Blues vs Crusaders
It is not often that the two best teams in a competition contest the final but that is exactly the situation as the Blues welcome the Crusaders to Eden Park. The home team survived a big scare in their semi-final before eventually winning 20-19 while the visitors relied on a brilliant defensive effort to beat the Chiefs 20-7 in their semi-final. The Crusaders will be looking to return the favour after the Blues beat them at home in the league phase of the competition. The Blues will of course have the home support to urge them on but the Crusaders have the finals experience in their favour.
TIP: This final will see the battle between Beauden Barrett and Richie Mo’unga which stands out as a match decider. The Crusaders man was brilliant in the last two seasons and won the All Blacks ten jersey but Barrett is the form flyhalf of this year’s competition. It will be a case of the Blues stars taking on the Crusaders experience so this match should be a nail biter. The bookies have the Blues as favourites and I am also tipping them for the win. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting 1.90, Playabets 1.95 and Sunbet 1.88
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Blues vs Crusaders
- The Crusaders have won four of the last five matches between these sides.
- The Blues won the last match between these sides 27-23.
Latest results for both teams
The Blues beat the Brumbies 20-19 in their last match while the Crusaders beat the Chiefs 20-7 in their last match.
PREDICTION
Both teams have shown that their forward packs are world class with the Crusaders being boosted by the return of Sam Whitelock for this match. The Blues have shown that when they get their backs and forwards interlinking they are almost impossible to stop. The Crusaders have many game breakers like Sevu Reece and Will Jordan but their core strength has always been their resolute defence. If the Blues can get Barrett to run at the opposition then they will give themselves the best chance of victory. We are backing the Blues to win this match by 8 points.
- Probable Starting XVs
Blues
15 Stephen Perofeta, 14 Mark Telea, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 11 AJ Lam, 10 Beauden Barrett (captain), 9 Finlay Christie, 8 Hoskins Sotutu, 7 Adrian Choat, 6 Akira Ioane, 5 Tom Robinson, 4 Josh Goodhue, 3 Nepo Laulala, 2 Kurt Eklund, 1 Alex Hodgman.
Crusaders
15 Will Jordan, 14 Sevu Reece, 13 Jack Goodhue, 12 David Havili, 11 Leicester Fainga’anuku, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Bryn Hall, 8 Cullen Grace, 7 Tom Christie, 6 Pablo Matera, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Scott Barrett (captain), 3 Oli Jager, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 George Bower.
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Blues victory are as follows:
Worldsportsbetting 1.90
Playabets 1.95
Sunbet 1.88
Odds comparison on the Blues handicap:
The complete odds on the Cheetahs handicap:
Worldsportsbetting (-1.5) 1.98
Sunbet (-1.5) 1.97
Playabets (-1.5) 1.96
Predictions and Odds in details
If the Crusaders did their homework then we can expect them to test the Blues with the rolling maul as they failed miserably against the Brumbies last week. The Blues will no doubt have worked on defending the maul and if they get their maul defence right then they will win this match. The Blues on the outright win offer poor odds therefore I suggest the home side on the handicap. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting (-1.5) 1.98, Sunbet (-1.5) 1.97 and Playabets (-1.5) 1.96
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.
