Round 10 gets off to a start on Friday with an absolute belter which sees the fourth-placed Hurricanes play host to the second-placed Brumbies while the Chiefs versus Crusaders clash is by far and away the pick of the action.
Friday 28 April
Hurricanes 2/7 | Draw 25/1 | Brumbies 11/4
Handicap
Hurricanes (-9.5) 9/10 | Brumbies (+9.5) 9/10
We kick things off in Wellington where the Hurricanes will take on Australian pacesetters, the Brumbies. Only three points separate the sides on the log and a win for the Hurricanes would see them leapfrog their opponents. It’s safe to say there’s a lot riding on this one with just a handful of rounds left before the play-offs.
The hosts head into the clash off the back of some mixed form having scraped a win against the Force four weeks ago and the following that up with a 14-29 win over the Hurricanes and a 17-33 defeat to the Chiefs. They had last week off to iron out the kinks from that Chiefs defeat and they’ll be raring to go here.
The Bumbes also had Round 9 off but their form headed into the bye was far more impressive than that of their opponents with the Australian outfit beating the Waratahs 40-36 in Round 7, the Reds 24-52 in Round 8 and the Drua 43-28 in Round 9.
The Brumbies have been decent enough against Kiwi sides ths year beating the Blues and giving the Crusaders a run for their money. While I don’t see them winning in New Zealand’s capital, I can see them staying within the handicap.
Brumbies on the plus.
Waratahs 57/100 | Draw 20/1 | Highlanders 15/10
Handicap
Waratahs (-3.5) 9/10 | Highlanders (+3.5) 9/10
It’s starting to venture into desperation time territory for the Waratahs and Highlanders with both sides at risk of missing out on the play-offs if they don’t start taking points. The hosts currently lie in tenth place on the log but are only a point adrift of the Highlanders who sit in seventh.
The two sides were in action last week and it was a round to forget for both with
Waratahs torn apart by a rampant Blues side going down 55-21 while the Highlanders, despite a solid start went down 30-17 to a very mediocre Western Force outfit.
Both these teams have been super hit-and-miss this year producing some solid results and then going down to sides you’d expect them to beat a week later.
I’m taking the hosts on the straight win here. Neither side has impressed me that much this term and the homeground advantage is the thing swinging it for me here.
Tahs at 57/100.
Saturday 29 April
Fijian Drua 9/2 | Draw 33/1 | Blues 1/7
Handicap
Drua (-3.5) 9/10 | Blues (+3.5) 9/10
While the Crusaders versus Chiefs game is the standout game on paper, I reckon the real gem of the round is this clash in Suva. The Drua are an absolute nightmare to play against at Churchill Park, where they have hammered the Rebels and staged a massive upset against the Crusaders. The Blues, who haven’t exactly set the lights out this term, will need to be wary of being another victim of the Suva magic.
Both teams head into this clash off the back of heavy Round 9 defeats with the hosts struggling against competition leaders the Chiefs, as they went down 50-17 to their Kiwi foes, while the Waratahs were given a lesson in running rugby by a Blues side that hit its stride and hammered the hapless Aussies 55-21.
I just get the feeling that Churchill Park is going to be a graveyard for big teams this term. The Drua are a completely different beast on this track and I reckon they’ll take the points.
Fijian Drua at 9/2.
Moana Pasifika 17/10 | Draw 20/1 | Rebels 5/10
Handicap
Moana Pasifika (+5.5) 9/10 | Rebels (-5.5) 9/10
Next up we’ve got the cellar-dwellers taking on the 11th placed Rebels at Mt Smart Stadium. Moana Pasifika are yet to win a game this term and should they loose this one, they are pretty much guaranteed to grab the tournament’s wooden-spoon for the second time running. The Rebels, on the other hand, are still within a shout of the play-offs but will need to grab something from this game to truly keep those hopes alive.
Moana Pasifika enjoyed a bye week in Round 9 but it arguably came at the worst possible time as they were building up a head of steam having put in an impressive display in their Round 7 38-21 defeat to the Crusaders and then backed that up by almost registering their first win of the campaign as they were pipped at the post by the Queensland Reds who beat the 28-40.
Unlike their opponents, the Rebels were in action last weekend as they went down 27-43 to the Crusaders. They actually gave a decent account of themselves during the first half of the game and held the lead at half-time before the Crusaders blew them out of the water in the second stanza.
I reckon the hosts will bag their first win of the campaign here. They’re due one and the Rebels are the ideal opposition to get it against.
Moana Pasifika at 17/10.
Chiefs 5/10 | Draw 22/1 | Crusaders 33/20
Handicap
Chiefs (-4.5) 9/10 | Crusaders (+4.5) 9/10
Our penultimate game of the weekend is an all-Kiwi blockbuster between the log-leading Chiefs and the third-placed Crusaders. The hosts are yet to lose a game this term while the Crusaders haven’t lost since their shock defeat at the hands of the Fijian Drua back in March.
Both sides enjoyed successful outings in Round 9 with the Crusaders second-half blitz seeing them claim a 27-43 bonus point victory over the Rebels in Melbourne, while the Chiefs hammered the Drua 50-17 in Waikato.
The Chiefs have all their big guns back for this 0ne with eight All Blacks in their squad including Damien McKenzie who returns to the fly-half berth having been used at full back last weekend. The Crusaders have also named a very strong side for this big clash with Cullen Grace returning to the loose trio and Leicester Fainga’anuku returning on the wing.
Crusaders on the plus.
Reds 2/7 | Draw 25/1 | Force 11/4
Handicap
Reds (-9.5) 9/10 | Force (+9.5) 9/10
The round will come to a close in Brisbane with the Reds and Force squaring off in an Australian derby. The hosts have struggled for form of late but are still sitting pretty in sixth-placed on the standings while the Force are two points adrift of their domestic foes in eighth spot.
The Reds managed to snap a three game losing streak during their last outing as they beat cellar-dwellers Moana Pasifika 28-40 in Round 8. The Queenslanders were one of a number of sides who enjoyed a bye this past weekend and you can bet your bottom dollar that soon to be departing coach Brad Thorn had his troops doing intensive practice sessions in a bid to iron out the errors that have cost them so dearly this term.
While the Reds had their feet up, the Force were in action and impressing in action as they beat the Highlanders30-17. This was a mammoth result for the men from Perth who had only won two game prior to this.
I reckon the Reds will come good here. They’re a very handy side who have underachieved so far this term.
Reds on the minus.
