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Seven competition points separate eleven Super Rugby teams, and eight points separate five tipping panellists. It really has been a crazy year.
Last week was no different, with some crazy results really rattling some apple carts. Mine, specifically.
Round 12 marks the first full round of seven games in a month, and if I’m honest, they all look a bit obvious.
And that can only mean one thing: this week will be carnage. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
Round 11: Geoff 5; Nobes, Digger, Harry, and The Crowd 4; Brett 2.
Overall: Nobes 43; Digger 42; Harry and The Crowd 40; Geoff 38; Brett 35.
Perfect rounds: It’s happened! Congrats to Roarer ThugbyFan who correctly rattled off a perfect Round 11 of the Crusaders, Highlanders, Hurricanes, Sharks, Stormers, and the Jaguares.
Geoff
Tips: Crusaders, Reds, Rebels, Highlanders, Brumbies, Bulls, Jaguares
Friday looks like a straightforward start – Crusaders and Reds at home.
On Saturday afternoon, the irresistible force (the Rebels flat-line attack) meets the immovable object (the Hurricanes rush defence). Everything points towards the Canes, but with the inspirational TJ Perenara sitting this one out, after a couple of rough weeks for the Rebels, I’m prepared to take a punt on an upset.
The Highlanders look too strong at home for the Chiefs, while there is a perplexing choice in Canberra, the Brumbies off the road trip from hell versus the rested Blues. I think the Brumbies have plenty of ticker, so I’ll take them on trust.
It’s very hard to find enough reasons to tip the Waratahs in Pretoria, so it’s the Bulls there, before another toughie to finish the round… The Jaguares at home.
Sure thing: Ben Smith will post a pic on social media with his mum and #boyfriend RG Snyman, sending nobody into meltdown because everyone knows that Smith always makes the right decision.
Nobes
Tips: Crusaders, Reds, Hurricanes, Highlanders, Blues, Bulls, Jaguares
Round 11 may have been the most reasonable in terms of the results that were given and predicted, so my confidence level for the next weekend has grown.
The unbeatable Crusaders at home should account for the Sharks who already have a positive result from their tour of the Oceania.
(Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)
The desperate Reds will beat the Sunwolves who seem to have given everything they had in Round 9 and come from a very bad result in Tokyo.
The Hurricanes won a game against the Chiefs that defies all statistics. With a scrum and line in deficit and little possession won, a game with a rush defence and taking advantage of all the opportunities that defence created. The Rebels will be under a lot of pressure and I have my doubts that they can handle it. Also, this will be the game that I sure want to see this weekend if I must choose one.
Which brings us to another entertaining match between the Highlanders and Chiefs where they face two different styles of rugby where those at home seem to be sharper.
The Brumbies will be trying to remove the jetlag and bruises from their trip to South Africa and Buenos Aires and will have to reset to play a rested Blues; in my opinion too much to handle. The intensity of the Blues should prevail.
Neither the Bulls or Waratahs are at their best, but I’m leaning towards the home team.
Finally, I think the Jaguares have been growing a lot in closing the games they previously lost and despite the distractions that their players have in Buenos Aires every day, I think they will win their match against the Stormers.
Sure thing: Officials will be watching the shirt pulling issues after reading Brett’s article this week.
Digger
Tips: Crusaders, Reds, Hurricanes, Highlanders, Brumbies, Bulls, Jaguares
The more I look at it, the more I am convinced that this round is all about the home sides, but it seems unlikely that will happen, when was the last round that happened, all home teams winning?
Despite that, I will back all the home sides this week starting with the Crusaders who will hopefully end my dreadful tipping of all matches involving the Sharks, while I like the Reds at home though perhaps a tough assignment after the Sunwolves received a hiding last week.
Canes by plenty and the Highlanders should be too good on current form despite the travel against a depleted Chiefs side.
I want to tip the Blues as my ‘away’ bet this week but I still don’t trust them to travel well yet and I also suspect they are a momentum team, the bye wouldn’t help and the Brumbies are playing some ‘tough’ footy at the moment and should be more battle-hardened despite the air points accumulated recently.
After the last few weeks, I can’t tip the Tahs away at altitude and the Jaguares at home look the best bet against the travelling mild cold front.
Sure thing: Laumape running at Cooper should be fun for everyone, while jersey pulling will continue, though hopefully front rowers will show more respect for themselves and remain standing.
Harry
The team formerly and still known as the Crusaders will continue their merry march. Jerseys will be tugged. Cards will not.
The Reds will score seven tries, and concede a couple. The Canes will cane like a Singapore copper. The Landers will settle the score.
(Photo by Steve Haag/Gallo Images)
The Blues will get back on the horse. The Bulls will boot and scoot and root.
The Stormers will obliterate the Jags, jogging and jigging and jagging. The Jaguares will lleyds an egg.
Sure thing: Nobody will ever get a yellow card simply for extending a maul by a second or two…
Brett
Tips: Crusaders, Reds, Rebels, Highlanders, Brumbies, Bulls, Jaguares
There’s a great Seinfeld episode where in the middle of yet another crisis, George decides that he’s going to start doing the opposite to his instincts, based purely on his chronic and consistent failures in life.
As George frets about whether to go and speak to a woman who smiled at him, Jerry simply explains, “If every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right.”
This week was going to be my Costanza round, where I picked the opposite of my first picks, but there’s an issue.
And that issue is that none of the opposite teams make any sense at all!
The Sharks won’t possibly be the ones to end the Crusaders’ four-decade unbeaten streak in Christchurch! The Sunwolves will bounce back, but no-one has enough bounce to bounce back from 52-point floggings.
The Chiefs? Ha!! The Blues? HA HA!! The Waratahs? The Stormers?
HAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHHAHAHAAAHAHA HAAAA!!
But there will be one upset this week. And the Rebels look most likely for me.
Sure thing: What Nobes said. And six upsets.
Get your votes in now – The Crowd’s tips will be revealed Friday afternoon AEDT.