There is a lot of rugby this weekend, both internationally and locally. With this mind, our rugby punter Neal Hoogwerf has picked out five matches to bet on this weekend.
His picks the matches from four different competitions and we’ve created a handy and value laden multiple out of his selections. You can create your multiple our bet on his tips for each match which spans from the Currie Cup, Mitre 10 Cup, Tri-Nations and the Autumn Nations Cup.
Currie Cup: Sharks v Pumas
Friday 27 November – 19:00
The Sharks ended in third in Super Rugby Unlocked with their solitary defeat occurring against the tournament winners, the Bulls. The Sharks welcome the Pumas to Durban where the previous meeting between the sides saw the Durbanites earn a 42-19 victory in Round 4 of Super Rugby Unlocked.
The Pumas will be left jubilated after the performance against the Bulls last weekend as they went down 21-5. After conceding three tries in the first 25 minutes, they managed to keep the Bulls scoreless for the remainder of the game and even managed to emerge as second half victors. The Pumas have been superb as underdogs this year having covered the spread in four of their five fixtures in 2020.
The Sharks aren’t a team that typically puts away minnows by big scores as seen by their most recent performance against the Griquas in Kimberley. Although they should kick off their Currie Cup campaign with a victory, I believe Jimmy Stonehouse will have his chargers well prepared for this fixture. I’ll be taking the Pumas to continue their plucky performances and cover the handicap.
Suggested Bet: Pumas +18.5 at 1.84
Mitre 10 Final: Auckland v Tasman
Saturday 28 November – 7:35
Auckland head back to Eden Park having been the pick of the sides in the Mitre 10 to date. They have recorded five straight win at Eden Park with their only hiccup occurring in Round 2 against an All Black laden Wellington. Auckland have covered four of their last 11 games at home.
Tasman entered the Mitre Cup as tournament favourites but have suffered a mixed season by their standards. Their away form has been disappointing after suffering heavy losses at the hands of North Harbour and Auckland. Tasman have been one of the best defensive sides in the competition and will be hoping to tame the electric Auckland back three led by top try scorer Salesi Rayasi.
It’s interesting to note that Tasman have only been road underdogs once since 2018 which indicates their dominance in the last 24 months. I foresee a closely contested final with home ground advantage proving the difference. The spread seems well placed but I’ll stick to my guns and back Auckland to lift the trophy
Suggested Bet: Auckland -3.5 at 1.80
Value Bet: Auckland 1-12 at 2.65
Tri-Nations: New Zealand v Argentina
Saturday 28 November – 10:45
As the public is aware, New Zealand suffered their first loss against Argentina in 34 attempts a fortnight ago. It’s been an indifferent start to the Foster era with the All Blacks having already recorded 2 losses and a draw in five Tests. The All Blacks will be looking to avoid three consecutive defeats for the first time since John Hart’s All Blacks in 1998. The All Blacks have only covered one of their last four fixtures in Australia.
After 11 consecutive defeats between 2018-2019, Argentina have risen from the ashes in recording upset results against the Trans Tasman countries. Argentina have been great to back against the spread when they play New Zealand having covered four of their last six outings.
Although I don’t expect the South Americans to deliver another upset, they have been given a big headstart in this clash on neutral territory. I’ll be siding with the Pumas to put in a spirited display and cover the 17.5 spread.
Autumn Cup: Wales v England
Saturday 28 November – 18:00
Wales enter this fixture having recorded their first victory in eight attempts as they continue to adjust to life under Wayne Pivac. Interestingly, this is Wales longest losing streak against Tier 1 opposition (excluding Italy) in 10 years. They have proved to be tough to back against the spread with the Welsh only covering six of their last seven outings.
England continued their 2020 form in outclassing an Irish side by 11 points at Twickenham. Despite their impressive defensive efforts, England once again failed to cover the handicap for the sixth time out of seven encounters in 2020. Defence is usually the winner when England plays Wales as the last six head-to-heads have all produced less than 40 points.
England have not beaten Wales by more than 14 points in their last 22 encounters and you have to go back to 2006 to find the last time that this scoreline occurred. Eight of the last 10 meetings between these two sides have been settled by a single digit score.
Wales are in a dark patch but I believe they will have enough motivation to keep this closer than the spread suggests.
Currie Cup: Western Province v Bulls
Saturday 28 November – 19:00
The Stormers rebrand as Western Province as the opening round of Currie Cup kicks off this weekend. The men from the Cape have started to ease into their playing style and put away the Cheetahs by 17 points in their last outing. The Blue and White hoops have had a traditional stronghold over the Bulls in recent years having beaten them in their last six meetings.
The Bulls will be hoping to continue their tournament winning form as they head into the Currie Cup top of the pile after the points carried over from Super Rugby Unlocked. They will be without veteran Morne Steyn for their derby encounter which gives another chance for Chris Smith to build on his impressive form against the Pumas. Smith will be no stranger to Newlands having played most of his junior rugby in the Western Cape for WP and Maties.
The betting predicts a close fixture between these two rivals after their 33 point demolition from the Bulls earlier in the season. Newlands remains a strong venue for the home side and I feel as if sentiment will kick in as they look to see out one of their last fixtures at the stadium.
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