The 2016 Super Rugby season continues this weekend with seven matches to take place. Continue reading as we offer our Super Rugby Round 11 Preview and Betting Tips.
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Crusaders vs Reds (Friday 5.35pm AEST)
The home side will enter this match on the back of a bye that will have freshened up the side after seven straight victories. In the Australasian conference, the Crusaders have conceded the least amount of points of any side and only the Stormers and Sharks have conceded less in the competition. Meanwhile the side has still managed to be one of the stronger sides in attack and after coming off the break they definitely needed, they will be looking to continue their winning stretch.
The Reds earned their second win of the season but both of those wins have came on home soil. They have continued to improve throughout the season but they are up against it when they take on one of the best sides in the competition in the Crusaders. They have won just six matches against the New Zealand side in 22 contests and lost all three at Christchurch Stadium and they won’t change that record this weekend, as the home side will get a big victory.
TIP: Crusaders -17.5 @ $1.90 with William Hill
Brumbies vs Bulls (Friday 7.45pm AEST)
The Brumbies season has been derailed as they have suffered three losses in their last four matches and are sitting in equal second place with the Waratahs on the Australian conference. They will be looking to bounce back to winning ways this week and will be boosted by the return of David Pocock to the line up.
The Brumbies started the season on fire and were one of the best attacking teams in the competition. However, they have lost their attacking edge and haven’t been able to crack the 15-point margin in their last two matches. They will need to return to the basics that saw them become so successful throughout the opening period of this year.
Meanwhile the Bulls are on a seven game unbeaten stretch and earned a comfortable victory last week against the Force. It was a tough first half but they took a 5-point lead into the break and came out on fire in the second half and ran away with the match in style. I am expecting this to be a close contest and we will take the Bulls with the head start.
TIP: Bulls +6.5 @ $1.90 with Sportsbet
Sunwolves vs Western Force (Saturday 3.15pm AEST)
In a battle of the bottom teams, the Force will be on the road against the Sunwolves as both sides are looking for their second win of the season. These two sides have had relatively similar seasons, as they tend to be competitive in the opening half of the contests before being blown off the park by stronger opposition in the final 40-minutes.
The Japanese are coming off a bye and they would have been celebrating throughout their week off as they earned their first victory in the Super Rugby competition. They didn’t it in impressive fashion too as they defeated a strong Jaguares outfit.
It is fair to say that this match will be won in the second half given both of the sides performances throughout the second 40-minutes this season. Considering that, it is fair to say that the Sunwolves have the advantage in this match as they will be playing on home soil whilst the Force have to travel from Western Australia for this contest.
TIP: Sunwolves @ $2.40 with Sportsbet
Chiefs vs Highlanders (Saturday 5.35pm AEST)
Saturday night will see a blockbuster match between this seasons competition leaders and the defending champions from last season. The Chiefs have lost just one match all season but they have lost a bit of momentum over the past few weeks and their last three victories have been by just a combined total of 9 points. They had a bit of luck go their way last week against the Sharks too and they were lucky to escape with a victory as their winning margin was reduced in the final 10-minutes of the match.
Meanwhile the Highlanders were impressive in their victory against the Brumbies as they overcame a period where they were with just 14-men. The difficult conditions didn’t help their attack but they were the more efficient side under the circumstances as they picked up their sixth win of the year. Prior to that they had suffered back-to-back one-point losses against the Reds and Sharks. However, the loss against the Sharks was largely due to the side being down to 14-men for the final 65-minutes of the match.
If the Highlanders can be disciplined in this match they will be able to compete but we don’t think they will be able to cause an upset in this one. The chiefs have always been able to find a way to win and they will again this weekend.
TIP: Chiefs 1-12 @ $2.75 with William Hill
Waratahs vs Cheetahs (Saturday 7.45pm AEST)
The Waratahs have won two straight matches to revive their season and it took a last minute effort from their captain Michael Hooper last week to get them over the line against the Stormers in South Africa. They return to home soil to take on the Cheetahs who have struggled this season and they lost to the Reds last week.
The Waratahs have a superior record against the Cheetahs on home soil winning four of the six matches. The move of Israel FOlau was a main contributor to their success last week and he extended his try scoring run off a set piece when he busted the Stormers defence and ran 40m to score. He will be instrumental again this weekend and with his size and footwork he will find his name on the scorers sheet again this weekend, as the Waratahs will earn a big victory in this one.
TIP: Waratahs -13.5 @ $1.90 with CrownBet
Sharks vs Hurricanes (Saturday 11pm AEST)
The Hurricanes picked up a massive win in their first outing in South Africa last week as they overpowered the Lions. It was a dominating performance as they didn’t allow the Lions to take advantage of their superior forward pack as they kept turning the big fellas around and tiring them out. They were able to utilise their backs and it could be a sign of things to come for the strong attacking outfit. Beauden barrett is continuing to grow each week and he is one of the best flyhalfs in the game right now.
Meanwhile the Sharks struggled in New Zealand and were only able to pick up a victory after playing against a side that had just 14-men for 65 minutes and they only earned the victory by one-point. They did pick up some momentum last week as they finished the match strongly against the Chiefs but their horrible start cost them as they fell by two points to the competition leaders.
The Sharks will be relying on their defence in this one but they have shown signs that it is cracking in recent weeks. They need to put up a more offensive approach to the matches if they want to return to winning ways but I will be backing the Hurricanes to be too strong.
TIP: Hurricanes -2 @ $1.90 with Sportsbet
Kings vs Blues (Sunday 1.10am AEST)
The Kings are on the bottom of the table and have been struggling all season long. They have just the one victory against the Sunwolves and in every other match they have lost by more than seven points and haven’t earned one bonus point this year.
Meanwhile the Blues have improved drastically this year and have currently won more games then they have lost despite coming out of the hard New Zealand conference. The Kings won’t be causing an upset in this one as I am predicting them to lose by another large margin as the Blues earn a bonus point victory on the road.
TIP: Blues – 28.5 @ $1.90 with Palmerbet
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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!
