Tag: Blues

Super Rugby: Round 2 Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Round 1 of Super Rugby is done and dusted.  A week of rust, and more rust treated us to a number of upsets and treated the bookies to some reasonable takings.  Will the home teams fare better this week?

Check out the preview on all the matches, along with odds from Bet365, to make your picks.

Chiefs v Brumbies, Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth, Friday 5.35pm

Chiefs – $1.40

Brumbies – $3.00

The Chiefs and Brumbies will continue a duel that has spanned some 20-odd games, including the 2013 final on Friday night. While the Brumbies have the edge in the overall record, and were dominant in their first up win against the Reds, the Chiefs too enjoyed a win and have further strengthened their side by including Liam Messam and Aaron Cruden.  SBW v Tevita Kuridrani in midfield is going to be an almighty battle that could define the match.  We’re with the bookies on this one, Chiefs by 8.

Rebels v Waratahs, AAMI Park, Melbourne, Friday 7.40pm

Rebels – $2.80

Waratahs – $1.44

The Rebels will have gained an unmeasurable amount of confidence after their first ever Super Rugby away win last week against last years beaten finalists the Crusaders.  They’ll need it too.  Because this week the task gets tougher as they back up against last year’s Champions.  They are at home, and their first match foul play indiscretions have not been penalised by the match review committee, so they are a chance considering how badly the Waratahs were in game one.  Even still, we’re predicting a much better Waratahs performance and for them to bounce back and win by 10.

Bulls v Hurricanes, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, Saturday 4.10am

Bulls – $1.44

Hurricanes – $2.80

The Hurricanes started Chris Boyd’s tenure with a clinical win against the Lions in South Africa, while the Bulls came unstuck against local rivals the Stormers.  The Hurricanes welcome back midfield dynamo Ma’a Nonu fresh off an enforced paternity layoff.  Boyd’s trying to ease the expectations on him, but his inclusion adds more firepower to an already impressive backline.  Despite the Barretts, Nonus, and Janes where still picking the Bulls to get the better of the Canes at home.  Stodgy forward play and accurate kicking will be the difference in this one.  Bulls by 6.

Highlanders v Crusaders, Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin, Saturday 5.35pm

Highlanders – $2.25

Crusaders – $1.65

An Orientation week fixture for the rowdy Otago University students should provide all the spark the Highlanders need for their first Super Rugby match of the season.  The Highlanders host fellow south islanders (and generally, the best New Zealand conference team) in what is expected to be a sold out showcase of New Zealand’s better rugby talent.  Ben Smith and Israel Dagg, both vying for the All Black fullback spot, will compete in one of the many intriguing individual matches threatening to overshadow the main event.  Crusaders were abysmally rusty in their opening match, but in truth, will probably be better without Dan Carter who is injured.  Highlanders by 5.

Reds v Force, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Saturday 7.40pm

Reds – $1.58

Force – $2.40

Oh man, do the Reds have some issues.  If we were writing this preview yesterday we would say they’re a decent chance with Adam Thompson returning to bolster their pack, but with today’s news of Karmichael Hunt’s arrest for drug offences, the team is in turmoil.  I’m tempted to give this to the Force by reasons of disharmony and panic. Force by 7.

Stormers v Blues, Newlands Stadium, Cape Town, Sunday 2.05am

Stormers – $1.36

Blues – $3.20

The Stormers have proved that they are back with full force (see what we did their – used another team’s name). They put together an impressive win against the Bulls last week and will be looking to put together another performance against the lacklustre Blues at home.  The Blues kicked, and then kicked some more, ball away last week to destroy any attacking opportunities they had, and they’ll fail to recover from the difficult travelling times in this one.  We’re picking the Stormers to be far too strong at Newlands.  We’re picking the Stormers by 13+.

Sharks v Lions, Kings Park, Durban, Sunday 4.10am

Sharks – $1.22

Lions – $4.35

Another all South African fixture should be settled in the Sharks favour, even taking into account their shock loss in the first round.  The Sharks collapsed under a weight of expectation last week, yet we expect them to do better against the second feline-themed opponent this week.  The Lions need to improve on their ability to dominate possession, otherwise they need to get comfy at the foot of the Super Rugby table.  The Sharks have made three injury enforced change to the team, which should prevent any complacency creeping in.  Sharks to register their first win of the comp. 

 

 

 

 

Super Rugby Round 1 Review

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Who would have thought the bookies could have got it so wrong?  Who could have imagined the home sides struggling so much in the opening round?

No one really.  Hence round 1 of Super Rugby surprised many with a number of interesting results.  Check out the review of each game below:

Crusaders v Rebels

The Crusaders continued their sloppy starts in Super Rugby to fall to the Rebels at home in a dull game littered with errors and disciplinary indiscretions.  When the number of yellow cards is the same as the number of tries you know you’re in for difficult viewing and that’s exactly what Friday nights opener was.  Especially for Crusaders fans who were left frustrated by a disjointed effort and another injury to the Daniel Carter.

The Rebels already look a better team this year.  Some strong off season recruitment and an unbeaten pre-season has instilled a belief that could see the Rebels win more overseas games in 2015.

Brumbies v Reds

If the Crusaders were bad, then the Reds were abysmal.  Taking nothing away from the dominant Brumbies outfit who were clinical in all facets, it has to be said that the Reds were the most disappointing of all sides on show this week.  They can’t possibly make the Top 6 on this evidence.  Karmichael Hunt was outdone by Matt Toomua, and David Pocock, Scott Sio and Robbie Coleman were immense in the massacre.

Stephen Larkham’s men are incredibly well coached.  Their set piece was incredibly organised, and their backline penetrative in a strong indication they’ll go a long way this year.

Lions v Hurricanes

Chris Boyd got his coaching tenure underway by overseeing a Hurricanes victory over the Lions at the daunting Ellis Park (Johannesburg).  This was another in the “not overly entertaining” category as the Lions failed to turn big possession into points and were eventually outdone by tries to TJ Perenara and Matt Proctor.

One of the finds of the competition last year, Marnitz Boshoff, was uncharacteristically wayward with the boot, which impacted his side’s ability to win the territory battle.  For the Hurricanes their back row took the pundits over the much fancied backline.

Blues v Chiefs 

In one of only a few matches we correctly predicted the Chiefs got by the Blues at Eden Park by 23-18.  Sonny Bill Williams picked up Rugby where he left off two seasons ago and had a hand in both of the Chiefs’  tries.  Debutant Damien MacKenzie got the better of Ihaia West in the battle of the young number 10’s, and James Lowe was terrific on the wing for the men from Hamilton.  West’s boot was the only source of points for the Blues, who in truth didn’t have that many opportunities in attack and when they did West kicked it away.  The Blues face an interesting next week on whether to go with West again or whether to entrust the retuning Dan Bowden to provide the spark at first five-eighth.

Sharks v Cheetahs

This was by far and away the best game of the round.  Both teams played with energy and enterprise and only a Marcell Coetzee error settled the match in the Cheetahs favour.  The Cheetahs bonus point win on the road is a major coup for the prior year also-rans.  This should have been a difficult game for the Cheetahs away from home, but they remained undaunted by the heavily fancied Sharks and produced an upset that highlights their credentials for the season ahead.

Bulls v Stormers

We actually thought both these teams might do alright this Super Rugby season and if Saturday’s opener is anything to go by they are both right on track.  Beating the Bulls in Pretoria is no mean feat, so fair play to the Stormers who got by relatively comfortably in the end, winning 29-17.  The Bulls were unbeaten at home last year, and will need to get back on track quickly if they are to feature in the qualifying rounds of the tournament.  Handre Pollard will ensure that though, now that he doesn’t have to face Duane Vermeulen again for a bit.

Waratahs v Force

In what was probably the single biggest shock of the round, the defending champion NSW side lost at home to the Western Force.  In a performance that mirrored the Crusaders limp effort, the Waratahs never got going and failed to shake off the early season rust in any aspect of their play.  It’s certainly no cause for panic, as early season woes have been seen across the board in round 1, but the lack of enthusiasm on display from some of the top teams is an unusual trend.  Here’s hoping the Tahs can shake of the early season woes, and the Force can continue their hard tackling and committed efforts throughout the season.

Super Rugby Round 1 Preview

Posted on by Online Betting Pro

Super Rugby returns this weekend with most of the teams in action.  Check out preview of all the matches below, with odds from Tom Waterhouse.

Crusaders v Rebels, Christchurch, Friday 5.35pm

Crusaders – $1.15

Rebels – $5.75

This is a tough one to predict first up.  The Rebels have never won outside of Australia, but they do have a relatively strong record against the Crusaders, who for all of their success in Super Rugby competitions are slow starters.  Nonetheless, we’re going with a Crusaders win here, mainly because of the excitement in Christchurch at the moment with the opening of the Cricket World Cup bringing loads of positivity and a big crowd.

Brumbies v Reds, Canberra, Friday 7.40pm

Brumbies – $1.33

Reds – $3.40

None of the opposition teams in Week 1 are favourites with the bookmakers.  This is no exception.  The Reds are without Quade Cooper, James O’Connor and former All Black Adam Thomson, and instead will rely on Karmichael Hunt to guide them around the paddock.  That’s probably too much to ask in your first rugby game of any significance.  Therefore, we’re going with the Brumbies by a narrow margin.  Keep an eye out for David Pocock who makes a return after a long injury lay off.

Lions v Hurricanes, Johhanesburg, Saturday 4.10am

Lions – $2.10

Hurricanes – $1.75

The Hurricanes leak more points than the District 5 did before Charlie Conway joined.  Expect no different when they take on the Lions in Johannesburg early Saturday morning.  But that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll lose.  If the star-studded backbone can make up for the weak forward pack the amount of points they concede might not matter.  In TJ Perenara, Beauden Barrett and Cory Jane the Hurricanes have enough class to get home in this one.

Blues v Chiefs, Auckland, Saturday 5.35pm

Blues – $2.00

Chiefs – $1.80

Surprisingly, the Blues only lost one home game last year, to the Chiefs mind you, however, that was with a full complement of All Black stars who are sitting this one out.  The Blues are less affected by dubious rest policy, but we’re still thinking the Chiefs might get up and take this match out.  They have belief, they have the titles under their belt, and they have Sonny Bill Williams.

Sharks v Cheetahs, Durban, Sunday 2.10am

Sharks – $1.20

Cheetahs – $4.50

The Sharks will win easily.  They are comfortably the frontrunners of the South African Conference, and even early season rust won’t stop them from overrunning the notoriously weak Bloemfontein outfit. Unfortunately, we wouldn’t recommend considering the Cheetahs on too many occasions this year in your weekly tips or office sweepstake.

Bulls v Stormers, Pretoria, Sunday 4.10am

Bulls – $1.35

Stormers – $3.25

This might just be the closest of the opening round games.  The Bulls boast seven Springboks in their forward pack and the IRB Junior Player of the year in Handre Pollard so it’s a brave man who bets against them at Loftus.  We’ll back the Bulls by 7, only to be consistent with our majority home team picks.

Waratahs v Force, Sydney, Sunday 4.05pm

Waratahs – $1.16

Force – $5.35

The Super Rugby defending champions are heavily backed favourites for week 1.  The Force look weak on paper this year, and although we back them to win some games in Perth, the Tahs will be too comfortable at home.  Expect Izzy Folau to carve up the dry afternoon turf and set the early pace for try-scorers too.