Cape Town - Super Rugby fans, hopefully you have recovered from the pulsating action in Round 2, where there were definitely some surprise results!
Teams: Super Rugby Round 3
Join the Sport24 SuperBru Super Rugby Challenge!It all started in Waikato, where despite an awful number of injuries, the
Chiefs completely hammered a disappointing
Blues side. Two outstanding performances from Tawera Kerr-Barlow and Robbie Robinson saw the home team run in four tries. Next the
Rebels were torn apart by the
Waratahs in their first match of the season, with the hyped up midfield combination of Danny Cipriani and James O’Connor unable to shine as the pack struggled. Tom Carter’s double brought him some redemption after the criticism he’d received the week before. Finally on Friday, the touring
Hurricanes snatched a late win in Johannesburg thanks to Beauden Barrett’s 79th minute penalty against the
Lions, leaving those who had backed the home side cursing their luck.
On Saturday, a late try from Hosea Gear and crucial conversion from Lima Sopoaga saw the
Highlanders go two from two against the
Crusaders, the comical timing fiasco with the stadium clock at the end not causing any damage to the result. The
Reds then had to fight off a spirited comeback from David Pocock’s
Western Force, Radike Samo running in a 60 metre interception score in their second win.
The
Bulls then produced the performance of the weekend, putting 50 points on the
Cheetahs and running in six tries including a blinder from Zane Kirchner. The round finished up in Cape Town, with the returning Peter Grant slotting over a penalty with four minutes to go for the
Stormers to grab the win against the
Sharks.
Safe to say there were a few unexpected results from Round 2, but moving on, here are my SuperBru predictions for the coming weekend:
It all starts with the
Crusaders playing their first game of the season at Rugby League Park against the
Chiefs. After a poor performance from the pack against the Highlanders, where the Crusaders were unable to dominate the breakdown, there will have been a huge emphasis on securing turnovers this week in training. Their backs were excellent however, so if they keep scoring tries such as Israel Dagg’s effort last weekend, they should pick up an
8-point win.
Next the
Hurricanes tour continues as they travel to Perth to face the
Force. The worst was predicted for Mark Hammett’s side at the start of the season, but winning in Johannesburg will have given them confidence. If Beauden Barrett can keep kicking his goals and the 'Canes back row can handle David Pocock, then they might return home with two wins out of three on Nathan Sharpe’s 150th Super Rugby cap.
Hurricanes by 5.
The
Brumbies then return after their bye week to face the
Cheetahs at home, with Pat McCabe fit again after injury. The visitor’s pack was dreadful against the Bulls last weekend, but bringing Coenie Oosthuizen back in will shore up the scrum and the physical Ashley Johnson should improve matters. After the Brumbies impressed in Round 1, and the Cheetahs struggled last weekend, this should be a home win by
7 points.
The in-form
Highlanders then take on the
Waratahs at home, when hopefully the stadium clock will be working perfectly! The Waratahs have impressed in both their matches despite losing in Round 1, but the Highlanders’ physicality could edge this one narrowly by
4 points.
The action then moves to Brisbane with the
Reds facing a
Rebels team who were toothless last weekend. The champions are not quite on top form yet but should kick on against a leaky Melbourne defence.
Reds by 18.
It’s then over to Durban with the
Sharks playing their first match at home against the
Lions. The hosts could welcome back Willem Alberts and Odwa Ndungane as they look for their first win of the season, whilst the Lions will be disappointed at the way they let the Hurricanes back into the match last weekend at home.
Sharks by 8.
Last but not least, the desperate
Blues travel to Loftus to take on the
Bulls. They should be wary of the damage the three-time former champions inflicted on the Cheetahs last weekend. If the pack led by Jerome Kaino can’t front up to the Bulls power, they could be in for a long afternoon.
Bulls by 15.
That’s all for this week, with plenty of home wins on the cards. Best of luck with your SuperBru predictions!
Click HERE to follow Ben Coles on Twitter
Sport24
