Just two weeks remain in the Super Rugby Australia regular season and the race to third could not be more exciting.
The Force will look to leapfrog the Rebels (even if for a day) when they take on the winless Waratahs on Saturday, before the Rebels attempt to return fire at the expense of the Brumbies Sunday.
Check out our previews for both games and our Super Rugby Australia Round 9 tips below.
Another outstanding opportunity to win and ultimately take another big step towards the finals awaits the Western Force on Saturday night.
They’ve well and truly overachieved this season and while their first win over the Waratahs looked to be about the peak of what they could expect in 2021, there is no doubt that they found a new gear on their way to beating the Rebels in Round 8.
That result, while impressive in itself, has also breathed life into their quest to finish third and ultimately win through to the Super Rugby Australia finals.
There really isn’t much to say about the Waratahs, other than their winless season cannot draw to a close quickly enough.
The Force should win this match, jump into third and give themselves the best opportunity to finish third.
The Rebels face a fight to hold their position in the top three, let alone beat the second-placed Brumbies on Sunday afternoon.
They’ve been extremely difficult to trust from a betting perspective all season, but the Rebels’ campaign certainly hit a new low in Round 8 when they were pipped on the line by the Force.
Given that club doesn’t have access to anything close to the resources that the Rebels have at their disposal, it really does speak volumes of both sides.
The Brumbies suffered just their second loss of the season in Round 8, again going down to the Reds in a nail-biter.
This is obviously a far more winnable game for them, and I’m happy to be with them to bounce back.