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Round 9 saw a much better round of tipping from the experts, with a couple of sixes and, ahem, a perfect round, if you don’t mind. We also achieved our first perfect week with our Powerplays, too, which was timely considering we all got them wrong the week before.
A lack of faith in the Highlanders at home, surprising faith in the Cheetahs, and the sudden withdrawal of Israel Folau no doubt brought a few of us undone last weekend. Three out of six away team wins is certainly unusual, too, given the home team success rate is still sitting at 80 per cent after nine rounds.
It’s my honour again this week, I’m afraid, and here are the Experts’ Round 10 Super Rugby tips, with a warning of unsurprising agreement with our Powerplay picks.
Oh, and Force fans, look away now:
Brett McKay
Tips: Hurricanes, Force, Crusaders, Waratahs, Sharks (P/P), and Stormers.
Explain yourself: Prepare for a lot of universal agreement, Roarers, with the Experts finding three unanimous picks this week and the other three featuring only minor differences. And if history means anything, that probably means several upsets that no-one saw coming.
The success rate of teams coming off the bye is still less than 50 per cent, which doesn’t help tipping between two teams who have both just had the break. Blues are still playing selection roulette for mine, so the Hurricanes to prevail at home.
The Force are playing very well, and despite some injuries to key players, their belief and discipline should be too much for the Rebels’ raw enthusiasm. Picking the Crusaders to win having just returned from Africa is a big call, but the Chiefs aren’t long back themselves, and they’re playing the worse rugby of the two teams. Should be a cracker, though.
The Bulls have been hit by more injuries, and are into that ‘please just end this’ stage of their tour, while the ‘Tahs are still breathing fire and will want to send a message to St. Leonards. The Sharks could play blindfolded and still beat the Cheetahs on current form, while blindfolded is also the best way of viewing the Stormers-Lions snore fest. The highlights will even be lucky to get eyeball time.
Sharks get the Powerplay, and I’ll be very surprised to hear of anyone not playing theirs on this game…
Tristan Rayner
Tips: Blues, Force, Chiefs, Waratahs, Sharks (P/P), and Stormers.
Explain yourself: I found this round straightforward, which isn’t a good sign. The Force continued their winning ways, which really helped me last week, and although the Rebels took them down last time over in Perth, I’m faithful to the Honey Badger and his relentless men. And, I’m keeping the faith that the ARU won’t veto Folau and the Waratahs against the Bulls. (Brett’s note: you’ve chosen… wisely.)
The Chiefs might find the Crusaders a little hot, so the Sharks get the powerplay again and should hold out the high-scoring (in both attack and defence) Cheetahs.
I’m wary that the Stormers are due but the Lions thrashed them last time in, while the Blues should be able to do enough in the opening game of the round.
Oh, and the plug for this week: Iceland’s weird natural resource is majestic. That’s right. Geoff Lemon will tell you!
Spiro Zavos
Tips: Hurricanes, Force, Crusaders, Waratahs, Sharks (P/P), and Stormers.
Explain yourself: My powerplay is my old stand-by, the Sharks playing a South African side. They have lost once but should be too strong for the flighty Cheetahs. They are also playing at home, as are three of my other picks, the Stormers, Waratahs, and Hurricanes.
I’ve gone against the home ground advantage with the Crusaders. The Chiefs have got off the hook too many times this season for me to pick them against a team on the rise.
I’ve backed the Force, too, because they should be on a high after beating the Waratahs. They are playing away from home but these are games that leading teams or teams with aspirations of being a leading team must win to retain their credibility.
Scott Allen
Tips: Hurricanes, Force, Chiefs, Waratahs, Sharks (P/P), and Stormers.
Explain yourself: I finally have a week where I’ve tipped lots of home teams so I should be right… or not!
When I look at the five home teams I’m tipping there’s only one I’m quite confident about – the Sharks will beat the Cheetahs so that’s where I’ll use my power play too. Next in confidence for me is the ‘Tahs to beat the Bulls as I expect Michael Cheika will drive a better performance from his players after last week.
Three other home tips I’ve made could go either way – the Chiefs to sneak home against an improving Crusaders, the Stormers to hold off the Lions in a match where I think being at home will really help the Stormers prevail. Finally the Hurricanes to get over the Blues – I really don’t know what to make of either the Blues or Hurricanes with no consistent form between them so this is a real 50/50 tip.
The only away team I’ve tipped is the Force over the Rebels. This is my first time tipping the Force this year, so they’ll probably lose now but their form is too good to ignore while the Rebels aren’t quite putting it together yet.
Biltongbek
Tips: Hurricanes, Force, Chiefs, Waratahs, Sharks (P/P), and Stormers.
Explain yourself: Some redemption was achieved last weekend, but my hope that the Bulls would actually be the first South African team to win an away game was clouding my judgement.
This weekend I am going for home wins. The only exception is going against my own advice of not tipping the Force in fear of jinxing their winning run.
The Sharks, although ravaged by injury in pivotal positions, should be too well-coached for the Cheetahs; the Lions have run out of luck, and the Stormers after a tough week on the training grounds will win this. Waratahs should be too strong for the Bulls, and the Chiefs to edge the Crusaders.
Force v Rebels is a tough one, but my vote goes to the Force. And the ‘Canes to outscore the Blues.
Powerplay this weekend is on the Sharks.
Elisha Pearce
Tips: Hurricanes, Force, Chiefs, Waratahs, Sharks (P/P), and Stormers.
Explain yourself: The early Friday New Zealand match-up has been the best viewing timeslot in Super Rugby for two years. I’m expecting the Hurricanes to get three in a row and beat the Blues in a match that continues the trend. Then the Rebels host the Force; a win to the men from the west will put them atop the conference! REPEAT: THE FORCE WILL LEAD THE CONFERENCE!
Make sure you pace your chocolate intake so you are focusing clearly for Saturday night to enjoy the Chiefs welcoming the Crusaders back to New Zealand win a loss. And then a Waratahs close victory over a tired Bulls side.
The Great White Sharks now have triple the Cheetahs’ competition points. They’ll hold them under 30 points and win, all the while taking care of my power play. Well done! Finally, don’t make me watch the Stormers scrape past the Lions – they’ve scored four tries and 47 total points between them in their last two matches.
Paddy Effeney
Tips: Hurricanes, Force, Chiefs, Waratahs, Sharks (P/P), and Stormers.
Explain yourself: As I descend further and further into the depths of the tipping comp, I’ve finally seen the light – just pick who’s going to win the game. So with my new, simple philosophy in place, here goes.
Even with Stuart Berry reffing the Lions, I think the Stormers can topple them. I’m banking on a big game from one of my favourite players to watch Juan De Jongh to get them over the superboot of Marnitz Boshoff. The Waratahs should break their eight-game losing streak against the Bulls and solidify their spot in the top six.
I’m thinking the Crusaders will be jetlagged and fall to the Chiefs, and I’ll live up to my promise from last week and pick The Force.
The Canes-Blues is a bit of a doozy, so I’m going with the home team. And the Sharks are the powerplay banker, as ever.
The summary
| Round 10 | Scott Allen | Biltongbek | Patrick Effeney | Brett McKay | Elisha Pearce | Tristan Rayner | Spiro Zavos |
| Overall | 33 | 38 | 38 | 42 | 38 | 39 | 37 |
| Last week | 5 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| HUR v BLU | Hurricanes | Hurricanes | Hurricanes | Hurricanes | Hurricanes | Blues | Hurricanes |
| REB v FOR | Force | Force | Force | Force | Force | Force | Force |
| CHI v CRU | Chiefs | Chiefs | Chiefs | Crusaders | Chiefs | Chiefs | Crusaders |
| WAR v BUL | Waratahs | Waratahs | Waratahs | Waratahs | Waratahs | Waratahs | Waratahs |
| SHA v CHE | Sharks | Sharks | Sharks | Sharks | Sharks | Sharks | Sharks |
| STO v LIO | Stormers | Stormers | Stormers | Stormers | Stormers | Lions | Stormers |
| POWERPLAY | Sharks | Sharks | Sharks | Sharks | Sharks | Sharks | Sharks |
| Brumbies, Reds, Highlanders BYE | |||||||