Sharks vs Cheetahs
The Sharks are at home again against the Cheetahs but as we have seen all season they are the masters of blowing hot and cold. In their last match they thrashed the table topping Bulls but Coach Everitt has made wholesale changes due to Covid issues. They welcome a new halfback pairing in Boeta Chamberlain and Cameron Wright who have hardly seen any action this season. The Cheetahs are coming off a high scoring draw with the Lions and they have also made many changes from the last match due to the short turnaround between games. The Sharks have an excellent home record against the Cheetahs as they last lost at home to the Cheetahs five years ago. This match will be decided in the forwards and this battle looks to be evenly contested. Both these sides have the tendency to run the ball and this could turn into an exciting match.
TIP: The Cheetahs threw away the lead in the last match and now find themselves needing to win all their remaining matches to have a chance of making the playoffs. This will not be an easy task against a Sharks team also chasing a semi-final spot. The home team have struggled all season with their scrum and have been heavily penalized in the scrums. The Cheetahs will no doubt test them with players like Conraad van Vuuren and Schalk van der Merwe in the front row. The Sharks will look to the returning Marius Louw to provide them with that go forward ball as he is a strong runner with great off-loading skills. He will have the experienced Jeremy Ward on his outside that also makes a first start in a while and will be keen to impress. The bookies have the Sharks as favourites and I’m also tipping them for the win. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting 1.50, Playabets 1.46 and Sunbet 1.49
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Sharks vs Cheetahs
- In the last five matches there have been three wins for the Cheetahs and two for the Sharks.
- The Sharks have won their last two home matches against the Cheetahs.
- The last time the Cheetahs beat the Sharks in Durban was in 2016.
- Latest results for both teams
The Sharks beat the Bulls 35-28 in their last match while the Cheetahs drew 44-44 with the Lions in their last match.
- PREDICTION
The ball in hand approach of both these teams will make this an exciting match but the Cheetahs will be missing their talismatic Captain Ruan Pienaar. He controls the match with his crisp passing and great positional kicking. His place is taken by Tian Meyer who is very pacy and the Sharks will need to watch him closely. The Sharks also have some dangerous players and none more so than the young Thaakir Abrahams. He has shown great pace and has an excellent side step and has been rewarded with regular starts. The Sharks will use their driving maul as they gained lots of meters against the Bulls with the maul. The home side certainly has the edge with their replacements that are much stronger than the Cheetahs bench. I expect the Sharks to win this match in the last quarter and predict a home win by more than 6 points
- Probable Starting XVs
Sharks
15 Anthony Volmink, 14 Marnus Potgieter, 13 Jeremy Ward, 12 Marius Louw, 11 Thaakir Abrahams, 10 Boeta Chamberlain, 9 Cameron Wright, 8 Henco Venter (captain), 7 Thembelani Bholi, 6 Dylan Richardson, 5 Emile van Heerden, 4 Le Roux Roets, 3 Lourens Adriaanse, 2 Kerron van Vuuren, 1 Khwezi Mona
Cheetahs
15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Craig Barry, 13 Evardi Boshoff, 12 Chris Smit, 11 Malcolm Jaer, 10 Brandon Thomson, 9 Tian Meyer (captain), 8 Mihlali Mosi, 7 Jacques Potgieter, 6 Andisa Ntsila, 5 Victor Sekekete, 4 Reinier Viljoen, 3 Conraad van Vuuren, 2 Wilmar Arnoldi, 1 Schalk van der Merwe.
- Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Sharks victory are as follows:
Worldsportsbetting 1.50
Playabets 1.46
Sunbet 1.49
- Odds comparison on the Sharks handicap victory :
The complete odds on the Sharks handicap victory:
Worldsportsbetting (-5.5) 1.90
Sunbet (-5.5) 1.92
Playabets (-4.5) 1.82
- Predictions and Odds in details
The Sharks and Cheetahs depth will be severely tested in this match as the changes will disrupt both teams. The home team do have some regulars on the bench and this is the area they have the distinct advantage. The man that the Cheetahs will look to give them that go forward ball is Jacques Potgieter. His a powerful runner that always gets over the line and if they get good ball then their backline can be launched. The other dangerman in the Cheetahs team is Clayton Blommetjies as he is deadly on the counter attack. His experience and game management will be key in this inexperienced backline. There are decent returns for punters on the Sharks outright victory but the value bet is the Sharks on the handicap victory. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting (-5.5) 1.90, Sunbet (-5.5) 1.92 and Playabets (-4.5) 1.82
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.
