Dragons vs Stormers
The Dragons are fresh from an excellent away victory against Connacht and are further boosted by the return of Captain Ross Moriarty while the Stormers had a morale boosting draw against the much fancied Edinburgh. They had the opportunity to win the match but Tim Swiel missed a fairly easy penalty late in the game. It would have been well deserved as they were the better side. The Dragons gained their first victory and the platform was laid by the forwards that were exceptional. The Stormers pack has been a revelation thus far in the URC and they will again look to them to lay the platform for the backline to showcase their skill. The Dragons have always been a very good defensive team and they love playing the territory game so the Stormers can expect an aerial bombardment. The Stormers must also start better as it is very difficult to play catch up rugby against the Welsh teams.
TIP: The SA teams have finally started to show their quality especially in the forwards as the Stormers dominated Edinburgh in the scrum. The Dragons will know that the Stormers will enjoy the set piece play and will want to avoid too many scrums. The away team rely heavily on their loose trio but they won’t have things their own way as the Dragons have international quality in Aaron Wainwright and Ross Moriarty in the loose. This battle between the loosies is shaping up to be one of the highlights of the match. The return of the Stormers first choice halfback pairing of Manie Libbok and Stefan Ungerer will give them the edge to cause an upset. The bookies have the Dragons as favourites but I’m tipping the Stormers for the win. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting 2.35, Playabets 2.50 and Sunbet 2.28
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Dragons vs Stormers
- This is the first meeting between these two sides.
Latest results for both teams
Ulster beat Benetton 28-8 in their last match while the Lions lost 13-9 to the Glasgow Warriors.
PREDICTION
The Stormers have been very dangerous on counter attack and it’s due to the return to form of fullback Warrick Gelant. The Springbok has been injury prone but when he is back to his best then he is a pleasure to watch. His pace and sidestep are great while he has excellent aerial skills. The Dragons need to be accurate with their kicking or he will make them pay. He is not the only dangerman as wing Edwill van der Merwe is another that can breach a defence with ease. The Dragons have their own flyers in wings Jonah Holmes and Jordan Olowofela. Both men are possess exceptional pace and their battle with the opposing wings could go a long way to deciding this match. The better balance of the Stormers team makes me predict an away win by 4 points
- Probable Starting XVs
Dragons
15 Jordan Williams, 14 Jonah Holmes, 13 Jack Dixon, 12 Aneurin Owen, 11 Jordan Olowofela, 10 Sam Davies, 9 Gonzalo Bertranou, 8 Aaron Wainwright, 7 Taine Basham, 6 Ross Moriarty (c), 5 Ben Carter, 4 Will Rowlands, 3 Mesake Doge, 2 Elliot Dee, 1 Greg Bateman
Stormers
15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Leolin Zas, 13 Ruhan Nel, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Manie Libbok, 9 Stefan Ungerer, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Willie Engelbrecht, 6 Junior Pokomela, 5 Salmaan Moerat (c), 4 Ernst van Rhyn, 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 Scarra Ntubeni, 1 Brok Harris
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Stormers victory are as follows:
Worldsportsbetting 2.35
Playabets 2.50
Sunbet 2.28
Odds comparison on the Stormers handicap :
The complete odds on the Stormers handicap:
Worldsportsbetting (+2.5) 1.90
Sunbet (+2.5) 1.81
Playabets (+3.5) 1.90
Predictions and Odds in details
There are fantastic young players in the Stormers team but the standout has been Evan Roos. Each game he looks like more and more like a future Springbok. He almost always beats the first defender and makes metres with every carry. He will have his work cut out as he comes up against Welsh international Aaron Wainwright. Wainwright was superb in the last match and will look to get one over the younger Roos. The Stormers seem to have adopted a more ball in hand approach and this is bolstered by the fact that they have Libbok at 10. He is a running ten and will look to attack at every opportunity. The bookies are offering great returns on the Stormers upset victory and if you are looking for a safer bet then I suggest the Stormers on the handicap. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting (+2.5) 1.90, Sunbet (+2.5) 1.81 and Playabets (+3.5) 1.90
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.
