s men managed to sneak a three-point victory down in Durban last weekend in a game that was feistier than a ‘Mankad’ debate. The fixture saw Schalk Britz red-carded for a punch and the Springbok is likely to sit out this one due to a citing.
The Jaguares had a far less enjoyable time of it last weekend as they went down 27-30 to a resurgent Chiefs side. The defeat has left the Argentine outfit rooted to the foot of both the overall standings and the South African Conference standings.
Verdict: Bulls (-8.5) 9/10 *Forecast odds
While the Bulls are likely to be without a number of their stalwarts, I can still see them beating the Jaguares by a comfortable margin at Loftus.
Written by Darry Worthington for Hollywoodbets
