There are some epic clashes in store for Super Rugby fans on Saturday the 27th of April with the headline fixture being a South African derby between the Stormers and Bulls.
Saturday will throw up some excellent Super Rugby games with two great derby ties taking place. The day kicks off with a New Zealand derby between the Hurricanes and Chiefs, while the second fixture will see the Sharks start their tour of Australasia with a tie against the Waratahs. We head to South Africa for the next bit of action which will see the Stormers and Bulls collide in a North versus South Derby. The round closes out in Argentina where the Jaguares will take on the Brumbies.
Hurricanes v Chiefs
Westpac Stadium
09:35
To Win (80 Mins)
Hurricanes 1/4
Draw 30/1
Chiefs 3/1
Handicap
Hurricanes (-11.5) 9/10
Chiefs (+11.5) 9/10
*Forecast Handicap
There’s a cracking derby first up on Saturday morning with the Hurricanes playing host to the Chiefs in a crucial New Zealand derby. The hosts currently occupy second-place on the New Zealand Conference standings while the Chiefs are nine points back in fourth place.
The hosts head into this one off the back of a far from impressive 23-29 victory over the Sunwolves, while the Chiefs went down 17-23 to the Lions at home last Friday. Both teams had a number of first stringers out last weekend but that won’t be the case this Saturday with talismanic lock Brodie Retallick set to return to the Chiefs starting XV while the Barrett brothers will be back for the ‘Canes.
Verdict: Hurricanes (-11.5) 9/10 *Forecast Handicap
The Chiefs look far less threatening without Damien Mckenzie in their backline, and I can’t see them keeping up with this Hurricanes side which is filled with attacking talent. My money is on the hosts clearing the handicap here.
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Waratahs v Sharks
Western Sydney Stadium
11:45
To Win (80 Mins)
Waratahs 4/10
Draw 25/1
Sharks 2/1
Handicap
Waratahs (-6.5) 9/10
Sharks (+6.5) 9/10
*Forecast Handicap
The Sharks will be looking to get their arduous tour of Australasia off to a positive start when they take on the Waratahs this Saturday. The ‘Tahs will be full of confidence coming into this one as they managed a stunning 23-20 come from behind victory over the Rebels last Saturday.
Round 10 was far less kind to the Natalians who were torn apart by an unfancied Reds side in Durban. The 14-21 scoreline actually flattered the Natalians who conceded a number of unforced handling errors in Durban last Friday.
Verdict: Waratahs 4/10
I think this is going to be a long tour for the Sharks. They are a side who really lack consistency and this is likely to be more evident on the road than it was in the confines of South Africa. The handicap makes me a bit nervous, however, so I’m going to add the hosts on the straight to a couple of my weekend multiples.
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Stormers v Bulls
DHL Newlands
15:05
To Win (80 Mins)
Stormers 15/20
Draw 22/1
Bulls 11/10
Handicap
Stormers (-2.5) 9/10
Bulls (+2.5) 9/10
*Forecast Handicap
We head for South African shores for our next fixture which will see the Stormers and Bulls renew their age-old rivalry. The visitors currently sit at the top of the South African Conference standings but because the conference is so tight, a bonus point win for the hosts could actually see them move to the top of the standings.
While the Bulls enjoyed a bye week during Round 10, the Stormers had a week to forget as they went down 17-19 to the Brumbies at Newlands. The Stormers were the architects of their own downfall last weekend and they will need to be far more disciplined this weekend if they are to beat a Bulls side that hammered them 40-3 back in Round 2.
Verdict: Bulls (+2.5) 9/10 *Forecast Odds
I expect this to be an extremely tight affair. As such, I’ll be backing the Bulls on a small but handy plus handicap.
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Jaguares v Brumbies
Estadio Jose Amalifitani
23:40
To Win (80 Mins)
Jaguares 11/20
Draw 25/1
Brumbies 15/10
Handicap
Jaguares (-8.5) 9/10
Brumbies (+8.5) 9/10
*Forecast Handicap
The curtain will come down on the round out in Buenos Aires where the Jaguares will renew their campaign with a clash against the Brumbies. The hosts had a rather enjoyable bye week in Round 10 as they saw two of their South African Conference rivals drop points.
One of the teams who dropped points last weekend were the Stormers whom the Brumbies beat 17-19. The result will have been a great morale booster for the Brumbies who have now won two games on the trot having beaten the Lions 31-20 in Round 9.
Verdict: Brumbies (+8.5) 9/10 *Forecast Handicap
I rather fancy the Brumbies to give the Jags a real run for there money. So if the handicap opens up at anything over 6.5 I would recommend backing the visitors on the plus line.
Written by Darry Worthington for Hollywoodbets
