We’re past the halfway mark of the debut Super Rugby Pacific season, and several Australian clubs remain prominent on the ladder.
Another six matches will be contested in Round 9 of Super Rugby Pacific, and the action begins on Tuesday afternoon, when the Hurricanes and Moana Pasifika play catch up.
Those two clubs are in action again on Saturday, and you can find a preview of every match below, along with Super Rugby Pacific Round 9 Tips.
The Hurricanes have opened clear favourites ahead of their clash with minnows Moana Pasifika.
The ‘Canes have actually only won twice this season, but they have been in almost every contest, and that record really doesn’t do their campaign justice.
Moana Pasifika, meanwhile, have recorded only one win, and they’ve been blown off the park more often than not.
The result of this looks to be an open and shut case.
The Crusaders take on the Blues in Christchurch on Friday afternoon, and it should be a terrific contest.
While the Crusaders have been typically good all season, but they haven’t been as ‘scary’ as they usually are, and I actually think that they’ve been lucky to have lost just the one game.
That being said, they were too good for the Hurricanes in Wellington last week, and they’re usually better at home.
The Blues continue to impress, and they too have lost only once this season to sit second behind the Brumbies on the ladder.
I don’t have nearly as much between these two sides as the bookies seem to, and for that reason, I am taking the value around the Blues as outsiders.
The first of two all-Australian affairs comes up in Melbourne on Friday night, and the Rebels face a huge task in overcoming the Reds.
It has been a season to forget for the Rebels.
At one stage, it looked like they wouldn’t win a game at all, and while they may have steadily improved, but they are no chance of playing finals rugby in 2022, and they represent an ‘easy beat’ for most opponents.
The Reds meanwhile have been typically tough, and they are firmly in the finals picture, sitting fourth ahead of this Round 9 clash.
I think the Reds will be winning, and winning well.
Both sides are given a chance in the market, but the Waratahs have opened slight favourites ahead of Saturday night’s clash with the Force in the nation’s west.
It has been a huge turn in form for the young Waratahs in 2022.
They could hardly buy a match last season, but they started to show glimpses during the trans-Tasman series and have been good in Super Rugby Pacific.
The Force have also punched above their weight again this season, but with just two wins to their name, finals rugby is starting to become a little out of reach.
I think that the bookies have just about got this one correct, and the Waratahs can keep the pressure on the top four by winning.