Western Force vs Waratahs
The last match the Waratahs played they came within 2 points of upsetting the Brumbies and this was in no small part due to the return of skipper Jake Gordon. They had suffered record defeats in their previous matches but looked a different team with Gordon at the helm and he guided his young team around the park brilliantly. The Force on the other hand caused a big upset when they beat the Rebels in Melbourne. They are not a flashy team but they are dogged and fight for every scrap with they never say die attitude. They have a powerful scrum and experience backrowers like work horse Brynard Stander who doesn’t give an inch but is great at winning breakdown penalties. One of the few stand out players for the Waratahs in a dismal season has been flyhalf Will Harrison and he unfortunately is injured this week. This is a huge loss as his deadly goal kicking and all round play will be sorely missed. Both these sides don’t have the flash backline players and their build their game on solid work by the forwards and this is certainly an area that the Force has an advantage. The Argentinean pairing of Domingo Miotti and Tomas Cubelli were superb last week against the Rebels and will look to control the game with clever kicking to dominate the territory battle. The Waratahs under a new coaching team and with skipper Jake Gordon back looked very good at times but the away match to the Force will not be easy as the Force will be buoyed by their last showing.
TIP: The Force certainly has more to play for as they chase the third playoff spot in the competition while the Waratahs are playing purely for pride. I expect the Waratahs to come out all guns blazing against the Force but the Force are past masters at slowing the game down and taking the sting out of the oppositions attack. The Force has recruited heavily and you can see the dividends of those investments paying off and that’s the reason I expect a fairly comfortable victory for the Force. The bookies agree with me and the best odds on a Force victory are at Worldsportsbetting 1.40, Sunbet 1.38 and Playabets 1.36
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Force vs Waratahs
- In the last 6 matches the Waratahs lead the head to head by 4 wins to 2.
- The last two matches between the two have been won by the away team.
- In 9 home matches against the Waratahs the Force have managed just 3 victories.
Latest results for both teams
The Force won their last match against the Rebels 15-16 while the Waratahs lost their last game against the Brumbies 22-24.
PREDICTION
The Force has a wealth of experience in players like Jeremy Thrush and Thomas Cubelli and they stick to a game plan that isn’t the prettiest to watch but is very effective. The recruitment of Sitaleki Timani has added further steel to the pack and I expect them to dominate the inexperienced Waratahs pack. The Waratahs game plan revolves around their half back pairing and the absence of Will Harrison will definitely hamper them and place added responsibility on skipper Gordon. I am expecting a comfortable victory by more than 8 points for the Force.
- Probable Starting XVs
Western Force
15 Jack McGregor, 14 Richard Kahui, 13 Tevita Kuridrani, 12 Kyle Godwin (c), 11 Jordan Olowofela, 10 Domingo Miotti, 9 Tomas Cubelli, 8 Brynard Stander, 7 Kane Koteka, 6 Tim Anstee, 5 Sitaleki Timani, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 Santiago Medrano, 2 Feleti Kaitu’u, 1 Tom Robertson
Waratahs
15 Jack Maddocks, 14 Alex Newsome, 13 Izaia Perese, 12 Lalakai Foketi, 11 James Ramm, 10 Ben Donaldson, 9 Jake Gordon (c), 8 Will Harris, 7 Carlo Tizzano, 6 Lachlan Swinton, 5 Max Douglas, 4 Hugh Sinclair, 3 Harry Johnson-Holmes, 2 Dave Porecki, 1 Angus Bell
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Force victory are as follows:
Worldsportsbetting 1.40
Sunbet 1.38
Playabets 1.36
Odds comparison on a Force handicap victory
Worldsportsbetting (-6.5) 1.90
Sunbet (-7.5) 2.00
Playabets (-6.5) 1.83
Predictions and Odds in detail
The Force had a lot to prove after they were kicked out of Super Rugby a few years ago and they have invested heavily and proving they deserve to be in Super Rugby on merit. Ironically they team they lost their Super Rugby status to was the Rebels and they beat them last week to make a statement. The Waratahs are in a transitional phase after losing a slew of Wallabies to overseas clubs this match against the Force will show there is a gulf between the sides therefore I am going for the Force handicap victory by more than 8 points. The best odds the handicap are at Worldsportsbetting (-6.5) 1.90, Sunbet (-7.5) 2.00 and Playabets (-6.5) 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.