| Week Six Picks | Donsteppa 24/33
Crusaders v Cats
Force v Waratahs
Bulls v Hurricanes
Blues v Brumbies
Highlanders v Sharks
Stormers v Cheetahs | True Blue 19/33
Crusaders v Cats
Force v Waratahs
Bulls v Hurricanes
Blues v Brumbies
Highlanders v Sharks
Stormers v Cheetahs | The Mingster 21/33
Crusaders v Cats
Force v Waratahs
Bulls v Hurricanes
Blues v Brumbies
Highlanders v Sharks
Stormers v Cheetahs | Nick The Aussie 21/33
Crusaders v Cats
Force v Waratahs
Bulls v Hurricanes
Blues v Brumbies
Highlanders v Sharks
Stormers v Cheetahs | TAB 23/33
Crusaders v Cats
Force v Waratahs
Bulls v Hurricanes
Blues v Brumbies
Highlanders v Sharks
Stormers v Cheetahs |
The TAB finally earned their dollars last week, picking 6 from 6. Ming had a shocker, only getting 3, while Dons, True Blue and NtA collected 5 out of the 6 results. So Donsteppa leads now by 1 from the TAB, NtA and Ming filling the bronze position, and True Blue, in true Boer style, bringing up the rear... Donsteppa's score would put him in second place to some ugly bloke on the tvnz website too, although with his heart ruling his head this week, look out for a change in leaders next week...
Donsteppa
Crusaders vs. Cats
Crusaders. They might do it tough initially while the new combinations settle down, but they'll go back into the dressing room at the lunch interval at 85/1.
Force vs Warratahs:
Warratahs. Easy win for the 'Tah's vs the Rabble.
Bulls vs Hurricanes:
Toss a coin. Hurricanes because I'm a blindly loyal Kiwi.
Blues vs Brumbies:
Blues. But only because they have to win. A loss here and it's all over.
Highlanders vs Sharks.
Highlanders. The Clan in a tight one.
Stormers vs Cheetahs:
I'll watch a game from SA one of these weeks. Stormers in the closest game of the round.
| True Blue
Damn, what a fortnight!
Having just moved house, I had to go off to a conference and returned to find no internet connection until tonight when the broadband guys, faced with the very real possibility of of a US Postal Service-type massacre in their office reception area tomorrow morning decided to get off their fat tee-drinking asses and save a few lives, starting with their own, by installing my internet line...
Please excuse lack of bollocks , but here are the bare bones for week 6:
Crusaders v Cats +17
Force v Waratahs +17
Bulls v Hurricanes 1-8
Blues v Brumbies 9-16
Highlanders v Sharks 1-8
Stormers v Cheetahs 9-16
| The Mingster
Still nothing but the picks from the usually verbose Mingster. Picking the Blues with his heart too, and giving away a point a week in doing so...
| Nick The Aussie
This week a 6 from 6 result will be harder to pick than a broken nose, but here's my shot at it:
Crusaders to pound the Cats by about 50. The Cantabs on the forum can lather themselves up as much as they like about their wonderful forward depth, its a simple fact that the backs will cruise past their South African counterparts provided the forwards get parity. And if the Waratahs can smash them up front with a hobbit at rake, a rookie at LHP, and a converted flanker at lock, then even a couple of second stringers in the Crusaders' pack should be able to get parity; more likely dominance.
Waratahs over the Force by 20. The Force should improve on attack with Daruda at 10, and their pack might even trouble the Tahs at the set piece. Hell with Berne at 12 Staniforth might even get a few good runs in through the centre channel. But ultimately the amount of time this Waratahs team has together will be the Force's undoing, as well as the superior back row of the Waratahs. If you take Sharpe out of the game (and there are still conflicting reports on whether he'll be replaced by rookie Pat O'Connor) it will mean about another 5 points to the margin. I'm gonna look like an idiot if we choke, but I'm used to that...
Bulls to beat the Canes by 5. I think the Bulls' pack can lay waste to the Canes if their heads are right, and at Loftus they usually are. They won't care if they have to kick every point, those big lads from the high veldt will simply grind away all night, and look to ball security to prevent breakout tries by a reasonably fast Canes backline. They're not quite the same team without Tana's mana, but Nonu will no doubt provide some entertainment. Ultimately if there are any breakouts Habana can run them down anyway...
Blues to beat the Brumbies by 3. A week off can either help or hinder a team, and you'd think with the injury to Braid the Blues will be raped by Smith at the breakdown. Personally I think he was no chance 1 on 1, but looking at the wider picture, the Blues' AB-heavy forward pack should take a leaf out of the Sharks' book and look to smash the Brumbies up the middle before finishing it off. One big thing against the Brumbies, besides their inexperienced pack, is the absence of Giteau. Fairbanks is a handy player but will be up against it in the Kiwi conditions at their home ground.
Sharks to beat the Clan by 4. They showed some impressive ability and grit against the Brumbies, so I'm going for them based on the Clan just flying home this week, the injury to Evans, and the fact that the Sharkies are fielding an ex-Clan member at flyhalf will also help them immensely on the Blond Maori's own home ground.
Stormers over Cheetahs by 6. These games are always a lottery and I'm backing the Stormers to finally realise they're playing RUGBY and not tiddlywinks. The Cheetahs might do them up front but guys like JDV, Joubert and their wingers will carry it in the backs.
| TAB
Crusaders $1.03 v Cats $10.00
Fair enough, but a bet on Cats staying inside the 12 might not go astray.
Force $9.00 v Waratahs $1.04
Same as above, but the Farce will have no show of getting inside the 50, let alone the 12...
Bulls $1.57 v Hurricanes $2.30
If the Horrorcanes pack turns up, it could turn real ugly!
Blues $2.15 v Brumbies $1.65
Blues need to win real bad, Brumbies will carry on regardless. Think the Blues are still getting half decent odds thanks to punters long memories from when they WERE good.
Highlanders $1.40 v Sharks $2.80
The Evans'less Clan, can they do it? Yes they can!
Stormers $1.70 v Cheetahs $2.05
Cheetahs love upstetting the form books, and this game probably the main coin toss in the round. |
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