Cape Town – Sport24 chief writer Rob Houwing, in the 10th of his regular South African-focused Super Rugby previews this year, suspects the Bulls will narrowly see off the Sharks on Saturday ... all but ending their hosts’ playoffs hopes at the same time.
He also backs the Stormers to keep their eyes properly on the ball in Perth, adding the scalp of the struggling Force to their prior fine triumph on Aussie soil over the Waratahs.
But a pure hunch tells him the Willie le Roux-less Cheetahs, just back off a long-haul passage, may fall in Bloemfontein to a Reds side acclimatised to high altitude and still containing some big Wallaby names – they have been punching a bit below their more appropriate weight.