2015 Super Rugby: Round 2 Preview and Betting Tips
The opening Round of Super Rugby in 2015 gave us a lot of upsets and left us scratching our heads with some results. The Rebels won for the first time overseas and it was against the Crusaders, the Waratahs lost at home to the Force and the Sharks and Bulls both lost too.
The second week will see a lot of teams bouncing back and could separate the pretenders and the contenders.
There will be two matches played on Friday night and one early Saturday morning, showcased by the Australian conference battle between the Rebels and the Waratahs. However, before that, the Chiefs will play host to the Brumbies. Read on and find Before You Bet's Super Rugby Round 2 Preview and betting tips.
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Chiefs V Brumbies (Friday at 5:35pm AEDT)
Both the Chiefs and the Brumbies are coming off wins in Round 1 and this one is hard to predict. The Canberra side are sitting on the top of the table after dismantling the Reds and the Chiefs won a close one against the Blues away from home. The Brumbies have a good record against the Chiefs winning 13 and losing only seven. If they are able to shut down Sonny Bill Williams and restrict his offloads and short passing then they have a good chance of winning. I think the match will be close and free flowing and I can see one side picking up a bonus point victory.
TIP: Brumbies +5.5 @ $1.91 with Sportingbet
Rebels V Waratahs (Friday at 7:40pm AEDT)
The Waratahs will be looking to bounce back after a shock loss at home to the Force, whilst the Rebels had arguably the biggest win in their five year history defeating the Crusaders away from home. The Rebels are now at home and looking for their best start to a Super Rugby season and if they are to win, they will have back-to-back wins against last year’s finalists. Unfortunately for them, the Waratahs are big favourites despite being away from home and both teams’ starts to the year being completely opposite. The Waratahs should win, and win well.
TIP: Waratahs -5 @ $1.91 with Ladbrokes
Bulls V Hurricanes (Saturday at 4:10am AEDT)
Early Saturday morning the Bulls are playing host to the Hurricanes. The South Africans are coming off a loss but will be welcoming back skipper and number eight Pierre Spies to the starting line up. The Hurricanes escaped Johannesburg last week with a win against the Lions despite only managing 35% of possession. They were outplayed in most areas and if it wasn’t for multiple penalty misses and decisions going their way, they could have easily lost. History shows it is a split contest between these two teams, as both have won nine matches a piece. The Bulls will want to bounce back but I think the Hurricanes will be settled on the road now and will want to remove the kinks from last week’s game.
TIP: Hurricanes @ $2.60 with Sportsbet
Highlanders V Crusaders (Saturday at 5:35pm AEDT)
The New Zealand Conference match up on Saturday night has the Highlanders at home to the Crusaders. The Highlanders will be starting their Super Rugby campaign a week late after having a bye to start their season. The Crusaders have been dealt a massive blow with Dan Carter ruled out with a leg injury. Despite the injury, the Crusaders are a quality side and for them to start the season with two loses in a row is unlikely.
TIP: Crusaders @ $1.62 with Sportsbet
Reds V Force (Saturday at 7:40pm AEDT)
The second match of Saturday night is an Australian derby at Suncorp Stadium as the Reds host the Force. Every fan of Australian rugby will be rejoicing this weekend as Nick ‘The Honey Badger’ Cummins returns to action after a stint with Japanese Rugby side Coca Cola Red Sparks. Along with the comical quotes, Cummins is a former Wallabies winger and brings a lot of skill and experience to the Force side. The Reds are coming off a big loss and will want to improve in front of their home fans. It is becoming increasingly likely James O’Connor will be ready to play and will slot into the fly half position moving Karmichael Hunt to his preferred position at full back. The Reds will play a lot better this week and they have won five of seven meetings with the Force at Suncorp Stadium and that record should improve on Saturday.
TIP: Reds/Reds halftime/fulltime @ $2.10 with Sportsbet
Stormers V Blues (Sunday at 2:05am AEDT)
Early Sunday morning it’s the Stormers against the Blues. The Stormers had an impressive win last week away from home against conference opponents the Bulls. The second half became a shootout, with each team opting for penalty goal attempts and no tries were scored after the 28th minute. The Stormers will play a similar game plan, opting to play the territorial game and get in positions where they can take advantage of the scrum, the breakdown and earn penalties in areas close to the Blues’ posts. The Blues also opted for the three points for the majority of the match. They were unable to score a try in their opening clash but scored 18 points through Ihaia West’s boot. This match could open up, but more than likely will be a contest with the boot. The Stormers at home will be too critical in the important areas and will win this one.
TIP: Stormers 1-12 @ $2.80 with Sportingbet
Sharks V Lions (Sunday at 4:10am AEDT)
The last match of Round 2 sees the Sharks and Lions battle. Both sides suffered unexpected losses in the opening round, especially the Sharks. The Sharks lost at home to the Cheetahs, who were expected to be on the bottom of the South African conference at the end of the season. Whereas the Lions were their own worst enemy last week, missing three early penalty goal opportunities and not taking advantage of their territorial and possession advantage throughout the game. The Sharks are generally dominant at home and especially against the Lions. The sharks have won 10 of the 11 meetings they have had at Kings Park Stadium and they have also won 16 compared to four losses when the two teams have come up against each other. The Sharks are massive favourites in this one and should run away with it as the match goes on.
TIP: Sharks 13+ @ $2.10 with Sportingbet
