Super Rugby Round Nine Predictions!

I missed all of last weekend's Super Rugby action as a result of being away on holiday with my family - normally I'm able to watch at least 2 or 3 matches per round, which is way more than any other Rugby. With three young kids, the early morning kick-offs here in the UK work quite well for me!

I had four correct picks out out of seven last week, matching the community average by predicting all the obvious ones and none of the upsets, as the Reds beat the Stormers (predicted by 37%), the Sharks thrashed the Lions (14%) and the Jaguares shocked the understrength Bulls (6%).



Well done to Belinda Glenn who had an impressive GSP to take the Yellow Cap in my 'Challenge Hutch' pool last weekend. James Slater remains top of the pool so he's the man we're looking to catch up with this week.

Here are my Super Rugby predictions for Round 9.

Crusaders v Highlanders

The Highlanders nearly upset the Hurricanes in Wellington last weekend, and their four match losing streak paints a bleaker picture than the actual state of their season. But up against the defending champions in the New Zealand capital (only joking, sorry about that error made in pre-holiday haste last week), I think there will only be one winner. Crusaders by 16

Rebels v Stormers

The Stormers' results on tour have been getting worse since they pushed the Hurricanes close three weeks ago, and last week's defeat to the Reds was most disappointing. The Rebels are better than the Reds, and will likely send their opposition back to Cape Town with four defeats from four on tour. Rebels by 9

Chiefs v Blues

The Blues are on a four-match winning streak but their record against the Chiefs is abysmal, going back to 2011 for their last win. The Chiefs are back to winning ways, and with a rest after their trip to SA and Argentina, I think they'll be too good at home. Chiefs by 7

Brumbies v Lions

The Lions were destroyed by the Sharks at Ellis Park last weekend, which is not the ideal preparation for a tour of Australia and New Zealand. The Brumbies have had some mixed results so far this season, one minute thrashing the Chiefs, the next being thrashed by the Hurricanes, and then losing two in a row by the exact same score - 36-14 away at the Reds and the Crusaders. On paper, the Lions are the better side, but this is a potential upset. Lions by 6

Sharks v Jaguares

The Argentinians made the Bulls pay for making so many changes to their team, coming back to win at the death. The Sharks shouldn't make the same mistake, and after that performance against the Lions last week, you have to back them in this one at home. Sharks by 9

Bulls v Reds

With the big guns likely to return for the Bulls, the defeat last week will be quickly forgotten as the Reds visit Pretoria. The home team usually wins this fixture, I still don't rate the Reds and I expect it to be fairly comfortable. Bulls by 18

So that's five home wins out of six - which ones do you disagree with?

Follow Superbru on Twitter for updates and conversation around the results throughout each round: @Superbru