Super Rugby Week 5 Preview

Offside Superbru accuracy:  68.18% Last week : 5/7

Highlanders v Hurricanes:
Hurricanes had an important win over the Crusaders last weekend. They have a balanced side with a good front row, locks, lose forwards and exciting back line. Highlanders will be desperate to win and get back on track. They play at home but they have too many old hands in the team ( Hore, Woodcock, Nonu and Thorn). Their lose forwards are also inexperienced with a fly half out of form. The Hurricanes will take this one. 

Bet.co.za : Highlanders
Offside : Hurricanes with 10

Waratahs v Cheetahs: 
Cheetahs are on a roll and their team selection are constant.They are playing the same side for the last 3 games and will have confidence from last weekend's win against the Highlanders. They did beat the Waratahs last year in Sydney. Sarel Pretoruis was thrown away by the Waratahs last year and he will try to make a point. Waratahs have no belief in themselves and change their team every week to try to fix their problems. They also don't have any game breakers in the team.

Bet.co.za : Waratahs
Offside : Cheetahs with 9

Kings v Chiefs:
Kings played with passion and their defence was excellent last week against the Sharks. The Chiefs will be too good for the Kings and the wall will  break this weekend.

Bet.co.za : Chiefs
Offside : Chiefs with 28

Crusaders v Bulls: 
Bulls won all their games so far this year and surprised everyone with a win over the Stormers and the Blues.They have a team with experience and a lot of new talent coming through.
Crusaders lost their first 3 games so far this year. They were a bit unlucky to lose against the Hurricanes last weekend with a intercept try at the end of the game. They are back at home and with a team full of All Backs, desperate to win. They will be a difficult team to beat. This will be a hard game and the bench will play an important roll to the outcome. The Bulls have more experienced and x-factor player on the bench( 4 Springboks) and look better than the Crusaders without any big names on their bench. I am going for the upset.

Bet.co.za : Crusaders.
Offside : Bulls with 5

Reds v Force: 
Reds are playing every game better and with Genia back the Force will struggle again this weekend. The Western Force have suffered a double blow for their Super Rugby match against the Reds as winger Nick Cummins and lock Sam Wykes have both been ruled out due to injury.

Bet.co.za : Reds
Offside : Reds with 18

Sharks v Brumbies: 
Brumbies are the log leaders and played excellent rugby so far this year. They have a top coach in White and their confidence are high. Sharks are winning but didn't put in a great performance this year. I think the Sharks will improve this weekend and with Daniels back they will create more attacking opportunities. 

Bet.co.za : Sharks
Offside : Sharks with 4

I was out of the country the last 2 weeks. I was in Zambia with out signal. Will be back from next week with new predictions.

Super Rugby 2012 Week 2

Highlanders v Chiefs

The Highlanders always start the season very good ( 1st 6 rounds). This year they brought  in experience with Brad Thorn, Nonu  and Tony Woodcock. At home early in the season it will be very difficult to beat them.
The Chiefs lost their try-scoring prop, Sona Taumalolo, and with out Sonny Bill and Kaui in the midfield they are not looking like the same team as last year. They also have the pressure as champions to defent their Super Rugby titel.

Bet.co.za : Highlanders
Offside Prediction : Highlanders with 4



Rebels v Brumbies

Both teams are coming off home wins in fairly error-strewn matches but the quality of performance should improve. James O’Connor will once again be the dangerman for the Rebels but the Brumbies just seem to be the more polished side and should take this match comfortably.


Bet.co.za : Brumbies
Offside Prediction : Brumbies with 14



Bulls v Stormers

The big North-South South African derby kicks off the SA Conference games with the Bulls selectors decided to go with experience for this match. There is a lot of Bull players that will prove them self's early in the season. The Bulls team is settle with a 1000 Super Rugby cups between them.  For the Stormers the big question will be how the Lions players integrate with their game plan although the Stormers coach indicated that he wants his team to play ball-in-hand rugby at Loftus. The Stormers are with out Burger and Etzebeth.  There’s a lot of pressure on Elton Jantjies and Jaco Taute to help change the Stormers’ fortunes this year. The Stormers look to be the more balanced team but Offside will go against the odds  .


Bet.co.za : Stomers
Offside Prediction : Bulls with 5

Hurricanes v Blues

The Canes still has a potent backline with Perenara, Barrett, Conrad Smith, Julian Savea and Andre Taylor and will look to improve their defence without losing on the attack. The Blue have lost a number of the big name players who didn’t perform last year and have a new coach and is a bit of an unknown quality this year. Getting a lot of new players to gel may take a few games.


Bet.co.za : Hurricanes
Offside Prediction : Hurricanes with 8

Reds v Waratahs 

Both the Reds and the ‘Tahs start the season with a number of key players out with injury and the Reds without Will Genia just don’t seem to have the same flair. The Waratahs with Hooper, Dennis and Palu will control the lose ball. A difficult game to call but Offside will pick  the Waratahs with more flair in their back this year.


Bet.co.za : Reds
Offside Prediction : Waratahs 7



Cheetahs v Sharks

It’s been some years since the Cheetahs have been the Sharks’ bogey team and even with Johan Goosen back the Cheetahs’ defence is just too brittle to really have a chance at upsetting the Sharks, even in Bloem. The Sharks forwards will be to strong for the Cheetahs and with a lot of Springboks in the backs the Cheetahs have no change .


Bet.co.za : Sharks
Offside Prediction : Sharks with 16



Kings v Force

The Force started well last weekend but faded as the game went on and their lineouts were poor but the Kings have also struggled at lineout time in most of their pre-season matches. The Force may not be the best side out there but the Kings just don’t have the pack to really trouble them and I don’t see the Kings really making much headway against the Force, except maybe in the first 20 minutes or so. However, I don’t think it will be a runaway victory for the Force.


Bet.co.za : Force
Offside Prediction : Force with 20

Super Rugby 2013 Week 1

Rebels vs Force

Rebels with James O'Conner, Kurtley Beale, Laurie Week, Scott Higginbotham, Gareth Delved and Nick Phipps will be to strong for the Force at home. The Force lost a lot of quality players : David Pocock, Nathan Shape, James Stannard and Cameron Shepherd.

Rebels with 12

Brumbies vs Reds

This game will be close and both teams have quality players. The Reds have the better team on paper but the  Brumbies at home will be difficult to beat. The Brumbies have a score to settle with the Reds for kicking them out of the playoffs last year. I think the Brumbies will have more experience then last year and Rathbone and Pocock will add more experience.

Brumbies with 6

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Let the Games begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!