Munster vs Stormers
The Stormers come into this match as heavy underdogs but they were unlucky not to win against Benetton where they led for most of the match. Munster beat the Sharks 42-17 but this scoreline is misleading as the Munster scored 12 points in the last three minutes. The Stormers are the best travelling team among the SA franchises and I expect them to give Munster a stern challenge. Munster’s forward pack totally dominated the Sharks especially at scrum time but the Stormers strength is their front row. They have recalled veteran Brok Harris into the prop position and his experience in Europe will be invaluable. The Munster team looked great on the counter attack and two of their tries came from turnover ball. The Stormers need to value possession and flyhalf Manie Libbok will need to be accurate with his goal kicking and his out of hand kicking.
TIP: The Munster halfback combination is an all Irish international pair and they were superb in controlling the game. The Stormers will miss Edwill Van der Merwe as he was their most dangerous player against Benetton. They have the experienced Leolin Zas replacing him but Zas lacks that pace a winger needs. Munster has also not selected their two try winger Simon Zebo in their team but he is on the bench. The battle between the forward pack will be evenly matched but the experience and quality of the Munster backs will give them the advantage over the Stormers. The Stormers have a relatively inexperienced half back combination and it’s scrumhalf Stefan Ungerer first match for his new team. He will need to settle quickly or else Munster will run away with this match. The bookies have Munster as heavy favourites and rightly so. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting 1.03, Playabets 1.02 and Sunbet 1.01
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Munster vs Stormers
- This is the first meeting between these two sides.
Latest results for both teams
Munster beat the Sharks 42-17 in their last match while the Stormers lost to Benetton 22-18 in their last match.
PREDICTION
One of the stand out players for Munster in the past season has been Gavin Coombes as he can play any position in the loose trio. His got an excellent try scoring record for a forward and his duel with Stormers 8 Evan Roos will be the highlight of the match. Roos was outstanding against Benetton, always beating the first tackler and always getting over the advantage line. Another Stormers player that was excellent was substitute Nama Xaba. Although he came on late in the first half he won 4 turnovers. He is young but is already among the best fetchers in this competition. Munster need to clean him out early otherwise he will dominate the breakdown. The Stormers showed defensive frailties against Benetton and Munster will look to expose them again with their powerful ball carriers. The overall class of Munster will see them home by more than 9 points.
- Probable Starting XVs
Munster
15 Mike Haley, 14 Calvin Nash, 13 Keith Earls, 12 Rory Scannell, 11 Shane Daly, 10 Joey Carbery, 9 Craig Casey, 8 Gavin Coombes, 7 Jack O’Donoghue, 6 Peter O’Mahony (c), 5 Fineen Wycherley, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Keynan Knox, 2 Niall Scannell, 1 Dave Kilcoyne
Stormers
15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Sergeal Petersen, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Willie Engelbrecht, 6 Nama Xaba, 5 Salmaan Moerat, 4 Adre Smith, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Brok Harris
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Munster victory are as follows:
Worldsportsbetting 1.03
Playabets 1.02
Sunbet 1.01
Odds comparison on the Stormers handicap :
The complete odds on the Stormers handicap:
Worldsportsbetting (+23.5) 1.90
Sunbet (+24.5) 1.82
Playabets (+23.5) 1.83
Predictions and Odds in details
The man that showed glimpses of his form that made him a Springbok was Warrick Gelant. He has been plagued with injuries for the past two years and he finally looked like his old self running from the back. He will be a key figure in the Stormers attack. Munster have their own running fullback in Mike Haley. He didn’t get too much opportunity against the Sharks but we can expect him to be back to his attacking best. Both these teams have excellent loose trios with Munster having international players there while the Stormers have future internationals in those positions. For the Stormers to have any chance of causing a major upset they will need their trio to be at their very best. There is no money for punters backing Munster on the outright victory therefore I suggest a value bet on the Stormers handicap. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting (+23.5) 1.90, Sunbet (+24.5) 1.82 and Playabets (+23.5) 1.83
Sports crazy fan that follows all major sport but the game with the oval ball is my real passion. Was an age level rugby coach and a huge supporter of the Springboks and diehard Liverpool man. I’m an experienced punter and sports writer whose predictions/tips are sure to stir up the emotions. I love the occasional wager on the underdog.
