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Opinionated Rugby Commentary - by Fans for Fans
Spill what you really think about events in the rugby world.
Super Rugby Round 12 - Winning Away Weekend 5 views
02 May 2013 by The Swede Eaters
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Scotty Donaldson looks at Super Rugby Round 12 with the potentially high number of away victories on the cards.
Super Rugby Round 12 is another difficult round for most punters, especially when you factor in the travel since there is only one local derby this round. It is difficult to know what role travel will play in these matches as we have two South African teams in New Zealand, two New Zealand teams in Australia, and a New Zealand and Australian team in South Africa. There are so many games this round where the better ranked team is playing away, so it makes for some tough games to pick.
It is usually an advantage being the home team, but I am also thinking that history between the two teams is important.
Here are the updated Super 15 Rugby Round 12 teams named lists
http://www.superrugbytips.com/p/super-rugby-2013.html
Super Rugby Round 12
The Stormers have won their last three matches against the Blues including twice in Auckland and they will be playing this one infront of plenty of ex pat South Africans at Albany Stadium. The Stormers didn't offer much flowing back play against the Hurricanes last week, but were impossible to stop at the set pieces. The Blues have had sickness worries with their team and I wonder if they will be a bit sluggish, so I have picked the Stormers.
The Chiefs beat the Rebels comfortably the last time these two teams met in Super Rugby and despite the gutsy away loss against the Crusaders, I am still picking the Chiefs to come away with the win and stretch their lead at the top of the New Zealand conference.
The hapless Highlanders are back from the bye and host the Sharks who have lost three on the trot. The Sharks have won their last six games against the Highlanders and I expect Saturday night to be another one of those narrow losses for the southern men who can't seem to get a lucky break.
The Force have beaten the Reds in their last two matches and this has caused me to adjust my margin somewhat. The Reds were humbled by the Force earlier this season, but I think the return to form of Quade Cooper and the return of Will Genia and James Horwill has seen the Reds become one of the form teams. Expect the home team to go down fighting.
The Waratahs should bounce back from their defeat to the Bulls last week and sneak a win against the Southern Kings. It isn't an open and shut case however with the Kings being far more competitive than anticipated this season. The Waratahs have got a great team on paper, but have only played to their potential at times.
The Bulls are the top South African team on the ladder and they have beaten the Hurricanes the last three times they have played. The Hurricanes do have plenty of classy players so that if they can retain some kind of parity up front, they should be able to keep the scores relatively even. Bulls by 7 points.
The away team hasn't won between the Crusaders and Brumbies in ten years. These two teams have fortresses as their home grounds and I think this will get the Brumbies home. The Crusaders aren't as good as they used to be, but they will be tough to beat. This match sees Daniel Carter start, and the Crusaders will be relying on him. This game is definitely the match of the round!
My picks for Super 15 Rugby Round 12:
Game Date and time Your pick
[69] Blues v Stormers 3 May 19:35 (local)
3 May 19:35 (your time*) Stormers by 1
[70] Rebels v Chiefs 3 May 19:40 (local)
3 May 21:40 (your time*) Chiefs by 14
[71] Highlanders v Sharks 4 May 19:35 (local)
4 May 19:35 (your time*) Sharks by 1
[72] Force v Reds 4 May 17:40 (local)
4 May 21:40 (your time*) Reds by 7
[73] Southern Kings v Waratahs 4 May 17:05 (local)
5 May 03:05 (your time*) Waratahs by 7
[74] Bulls v Hurricanes 4 May 19:10 (local)
5 May 05:10 (your time*) Bulls by 7
[75] Brumbies v Crusaders 5 May 16:05 (local)
5 May 18:05 (your time*) Brumbies by 6
Who are you picking to win Super Rugby Round 12 matches?
http://www.superrugbytips.com/2013/05/super-15-rugby-round-12-preview-my.html
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