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The final round of Super Rugby in 2016 kicks off in Auckland, as the desperate Waratahs take on the Blues, who have lost their shot at the finals. Catch all the action from 5:35pm (AEST) on The Roar.
The Waratahs are sitting on equal points with the Australian conference-leading Brumbies, but behind due to their inferior wins and losses record.
They only need a single point to leapfrog the prancing horses – even a bonus point loss will get them ahead – but then it’s up to the Western Force to keep the Brumbies down on Saturday.
A loss, however, ends the Tahs’ campaign.
The Blues are out of the finals race, despite a big win over the Brumbies last week. Their rejuvenated side that has shown great quality since the June break, but a slow start to the season left them limping for the rest of the year.
An encouraging statistic is that Tana Umaga’s Blues hold an astonishing 8-1 winning record against the Tahs at home, as well as a 12-8 overall standing.
Team news
The Blues have no changes for the third straight week, as coach Umaga shows great faith in his squad, and rightly so.
Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson has made some alterations to his line-up though, shifting his forward pack for the second week in a row.
Wycliff Palu goes from Number 8 back onto the bench, making way for Dave Dennis to pack in at the back of the scrum. Dean Mumm is switched back to lock after being shuffled across into flanker last week, while Jack Dempsey comes back into the starting XV at blindside flanker, after being demoted to the bench against the Hurricanes last week.
Taqele Naiyaravoro has been forced to give his spot on the wing back to Reece Robinson due to a suspension for a dangerous tackle on Canes flyhalf Beauden Barrett last week.
Young centre Jim Stewart will make his Super Rugby debut off the bench, after putting his hand up as a stand out for the Sydney Stars in the last NRC season and solid performances in recent weeks for Sydney Uni in the Shute Shield.
Prediction
The Waratahs need this win, but it’s going to be a really tough match up against a Blues side that has shown grit and determination in the last few weeks.
This could be the end of the line for the Waratahs, who have a shocking record in Auckland.
Blues to win by 9.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.