- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Seven is supposed to be lucky for some, but not this looming Round 7 of Super Rugby. I reckon five of the six can go either way, and this might be the most diverse round of tipping among the panel in some time.
But here’s a question: It’s the Easter weekend, why on earth are three teams having a bye? Wouldn’t it make sense to play more games on a weekend where more people might actually be able to get to a game live? It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve not got something SANZAAR have decided, but gee, it feels like a missed opportunity.
Anyway, Happy Easter everyone. I hope there’s still a game near you this weekend…
Last week: A perfect six-pack for our Argentinean friend, and five all round otherwise with much cursing of the Jaguares. Five for The Crowd, too, disappointingly.
Overall: Nobes 28; a growing gap; Digger 25; Harry, Brett, Geoff, and The Crowd 24.
Nobes
TIPS: Chiefs, Hurricanes, Blues, Brumbies, Bulls, Crusaders.
Round 7 will require a special coin: I do believe in home team advantage when it comes to New Zealand teams and I think small Mr Mac will have what it takes to beat the Smiths’ team. Chiefs in a good open game.
The ‘Canes look like the best team in Super Rugby 2018 and the Rebels have played and surprised us all with good rugby, but they are just not at the level of the New Zealand teams yet. So, I trust that the Barrett brothers and TJ will remind them that the southern islands are still on top of things regarding rugby.
The Blues will take on the most disappointing team in this edition of Super Rugby. We all expected better things from the Sharks, but they need to come home and regroup before we can see them play positive rugby. I can believe I am tipping the Blues; they’ve burned me most of the time before. They are to me what Jaguares are to Brett!
The old-time Australian derby could not come at a better time with both teams in real need of a win. I am sure many of you will be surprised that my tip goes with the Brumbies, but I consider that they have better forwards and their backs will do their homework to control the Tahs’ best weapons.
Bulls and Stormers will deliver another hard-hitting game in Pretoria where I expect the Stormers to encounter fierce resistance. In the last game we have the Lions who have proven they can score but on the other hand we have the Crusaders with their strong defence. Super Rugby is usually won with a strong defence, so I think the Crusaders will be the winner in Johannesburg despite the altitude and refs.
SURE THING: Lots of cards this weekend.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
Harry
TIPS: Highlanders, Hurricanes, Blues, Waratahs, Stormers, Crusaders.
Nobes is the New Zealand equivalent of tipping prowess. The rest of us, the chasers.
The deceptive putridness of Sharks keeps tripping up my tipping. Never again! No more.
Round 7 will be all about visiting. The visitors. Wins on the road. Home misery. Except the Sharks match!
The Highlanders will make the Hamilton night even quieter. The Hurricanes will end the Wessels honeymoon.
Auckland will be a Shark-free zone.
The Tahs will run around like a fugitive in a roundabout in the dark capital.
The legislative capital of South Africa will defeat the executive capital, because law beats personality. The Lions are falling apart, and travelling west is easier. Crusaders by plenty.
SURE THING: The head-to-head match-up of Handre Pollard and the Kid, Damian Willemse (there’s only three years separating them) will be the talking point in SA.
Digger
TIPS: Highlanders, Hurricanes, Blues, Brumbies, Stormers, Crusaders
It’s a big Friday night as we start off with a juicy Kiwi derby and one where I will back the Highlanders as I feel they are playing with a bit more cohesion, particularly on defence even away in Hamilton while its Canes by plenty for me in our first look at trans-Tasman relations.
I must back the Blues at home against a very disappointing Sharks side so far this season, but I will rest my lot with the Brumbies at home. I feel the nature of these tight derbies favours the Brumbies, and I suspect the bye may not have done the ‘Tahs any favours in terms of momentum.
Finally, to the far south of Africa, or South Africa as some may know it, though often strangely referred to as just ‘Africa’. Strange times indeed; I will back the Stormers even in Pretoria though I cannot pinpoint why. Let’s go with Rhule love. And the Crusaders look a no-brainer given the Lions’ recent form.
SURE THING: Asafa Aumua will finally score his first Super Rugby try this Friday night.
(Photo by Martin Hunter/Getty Images)
Brett
TIPS: Chiefs, Rebels, Blues, Brumbies, Stormers, Lions
I must applaud up front Harry’s bold away team strategy: away teams have won just eight of 35 games so far in 2018, and just three of the last 20! Let’s see if it pays off for him…
With no confidence at all, I pick the Chefs, but really only because they’re at home. And probably because the Highlanders lost in Wellington last week. But with more confidence, I can absolutely see the Rebels breaking the Australian drought against New Zealand teams. The amount of discussion and assumption along the lines of the result being a fait-accompli is enticing, and there is some serious value for the Rebels on offer if you’re of the betting persuasion.
And the thing is, I’m ready for a trans-Tasman loss. But are you, Kiwis? Imagine being the first side to lose to an Australian team!
Blues, because the Sharks. I didn’t have a lot of faith in the Sharks this year, but man… they suck! The Stormers will be too good in Pretoria because though they have technically travelled, they’ll remember just before kick-off that they didn’t need passports.
I do get the concerns about the Lions, but they’ve proven over the last few years how protective of Ellis Park they are. They weren’t great in Buenos Aires last week – they were annoyingly rubbish in Buenos Aires last week! – but coming home fixes a lot of their problems. Plus, there’s the small matter of revenge for last year’s final, too.
(This stat notwithstanding: the Lions have won 20 of the last 24 at Ellis Park in the last two and a bit seasons, but two of the four losses have been to the Crusaders!)
That leaves the Hume Highway derby, which is always worth watching, is always niggly, and pretty much always won by the home team. I can’t see that changing this week, especially with both sides having shown solid improvements in winning before a bye.
SURE THING: Finally, I cannot get a Jaguares tip wrong!!! Can I?
[latest_videos_strip category=”rugby” name=”Rugby”]
Geoff
TIPS: Chiefs, Hurricanes, Blues, Brumbies, Stormers, Crusaders.
Some relief from tipping humiliation at last with the Jaguares enjoying a bye! Very tough start to the round, Chiefs just to sneak past the Highlanders, but only because of home ground advantage.
The first trans-Tasman encounter for the year is all about what Hurricanes side shows up. Home fans can expect the Rebels to go well, they will certainly not be intimidated by the task. The ‘Canes aren’t above throwing in the odd stinker, but if both sides play to their potential, on a dry track, the ‘Canes have more scoring firepower.
The Sharks have played well in New Zealand before, but there is something amiss with the current version. Blues at home. Another real toughie in Canberra, but the Brumbies showed enough steely resolve and improvement last time out to have enough in reserve to beat the Waratahs at home.
To finish in South Africa, the Bulls will be better at home but the Stormers have a potential gem in Damian Willemse and haven’t had to travel as far. And if the Crusaders were good enough to beat the Lions at home in last year’s’ final, they’re certainly good enough to win again, against a side that has regressed.
SURE THING: Chaos in Canberra as Kurtley Beale is picked up on camera texting during the match. Daryl Gibson is seen on a walkie-talkie instructing Ned Hanigan to run onto the pitch to tell Beale to hide the phone in his jocks. Michael Hooper fronts a media conference afterwards and blames the leadership group.
Get your votes in now – The Crowd’s tips will be revealed Friday afternoon AEDT.
What have you got, Crowd? Who gets your tip? Got a sure thing yourself? Let us know in the comments below, and enjoy your rugby this weekend…