Rebels vs Crusaders
The Rebels welcome the Crusaders to AAMI Park in Melbourne for this Super Rugby match. The home team were thrashed 54-17 on their last outing and will be desperate for a better performance in this match. The Crusaders on the other hand have overcome their shaky start to the season by winning their last four matches and will be confident of another win as they are slowly returning to full strength. The Rebels have lost their last six matches against the defending champions and will have to go back 8 years for the last time they beat the men from Christchurch.
TIP: The Rebels have made a number of changes to their team from the last outing and this comes as no surprise as they conceded 41 points in the second half of that match without reply. The Crusaders welcome back big guns like Sam Whitelock, Scott Barrett and David Havili which spells danger for the home team. The Rebels will be looking for more impact from their bench as their replacements have been poor this season. The bookies have Crusaders as favorites and I’m also tipping them for the win. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Betway 1.08, Gbets 1.07 and Hollywoodbets 1.08
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Rebels vs Crusaders
- The Crusaders have won the last six matches between these sides.
- The last time the Rebels beat the Crusaders was in 2015.
Latest results for both teams
The Rebels lost 54-17 to the Blues in their last match while the Crusaders beat Moana Pasifika 38-21 in their last match.
PREDICTION
The Crusaders lost two of their three matches to start the season and this was due to their squad being decimated by injury. They will be delighted that they have most of those injured players back for this match. The Rebels pack will be under severe pressure in this match as the visitors certainly have the advantage in the forwards. They will need to try and keep the ball in hand as much as possible and avoid too many set pieces and the scrum in particular will be a weakness for them. The Crusaders will be hoping for a return to form for Richie Mo’unga as he has looked flat this season. His duel with opposite number Carter Gordon promises to be the highlight of the match. We are backing the Crusaders to win by 10 points.
Probable Starting XVs
Rebels
15 Andrew Kellaway, 14 Lachlan Anderson, 13 Reece Hodge, 12 Stacey Ili, 11 Monty Ioane, 10 Carter Gordon, 9 Ryan Louwrens, 8 Vaiolini Ekuasi, 7 Brad Wilkin (c), 6 Josh Kemeny, 5 Trevor Hosea, 4 Josh Canham, 3 Sam Talakai, 2 Alex Mafi, 1 Matt Gibbon
Crusaders
15 Fergus Burke, 14 Pepesana Patafilo, 13 Braydon Ennor, 12 David Havili, 11 Macca Springer, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Mitchell Drummond, 8 Christian Lio-Willie, 7 Tom Christie, 6 Dom Gardiner, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Scott Barrett, 3 Tamaiti Williams, 2 Codie Taylor, 1 Joe Moody
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Crusaders victory are as follows:
Betway 1.08
Gbets 1.07
Hollywoodbets 1.08
Odds comparison on the Rebels handicap:
The complete odds on the Rebels handicap:
Betway 1.90 (-17.5)
Gbets 1.88 (-17.5)
Hollywoodbets 1.88 (-17.5)
Predictions and Odds in details
There are poor returns on the Crusaders outright win but if you looking for better odds then we suggest the home team on the handicap. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Betway 1.90 (-17.5), Gbets 1.88 (-17.5) and Hollywoodbets 1.88 (-17.5)
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.
