Stormers vs British & Irish Lions
The British & Irish Lions were brought back to earth with a bang by the SA A team. The Stormers will be given hope by this result and they have selected what I feel is a strong team. The BIL have also changed their entire XV from the last match and have selected Marcus Smith at 10. It’s hard to believe that just last week Smith was playing for England against Canada. Due to injury scares he was drafted in last minute and now he is starting. The Stormers have been poor this season but I expect them to give their best against the BIL as this is a once a in a life time opportunity. The BIL have brushed aside all opposition until they met the SA A team. This match showed that the Lions are beatable and the rush defence had them all at sea. John Dobson would have taken note of this and no doubt we can expect the Stormers defence to be in their faces. The question remains can they keep up that intensity for the full 80 minutes. The Lions will want to dominate at the scrums but the home team is generally very strong in this department. They have shown flair in the backs but remains to be seen how they cope with new comer Marcus Smith at flyhalf. He will need time to settle in the team and his very experienced opposite number Tim Swiel must look to attack his channel. This match will be won by the Lions but I’m expecting a spirited effort from the Stormers.
TIP: The Stormers must look to keep the ball in hand as the Lions have shown their strength in counter attack. All the wingers in this match have great aerial prowess and that battle will be mouth-watering. Stormers winger Edwill van der Merwe is early in his career but has already been earmarked by many to be a Springbok in the near future. This is a great opportunity for him to test his skill against the best. The Stormers have great talent in the team and this could be the coming of age for some of the young players. The late and surprise arrival of original tour Captain Alyn Wyn Jones has now given the Lions that leadership that was sorely missing in their defeat to the SA A team. The bookies have the Lions as heavy favourites and rightly so. The best odds on this bet is as follows: Worldsportsbetting 1.01, Playabets 1.01 and Sunbet 1.01
HEAD TO HEAD STATS
Stormers vs British & Irish Lions
- This is the first meeting between these sides
Latest results for both teams
The Stormers lost their last match 30-28 to the Griquas while the Lions lost to the SA A team 17-13 in their last match.
PREDICTION
Both these team possess absolute speedsters like Seabelo Senatla and Josh Adams so hopefully we get to see them play an exciting brand of rugby. The Lions two best wingers on this tour are playing in this match and they will be looking to cement their place in the Test XV. The Stormers best player this season has been number 8 Evan Roos. He is a player in the Duane Vermeulen mould and has great speed and power. The Stormers will look to him to get them over the advantage line. The selection of Godlen Masimla at 9 continues to baffle me as Paul De Wet has been in outstanding form this season. Both teams will need to have their maul defence in top form as both of them rely on the maul to score tries. Stormers must be disciplined otherwise the Lions will make this a lop sided contest. The lack of cohesion in the new look Lions team makes me predict that the match will be close than many people think. I predict a Lions win by 30 points
- Probable Starting XVs
Stormers
15 Sergeal Petersen, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Rikus Pretorius, 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Edwill van der Merwe, 10 Tim Swiel, 9 Godlen Masimla, 8 Evan Roos, 7 Johan du Toit, 6 Nama Xaba, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Ernst van Rhyn (c), 3 Neethling Fouche, 2 JJ Kotze, 1 Leon Lyons
British & Irish Lions
15 Stuart Hogg (c), 14 Josh Adams, 13 Elliot Daly, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Duhan van der Merwe, 10 Marcus Smith, 9 Ali Price, 8 Jack Conan, 7 Hamish Watson, 6 Tadhg Beirne, 5 Jonny Hill, 4 Adam Beard, 3 Tadhg Furlong, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1 Rory Sutherland
Odds for this bet
The best odds on the British & Irish Lions victory are as follows:
Worldsportsbetting 1.01
Playabets 1.01
Sunbet 1.01
Odds comparison on the Stormers handicap :
The complete odds on the Stormers handicap:
Worldsportsbetting (+37.5) 1.90
Playabets (+37.5) 1.82
Sunbet (+37.5) 1.89
Predictions and Odds in details
The competition for places in the Lions test team is at the final stage and these players have a last chance to impress coach Gatland. The player that could suddenly miss out on selection is current tour captain Conor Murray. The most impressive number 9 for the Lions has undoubtedly been Ali Price. Another great performance could mean Murray may miss the first test selection. The Lions centre pairing in this match could well be the starting pair in the first test. The other centre pairing has not set the world alight so this match takes on a whole new perspective. The Lions bench is super strong and I expect the match to be fairly close until the last quarter when the Lions will pull away. There is no money on the Lions outright victory therefore I suggest the Stormers on the generous handicap. The best odds on this bet are as follows: Worldsportsbetting (+37.5) 1.90, Playabets (+37.5) 1.82 and Sunbet (+37.5) 1.89
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.
