Cheetahs vs Lions
The Cheetahs will be wandering how they lost against WP in their last game. They led by nine points with 10 minutes to go and lost 40-39 thanks to a late Tim Swiel penalty. The Lions will have the opposite feeling as they held on for a narrow 45-42 win against the Griquas. Both these teams will need to work on their defence as they shipped easy points in their matches. The Cheetahs know that winning their home matches is a must if they have hopes of progressing to the semifinals. The Lions looked like a side transformed in attack and that is mainly due to the excellent work of Duncan Matthews. He was superb in attack scoring two tries and setting up two more. His running was sorely missed and his return made the Lions attack flow. The other player that impressed was Andre Warner and he was involved in everything including attack and defence. He scored a try but also made two try saving tackles. The Cheetahs will be looking to Ruan Pienaar once again to guide his team around the park.
TIP: The Cheetahs have once again made strange selections as they continue with Reinhardt Fortuin at 10. Earlier in the season they didn’t win a game with Fortuin at flyhalf and replaced him with Brandon Thomson after which they went on a winning run. The return of Fortuin saw them lose which to me is strange as you don’t tamper with a winning formula. The Lions will be glad that Matthews and Warner are over their injuries as they struggled to find any fluency in their attack without these players. The Cheetahs love running the ball and the likes of Clayton Blommetjies has been excellent in this competition. The Lions will need to be accurate with their positional kicking otherwise Blommetjies will have a field day. The bookies have the Cheetahs as favourites and I’m also tipping them for the win. The best odds on the Cheetahs win are as follows: Worldsportsbetting 1.60, Playabets 1.52 and Sunbet 1.55
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Cheetahs vs Lions
- In the last five matches between these sides there have been three wins for the Lions and two wins for the Cheetahs.
- In the last four home matches against the Lions the Cheetahs have only won once.
- The last time these sides met the Lions won 39-23 away from home.
Latest results for both teams
The Cheetahs lost their last match against WP 40-39 while the Lions beat the Griquas 45-42.
PREDICTION
The Lions were excellent in attack last week but they were once again guilty of a poor second half performance as they squandered a 21 point half time lead. The Cheetahs will be looking for a better start as they also had a poor start and eventually threw away the win with poor game management. The home team is very difficult to beat at home and the return of Jacques Potgieter will be a massive boost to them especially if he can replicate his early season form. The Cheetahs will look to run the Lions ragged as they have looked fatigued in the second half of matches.The fitter Cheetahs team will win this encounter by more than 5 points.
- Probable Starting XVs
Cheetahs
15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Duncan Saal, 13 Evardi Boshoff, 12 Howard Mnisi, 11 Cohen Jasper, 10 Reinhardt Fortuin, 9 Ruan Pienaar (captain), 8 Jeandré Rudolph, 7 Aidon Davis, 6 Jacques Potgieter, 5 Derik Pretorius, 4 Jacques Potgieter, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Marnus van der Merwe, 1 Cameron Dawson.
Lions
15 Duncan Matthews, 14 Sibahle Maxwane, 13 Wandisile Simelane 12 Dan Kriel, 11 Courtnall Skosan, 10 Jordan Hendrikse, 9 Andre Warner, 8 Francke Horn (captain), 7 Vincent Tshituka, 6 Sibusiso Sangweni, 5 Floris Pelser, 4 Ruben Schoeman, 3 Carlu Sadie, 2 Pieter Botha, 1 Ruan Dreyer.
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Cheetahs victory are as follows:
Worldsportsbetting 1.55
Playabets 1.52
Sunbet 1.55
Odds comparison on the Cheetahs handicap victory:
The complete odds on the Cheetahs handicap victory:
Worldsportsbetting (-4.5) 1.90
Sunbet (-4.5) 1.89
Playabets (-4.5) 1.92
Predictions and Odds in details
The Lions will look to attack the Cheetahs at scrum time and the like of Carlu Sadie and Ruan Dreyer should give them the edge. The Cheetahs may be weak at scrum time but they have the more balanced attack with the forwards and backs always combining well. They will look to avoid to many scrums and will play a high tempo game. The Lions also enjoy playing running rugby but any errors will be punished by this pacy Cheetahs team. The battle up front will go a long way to deciding who wins this match and I feel the better balanced pack is the Cheetahs especially with Potgieter returning to the fold. The returns for punters are decent on the Cheetahs win but I suggest the value bet being the Cheetahs on the handicap victory. The best odds on the Cheetahs handicap victory are as follows: Worldsportsbetting (-3.5) 1.90, Sunbet (-4.5) 1.89 and Playabets (-4.5) 1.92
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.
