My picks for this week...

Chiefs vs Reds:
Chiefs to wake up this time against the reds and win comfortably

Brumbies vs Cats:
Brumbies by around 10 - too much class in the backs for the Brumbies returning home.

Warratahs vs Sharks
Tah's - just

Crusaders vs Blues:
Crusaders by around 15. While the Crusaders were poor last week I can't see the Blues lifting.

Stormers vs Highlanders
Highlanders by a whisker.

Cheetahs vs Hurricanes
Hurricanes to win a close one on the road.

I also predict that Force will even lose in their bye round...

 

True_Blue's Crystal Ball says:

The Chiefs v Reds – Hamilton

The Chiefs finally get a home game!

And against a juicy injury-ravaged Reds side to blow the home fans away as well, what a treat! The Reds have fought bravely in every game so far this season, but they simply don’t have the playing personnel to go toe-to-toe with the stronger S14 franchises and although the Reds have their stars turns in Latham, Mitchell and lately Cordingley, injuries to Connors and Barnes have hardly helped their cause.

Slammin’ Sam should have a field day knocking fat Lloyd on his ass all evening and with the Chiefs forward power, Luaki will be making big yards and creating wonderful front foot ball for the Chiefs backs to run off at will, providing of course that Kelleher runs out with his A-game and doesn’t let Cordingley under his skin as he has done in past games this season.

Chiefs by 17+

Brumbies v Cats – Canberra

The Cats forwards fronted hugely against the Hurricanes and played a major role in keeping what could have been a massacre to within the bounds of respectability. The Brumbies, coming off a disappointing draw to the Stormers will have it all to do up front in order to get their share of the pill, and I expect G. Smith to be massive in this regard. He loves playing against the big men, and if the Brumbies are to get the ball they will need to win the game, it will be through this man.

The Brumbies backline is packed to the rafters with hitting power, and apart form Geriatric George having the feral Januarie in his face all afternoon, the rest of them should have a whale of a time punching holes in the Cats iffy defense, made worse by the fact their Bok centers are on the wing and the bench respectively…??

Brumbies 17+. 

Tahs v Sharks – Sydney

This game presents something of a conundrum. The Tahs seemed to get the better of the Bulls forwards at times but lost the when the Bulls switched to Plan ‘B’ (who would have thought!), while the Sharks forward defense held off the mighty Saders for 75 minutes and their baby backline looked full of running.

So what’s it going to be at Aussie Stadium come Saturday evening?

The modern Tahs have won their games these last two seasons through efficiency and cohesion rather than dashing and dare, which makes them a difficult team to upset. It should be noted that when they have won this season, it has been from behind, demonstrating their icy composure. The Sharks have been all over the place but are showing renewed vigour as Dick Muir adopts an ‘in with the new’ policy of with regard to his signings from the U19 and U21 WC - winning squads.

What it may well come down to is the Tah’s unavailables v the Sharks debutants, with the Sharks the team with the forward momentum…

The Sharks 1-8.

Crusaders v Blues – Christchurch

The North-South, NPC v S12 derby should be a cracker. The Blues will be looking to extend their points gathering exercise on the road before returning to Eden Park at Jade Stadium this weekend. They will be encouraged by the difficulty the Saders had in sticking the Sharks away as no doubt the Saders will be taking heart from the meal that the Blues made of the humble Reds. The Saders will be looking to regain their momentum by sticking the Blues away by a large margin.

Tasty match-ups here would include Williams v Jack, Sommerville v Afoa, McCaw v Flavell, Carter v Laveatory and a whole bunch of ‘Hey you, the guy in my AB Jersey!’ - type contests.

Blues edge the Saders in the set pieces, Saders have the loosies and the halves and it’s anyone’s game out wide…but the Crusaders will win it because they are the form side at the moment, with the Blues struggling for consistency.

Crusaders by 9-16.


Stormers v Highlanders – Cape Town

Another tough call. The Highlanders dispatched a game Cheetahs side in a tight-fought contest in a very wet Bloemfontein last week. The Stormers held the Brumbies to a bland draw at home. The Highlanders and the Stormers have both shown patches of form this season, but have also looked a little ordinary at times and this should be a classic middle of the table clash, with the winner advancing to within top-four contention and the loser dropping down to the lower echelons of the log. So, a lot to play for, for both teams..

The Highlanders have a very strong tight five, and there is no doubt that they will use it to target the Stormers famous ‘Light Five’ and deny the Cape team front the foot attacking ball the players like Jean de Villiers thrive on.

In Burger, Watson and Badenhorst, the Stormers have the advantage in the loose, and the half-back battle between talented newcomers Evans and Grant should be enthralling. The Main action will however happen in midfield and the Bok midfielders go up against the best organized defense in the S14…should be a cracker. I am betting on a close game with a Burger turnover in midfield and the surprise pace of Benjamin deciding it in the Stormers favour…

Stormers 1-8

The Cheetahs v Hurricanes – Bloemfontein

The Canes are the team that has impressed me the most this season. I love watching them play and they seem to be maturing from showmanship to championship quality. The Cheetahs are also an enterprising and open-running rugby team and regardless of the result, this match will be entertaining.

The Cheetahs have a monster, but aging front-row that they will have to use to hammer at the Canes tight five in the scrums, because they will not be able to compete with the Canes in the air come lineout time and the last thing they need is Umaga and Ma’scara running at them all might, with some serious finishing by Fa’atau out wide…

All in all, I cannot see the Cheetahs midfield of Goode and Cooke standing up to Umaga and Nonu, and a firm hiding is on the card for the Cheetahs…

Hurricanes by 17+.
 

The leader is picking the Blues, brave or foolish? You decide.
 

Chiefs by 15 - too big, too strong for the Reds who will miss Barnes, even in the supposedly bad weather

Brumbies by 20 - the tryscoring machine will click at last

Waratahs by 7 - home ground advantage and with Rogers back .... despite the suspensions

Crusaders by 20 - even without Mauger they'll pulverise a disorganised Blues led by Laveatory

Stormers to edge out the Clan by 5 - the travel (and the runs) will take it out of the Clan and the Stormers will win if they hang onto the pill

Cheetahs by 6 over a depleted Hurricanes unit - suspensions will hit the Canes hard, as will the flight over. Cheetahs have a solid team and are at home.

 

Chiefs $1.50 v Reds $2.50
Nice money for the Reds here - they haven't looked half bad and we all know the Chiefs can suck given half a chance and a crowd with expectation.

Brumbies $1.13 v Cats $5.50
It would be brave to pick the Cats, so don't. Brumbies will progressively dismantle them.

Waratahs $1.22 v Sharks $4.00
Get your money on the Sharks and then watch them revert to the poor travellers we all suspect they are!

Crusaders $1.27 v Blues $3.50
Laveatory to have a great game and the backline to rip the Saders to shreds? Probably not but maybe worth a punt.

Stormers $1.77 v Highlanders $1.97
The TAB have no idea and neither do I - Clan would need to have better odds to be tempting.

Cheetahs $2.50 v Hurricanes $1.50
Not much interest here, expect the Canes to have too much power.