The 2017 Super Rugby season begins this Thursday night and it is set to be an exciting year with a lot of teams in serious contention for the title. Round one should be a cracker with a few really interesting matchups on the table. See our full Super Rugby Round 1 Preview and Betting Tips below. You can also check out our full 2017 Super Rugby season preview.
2017 Super Rugby Round 1 Betting Tips
Rebels vs Blues (Thursday 7.45pm AEDT)
The Rebels are hopeful they will be able to get the monkey off their back and reach the finals series for the first time in the clubs history. The side has lost experienced campaigners in Luke Jones, Scott Fuglistaller, Tamati Ellison and Mike Harris, but the Rebels have recruited well in the form of Jack Maddocks, Amanaki Mafi, Dominic Day and Ben Volavola. The side has also picked up a lot of speed and premiership winning experience in the NRL with Marika Koroibete. The speedster isn’t a stranger to rugby and he should make an impact in the 15-man game. If the side is to reach the finals they will need to take advantage of their home games.
The Blues are the side that is easily forgotten in the New Zealand conference. The other four sides are powerhouses and are pencilled in to reach the finals while the Blues are an inconsitent team and hard to pick. They definitely aren’t a struggling team though and can match it with the best on their day. However, we are predicting the Rebels to have the perfect start to the season on their home soil and grab a narrow victory.
TIP: Rebels to win margin (1-12) – $3.20 with William Hill
Highlanders vs Chiefs (Thursday 5.35pm AEDT)
There wasn't much separating these two sides last season on the Super Rugby ladder and in their matches and we are predicting the same this year. Both teams finished the regular season with 11 wins and four losses and they will be looking to start their year with a win in this one. The Highlanders have the obvious advantage of playing on their home soil but the Chiefs are notorious for their quick starts to the season. The Highlanders held on to a 26-13 win in front of their home fans last season and we are predicting a closer game.
Aaron Cruden will be steering the Chiefs around in his final year in the Super Rugby before heading to France while youngster Damien McKenzie will be hoping to build on his superb season last year. However, the home field advantage will prove the difference in this one as the Highlanders will grab the win.
TIP: Highlanders at the line (-2.5) - $1.90 with CrownBet
Reds vs Sharks (Friday 8pm AEDT)
The Reds are coming off a disappointing season but they have recruited well and are expecting different results. Quade Cooper returns to the club after his stint in France and has played well in trial games while Karmichael Hunt should improve in his third season with the Reds. Wallabies captain Stephen Moore also joins the side to add much needed experience in the forward pack.
Meanwhile the Sharks are hoping to top their South African conference. They built their success on the back of their defence last season but it meant their attack was lacking. They will need to use the ball in hand more this season to compete against the best sides. However, the Reds definitely aren’t in that category and we think on the back of their boot the Sharks will come away with the victory.
TIP: Sharks to win - $2.60 with Sportsbet
Sunwolves vs Hurricanes (Saturday 3.15pm AEDT)
The Sunwolves won’t have time to ease into their season season in the Super Rugby competition as they are facing the defending premiers to start. They will have the benefit of home field advantage but we don’t think that will count for much in this contest. The Sunwolves finished in last spot on the ladder last year and we won’t be surprised if they make it two in a row.
The Hurricanes are looking to go back to back and if Beauden Barrett can continue the form he showed last year and for New Zealand then they are a great chance of doing so. The side has attacking players all across the park and we won’t be surprised if this turns into a cricket score.
TIP: Hurricanes to win at the line (-26.5) - $1.90 with Sportsbet
Crusaders vs Brumbies (Saturday 5.35pm AEDT)
The Crusaders surprised a lot of people last year by being a competitive side when they had lost two of their key players. They managed to reach the finals and we are expecting them to do the same this year.
Meanwhile the Brumbies have started to rebuild their side and have lost a lot of experience. Stephen Moore has joined the Reds while David Pocock has also left the club. Pocock is obviously the bigger loss as he is arguably the best player in rugby. They won’t have as much impact at the breakdown and this could be a big learning curve for the inexperienced players in the side.
TIP: Crusaders at the margin (13+) – $1.92 with CrownBet
Waratahs vs Force (Saturday 7.45pm AEDT)
The only all Australian match up of the weekend comes on Saturday night and the Waratahs are likely to be without their flyhalf Bernard Foley. They started the season without him last year and they didn’t have much success. However, Israel Folau has been playing brillaintly in the trial matches and is primed for a huge season. The Tahs lost their opening match to the Force last season and they won’t want to make the same mistake, one that ultimately led to them missing out on the finals.
The Force are a struggling side and there are current discussions that the team will fold at the end of the season. That could be the biggest motivator for the players and they could be primed for an upset. However, playing in Sydney is bad news for them and they will lose this one by a small margin.
TIP: Waratahs at the margin (1-12) – $3.00 with CrownBet
Cheetahs vs Lions (Sunday 12.05am AEDT)
The Lions will be looking to build on their performances from last season. The club reached the final but fell to a Hurricanes side in New Zealand. They had the best scrum in the competition and were always a threat at the breakdown. They ticked the scoreboard over through penalties but could attack from anywhere on the field and that made them one of the most dangerous sides. We are predicting another big year from the South African side.
Meanwhile the Cheetahs haven’t done much too improve on their season from last year. They managed just four wins and two of those came against the bottom placed Sunwolves. They have the ability to play great attacking rugby but it is ultimately their discipline and defence that lets the side down every year and we believe that will happen again in this match.
TIP: Lions to win at the margin (13+) - $2.10 with William Hill
Kings vs Jaguares (Sunday 2.15am AEDT)
The Jagures have the obstacle of having to travel the furthest of any side in the competition. They will want to get their tour of South Africa off to a perfect start and they were given a gift of the softer of the South African sides to begin with. This will give them a good indication of where the side is at while the victory should give them a lot of confidence. The side showed glimpses of what they were capable of last year but they weren’t able to find any consistency throughout the year.
The Kings have made the most changes to their line up of any team in the competition. They have basically an entire new side lining up for them and their combinations will take a while to gel in attack and defence. We are predicting them to struggle in their opening match and the Jaguares should win by at least 20-points.
TIP: Jaguares at the margin (13+) - $2.00 with William Hill
Stormers vs Bulls (Sunday 4.20am AEDT)
Super Rugby round 1 should end with a bang with the two South African rivals going at it. The Bulls and Stormers are the most successful of the South African clubs but the Bulls haven’t reached the finals series in the last three seasons. They will be searching for the perfect start this weekend and they will benefit from having their flyhalf Handre Pollard back in the starting side after recovering from an ACL injury. They will also be relying on Springboks captain Adriaan Strauss to lead them around the park.
The Stormers reached the finals series last year but bowed out in the opening round. It was an embarrassing loss as they conceded more than 60 points and they will be keen to put those memories behind them this weekend. Seabelo Senatla has joined the squad after dominating in the rugby 7s format and whether he can take his try scoring ability into the 15-man game will be interesting. The side has a strong centre paring but we believe it won’t be enough as they suffer a narrow loss at home.
TIP: Bulls to win at the margin (1-10) - $3.75 with Sportsbet
