Darry Worthington takes a look at the Round 2 Super Rugby AU action, which gets underway on Friday, 02 April.
We should be in for a very run-of-the-mill Super Rugby AU weekend with big guns the Brumbies and Reds taking on the Waratahs and the Rebels.
This ‘comp has thrown up an upset here and there since it was implemented last year, however, so a shock result cannot be totally ruled out.
Waratahs v Brumbies
Friday 2 April
SCG
11:45
To Win (80 Mins)
Waratahs 17/2
Draw 40/1
Brumbies 1/25
Handicap
Waratahs
Brumbies
The Waratahs are up against the odds again this weekend as they take on a Brumbies side that hammered the Force 42-14 this past weekend.
The Waratahs, on the other hand, were absolutely torn to part by the Reds who ran up 46 points. The Waratahs will take a tiny bit of heart from their most recent defeat, however, as they did manage to get 16 points on the board.
These two sides have already squared off this season with the Brumbies registering a mammoth 61-10 win. This is the highest score the Brumbies have run up this season and it is also the biggest defeat the Waratahs have suffered.
Verdict: Brumbies (-)
I expect another drilling for the ‘Tahs who currently possess a staggering points differential of -140. That could well be pushed up to -200 if the Brumbies hit their straps.
Rebels v Reds
Saturday 3 April
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium
11:45
To Win (80 Mins)
Rebels 15/10
Draw 22/1
Reds 11/20
Handicap
Rebels
Reds
Our next match should be a bit more close-fought, well at least going by recent results between the men from Melbourne and the men from Queensland.
The hosts head into this one off the back of a bye week and will be eager to get going again having only registered two wins from their four fixtures. Despite only having a 50% win ratio, the Rebels are well on for a place in the playoffs as they are four points clear of the fourth-placed Western Force, who are one of the two sides they have beat this term with the other being the Waratahs who they met in Round 4 and beat 33-14.
The Reds have had a far more productive season than their opponents winning all five of the games they have played. They sit at the top of the Super Rugby AU standings and head into this one off the back of a highly impressive 14-46 win over the Waratahs, which was the ideal way to bounce back from their previous game which saw them scrape a seven-point win over the Force.
Verdict: Reds (-)
While the games between the sides have been close-run affairs in the recent past – there were only two points in it when they met earlier this season – I reckon this in form Reds side will clear the ‘cap.
