The Super Rugby season continues this weekend with a total of seven matches to be played with the highlight of the round coming on Saturday night between the Brumbies and Chiefs. Continue reading for our Super Rugby Round 6 Preview and Betting Tips.
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Highlanders vs Western Force (Friday 5.35pm AEDT)
For the second week in a row the Western Force put up a good fight against a New Zealand side before falling away in the second half and ended up on the wrong end of a hiding. They are facing their third New Zealand opponent in a row and unfortunately for them it is arguably the defending champions and a side that has won four straight matches.
The Highlanders slipped up in their opening match of the season against the Blues but since then they have been on fire. In the last three weeks they have scored 91 points at an average of over 30 points a game. Meanwhile their defence has been great as they held the Rebels to just three points last week. The Highlanders backline and forward pack is superior to the Force and they should get the upper hand of the side from the upset of the match.
TIP: Highlanders -18.5 @ $1.90 with William Hill
Lions vs Crusaders (Saturday 4am AEDT)
The Crusaders started their South African tour with a great come from behind victory against the Sharks last week. The Fijian flyer Nemani Nodolo was hard to contain as he made three line breaks and crossed for a crucial try in a pinnacle point of the match. The side was solid defensively and they have improved in closing out matches as they continue to learn to live without Dan Carter and Richie McCaw. The side has just lost one match this season but this could be a difficult task backing up for their second week in South Africa against an unpredictable side.
The Lions have won three of their four matches and will be fresh this weekend as they come off a bye after defeated the Cheetahs in a comfortable performance. Their forward pack is their strongest component and they will be looking to take advantage of the scrum and line out. However, the back line of the Crusaders will be able to gain the upper hand and whilst the Lions will keep the score line close the away side will earn the victory.
TIP: Crusaders @ $1.80 with Sportsbet
Blues vs Jaguares (Saturday 5.35pm AEDT)
The Jaguares have had a tough schedule to start their Super Rugby campaign. They have lost three matches since opening with a great come from behind victory against the Cheetahs. Since then they have lost three matches, two by four points and one by five. It is incredibly unlucky for a side that could easily be undefeated and unfortunate that two of them were on their home soil. They are on the road this weekend as they face the Blues that have had a similar form slump.
The Blues won their opening match against the defending champions but since then they have been inconsistent and their best result came against the Reds when they earned a draw in Brisbane. The Blues have lacked attack since their opening match and with the Jaguares having a top five defence in the competition, they will find it hard to crack the Argentinian side. I am backing this to be a close match with the Jaguares coming out on top.
TIP: Jaguares @ $2.85 with Palmerbet
Brumbies vs Chiefs (Saturday 7.45pm AEDT)
The Brumbies returned to winning ways last week when they defeated the Cheetahs in South Africa. It was the final game of their three game road trip and they will head home full of confidence after having two massive victories on home soil already this season. They blew the Hurricanes off the park and defeated the Waratahs the week after. David Pocock was massive in the Brumbies victory as he continued to give his side the upper hand at the breakdown. The Brumbies could have won by a lot more if their handling errors hadn’t let them down and they will need to hold onto the ball this weekend against the Chiefs.
Since the Chiefs lost to the Lions they have been in great form, they dominated the Force last week and in the week before they were able to overcome the Argentinian conditions to secure a come from behind victory in the dying moments. They will need to be at their best to overcome the favourites to take out the title at the end of the season though and I expect them to fall just short as the Brumbies secure a narrow victory on the back of their forward pack getting the better of the Chiefs scrum and line out.
TIP: Brumbies 1-12 @ $2.60 with CrownBet
Kings vs Sunwolves (Sunday 2.05am AEDT)
This is the best opportunity for these two sides to get off the mark as they will both enter this match winless. The Sunwolves have been the more consistent side as they have lost by narrow margins on several occasions. They have a lot of potential and teams need to take them seriously when facing them.
However, the Kings had their best performance last week against the Hurricanes and despite ultimately losing by 22 points – it took until the final 10 minutes for the Hurricanes to settle the match. The Kings have managed to score more points than the Sunwolves this season but it is their defence that is most worrying. They have conceded a whopping 200 points in just four matches at an average of 50 points per game. The Sunwolves will be able to crack the Kings defence in this one and earn their first victory in the Super Rugby competition.
TIP: Sunwolves @ $2.20 with William Hill
Bulls vs Cheetahs (Sunday 3.15am AEDT)
The Cheetahs have just one win in five matches this season, however they have been competitive in all of their matches. They always seem to fall apart in the final 20-minutes of a match and I believe that will be the same case in this match. The Bulls were forced to do it the hard way last week as they only narrowly escaped with a victory against the Sunwolves. They were expected to blow the side off the park but they were put to the test.
The Bulls have lost just one match this season despite losing their best player and flyhalf Handre Pollard for the season. Meanwhile the Cheetahs have six players on the sideline and it will be hard for them to overcome missing that amount of starters from their line up. The home advantage will be enough for the Bulls to come out on top and clear the line.
TIP: Bulls -10.5 @ $1.91 with ladbrokes
Waratahs vs Rebels (Sunday 4.05pm AEDT)
The Rebels had their worst performance of the season last week when they lost at home to the Highlanders. They weren’t expected to win the match but they should have been a lot more competitive throughout the match. They have issues at outside centre after All Black Tamati Ellison suffered a hamstring injury and replacements Tom English and Jonah Placid are also out injured. It will be a big decision who they have there after the announcement Israel Folau will make his first start for the Waratahs in the number 13 jersey. The injury to Rob Horne has forced the reshuffle that will see Kurtley Beale move to his preferred fullback role.
The change could be a massive boost for the Waratahs side as they have struggled in attack in recent weeks. Folau crossed for two tries last week but the side failed to score in the second half against the winless Reds and the week before it took until the second half before they were on the scoreboard. The Waratahs also have only lost one match to the Rebels whilst they have never lost to the side in Sydney. The Waratahs reshuffled back line should result in a lot of points being scored and I am backing the home side to pick up a massive victory.
TIP: Waratahs 13+ @ $2.30 with Sportsbet
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Take note: Any of the tips in this article are simply the author’s opinion, so bet at your own risk and always gamble responsibly. Also be sure to check out the Before You Bet Twitter Page for all our thoughts in the lead up to bets! Happy punting!
