Super Rugby 2015 Predictions: Round 7

Round six was a bit of a mixed bag on SuperBru, with three ‘upsets’ but no truly shocking results. How will this weekend pan out?

Hurricanes vs Rebels

The Hurricanes, quite remarkably, remain unbeaten. Their latest win was one of their most impressive yet, over the Highlanders in Dunedin, where the home side had been looking strong. Six of their next seven games are at home, and there is now no reason why they shouldn’t get a real stranglehold on the Super Rugby table. Their visitors this weekend are the Rebels, who suffered a poor home defeat to the Lions – the type of game they have to be winning if they have any aspirations of doing better than a bottom-of-the-conference finish.

Back on home turf and in front of their fans, the Canes will be keen to keep their good form going. Hurricanes by 12.

Reds vs Lions

This is a difficult game to call, as neither side has been overly impressive thus far. That said, the Lions’ win over the Rebels last weekend showcased an impressive backbone to the side, personified by their diligent skipper Warren Whitely. Both of their wins have been on the road so far, and they will take confidence into the game with a Reds side that has won just once this season, back in round two. They are one point off the bottom of the log and have the third worst defensive record in the tournament so far.

Home advantage would usually swing my pick towards the Reds, but given the Lions excellent form away from home, it actually does the opposite. Lions by 5.

Chiefs vs Cheetahs

The Chiefs return home bloodied and bruised from their South African sojourn, especially after last week’s game with the Sharks, which included a whopping three red cards. They are without Hika Elliot – one of the recipients – but perhaps crucially Liam Messam has been cleared to play despite being found guilty of conduct contrary to good sportsmanship after the game, for his dangerous throttling of a Sharks player. They’ll be smarting from failing to beat a side with just 13 players. Meanwhile the Cheetahs are looking to arrest a run of three consecutive defeats in which they have conceded 123 points, giving them the worst defensive record in the league.

Things are unlikely to get any better this weekend for the ailing South African franchise. Chiefs by 18.

Highlanders vs Stormers

The Stormers begin their overseas tour fresh after a bye weekend. They are, however, without inspirational captain Duane Vermeulen, which is a big blow to their chances. The Highlanders know they must win after their home loss to the Hurricanes last weekend, or they risk facing a steep uphill battle to make the play-offs. It will come down to how well they can deal with the Stormers’ undoubted power up front, and if their backs can do enough damage to negate the deficit their forwards will likely concede.

The Stormers have shown enough at the beginning of the season to suggest they can take their good form on the road. Stormers by 3.

Waratahs vs Blues

The Waratahs put in one of the more ruthless performances of the season so far as they crushed conference leaders the Brumbies in Sydney to the delight of their fans. They finally looked like the champions they are, but face another challenge this weekend. The Blues might be bottom of the log without a win to their name, but that does not tell the full story. They have four bonus points from their five losses, indicating how close they have come, and possess a back-line that is as dangerous as any in the tournament.

That said, the Waratahs should continue to build momentum and condemn the Blues to another close loss. Waratahs by 6.

Sharks vs Force

The Sharks showed great grit to beat the Chiefs last weekend, despite being reduced to 13 men. There were some unsavoury actions from a few of their players, but they have been duly punished. They are expected to rest some of their Springboks for this game, so that should be considered when picking your margin of victory. And if we’re honest, there should be little doubt that they’ll get the win – the Force have fallen badly off the horse, losing five straight games since their opening day victory over the Waratahs. They have not beaten the men from Durban since 2007, and have never won at the Shark tank.

It should be a relatively comfortable home win. Sharks by 12.

Bulls vs Crusaders

This is an intriguing fixture to end the round, between two of the competition’s traditional heavyweights. Both are beginning to flex their muscles, too, the Bulls winning their last three in a row and the Crusaders their last two. It has to be said, though, that the men from Christchurch have looked the more impressive side, scoring 91 points in their previous two games. All of their big names are back and firing, but the test this weekend will be if they can reproduce this form on the road, and especially at Loftus.

The Bulls struggled to beat the Force at home last week, and will need to step it up a notch if they are to beat last year’s finalists. They might struggle to do so. Crusaders by 3.

By Jamie Hosie
Follow Jamie on Twitter: @jhosie43