Vodacom Super Rugby
SuperBru Round 13 preview
2012-05-16 11:04
Cape Town - SuperBru fans, it was a weekend of big wins and shock results that might well have left your picks in tatters.
Teams: Super Rugby Round 13
Join the Sport24 SuperBru Super Rugby Challenge!No result was arguably more surprising than the match at AAMI Park between the
Melbourne Rebels and
Crusaders, the home side winning 28-19. Nick Phipps put himself right in contention for Wallaby selection this summer with two tries, the returning Stirling Mortlock getting the other. Just 1.76% of people playing SuperBru managed to pick that game correctly!
The
Reds pulled off the other big win of the weekend in Brisbane against the
Chiefs, reversing at 22-8 deficit at half-time by going on to score five tries, including a stunner from Will Genia in a truly outstanding game. Down at the other end of the table, the
Blues finally ended their losing run by convincingly brushing aside the
Lions in Auckland. Tries from Luke Braid, Alby Mathewson and Michael Hobbs secured their second victory of the season.
A late try from Werner Kruger grabbed a win for the
Bulls away in Sydney against the
Waratahs. Julian Savea was another late scorer for the
Hurricanes with their victory away against the
Highlanders in Dunedin. The weekend’s other two results were a very heavy home win for the
Sharks against the
Force, Lwazi Mvovo grabbing a double in a seven try win, and the
Stormers then pipped the
Cheetahs to victory, surviving a second half comeback.
Looking ahead to Round 13 and there are plenty of important clashes this weekend.
Here’s all the advice you need for your SuperBru picks:We get underway with Friday’s only match in Wellington, with the
Hurricanes hosting the
Brumbies. Winning in Dunedin was a big step forward for Mark Hammett’s side last week, but the Brumbies will be refreshed after their bye and in a confident mood.
Prediction: Brumbies by 8Starting Saturday off are the table-topping
Bulls on their visit to Dunedin to face the
Highlanders. With their pack doing just about enough last weekend against the Waratahs to snatch a win, Saturday should go the same way aided by the return of Wynand Olivier and Dewald Potgieter.
Prediction: Bulls by 10The
Crusaders will then look to get back to winning ways and should do so hosting the
Blues at home.
Prediction: Crusaders by 12The
Reds will then swiftly follow them hosting strugglers the
Lions in Brisbane. Last weekend’s victory against the Chiefs might well prove to save the champions’ season – they now sit eight points behind the Brumbies and know that winning the Australian Conference is far from impossible. The Lions on the other hand look fairly desperate, with rumours of their future bound to unsettle many of the squad.
Prediction: Reds by 13It’s then over to Bloemfontein where the
Cheetahs host the
Sharks. The hosts did far better than expected last week in Cape Town but the Sharks have found their groove after a torrid few weeks.
Prediction: Sharks by 9Finally on Saturday the
Stormers host the
Waratahs in their first match on tour. The home side was a little bit rusty last weekend, unable to score in the second half against the Cheetahs but will need to be back at their best to beat the travel-weary 'Tahs.
Prediction: Stormers by 5Sunday’s only match sees the
Force host the
Rebels in Perth. After an horrendous tour of South Africa, the hosts are bottom of the Australian Conference and in real trouble. The Rebels though are benefiting from Danny Cipriani’s departure, Kurtley Beal excelling at flyhalf.
Prediction: Rebels by 7That’s all for this week. Best of luck with all your SuperBru picks and see you in Round 14.
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