Edinburgh vs Stormers
Both these team are coming of losses after leading at half time in those matches. The Stormers blew a 15 point lead to lose by 16 points. They can feel aggrieved as a number of refereeing decisions went against them. Edinburgh had a heartbreaking loss as Benetton kicked a drop goal after the 80 minutes. They will want to stamp their authority in this match as teams have to win their home matches in this competition. Edinburgh have shown a new game plan this season and look to run the ball from anywhere on the park, while this is very exciting it also has high risk. The Stormers will look to Warrick Gelant to weave his magic from the back as the fullback looks to have regained the form that made him a Springbok. He is a great balanced runner who also has a great boot on him. The home team will want to play their high tempo game to tire out the Stormers pack.
TIP: The Stormers strength is their forwards and they will look to their impressive loose trio of Evan Roos, Willie Engelbrecht and Nama Xaba to control the breakdown area. Xaba in particular is brilliant at winning turnover ball and Edinburgh will need to clear him out early or else they will struggle to get clean ball. Edinburgh has their own brilliant ball carrier in eighth man Viliame Mata. The Fijian is an abrasive ball carrier that never seems to get tired yet is also deadly with his great off-loading skills. His battle with Evan Roos looks to be the highlight of the back row battles. The bookies have Edinburgh as favourites and I’m also tipping them for the win. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting 1.25, Playabets 1.22 and Sunbet 1.25
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Edinburgh vs Stormers
- This is the first meeting between these sides.
Latest results for both teams
Edinburgh lost their last match against Benetton 28-27 while the Stormers lost 34-18 to Munster in their last match.
PREDICTION
The Edinburgh outfit has dangerous runners throughout their team but the player that is most deadly is wing Darcy Graham. He is small in stature but is super quick and possesses an outrageous side step. The Stormers will need to watch him closely. The front row battle will also be titanic as both teams have international quality in the scrum. The Stormers will be sweating on the fitness of their halfbacks as both of them left the field early in their last match. This will be a big blow if they aren’t available. The home team looked great in attack in both their matches and will be testing the Stormers defence from the first whistle. Edinburgh will be eyeing a bonus point victory at home and this is the reason I predict a home win by more than 10 points.
- Probable Starting XVs
Edinburgh
15 Henry Immelman, 14 Darcy Graham, 13 Mark Bennett, 12 James Lang, 11 Jack Blain, 10 Jaco van der Walt, 9 Ben Vellacott, 8 Viliame Mata, 7 Connor Boyle, 6 Jamie Ritchie, 5 Grant Gilchrist (c), 4 Jamie Hodgson, 3 WP Nel, 2 Stuart McInally, 1 Boan Venter
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 Edinburgh victory are as follows:
Worldsportsbetting 1.25
Playabets 1.22
Sunbet 1.25
Odds comparison on the Edinburgh handicap victory:
The complete odds on the Edinburgh handicap victory:
Worldsportsbetting (-9.5) 1.90
Sunbet (-9.5) 1.92
Playabets (-9.5) 1.83
Predictions and Odds in details
The most worrying aspect for the Stormers will be their poor showing in the second half of games. They seem to start their matches well but tail of drastically in the second half. This could be an indication that their fitness levels are not good or that their replacements are not bringing the necessary energy. Edinburgh will look to tire out the Stormers with their high tempo game and reap the rewards in the last quarter. The Edinburgh player that impressed the most is new recruit Ben Vellacott as the nippy scrumhalf fits in perfectly in a running game plan. His speed of the mark is fantastic and is always creating gaps for his runners. The bookies are not offering great value on the Edinburgh outright victory therefore I suggest the value bet on them to cover the handicap. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting (-9.5) 1.90, Sunbet (-9.5) 1.92 and Playabets (-9.5) 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.
