Chiefs (4/11) v Reds
(100/30)
The biggest clash of the weekend, with the Chiefs pulling
away from their New Zealand rivals into the conference leaders zone while the
Reds have been quietly efficient in working their way into fourth place.
Barring one defeat – that to the Stormers in a close run game on South African
soil – the Cheifs have been footb perfect and should have enough about them to
beat the Reds, but whether the visitors – who possess lethal ablity in the
halfback pairing of Will Genia and Quade Cooper – should be getting as much as
a 9 point start is debateable. The Reds have won 10 of their past 11 games
against Kiwi sides, and the Chiefs have won by more than 12 points in just one
of their 4 games this season, so a home win by 1-12 points looks to be the
obvious choice.
Advice: 2 pts Chiefs to win by 1-12 points (7/4 Ladbrokes)
Blues (8/11) v Hurricanes (11/8)
With 4 straight wins, the Hurricanes are entitled to feel
pretty good about life, lying just three points behind the Reds in fifth place
following their comprehensive win over the Waratahs last week, the second
straight week where they’ve scored 41 points. They started their campaign with
a defeat to the Blues – today’s opponents - on home soil by 14 points but are
in a better place now and not without a chance of gaining revenge for their
opening day defeat. A points line of 52 or more is acceptable – as absurd as
that sounds - but the value might lie within backing the Hurricanes/Blues
double result. The Canes’ have led at half time in 8 of their last 10 matches
but have conceded an overwhelming amount of their points after the break.
Advice: 1 pt Hurricanes/Blues (6/1 general)
Rebels (4/9) v Kings
(11/5)
Despite winning just
one game – and drawing the other – the Southern Kings have arguably been the
surprise package of this year’s competition, having been far from the whipping
boys of the competition and then fully deserving of their 29-29 draw against
the Brumbies. The Rebels have beaten only the Force so far and then on both of
those occasions they were by no more than the 7 pints they’re asked to give up
on the handicap.
Advice: 1 pt Kings +7 (10/11 general)
Western Force (5) v
Crusaders (3/10)
The Crusaders have
been building up some very steady steam after two devilishly difficult opening
fixtures on the road and they should have more than enough to beat the Force
with plenty in hand, in what should be a much easier assignment than their
visit to the Sharks last week.
Advice: 2 pts Crusaders to score 29 or more points (4/5
Sportingbet)
Stormers (5/6) v
Sharks (5/4)
With just two wins from 6 games, this is crunch time for the
Stormers who need a win to keep on the tails of the playoffs. However the
Sharks are second only to the Chiefs and Brumbies at the top of the level. The
Sharks haven’t been able to cut loose at any points, apart from destroying a
Rebels team at war with eachother two weeks ago. However their defence is
second to none in South Africa and the way they edged the Crusaders (albeit a depleted
outfit) was gritty and impressive. The Stormers were taken apart from the set
piece by the same Crusaders side that the Sharks beat on home turf, and they’re
the choice from the match odds – a 3 point start with Ladbrokes makes appeal in
what could be a one score game. Also worth considering is the ‘no tryscorer
option’ which copped in the previous fixture between the two – and the odds
against on under 3.5 tries.
Advice: 1 pt Sharks +3 (10/11 Ladbrokes)
Bulls (4/9) v
Cheeaths (12/5)
The bulls have lost their last three but those were trips to
the Crusaders, Reds and Brumbies – and this is a much more winnable assignment,
with all due respect to the Cheeaths. A handicap of 7 points seems a little
large given the Cheeaths’s recent winning streak, but the home side can edge
this by 1-12 points.
Advice: 1 pt Bulls to win by 1-12 (7/4 Ladbrokes)
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