The Bulls call this phase 3! Watch as they seriously step up their campaign!

The Stormers and Reds are possibly the 2 form sides, and face each other in what should be a mouth watering clash in Brisbane. The Stormers appear to be touring the best of all the sides so far this year and I believe they’ve adjusted their schedule intelligently to perform well at a venue South Africans struggle with.

The Waratahs-Brumbies clash will also dent the hopes of one of those sides and could lead to a log jam for the final spot in the semis.

Chiefs v Cheetahs – Rugby Stadium, Hamilton

The Cheetahs will be ecstatic to welcome inspirational captain Juan Smith back, but even Smith won’t be able to save this Cheetahs side.

The only question is how will the Chiefs play, and how many will they win by? Or if you wanted to watch an

Chiefs by 19.

Reds v Stormers – Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

This promises to be a titanic clash. The weather has been wet in Brisbane, but should be fine for match day.

The loss of van Humphries could be immense for the Reds. Although he’s not a stand out player, I believe he leads the pack (his previous relationship under Ewen McKenzie at the Waratahs is where it probably stems from). The Stormers have certainly dominated in this area in recent weeks, and are in fine form so I expect this to continue.

This should allow the Stormers backs more time and space to operate from and they should be able to hit the Reds behind the advantage line. Whereas against the Bulls the Reds were able to run laterally first and then still get over the gain line, against the Stormers if they get nailed before going forward they’ll be made to pay.

It’s time to take the Aussies down a peg or ten!

Stormers by 15.

Force v Crusaders – Perth

The Crusaders have not hit top gear but find themselves in top position. It’s not something they’ll want to give up easily, and they don’t have the greatest record in Perth.

The Crusaders should be too strong all around the paddock for a Force side which lacks depth but tries hard. From a South African perspective it’d be great to see the Force win this win, or even stop the bonus point, but logic say’s the Crusaders should win by plenty.

Crusaders by 15.

Highlanders v Hurricanes – Carisbrook, Dunedin

The Hurricanes now find themselves in a desperate situation and will probably miss out on the semis. They should be too strong for the Highlanders, but these derby games have a habit of being close.

Hurricanes by 8.

Waratahs v Brumbies – Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney

Thankfully one of these sides will lose. There is not much to choose between the sides with both teams possessing solid forwards, and backlines that have not been able to provide a lot of penetration.

Could go either way, but because the Waratahs often win tight games I’ll say Waratahs by 6.

Bulls v Lions – Loftus, Pretoria

Time for the Bulls to regain confidence, form and their title!

The Bulls will relish being back at Loftus, whilst the Lions are too inconsistent to provide too much of a challenge.
It’s time for the Bulls to regain greater width on attack, use crisper passing and score more tries like the first few weeks of the competition.

If you look at the last few years, the Bulls have always performed their best once returning from the overseas tour. Even last year I was disappointed with their form on tour, but by the final they had peaked to produce one of the most emphatic performances in Super rugby history.

Go Bulle Go! Bulls by 27.

Sharks v Blues – ABSA Stadium, Durban

The Blues had a good week last week, so it must be there turn to play poorly again. The Sharks meanwhile still think they can sneak into the semi-finals.

Striving for that 4 try bonus point and the inability to put together an 80 minute performance leave me feeling that this could still be a tight game. The Sharks don’t perform well with expectation, and their recent run of victories now gives their fan new hope.

I have a feeling this game depends more on the Blues than the Sharks. If the Blues minimise errors and play to their strengths they should win. However if they play like they have been every second week, they’ll lose.

Sharks by 8.