Three cracking Super Rugby Round 13 derby games will take place on Friday the 10th of May.
Friday is derby day with two Australasian derbies getting this weekend’s Super Rugby action underway. The first of the two fixtures will see the Blues square off against the Hurricanes in what should be a free-flowing contest, while the second fixture will see a resurgent Reds side square off with Australian Conference pacesetters, the Rebels. The day will come to a close at Loftus where the Bulls will play host to the Crusaders.
Blues v Hurricanes
Eden Park
09:35
To Win (80 Mins)
Blues 22/10
Draw 25/1
Hurricanes 1/3
*Forecast Odds
Handicap
Blues (+7.5) 9/10
Hurricanes (-7.5) 9/10
*Forecast Odds
The Blues will be looking to keep their play-off hopes alive when they take on a Hurricanes outfit who seem to have recaptured their best form.
The hosts head into the encounter off the back of three defeats going down to the 33-29 to the Chiefs in Round 9; 24-12 to the Highlanders in Round 10; and 26-21 to the Brumbies last weekend. The Blues had a chance to win all of these aforementioned fixtures but their inability to keep their intensity levels up for the entire 80-minutes cost them dearly.
While the Blues have endured a lean time of it over the past four rounds, the Hurricanes have found their mojo with the men from Wellington winning their last four fixtures. While they weren’t at their attacking best during last weekend’s 29-19 victory over the Rebels, they did show grit on defence – something they have been accused of lacking in recent years.
Verdict: Hurricanes (-7.5) 9/10 *Forecast Handicap
The Hurricanes have won the last two games between the sides by scorelines in excess of 15 points. While I think it will be slightly tighter this weekend, I can still see them clearing an eight-point handicap.
___________________________________________
Rebels v Reds
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium
11:45
To Win (80 Mins)
Rebels 1/3
Draw 25/1
Reds 5/2
*Forecast Odds
Handicap
Rebels (-8.5) 9/10
Reds (+8.5) 9/10
*Forecast Handicap
The Rebels and Reds will lock horns in the second and final game of the day. Only three points separate the two sides on the Australian Conference standings and a win for the away team could see them leapfrog the Rebels to the top of the standings.
The two sides have experienced contrasting fortunes over the past month with the Reds racking up wins over the Sunwolves and Sharks, while the Rebels have gone down to the Hurricanes, Waratahs and Stormers.
In terms of recent results between the two sides, the Rebels have won three of the last five encounters.
Verdict: Reds (+8.5) 9/10
This should be a very tight game with the Reds in a much better place than they were when they went down 11-25 to their opponents earlier in the season. My money is on the visitors staying within a rather kind margin.
Bulls v Crusaders
Loftus Versfeld
19:10
To Win (80 Mins)
Bulls 11/4
Draw 30/1
Crusaders 1/3
*Forecast Odds
Handicap
Bulls (+8.5) 9/10
Crusaders (-8.5) 9/10
*Forecast Handicap
The Crusaders will be looking to bounce back from their 21-21 home draw with the Sharks when they get their tour of South Africa underway with a clash against the Bulls.
Scott Robertson will welcome back a whole host of All Blacks this weekend, and he and his charges will be determined to atone for last Friday’s draw with the Sharks. His youthful side actually did well to walk away from the game with a draw as the Natalians were in fine fettle. He probably won’t view it that way, however, as he’s not one to settle for two points, especially while his side were playing at home.
The Bulls enjoyed a far more fruitful Round 12 as they notched up a 28-21 victory over the Waratahs.
Verdict: Crusaders (-8.5) 9/10 *Forecast Handicap
This could get messy for the hosts. The Crusaders will welcome back a host of stalwarts on Saturday and I can see these men inspiring a massive response.
