Edinburgh vs Bulls
This should be an enthralling match as the Edinburgh team has a few South African born players and they would have been team mates with the Bulls players in the past. So expect this to be a fiery encounter. The Bulls showed in their win against Cardiff that their traditional way of dominating with the forwards is still a recipe for success. They were outplayed in the first half when they tried to run the ball but dominated the second half with their pack and rush defence. Edinburgh will be wandering how they lost their last match as they had a 14 point lead within the first 10 minutes. It is apparent that the Edinburgh team is not playing an 80 minute match. In all three of their games they had healthy leads only to lose one and draw another with just one win. The Bulls are a strong second half team as they have a great replacement bench further boosted by the arrival of Springbok ace Morne Steyn.
TIP: We can expect Edinburgh to come out firing as this is the way they play and if the Bulls can handle the initial onslaught then they will be setting themselves up for victory. The Scottish team has one of the most electric wingers in Darcy Graham. He is super-fast and has scored tries in both the matches he has played in. The Bulls have their own speedster in Madosh Tambwe and he showed his pace when he out sprinted the Cardiff defence to dot down. The matchup between these guys will be mouthwatering and lets hope they get plenty of ball to play with. The Bulls also have another dangerous winger in Kurt-Lee Arendse and to a large part he was the catalyst for their amazing comeback in the last match. The bookies have Edinburgh has slight favourites but I’m backing the Bulls to come away with the win. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting 2.15 Playabets 2.24 and Sunbet 2.12
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Edinburgh vs Bulls
- This is the first meeting between these two sides.
Latest results for both teams
Edinburgh played out to 20-20 draw with the Stormers while the Bulls won 29-19 against Cardiff in their last match.
PREDICTION
The Edinburgh team has a solid front row with Scottish international hooker Stuart McInally flanked by South African born props. The Bulls will be targeting this area as they have started with Springboks Bismarck du Plessis and Lizo Gqoboka. If the Bulls gain forward domination then they will win this match. They will need to stop the dangerous Viliame Mata from making easy metres as he is Edinburgh’s main ball carrier. Both teams have abrasive and physical loose trios and the contest between them could decide the match. Marcell Coetzee finally put in that man of the match performance everybody was waiting for and he was unstoppable in the second half. The match will be a tight contest but Edinburgh’s poor second half performances coupled with the Bulls strong bench makes me predict an away victory by 3 points
- Probable Starting XVs
Edinburgh
15 Henry Immelman, 14 Darcy Graham, 13 Mark Bennett, 12 James Lang, 11 Damien Hoyland, 10 Jaco van der Walt, 9 Charlie Shiel, 8 Viliame Mata, 7 Luke Crosbie, 6 Magnus Bradbury, 5 Grant Gilchrist (c) 4 Marshall Sykes, 3 Luan de Bruin, 2 Stuart McInally, 1 Pierre Schoeman
Bulls
15 David Kriel, 14 Madosh Tambwe, 13 Cornal Hendricks, 12 Harold Vorster, 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Embrose Papier, 8 Muller Uys, 7 Arno Botha, 6 Marcell Coetzee (c), 5 Ruan Nortje, 4 Janko Swanepoel, 3 Robert Hunt, 2 Bismarck du Plessis, 1 Lizo Gqoboka
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Bulls victory are as follows:
Worldsportsbetting 2.15
Playabets 2.24
Sunbet 2.12
Odds comparison on the Bulls handicap :
The complete odds on the Bulls handicap:
Worldsportsbetting (+1.5) 1.90
Sunbet (+2.5) 1.82
Playabets (+1.5) 1.89
Predictions and Odds in details
I’m sure nobody gave the Bulls much of a chance when they were trailing Cardiff and lost their flyhalf but the introduction of replacement 10 Chris Smit ended up being the tonic the Bulls needed. Smit fits in perfectly when the Bulls use their pack to dominate as he has a massive boot to win the territory battle. Another player that proved great on attack was Embrose Papier. He is very quick around the rucks and mauls and almost scored a great breakaway try. Edinburgh will need their pack to stand up to the Bulls forwards otherwise they will be pulverized into submission. The bookies are offering great rewards on the Bulls upset victory. If you are not keen on this bet then I suggest the Bulls on the handicap as a safety bet. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting (+1.5) 1.90, Sunbet (+2.5) 1.82 and Playabets (+1.5) 1.89
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.
