Hurricanes vs Rebels
The first round saw both these teams have a non-existence defence as they conceded an avalanche of tries. The Hurricanes will be particularly concerned as they conceded 48 points against the weakest team in the competition. The Rebels were even worse as they had 50 points put against them while only scoring a meager 3 points. They seem to have no cohesion and a large part of this problem is Matt Toomua who does not seem to have any confidence and aimlessly kicks away possession. Joe Powell was a standout player at the Brumbies but he to looks a shadow of his former self. I think the Rebels style of play does not suit him. The Hurricanes had no problem in attack but must fix their defense otherwise they will be punished by the stronger teams in the competition. They suffered an early blow against the Waratahs when Ruben Love was injured and his replacement Orbyn Ledger is the poorest number 10 in the competition. This week sees the return of blockbuster center Ngani Laumape and he will provide that go forward ball that the Hurricanes thrive on. The Rebels have no easy fix for their problems but will hope the return of Wallaby Isi Naisarani will help in both attack and defence. The Hurricanes at home know that nothing except a bonus point victory will be good enough so I expect them to keep the ball in hand and run at the Rebels from all directions. The Rebels winger Marika Koroibete once touted as one of the best finishers in the game is still tryless in seven matches and this is a sad indictment for player and club.
TIP: The Hurricanes will look to their halfback pairing to take the responsibility in attack as too often Jordie Barrett is thrust into the pivot role. He performs this role admirably but he is at his most dangerous when he come into the line from his fullback role. The first round showed us that the Australian sides can be competitive especially if the NZ teams take them lightly. We will surely see the Hurricanes more focused on improving their defence and this is not good news for the Rebels who struggle to score tries. One of the positives against the Waratahs was the resurgence of Julian Savea and was great seeing him scoring two tries. The bookies have the Hurricanes as heavy favourites and rightly so. The best odds on the Hurricanes victory are as follows: Worldsportsbetting 1.04, Playabets 1.01 and Sunbet 1.04
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Hurricanes vs Rebels
- The Hurricanes have won the last five matches against the Rebels.
- The Hurricanes have never lost at home to the Rebels.
- In ten matches against each other there has only been one Rebels victory.
Latest results for both teams
The Hurricanes won their last match against the Waratahs 64-48 while the Rebels lost their match against the Blues 50-3.
PREDICTION
The Hurricanes are always difficult to beat at home even against the best opposition, so the task awaiting the Rebels is almost impossible. The Rebels were literally manhandled against the Blues pack and no doubt that the Hurricanes will be targeting this area. The Rebels don’t have any attacking creativity and not being able to score a try in eighty minutes proves this. Their pack is lightweight and is easily dominated and that in turn means the backline gets very poor ball. Their forwards need to man up or another thrashing is on the cards. I see the Hurricanes dominating all aspects and winning this by a landslide margin of more than 30 points
- Probable Starting XVs
Hurricanes
15 Jordie Barrett, 14 Julian Savea, 13 Billy Proctor, 12 Ngani Laumape , 11 Wes Goosen, 10 Orbyn Ledger, 9 Luke Campbell, 8 Devan Flanders, 7 Du’Plessis Kirifi, 6 Reed Prinsep, 5 Isaia Walker-Leawere, 4 James Blackwell, 3 Alex Fidow, 2 Dane Coles (captain), 1 Xavier Numia
Rebels
15 George Worth, 14 Andrew Kellaway, 13 Campbell Magnay, 12 Matt Toomua, 11 Marika Koroibete, 10 Carter Gordon, 9 Joe Powell, 8 Isi Naisarani, 7 Richard Hardwick, 6 Josh Kemeny, 5 Ross Haylett-Petty, 4 Rob Leota, 3 Cabous Eloff, 2 Jordan Uelese, 1 Cameron Orr
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Hurricanes victory are as follows.
Worldsportsbetting 1.04
Playabets 1.01
Odds comparison on a Hurricanes handicap victory
The complete odds on the Hurricanes handicap victory are as follows:
Worldsportsbetting (-25.5) 1.90
Playabets (-25.5) 1.81
Sunbet (-25.5) 1.90
Predictions and Odds in details
The Rebels having lost their coach Dave Wessels would have wanted to show new the new coach that they are ready to fight for the team. The way they crumbled against the Blues was disheartening to the coach and the home crowd. The Hurricanes will not want to have this happen to them in their first home game and will want to secure the bonus point victory without too much fuss. The Hurricanes definitely have the stronger bench than the Rebels and this could be a telling factor late in the game when the Hurricanes are at their best. The biggest threat on the bench is Asafo Aumua who loves scoring tries and is unstoppable in driving mauls and anywhere close to the line. There is no value in the outright victory for the Hurricanes therefore I suggest backing them to cover the handicap. The best odds on the Hurricanes handicap is as follows: Worldsportsbetting (-25.5) 1.90, Playabets (-25.5) 1.81 and Sunbet (-25.5) 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.
