After two rounds everyone in Super Rugby is off the mark… at least in terms of games played.
Four teams are still searching for their first win while at the other end of the table, there’s three teams with a perfect two for two record.
No team has been more impressive than the Sharks though with two big wins for the maximum total points so far this season.
Check out our previews and tips for every Super Rugby game coming up this weekend.
Who thought the Brumbies would be the highest scoring team in the competition so far? Without hosting the Sunwolves either! After putting 54 up against the Chiefs they have a tough task ahead against a Hurricanes side that is still yet to really take off. They squeaked past the Waratahs in Round 1 thanks to some wayward Bernard Foley kicking and then were utterly outclassed by the Crusaders last week, which in all fairness, a lot of teams are. I’m not quite there yet backing the Brumbies outright, especially making the trip over the ditch so just for a bit of insurance, take them at the line instead because even in defeat, they should still be able to score enough to keep it close.
Fresh off a scare against the Reds, the 2-0 Highlanders now take on a rested Rebels side who needed a week off after beating the Brumbies in Round 1… ok that week off was a pre-scheduled bye. The Cooper-Genia combination looked pretty slick in their first game together in a few years so the question is, how much do you put in that week 1 performance? It might need another week or two and the Highlanders have looked good themselves so back them to have a close win on the road.
This might just be the most optimistic bet of the weekend considering the Chiefs looked well below average getting pummelled by the Brumbies in Canberra last weekend. After a 37 point loss, it’s a pretty big turnaround to expect them to cover a line over three converted tries but outside of Japan, the Sunwolves are really not good. Add in a few injuries and this could be closer to the 61-10 win from 2017.
For about 18 hours Friday night into Saturday afternoon, the Queensland rugby public might have dared to dream about their first win over the Crusaders since the 2011 Super Rugby Final. Then the Kiwi side missing a handful of All Blacks absolutely demolished the Hurricanes crossing for five tries before the ‘Canes got their first. All in all, the Reds, as impressive as they were this season, will find a way to trouble a few teams but the Crusaders are just really, really good.
An upset special for the Bulls here who looked excellent in Round 1, but struggled with the trip to Argentina. The Lions on the other hand make their return home after grinding out a win in Argentina before dropping points to what looks to be a pretty average Stormers side. In a clash that looks like it will be as tight as this one, take the value on offer and back the Bulls in an upset.
The Stormers turning around a 40-3 loss to the Bulls in Round 1 to a 19-17 win over the Lions in Round 2 was nothing shot of remarkable. The difference? Well Round 2 was at home over a Lions side coming back from a trip to South Africa and this time they have to travel to face a Sharkes side fresh off a confidence boosting win. In short good luck Stormers, the Sharks are a significantly better side and the line is where to find the value for this game.
Heading into their third straight home game the Jaguares would love to take a winning record into their first road trip. To do so they’ll have to top a travel weary Blues side that is backing up from a tough loss to the Sharks last week. If playing their first game in Argentina doesn’t get them, all of that flying probably will and with a line as small as this, what difference will one or two points make?