Yes please – a much more manageable 8 game weekend that includes a Saturday night game that can be turned into a Sunday morning “Koffie en beskuit” game via PVR!
Tank Lanning
The line-up:
Friday 10 March
08h35 – Chiefs v Hurricanes (FMG)
10h45 – Brumbies v Force (GIO)
Saturday 11 March
08h35 – Blues v Highlanders (Eden Park)
10h45 – Reds v Crusaders (Suncorp)
15h05 – Kings v Stormers (Nelson Mandela Bay)
17h15 – Cheetahs v Sunwolves (Toyota)
19h30 – Sharks v Waratahs (Kings Park)
21h40 – Jaguares v Lions (Jose Amalfitani)
How legendary are those Friday and Saturday morning games? Brutal to pick a winner, but oh so juicy. A little “Meeting” out the office on Friday morning perhaps? Blues vs Landers on a spin bike, Reds vs Saders at a coffee shop in a mall while pretending to be interested in the better half’s shopping, then the three Saffa games next to a bending grid with your feet on the coolerbox. Remember to set the PVR so you can catch the Lions smashing the Jags after taking in the Proteas smashing the Black Caps. All in all, quite manageable …
For previews of every game, head to All Out Rugby’s breaking news section, and to see the weekend’s teams as they get announced, take in their Team Sheets.
Below my picks, the match odds, and SuperBru Community picks:
My picks:
Canes by 7
Brumbies by 11
Highlanders by 5
Crusaders by 9
Stormers by 42
Cheetahs by 32
Sharks by 5
Lions by 9
What the Bookies say:
Chiefs (1.89) to beat Hurricanes (2.05)
Brumbies (1.45) to beat Force (3.15)
Blues (1.75) to beat Highlanders (2.15)
Crusaders (1.4) to beat Reds (3.3)
Stormers (1.06) to beat Kings (9.6)
Cheetahs (1.01) to beat Sunwolves (21)
Sharks (1.56) to beat Waratahs (2.7)
Jaguares (1.91) to beat Lions (2.08)
The SuperBru Community picks:
Hurricanes by 2
Brumbies by 7
Blues by 1
Crusaders by 12
Stormers by 17
Cheetahs by 22
Sharks by 6
Lions by 9
Calling all pockets! Anyone calling this punditry lark a science is deluded. The Bookies and Brus differ on only on the Chiefs vs Canes and the Jaguares vs Lions games, but neither party looks particularly convinced of their Blues pick to beat the Landers.
The Canes have looked sensational against really weak opposition, and could easily come unstuck, but who bets against Barrett and Coles?
The Landers will be seriously bitter after giving up the win to the Saders last week, and surely cannot go zero from three? Having 6 All Blacks back, and playing in front of a home crowd at Eden Park, will have the Blues full of puff, but they are not shy of some inconsistency.
The Jags are without doubt a different beast this year, but they have also travelled back from SA after the unlucky loss at Newlands. The Lions had it easy against a disinterested Tahs side at Ellis Park last week, but sometimes that is exactly what a team needs to find it’s groove.
Good luck out there on the Bru, bru.
Below the Top 10 of the FRG SuperBru pool, where I am coming a truly miserable 309th out of 560 Brus!
