This weekend throws up another intriguing list of fixtures with the highlights of the round seeing the Brumbies and Waratahs square off in the Australian derby and the Chiefs and Blues go toe-to-toe in the all Kiwi affair.
Friday 31 March
Moana Pasifika 5/1 | Draw 33/1 | Highlanders 1/8
Handicap
Moana Pasifika (+15.5) 9/10 | Highlanders (-15.5) 9/10
We kick things off at Mt Smart where winless Moana Pasifika will take on a Highlanders outfit that managed to grab their second win on the trot.
The visitors for Saturday have managed to arrest their sluggish start to the campaign that saw them lose their three opening games. They broke that poor run of form a fortnight ago beating the Force 43-35. They were far more impressive this past weekend as they put in a sensational display as they ran out 57-24 against a bang in form Fijian Drua outfit.
Moana Pasifika were unable to break their duck this past weekend as they suffered their fifth consecutive defeat going down 0-59 to the Hurricanes. It was their heaviest defeat of the season and leaves them languishing at the bottom of the table with only two bonus points to show from their efforts.
Moana Pasifika are struggling while the Highlanders seem to be on the up and up.
My money is on the hosts clearing the handicap here.
Reds 26/10 | Draw 25/1 | Crusaders 3/10
Handicap
Reds (+9.5) 9/10 | Crusaders (-9.5) 9/10
The Reds will be looking to bounce back from their shock defeat at the hands of the Melbourne Rebels when they take on a hit-and-miss Crusaders side this Friday.
The hosts let an early 14-point lead slip to go down 40-34 to their Melbourne rivals. And while the Reds were denied a late opportunity to win the game with a try getting ruled out for holding back, they deserved to lose the game as the Rebels were by far the better team in the final three quarters of the fixture.
While the Reds suffered a defeat in Round 4, the Crusaders managed to keep their run of good form up as they followed on their 28-34 victory over the Blues with a solid 35-17 home win over the Crusaders. They looked really good with ball-in-hand during the fixture with winger Leicester Fainga’anuku starring with two tries.
The Reds are really struggling defensively this term and that is a huge worry with the Crusaders starting to find their feet on attack.
My money is on the visitors clearing the handicap here.
Saturday 1 April
Fijian Drua 7/10 | Draw 22/1 | Rebels 12/10
Handicap
Drua (-2.5) 9/10 | Rebels (+2.5) 9/10
The Drua will be looking to bounce back from a subdued display against the Highlanders when they take on a Rebels side that will be high on confidence having staged a come-from-behind victory over domestic foes the Reds, this past weekend.
The Fijians were pretty poor last weekend with a poor defensive effort, a faltering set piece and some handling errors costing them dearly as the Highlanders ran out 57-24 victors. There were some rays of sunshine on a cloudy day as they scored some really nice tries, with their final try of the game being an absolute gem.
While the Drua were left with the bitter taste of defeat last weekend, the Rebels enjoyed sweet success as they staged an epic comeback to beat the Reds 40-34 in an epic encounter. The Rebels were almost done by a couple dodgy late reffing decisions but they got the rub of the green in the end with a late Reds try being ruled out for obstruction.
I reckon the Drua will bounce back here. They’ve played some good rugby up until last weekend and I can see a return to form for them this Saturday.
Drua on the minus.
Chiefs 7/10 | Draw 22/1 | Blues 12/10
Handicap
Chiefs (-2.5) 9/10 | Blues (+2.5) 9/10
The pick of the Round 6 action is next up with the Chiefs and Blues locking horns in Waikato. The hosts top the standings at the minute and are yet to lose a game while the Blues are eight points adrift of their domestic rivals back in fourth-place.
Both sides were in action against Australian opposition last weekend, and while they both registered victories, they were far from fluid wins with the Blues beating the Force 30-17 and the Chiefs beating the ‘Tahs 14-24.
The Chiefs will be looking for a better showing at the breakdown this weekend as it was an area they struggled with against the ‘Tahs, while the Blues will be looking to be more clinical with ball-in-hand having coughed a few try scoring opportunities against the Force.
Waikato’s finest have been the standout team so far this term and I can see them winning this one. This should be an absolute cracker of a game and the battle at fly-half between Damien McKenzie and Beauden Barrett should be one for the ages. I reckon McKenzie and his men get the job done on home soil this weekend.
Chiefs to clear the ‘cap.
Brumbies 3/10 | Draw 25/1 | Waratahs 26/10
Handicap
Brumbies (-8.5) 9/10 | Waratahs (+8.5) 9/10
Saturday’s final game and the penultimate game of the week will see a Brumbies side look to hit back after suffering their first defeat of the season when they take on a Waratahs outfit that have flattered to deceive only winning one of their five fixtures.
The hosts fielded a somewhat understrength side against the Crusaders last weekend, and while they did manage to keep pace with their Kiwi opponents for most of the fixture, the gulf in quality between the two sides was there to see as the Crusaders held their opponents at arm’s length for the entirety of the fixture.
The Waratahs also tasted defeat at the hands of Kiwi opposition last weekend as they went down 14-24 to the log-leading Chiefs. It was an improved showing from the men from New South Wales, who went into the break having kept the scores level at 7-7. The second stanza opened up and the game got far more entertaining with the sides trading tries. The Chiefs would ultimately add gloss to the score with five minutes of time remaining as a smart grubber led to a try in the corner and a 14-24 defeat for the ‘Tahs.
It was a pretty tight affair when the teams met in Round 1 with the Brumbies registering an unconvincing 25-31 win. I reckon it’ll be even tighter this time around with the Waratahs having faced off against testing Kiwi opposition over the past fortnight.
Tahs on the plus.
Hurricanes 1/20 | Draw 40/1 | Western Force 8/1
Handicap
Hurricanes (-20.5) 9/10 | Force (+20.5) 9/10
The Westpac Stadium will be the bookend for the Round 6 action with the Hurricanes and Force squaring off in New Zealand’s capital.
The two sides have experienced contrasting fortunes this term with the hosts sitting pretty in second-place on the Overall Conference, while the visitors are languishing in tenth.
Wellington’s finest come into this one off the back of their fourth win of the campaign having beaten Moana Pasifika 0-59 at Mt Smart this past weekend. While they were ruthless on attack in that fixture, it was their defence that impressed as they kept their opponents scoreless.
Round 5 was far far less kind to the Force as they put in a spirited display but ultimately went down 30-17 to the Blues. They played some good rugby at times but they are simply nowhere near the level of the strong Kiwi sides.
I would be worried if I was a Force fan. The ‘Canes have been rampant on attack of late and I can see them putting up a cricket score on Sunday.
Canes on the minus.
