Super Rugby tipping week three: Will Tahs suffer a hangover from emotional Crusaders win (and DC's 15 schooners)?

Super Round produced some thrilling results and tipping carnage – except for our Kiwi panellist.

Hamish Bidwell nailed five out of six last week while the rest of the panel, and The Crowd, barely passed with their 50 percent rate.

The result took Hamish from equal bottom of our table to second behind Rugby Editor Christy Doran, while the Tony is proving as skillful as Eddie Jones balancing a budget.

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Christy Doran

Rebels, Waratahs, Crusaders, Brumbies, Blues, Chiefs

It’s been a while since Super Rugby has been this close. The departure of multiple New Zealand stars has given the rest of the competition a chance.

OK, so the tips. The Rebels, just. I don’t have any confidence in the tip, but after their win over the Force last weekend I think the Rebels should have too much against Moana Pasifika.

The Waratahs should get the job done against the Highlanders. We’ve said that before though, haven’t we? The loss of Pari Pari Parkinson is a big one for the Highlanders.

Hugh Sinclair of the Waratahs celebrates a try during the round two Super Rugby Pacific match between Crusaders and NSW Waratahs at AAMI Park, on March 02, 2024, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

If the Drua race out of the blocks they won’t get run down, but I think the Crusaders will be a bit more match-hardened after a bumpy start to the season.

The Brumbies should be way too good for the Force.

The Hurricanes and Blues is a derby worth tuning in for. Jordie Barrett’s suspension will prove telling. Blues.

The Reds have shown some steady progress under Les Kiss, but the injuries to Alex Hodgman and Hunter Paisami particularly will prove telling. The Chiefs won’t be stopped, and they’ve been bolstered by Samisoni Taukei’aho’s return to the starting side. 

Hamish Bidwell

Moana Pasifika, Waratahs, Crusaders, Brumbies, Blues, Chiefs

The opener is one of a couple of intriguing clashes in this round. I’ll take Moana Pasifika, but not with huge confidence.

The Waratahs shouldn’t make a race of this one. I think a 10 to 20-point win against the Highlanders.

If I have a horse in Super Rugby Pacific, it’s the Crusaders. I want them to win the competition every year and, most seasons, they do. I’ll tip them, but won’t be shocked if they don’t prevail in Lautoka.

Brumbies by a distance against the Force. Let’s say 20 points.

The Blues are definitely not my favourite team, but I see them having too many points in them for the Hurricanes to handle.

If the Chiefs are to win the competition, then these are the games they have pick up along the way. I don’t see there being more than 10 points in it.

Nick Wasiliev

Rebels, Waratahs, Drua, Brumbies, Blues, Chiefs

Well, I’ll be damned, Super Round has thrown a spanner or two in the works! Don’t think we got much of anything right this time last week, but that’s the fun of it! I like myself an unpredictable Super Rugby competition, so give me more. More, god dammit!

The only side effect is that it makes tipping much more difficult, but it’s a small price to pay. Despite the five injury changes, I’m nervously tipping the Rebels. Emphasis on nervous, because if they start the same way they did in both previous games, Moana will likely win.

I’ve been very impressed with the sheer discipline of Tana Umaga’s side in these opening weeks, and it’s good to see Moana Pasifika looking like a dangerous outfit; but when it comes to actual firepower, Melbourne is the stronger side.

Moana Pasikia scores a try during the round four Super Rugby Pacific match between ACT Brumbies and Moana Pasifika at GIO Stadium, on March 18, 2023, in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)

It’ll be a close one. Don’t mess this up, guys!

You can never fully rule out the Kiwis in any clash, especially because if there is one thing the Waratahs have been excellent at until now, it is being inconsistent.

However, they have good reason to be up for this and a good reason to buck that trend. Two Wallabies are slotting back into the starting side, and with the Landers demoting skipper Billy Harmon and Sean Withy to the bench due to a breach of team standards, the Tahs can capitalise. If they match up to the weapons of de Groot and Fakitava, they should have enough to win this.

Right now, I feel like I’ve laid a commentator’s curse on Fiji! But Fiji in Lautoka is a different beast. Am I doing it? Am I really saying the Crusaders will be 0-3 for the first time since 1996? Stuff it, as Austin Powers once said, ‘I like to live dangerously!’ Yeah baby!

Urghh, the Brumbies and I are on bad terms right now after last week. However, their inclusion of Darcy Swain and Tamati Tua will be welcome in terms of a more direct attack, which was sorely lacking. The Force’s casualty ward looks like the stuff of nightmares, with players out for extended periods in key positions. Add Sam Spink to the list as their most direct attacking player, and while they still have big names I don’t see their forward pack matching it against the Ponies.

The first match at the Cake Tin is the game of the round in my opinion, Blues welcoming back some All Blacks, up against a very good-looking Canes side. The loss of Jordie Barrett is significant, but there is still a lot of firepower in that squad. Expecting a thriller, with the men from Auckland winning at the death.

This last match is a tough turnaround for Queensland, and with the key losses of Alex Hodgman in the forwards and Hunter Paisami and Jordan Petaia in the backs, they’ll be severely hampered in terms of attacking prowess. The Chiefs will be bringing in some young guns but also pairing them with All Blacks Aidan Ross, Samisoni Taukei’aho and George Dyer. It shouldn’t be a repeat of their demolition of the Brumbies, but the Chiefs will be favourites to take this. 

Tony Harper

Rebels, Waratahs, Drua, Brumbies, Blues, Chiefs

Wow, Nick, what more can one say? I’ve gone the same way as the effervescent junior member of our panel – except when it comes to the chronic over use of exclamation marks (!)

Then again, there’s little to be excited about when you’re languishing last on the table and Doran’s threatening you with a cattle prod.

I’ve gone all betting favourites – except in Fiji. The Crusaders are having their David Moyes after Sir Alex Ferguson era and after Fiji’s surprise defeat in Melbourne there will be fire and brimstone in the islands (and it’s a 1pm kick off). Are you feeling hot under that collar, Rob?

The Waratahs are narrow favourites against the Highlanders – the line is only 1.5 points – and they face a big challenge to get themselves back up after an emotional night and Darren Coleman’s 15 schooners following the win over the Crusaders.

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