Super Rugby Round 6 Predictions!
After Round 5 of Super Rugby was fairly predictable, Round 6 was anything but - the round opened with a draw (picked by 1% on Superbru, followed by the Brumbies beating the Waratahs (36%) and the Reds doing a Scotland and coming back for victory over the Sunwolves (26%). The Highlanders v Crusaders match was cancelled after the tragic events in Christchurch, and the average community success rate was just 2.32 correct picks out of 5.
Congratualtions to Julie Taylor from South Africa who had the Yellow Cap in my 'Challenge Hutch' pool last weekend. Though she didn't pick the opening draw, Julie had a Margin Point for all of the other games with the exception of the Stormers sizeable win over the Jaguares.
On to Round 6, where we have a full card of 7 matches to pick. Here are my Superbru predictions for this weekend.
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Congratualtions to Julie Taylor from South Africa who had the Yellow Cap in my 'Challenge Hutch' pool last weekend. Though she didn't pick the opening draw, Julie had a Margin Point for all of the other games with the exception of the Stormers sizeable win over the Jaguares.
On to Round 6, where we have a full card of 7 matches to pick. Here are my Superbru predictions for this weekend.
Blues v Highlanders
Both teams ended up with a week off last weekend, providing much-needed rest for the well-travelled Aucklanders. The Blues managed their first win of the season over the Sunwolves before that, but now face a Highlanders side that has beaten them in the last four matches, and in 6 of the last 7 meetings. This is a tough call, and my instinct is to pick the home side in what should be an entertaining game. Blues by 2Hurricanes v Stormers
After a horror start to the season, the Stormers have won three in a row now, but embark on a difficult tour of New Zealand and Australia over the next four weeks. This is arguably their toughest test, and I can't see them beating the Hurricanes in Wellington. Hurricanes by 18Waratahs v Crusaders
To what extent will the Crusaders be affected by last week's events in Christchurch? Difficult to say, and it might be more of a factor against sterner opposition. If the Brumbies can beat the Waratahs, so can the defending champions. Crusaders by 13Sunwolves v Lions
Last weekend was the first time that I've seen the Sunwolves billed as favourites by the Superbru crowd - and they duly lost at home to the Reds, despite their barnstorming start. The Lions have underperformed so far this season, and are struggling with some key injuries, but they should still have enough firepower to beat the Sunwolves. Lions by 16Bulls v Chiefs
The Chiefs ended their run of defeats by drawing with the Hurricanes last weekend, and they looked a lot more threatening than in the opening rounds. They now face the difficult trip to Pretoria, where they'll find a Bulls team full of confidence at the top of the SA Conference. Looking at the streaks on Superbru with mostly green on the home side and mostly red on the away side, a win for the Bulls seems obvious, but I'm hesitating over it and have an inkling that this could be an upset. I'll play it safe for now. Bulls by 4Sharks v Rebels
The Rebels almost caused a shock last week, running away with the game before the Lions came back to win by 3 in Johannesburg. Will Genia and Quade Cooper have reunited to great effect this season, and they'll cause problems for any defence - but, they've made several changes to their lineup, including leaving out Will Genia and Isi Naisarani. The Sharks' results have been getting progressively worse since they thumped the Sunwolves in Round 1, but I think they'll beat this understrength Rebels side. Sharks by 4Reds v Brumbies
The home team has won the last five meetings between these teams, and after their first win of the season last week, I suspect the Reds might kick on. The Brumbies are missing a few key players with injuries and whilst this is another that could go either way, I'll go with home advantage. Reds by 2Follow Superbru on Twitter: @Superbru
22 Mar 05:22
Hurricanes by 8
Crusaders by 11
Lions by 10
Bulls by 24
Brumbies by 7
Time will tell ....
Stormers by 8
Crusaders by 5
Sun wolves by 2
Bulls by 15
Sharks by 3
Reds by 3
Saturday Hurricanes by 14; Waratahs by 7; Lions by 14; Bulls by 14; Rebels by 7; Reds by 7.