Cheetahs vs Bulls
It’s not very often that a visiting team comes to Bloemfontein as heavy favourites but that is the case in this match. The Cheetahs have been injury ravaged and fielded 13 debutants in their last match against the Griquas. The Bulls survived a late charge from the Pumas to win their last match. The Cheetahs will be hoping that some of their injured players are back for this match. The Bulls although they won looked sloppy for large parts of the match and in the end were lucky to come away with the win against the fast finishing Pumas. Cheetahs will look to their captain Ruan Pienaar for guidance as he has the skill and experience to steer this team to an upset victory. The Bulls have good attacking wings in Madosh Tambwe and Stravino Jacobs as they have pace to burn but once again their defensive frailties were exposed. It is surprising that Coach Jake White has not addressed this glaring problem, Cheetahs must look to attack on the wing and they will have one of the future stars of SA rugby on the wing, Cohen Jasper. This guy has been a revelation this season and was the outstanding player in this year’s Varsity Cup. He has pace and a great side step and certainly has an eye for the tryline. The much vaunted Bulls pack did not have their own way against the Pumas and will want an improvement in this match. The Bulls base their game plan on forward domination and when they can’t get this they struggle to win matches. The Cheetahs will know if they can gain parity against the Bulls pack they will fancy their chances of victory.
TIP: Cheetahs signing of Jacques Potgieter raised a few eyebrows after a long period out with injuries but after his first match he looked in prime form. They will once again look to him to lead the charge against the Bulls. The omission of Marcell Coetzee from the Springbok squad was met with surprise but after his showing in the last two matches you can understand why he wasn’t picked. He seems to have lost that bulldozing runs we used to see when he played for Ulster. He almost stops when he gets the ball bracing for contact or runs sideways which makes him very ineffective. The Bulls will be hoping the Coetzee of old returns sooner rather than later. The bookies have the Bulls as heavy favourites and I also tip them to win but expect the match to be a close affair. The best odds on the Bulls victory are as follows: Worldsportsbetting 1.14, Playabets 1.13 and Sunbet 1.19
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Cheetahs vs Bulls
- In the last five matches between the sides there have been three Bulls victories and two for the Cheetahs.
- The Cheetahs have won their last four home matches against the Bulls.
- The Bulls last won in Bloemfontein in 2016.
Latest results for both teams
The Cheetah lost their last match against the Griquas 31-10 while the Bulls won their last match against the Sharks 32-27.
PREDICTION
The Bulls love the physical plays and rely on their pack for victory while the Cheetahs love to throw the ball around. The home team needs to stick to their running game so that they can move the big Bulls pack around the field. One of the more disappointing performers this season for the Bulls has been Chris Smit. He has struggled to fill the boots of Morne Steyn and lacks the ability to control the game. He will need to improve his kicking game as the Cheetahs love to counter attack and have the dangerous Clayton Blommetjies at full back and he will run the ball from anywhere. The Bulls will look to Harold Vorster in the midfield to once again spark the backline as he was great against the Pumas. The Cheetahs will be competitive in this match but I predict the Bulls to win it in the last quarter by less than 9 points
- Probable Starting XVs
Cheetahs
15 Clayton Blommetjies, 14 Duncan Saal, 13 Evardi Boshoff, 12 Howard Mnisi, 11 Cohen Jasper, 10 Reinhardt Fortuin, 9 Ruan Pienaar (captain), 8 Gideon van Wyk, 7 Jacques Potgieter, 6 Jean Droste, 5 Rynier Bernardo, 4 Victor Sekekete, 3 Aranos Coetzee, 2 Wilmar Arnoldi, 1 Cameron Dawson.
Bulls
15 David Kriel, 14 Madosh Tambwe, 13 Harold Vorster, 12 Cornal Hendricks, 11 Stravino Jacobs, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Ivan van Zyl, 8 Marcell Coetzee (captain), 7 Ruan Nortje, 6 Nizaam Carr, 5 Janko Swanepoel, 4 Walt Steenkamp, 3 Mornay Smith, 2 Schalk Erasmus, 1 Lizo Gqoboka.
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the Bulls victory are as follows:
Worldsportsbetting 1.14
Playabets 1.13
Sunbet 1.19
Odds comparison on the Cheetahs handicap:
The complete odds on the Cheetahs handicap:
Worldsportsbetting (+13.5) 1.90
Sunbet (+13.5) 1.87
Playabets (+13.5) 1.82
Predictions and Odds in details
The Bulls promised that the sporting public will see a team that will be more attacking in their play but sadly that has not materialized and they have gone back to the traditional, sometimes boring tactic of bashing teams into submission with their forwards. The Cheetahs will know that they have to front up in the forwards and if they can match the Bulls pack then they can unleash their backline that loves to run. Both these teams have very good rolling mauls so discipline will be of paramount importance to both teams. The Cheetahs will be desperate for the victory as it their first home game. They will not want to start their campaign with two defeats. The bookies are offering very low returns on the Bulls outright victory but have been generous with the Cheetahs on the handicap therefore I suggest the value bet on the Cheetahs handicap. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting (+13.5) 1.90, Sunbet (+13.5) 1.87 and Playabets (+13.5) 1.82
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.
