This weekend sees the resumption of The Rugby Championship with the All Blacks hosting the Pumas in Napier and the Springboks traveling to Perth to face the Wallabies.

Last weekend we had the Round 4 of the ABSA Currie Cup and there has been some movement at the top of the Rugby-Talk SuperBru group.

The 6 Important games we focus on which are played this weekend, consists of the 2 Rugby Championship Test matches as well as 4 ABSA Currie Cup Premier Division matches.

Snoek has moved up 1 place to the top of the leader Board on 21,83 points, Rudz has gained 9 places to take second spot on 21,50 points and last week’s leader Daniel has dropped 2 spots into 3rd position on 21,00 points.

Only 8 players managed a GSP for Round 4 with the Sharks’ loss to the Pumas causing the biggest surprise and catalyst for so few GSP’s.

The Yellow Cap winner for the round was Winston Champ who with a whopping 7 points climbed 32 spots up to 17th.

We feature seperate predictions by Nortie and by Grootblousmile, as well as predictions by SA Rugby Magazine, Planet Rugby, Rugby365, The Rugby Blog and SuperSport.

We discuss The Rugby Championship first, then we move on to discuss the ABSA Currie Cup – Round 5 action.

To this weekends predictions we go!

 

The Rugby Championship – Round 3:

Nortie’s predictions:

All Blacks vs Pumas:

New Zealand face the Pumas in what is predicted to be a wet Napier. That should be a leveler and keep that in mind when making your predictions.

The All Blacks will still be too good and too strong for the Pumas, irrespective of the weather, and their scrum will find a way to counter the Bajada of the Argentinians.

The Kiwi’s are also better on defense and won’t allow the soft tries by the Puma back line that the Boks conceded.

Somehow I also have the feeling that the All Blacks will already have one eye on next weeks encounter against the Springboks, and not give the Pumas their full attention. It’s a game they are expected to win, and that’s all they will be aiming for.

Prediction: Because of the wet conditions, I will back the All Blacks to win by between 12-16 points only.

 

Wallabies vs Springboks:

The second match on Saturday will be played in Perth, which is sort of a “home ground” in Australia for the Boks.

Early weather predictions also show a chance of rain.

The Wallabies have converted to the Waratah half back pairing of Nick Phipps and Bernard Foley, which should make them better than they were against the All Blacks.

Heyneke Meyer has made 6 changes to the Springbok side that stuttered against the Pumas in Salta 2 weeks ago.

It still doesn’t change the fact that the Springboks have been struggling of late, and where the All Blacks were able to nullify the threat of Israel Folau by kicking astutely, the Boks, and the SA teams in general, don’t possess that skill. Aimless kicking is what we are famous for, and aimless kicking is not a good idea against the Wallabies, they will make you pay.

The Wallabies were also better in the wet in round 1 holding the All Blacks to a draw while we looked really poor in the wet against Argentina.

The third reason I feel we could be in trouble can be ascribed to superstition, with Bryan Habana celebrating his 100th test cap. We have seen so many times in the past how mile stone games go pear shaped, that it’s not something that can be just written off too lightly.

We have had the better of the Aussies in the last few years, but McKenzie’s Australian way has been bearing some fruit since last year, last week’s loss notwithstanding.

I will back the home side and go for a win by Australia by less than 5 points.

 

Grootblousmile’s predictions:

Grootblousmile predicts that his body is tired and that his eyes are sore… from too much work!

Hahaha

All Blacks vs Pumas:

On the serious side, after 2 Rounds in The Rugby Championship, where Los Pumas has tried their damndest to beat the Springboks, and despite their best efforts where the Pumas have lost both matches, it must leave serious scarring in their minds that they still aren’t good enough!

They have now travelled to New Zealand to take on the world’s No 1 side at home on sacred New Zealand soil and the All Blacks, who appears to be a far more well-rounded foe than what the Springboks presented to the Pumas, should dispatch the Pumas with far more ease than the Springboks did.

The battle of the scrums will be very interesting, specially after a very strong Pumas scrum demolished a far below par Springbok scrum almost 2 weeks ago. I do not expect the Pumas to push the All Blacks around as nilly willy as they did the Springboks!

All Blacks creativity will also unlock a game Pumas side, specially in the 2nd half.

The weather should be wet though, and could be a leveller.

Prediction: The wet weather will make the score closer than what it should be and a strong Pumas scrum still won’t stop a 20 – 25 point win by the All Blacks.

 

Wallabies vs Springboks:

Both the Springboks and the Wallabies will be fielding better sides than 2 weeks ago, with Adriaan Strauss, Victor Matfield, Morné Steyn, Marcell Coetzee and even Jan Serfontein strenghtening the Bokke considerably. Bernard Foly and Nick Phipps also look set to bring far better balance to the Wallabies backline.

The battle for set piece dominance should be very interesting, with the Bokke likely to dominate the lineouts, parity at scrumtime to be gotten (unfortunately) and a monster of a battle at the breakdowns and ground ball situations in store!

Francois Louw, Marcell Coetzee, both excellent fetchers, against Michael Hooper & Co on the ground, what a feast for the true rugby lover to behold!

Prediction: The Wallabies are at home… and the Springboks are poor travellers to the Antipodes… I think there is a bit more fire and brimstone in the Wallabies backline overall and I believe Ruan Pienaar is stunting most of the Springbok backline momentum, so I predict a Wallaby win but it is not going to be a walkover… Wallabies by 5 to 8 points.

 

SA Rugby Magazine predictions:

All Blacks vs Pumas:

Brenton Chelin: New Zealand by 22
Jon Cardinelli: New Zealand by 10
Simon Borchardt: New Zealand by 14
Mark Salter: New Zealand by 15
Gary Lemke: New Zealand by 22
Mark Keohane: New Zealand by 15

 

Wallabies vs Springboks:

Brenton Chelin: Australia by 7
Jon Cardinelli: South Africa by 3
Simon Borchardt: Australia by 5
Mark Salter: Australia by 3
Gary Lemke: Australia by 4
Mark Keohane: Australia by 7

 

Planet Rugby predictions:

New Zealand by 18
South Africa by 2

 

Rugby365 predictions:

South Africa by 5

 

SuperSport predictions:

Springboks by 5

 

Currie Cup – Round 5 predictions:

Nortie’s predictions:

Round 5 of the Currie Cup kicks off Friday evening in Cape Town with the log leading DHL Western Province taking on the EP Kings.

WP is the only unbeaten team left in the CC, and it’s unlikely that that will change this weekend. The Kings did put up a better show against the Lions last week, but still went down by 19 points.

WP by 15-20

 

Saturday’s matches kicks off with the Cheetahs hosting the Pumas in Bloemfontein. The Pumas have been a revelation so far, and at home they are very tough to beat, just ask the Sharks.

Away from home they still need to prove themselves, and with the majority of matches so far being won by the home sides, I feel the Cheetahs will have enough to pull this one through and avenge their first round loss in Nelspruit.

Cheetahs by 7-12

 

The Sharks are hoping to bounce back from their shock loss against the Pumas when they host the bottom of the table Griquas in Durban. Last year the Griquas managed to win in Durban, but that was in their very 1st game, and after four consecutive losses they can’t be feeling very confident. Their discipline is seriously letting them down, having copped 2 red cards in 4 matches is just not acceptable.

Sharks to bounce back and win by 10-15

 

The last match of the round is also the most intriguing and most difficult to pick. The Bulls host the Lions at Loftus and the Lions, with only one loss so far look like one of the serious contenders to take the Currie Cup this year.

The Bulls put up a much improved showing last week against the WP, but have some injury concern again, this time at full back.

I think they might just utilize their home field advantage this week and could pull off the win.

Bulls by 5-10

 

Grootblousmile’s predictions:

DHL Wp is on fire and their confidence must be soaring above cloud nine at the moment.

But that is exactly where complacency becomes a danger.

They play the Currie Cup deadbeats this weekend though and a bonus point win is not negotiable for them.

Easy WP win.

DHL WP by 18 – 28

 

Do I think the Steval Pumas can duplicate last week’s Mbombela effort against the “Verlepte” Sharks again this Saturday, away from home in Blingfontein?

The answer is simple, no I don’t think so… although they do play so bloody well as a unit, for each other and for coach Jimmy. Heart, guts and passion are their weapons of choice, against a Toyota Free State Cheetahs side which has not inspired in the Currie Cup… maybe, who knows.

I have to pick the home side though, but not by much.

Toyota Free State Cheetahs by 3 – 8

 

The Cell C Sharks… or is it Shell Schocked Sharks will be determined to bounce back against Griquas after their loss in Nelspruit last weekend and I think because of that the Griquas will take the brunt of a beating… the margin is a difficult one to call though.

The Sharks depth was exposed a bit, not only last weekend, but throughout the Currie Cup Rounds so far, but they are up against a side with only a few hard working individuals, a lot less talent but once again against a side who play for their jersey, their team and their coach. The side with the mercenaries will win it though.

Cell C Sharks by a comfortable 12 – 16

 

Ja-well, no fine… opgestopte tollies against roaring lions at an empty Loftus. I will be there, in the Press Box… or is it the Depressed Box, the way I am feeling about my favourite Blue side!

Seriously, the Blue Bulls are going nowhere fast and the Lions in one guise or another has easily had the wood over the Bulls in 2014… and I expect exactly the same on Saturday.

The Xerox Golden Lons will take it, going away… spit, spit, spit… eina pain!

My heart is bleeding, my heart pills are finished… Gooooo Burger Odendaal, rip them a new one… hehehe.

Xerox Golden Lions by 10

 

Predictions from SA Rugbymagazine:

DHL Western Province vs EP Kings

Brenton Chelin: Western Province by 25
Jon Cardinelli: Western Province by 12
Simon Borchardt: Western Province by 25
Mark Salter: Western Province by 10
Gary Lemke: Western Province by 18
Mark Keohane: Western Province by 20

 

Toyota Free State Cheetahs vs Steval Pumas

Brenton Chelin: Pumas by 3
Jon Cardinelli: Pumas by 5
Simon Borchardt: Free State Cheetahs by 5
Mark Salter: Free State Cheetahs by 3
Gary Lemke: Free State Cheetahs by 5
Mark Keohane: Free State Cheetahs by 10

 

Cell C Sharks vs GWK Griquas

Brenton Chelin: Sharks by 6
Jon Cardinelli: Sharks by 6
Simon Borchardt: Sharks by 8
Mark Salter: Sharks by 6
Gary Lemke: Sharks by 14
Mark Keohane: Sharks by 10

 

Vodacom Blue Bulls vs Xerox Golden Lions

Brenton Chelin: Golden Lions by 8
Jon Cardinelli: Golden Lions by 6
Simon Borchardt: Golden Lions by 10
Mark Salter: Golden Lions by 6
Gary Lemke: Golden Lions by 7
Mark Keohane: Golden Lions by 10

 

The Rugby Blog predictions:

Lions by 6
Western Province by 25
Cheetahs by 10
Sharks by 15

 

Rugby365 predictions:

WP by 14
Cheetahs by 6
Sharks by 12
Bulls less than 5

 

SuperSport predictions:

WP with a bonus point
Cheetahs to win
Sharks with a bonus point
Bulls to scrape it