Predictions: Lions and Super Rugby

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Super Rugby is back this weekend to join the second Test of the British & Irish Lions series and also two 2019 Rugby World Cup qualifiers.

Four games take place in the southern hemisphere competition and it kicks off in Durban where the Sharks host the Bulls in a derby match.

But there’s no doubt which is the big game taking place this weekend as the All Blacks and Lions collide in a series defining showdown.

New Zealand v British & Irish Lions

The first Test finished 30-15 and we predict a similar winning margin for the All Blacks on Saturday, despite the dismal weather conditions.

Beauden Barrett will relish being on his home ground and we have already seen the damage Rieko Ioane and Waisake Naholo have inflicted on the Lions so far this tour. Expect this trio to have an impact in Wellington and it wouldn’t surprise if all of them picked up crossings.

The Lions have opted for two playmakers at 10 and 12 and while Owen Farrell is a solid defender, unlike Ben Te’o he won’t drive his side over the gainline with carries. Te’o has every right to feel aggrieved at being benched as the visitors go for speed over bulk this weekend.

Westpac Stadium is a large pitch though and maybe this gamble from Warren Gatland is a wise one as we saw last week that when a chance was there, Te’o slipped when straightening instead of firing the ball out to the right where the visitors had the opportunity to score.

Furthermore with a wet ball and surface, putting boot to ball behind Naholo and Ioane is going to be a tactic employed by the Lions, with the hosts also expected to play a territorial game when possible. That doesn’t mean though this match will be low on entertainment as New Zealand, as we’ve seen already, can sniff out lapses and will hurt the Lions if they’re not watertight in all facets of their game.

In summary the match could well follow the route of the first Test as we see the All Blacks pulling away in the second-half. New Zealand by 15.

Cheetahs v Stormers

The Stormers have won the last four meetings between these two sides and should have the measure of them again, despite this match taking place in Bloemfontein. This though will be a much closer clash than the previous one – a 53-10 win for the Stormers in Cape Town – but we still expect this week’s visitors to run out as winners as the promising Damian Willemse makes his run-on debut. Stormers to win by 10 points.

Other Super Rugby predictions:

Sharks v Bulls: Sharks by 10
Jaguares v Kings: Jaguares by 5
Lions v Sunwolves: Lions by 20

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