Hurricanes vs Reds

The round opens in Wellington when Colin Cooper's Hurricanes will need to dramatically improve their performance around the field if they are to meet expectations. Last week, against the Waratahs, the Hurricanes were able to achieve parity in the forwards and create a number of chances for their backs, only to see poor options and handling leave them tryless. The Reds performance against the Highlanders will hardly have the home side shaking in their boots, especially the two dubious tries. If the Hurricanes play this game as the same pace as last week, they will run the Reds ragged and pick up their first win of the season.

Cheetahs vs Force

‘Winning in Pretoria requires teams to dominate the massive Bulls forward pack, and the Crusaders have the pack to do it...’


Neither side had a great deal of luck last week, losing games that they could have won. The Force have now been in South Africa for almost two weeks so travel will not be an issue for them, but they do have to worry about off-field distractions. The form of pivot Matt Giteau will be the key for the Force, and if he repeats last week's shocker, his team could struggle. How the Cheetahs deal with their narrow loss to their arch rivals holds the key to their fortune. If they bounce back, they should be too good for the visitors, but if their mental state is not right, an upset could well be on the cards.

Bulls vs Crusaders

This may be a re-match of last year's semi-final, but Loftus Versfeld has been a happy hunting ground for the Crusaders in the past. The Bulls will be without the services of bruising flanker Richard Bands, but his replacement, Deon Stegmann, is reportedly an excellent young prospect. Winning in Pretoria requires teams to dominate the massive Bulls forward pack, and the Crusaders have the pack to do it, but coping with the 19-hour flight to South Africa and the faster pace under the new laws will take their toll. This will be the match of the round and the home side should get home, but it will be a close one.

Chiefs vs Waratahs

After last week's dreadful showing, Chiefs' coach Ian Foster will have been giving his side extra tackling practice as they missed 33 against the Blues. The explosive Waratahs backs will ensure they get plenty more practice during the game, with fullback Lachlan Turner and winger Lote Tuqiri showing good early season form, while league convert Timana Tahu is adjusting well. Oddly enough, this match may well come down to the shaky defence of Kurtley Beale, as the Chiefs' loose forwards will be running as him all night. It is certainly possible for the home side to take this one, but based on last week's efforts, the Waratahs have to be considered favourites.

Brumbies vs Highlanders

This season will be a struggle for both of these sides as they have lost key players and are suffering from a lack of depth. The Brumbies were totally outclassed by a bigger and more organised Crusaders' pack last week and will need to improve both up front and their kicking game. By contrast, the Highlanders forwards did a good job but were let down by some terrible back line play. Even though they have been ravaged by injury, the Brumbies should be too good in this one.

Sharks vs Stormers

The derby match of the round comes from two teams with semi-final aspirations. Last weekend the Sharks beat the Force in a scrappy affair, while the Stormers pushed the Bulls for the full 80 minutes before succumbing to the champions. For the Stormers to win this game, they will need to improve their finishing, against the Bulls they created a number of chances but were unable to get across the line. The Sharks performance will be boosted by the debut of French star Frederick Michalak, who missed last week's game due to injury. Derby matches are always hard to predict, but all signs point to a Stormers win.

Lions vs Blues

Earl Rose was the hero for the Lions last weekend, kicking his team to a narrow victory over the Cheetahs, but gaining parity with a Blues forward pack will be a much tougher ask. Nick Evans will once again direct arguably the best back line in the tournament, with weapons like Joe Rokocoko, Isa Nacewa and Isaiah Toeava outside him. The travel will take some of the sting out of the Blues attack, but they should be too good for the home side in this match.