Weekend predictions

And just like that, not only is Super Rugby back, but back with a nine game, six SA side, couch-denter of note! Tank Lanning takes a gander at the weekend …

This is the line-up:

Friday, July 1

09h35 – Chiefs v Crusaders (ANZ Stadium, Fiji)

11h45 – Brumbies v Reds (GIO Stadium)

Saturday, July 2

07h15 – Sunwolves v Waratahs (Prince Chichibu Stadium)

09h35 – Hurricanes v Blues (Westpac Stadium)

11h45 – Rebels v Stormers (AAMI Park)

15h00 – Cheetahs v Force (Toyota Stadium)

17h10 – Lions v Sharks (Emirates Airlines Park)

19h20 – Kings v Highlanders (NMB Stadium)

23h40 – Jaguares v Bulls (Estadio Jose Amalfitani)

I am guessing that it might take a while to get back into this. Looks a smidgen daunting! The frolic in Fiji to get us going on Friday morning is a must watch, though. Hope you have that “client meeting” penned in the diary. One simply has to PVR the Bulls for some Sunday morning “koffie en beskuit” fun to make Saturday manageable, although that still leaves you an impossible nine and half hour shift if you want to catch all 4 Saffer sides in action.

Stormers on a spin bike, Cheetahs while the fire burns down with a cold one in hand, Lions vs Sharks with the butterfly lamb in the Weber after nibbling on a few pork rashers and chicken wings, and then Kings in a post Weber and coolerbox emptying blur?

For previews of every game, head to Vodacom Rugby’s Breaking news section, and to see the weekend’s teams, head to their Team Sheets feature.

On the “O” of Righto then:

My picks:

CRUSADERS to beat Chiefs by 9

BRUMBIES to beat Reds by 3

WARATAHS to beat Sunwolves by 18

HURRICANES to beat Blues by 7

STORMERS to beat Rebels by 3

CHEETAHS to beat Force by 9

LIONS to beat Sharks by 5

HIGHLANDERS to beat Kings by 13

BULLS to beat Jaguares by 7

What the Bookies say:

CRUSADERS (4/5) to beat Chiefs (25/19)

BRUMBIES (2/11) to beat Reds (11/2)

WARATAHS (1/16) to beat Sunwolves (2/1)

HURRICANES (1/4) to beat Blues (62/17)

STORMERS (13/16) to beat Rebels (16/13)

CHEETAHS (2/5) to beat Force (53/21)

LIONS (6/11) to beat Sharks (25/14)

HIGHLANDERS (1/16) to beat Kings (16/1)

BULLS (4/5) to beat Jaguares (16/13)

The SuperBru Community picks:

CRUSADERS to beat Chiefs by 1

BRUMBIES to beat Reds by 14

WARATAHS to beat Sunwolves by 19

HURRICANES to beat Blues by 11

STORMERS to beat Rebels by 5

CHEETAHS to beat Force by 7

LIONS to beat Sharks by 9

HIGHLANDERS to beat Kings by 21

BULLS to beat Jaguares by 9

Agreement from all on all nine games? Never going to happen. That first game in Fiji looks like an All Black trial and could definitely go either way. The Rebels at home are a banana peel waiting to happen for a Stormers side that are bringing back Jaco Taute at fullback while supporting him with a 6-2 bench. And while the Jaguares will not know where to look after taking 27 from France last week, one never knows what one will get from a touring Bulls side, even though the still look good on paper without RG Snyman and Warwick Gelant.

Vendetta time for the Sharks at Ellis Park, who took a 24-9 hammering when the Lions visited King’s Park in round 7. To date, the Sharks rank 3^rd in kicks from hand, and they’ve made almost 500 more tackles than the Lions while conceding 14 fewer tries. However, in Pat Lambie, Willie le Roux, Michael Claasens and Joe Pietersen the Sharks have lost four go-to guys in the kicking game. Check out the weekly #StatChat with Zelim Nel for a deeper dive into that corker of a derby.

There will be at least one upset …

Enjoy