Darry Worthington previews the four Super Rugby Round 6 fixtures which are being played on Saturday the 7th of March.
Image Copyright – Steve Haag Sports
There’s a rather interesting fixtures list this Saturday with a number of well-matched sides set to duke it out. The opening game will see the Hurricanes take on a Blues side who will be full of beans having beaten the Stormers last weekend. We then head over to Australia for a clash between a Rebels side that is on the up and a Lions side that is on the wain.
It’s over to South Africa after that for a clash between the Sharks and Jaguares, while the Bulls and Highlanders will bring the curtain down on Round 6 at Loftus.
Hurricanes v Blues
Saturday 7 March
Westpac Stadium
08:35
To Win (80 Mins)
Hurricanes 4/10
Draw 25/1
Blues 2/1
Handicap
Hurricanes
Blues
Saturday’s action gets underway with what should be a cracking New Zealand derby between the Hurricanes and Blues.
The visitors will return home in buoyant mood having registered two wins from their recent tour of South Africa. While the first of their tour games saw the claim a 21-23 victory over the Bulls, their next win was the big one as they hammered a previously undefeated Stormers outfit 14-33 at Newlands.
The Hurricanes have also fared well over the past few rounds beating the Sharks 38-22 in Round 3 before hammering the Sunwolves 62-15 last weekend.
Verdict: Hurricanes
While the Blues have played good rugby over the past fortnight, I think they’ll be a bit leggy after a taxing tour. My money is on the hosts taking advantage of this and running up a big score over their domestic foes.
Rebels v Lions
Saturday 6 March
Melbourne Rectangular Stadium
10:15
To Win (80 Mins)
Rebels 4/10
Draw 25/1
Lions 2/1
Handicap
Rebels
Lions
The Lions will be looking to jumpstart what has been a frustrating start to the season when they take on a Rebels side that has hit something of a purple patch.
The South African franchise really is struggling this term and have only registered one win from their opening two games. To make matters worse, they were beaten 29-17 by a rather poor Waratahs side last Friday.
The Rebels have enjoyed a slightly better start to 2020 winning two of their first five fixtures. Both these victories have come in the past three rounds with the Melbourners beating the Waratahs 24-10 in Round 3 and then producing a shock in Round 5 by beating the Highlanders 22-28 out in Dunedin.
Verdict: Rebels
The Lions really are struggling at the minute and I cannot see them posing a threat to a Rebels side that is starting to find its feet. Smart money is on the hosts on the minus.
Sharks v Jaguares
Saturday 7 March
Kings Park
15:05
To Win (80 Mins)
Sharks 11/20
Draw 25/1
Jaguares 29/20
Handicap
Sharks
Jaguares
The Sharks will be looking to build on their impressive Australasian tour when they take on last year’s runners up, the Jaguares, out in Durban.
Shaun Everett will be absolutely thrilled with his side’s recent tour as they managed to claim three victories while only suffering defeat once. These wins have gone a long way to ensuring that the Sharks are one of the frontrunners for a quarter-final berth.
The Jaguares managed to register their third victory of the season and bounce back from their defeat to the Stormers, by beating the hapless Blue Bulls 39-24 last weekend.
Verdict: Sharks
This could be a tight run thing as the Sharks will be rather fatigued having made a long-haul flight back home. As such, I will personally avoid this one. If I was forced to have a punt I’d have a go on the Sharks to win it on the board.
Bulls v Highlanders
Saturday 7 March
Loftus Versfeld
17:15
To Win (80 Mins)
Bulls 11/20
Draw 25/1
Highlanders 29/20
Handicap
Bulls
Highlanders
The Bulls and Highlanders will lock horns in Saturday’s final clash. Both teams have been dire this term and sit low down on the Overall Conference standings with the Bulls in last place and the Highlanders in 13th.
Tony Brown’s Highlanders have a slightly better form card this season having won one of their four games while the Bulls are yet to get a win under their belts.
In terms of last weekend’s results, the Bulls went down 39-24 to the Jaguares while the Highlanders lost 22-28 to the Rebels.
Verdict: Bulls
They are shocking but so are the Highlanders. I’ll be having a small crack on the hosts bagging their first win of the season.
Written by Darry Worthington for Hollywoodbets.
