RaboDirect Pro 12 Rd 8

Fri 2 Nov
Cardiff Blues v Munster     14:05     Pick Munster by 10
MUNSTER face the first of two fixtures in the RaboDirect PRO12 minus the services of nine Irish internationals, when Rob Penney’s side travel to Wales to face the Cardiff Blues this Friday (7.05pm).

As Munster’s Irish stars turn their attention to the upcoming autumn internationals against South Africa, Fiji and Argentina, the remainder of the squad will be aiming to follow up on their bonus point victory over Zebre with another win at the Cardiff Arms Park.

Munster are fifth in the PRO12 table, one spot outside the play-offs, as they face a Cardiff side sure to be still smarting from their 59-22 weekend drubbing at the hands of Leinster.

Rob Penney said: “Losing the internationals is one of the challenges of the competition. But it is also exciting, to bring on as many young players as we can and give them opportunities.
Munster won 24-18. 

Ulster v Edinburgh     14:05     Pick; Ulster by 21. I would probably have picked more if there was guarantee of perfect weather conditions.
Ulster have too many quality foreigners whereas Edinburgh have lost so much local talent to national training camp ahead of next week's Internationals.
Ulster won 45-20

Glasgow Warriors v Newport Gwent Dragons     14:30     Pick Glasgow by 15. Dragons are very thin on the ground with so many good players on International duty. Heck, even with their Internationals they have been shocking.
Glasgow won 37-6
Sat 3 Nov
Connacht Rugby v Benetton Treviso     12:00     Pick Connacht by 5
Connacht won 18-3
Scarlets v Zebre     13:30     Pick Scarlets by 25
Wow sScarlets only got the win in final minutes. In other words they sucked Final score 22-13

Sun 4 Nov
Ospreys v Leinster     Pick Ospreys by 5
Ospreys won 19-10


Well a full house of wins for the first time.

French Top 14 rd 9

All the French Top 14 games are this morning  because it is a public holiday over there.



65] Grenoble v Biarritz     1 Nov 14:10 (local)
1 Nov 08:10 Houston    Biarritz by 3
Actual result Grenoble win 34-21 
[66] Agen v Clermont Auvergne     1 Nov 14:30 (local)
1 Nov 08:30     Clermont Auvergne by 12
Actual result Clermont by 7 18-11
[67] Bayonne v Bordeaux Begles     1 Nov 14:30 (local)
1 Nov 08:30     Bayonne by 10
Actual result Bayonne by 11...22-11final
[68] Castres v Perpignan     1 Nov 14:30 (local)
1 Nov 08:30 )    Castres by 2
Bang on the money. Castres win 38-36
[69] Montpellier v Mont-de-Marsan     1 Nov 14:30 (local)
1 Nov 08:30    Montpellier by 24
Montpellier by 16 ...32-16 final
[70] Toulon v Stade Francais     1 Nov 14:30 (local)
1 Nov 09:30     Toulon by 15
Toulon win by 5....24-19 final
[71] Toulouse v Racing Metro 92     1 Nov 16:15 (local)
1 Nov 10:15  Toulouse by 12
Actual. Toulouse by 19 and win 32-13

The 2nd time is Houston time and after that is my pick with my prediction of the score.
I have to go out until 10am so will miss the first halves.
remember you can catch all the games on vipboxsports.eu and wiziwig.eu

Well all the favs won. Bookies have been on form for a long time. 2 Rounds of Heineken were both a full house for Favs. Most unusual.
I bet against Grenoble as favs and Biarritz had 2 tries to one, but Grenoble had 8 penalties....ridiculous. Obviously ref had a major influence on this game.
Toulon were also worthless winning 24-19 with Johnny Wilkinson scoring all their points from penalties.

French flair my ass.

Good article in 'The Roar' about penalties.
http://www.theroar.com.au/2012/10/25/how-to-fix-the-scourge-of-rugby-penalty-fests/

And another good article worth debating
http://www.theroar.com.au/2012/10/29/does-sport-have-an-obligation-to-be-entertaining/

ITM and Currie Cup Finals

Currie Cup Final
Sat 27 Oct
Sharks v Western Province     10:00am Houston time Live at Big Johns on wilcrest

ITM Cup 2nd Div final
Fri 26 Oct
Counties Manukau v Otago     01:35am   Game over and Counties run away with game at end. They are promoted to championship bracket next year.



Championship Final
Sat 27 Oct
Canterbury v Auckland     01:35am
Game over and Canterbury ended up running away with game 31-18 although at half time it looked like Auckland had the skills and muscle to win. But age and cunning of Canterbury won the day.

Pete picks;
Counties by 5

Sharks for Currie Cup by 5

The competition was trimmed to just six sides this season but retained the top four play-off system, which meant interest was held until the final round. It also meant that a team who had won just half their games can win the trophy, which doesn’t seem quite right.

The Sharks have won their last 4 games and 8/11 overall, with the 3 defeats all occurring on the road. They have won an impressive 43 of the last 47 matches on home soil by an average score of 31-16.

With the introduction of returning Springboks, it can be a bit misleading to look at how the teams have performed earlier in season however it’s worth noting that the Sharks have outscored teams after the break in 8/11 games and by at least 5 points at home so -3 on the 2nd half handicap is a decent option.

The home side has won the last 5 finals

Well Western province prevailed 25-18.

Haven't decided on ITM Championship...its a tough one and there are doubts about injuries to Ccanterbury side, so will need to check line up later.
I eventually decided this would be close but Canterbury has the experience to win by 3.
Game over and....
This game was a tale of 2 halves. Territory and possession were with Auckland. Auckland would feel confident going into half time.
But Canterbury played great and finally won 31-18. In fact it really was worse as Auckland only managed a last try in extra time when Canterbury were already partying. 

Rugby from Europe weekend beginning 26 Oct

French Top 14
Fri 26 Oct
Clermont Auvergne v Biarritz     12:50
   
Sat 27 Oct
Stade Francais v Toulouse     07:00    
Toulon v Bayonne     10:30    
Montpellier v Grenoble     10:30    
Perpignan v Racing Metro 92     10:30    
Agen v Castres     10:30    
Mont-de-Marsan v Bordeaux Begles     10:30    

Rabo Dirct Pro 12
Fri 26 Oct
Newport Gwent Dragons v Ulster     13:05     Played. Ulster massacred Dragons 46-19
Edinburgh v Scarlets     13:35     Edinburgh lost again 28-29
Munster v Zebre     13:45  Munster took a long time to put this to bed and finally win 29-3
   
Sat 27 Oct
Ospreys v Connacht Rugby     08:30    
Benetton Treviso v Glasgow Warriors     12:05  
Leinster v Cardiff Blues     12:30

Aviva Premiership
Fri 26 Oct
Worcester Warriors v Sale Sharks     14:00  Worcester add another nail to Sales coffin and win 23-16
  
Sat 27 Oct
Bath v Exeter Chiefs     08:30    
Northampton Saints v Saracens     09:00    
Gloucester Rugby v Leicester Tigers     10:45
  
Sun 28 Oct
London Irish v Harlequins     08:15    
London Wasps v London Welsh     09:00

Petes picks from top;
Clermont by 8.
Actual  ClermonT 19-12  (by 5)
Stade to beat a weakened Toulouse team....although even a weakened Toulouse team is better than most   by 2 so not too confident.
Actual Stade came good at the end and won 28-24  (by 4)
Toulon on fire to beat a weakened Bayonne by 24
Actual. well Toulon really were on fire winning 59-0
Montpellier to beat Grenoble by 12
Montpellier won 23-6 (by 17)
Perps to bt Racing by 10.
Perps finally won at the death in a hard game 17-13 (by 4)
Castres are a tough bunch and may be just too good for Agen who win most at home. Castres by 5
Castres won 22-14 (by 8)
Mont de Mars has their best chance to date to get some points and will just win by 3
Well Mont had their best chance and fluffed it getting beat 17-12

Ospreys will massacre a weakened Connacht by 24
Ospreys ran away with this as predicted but only 26-9 (by 17)
Treviso are up to full strength whereas Glasgow have some injuries....plus I don't like the way Warriors play. Treviso at home by 2
Treviso lose...maybe Glasgow is getting better. Didn't see the game. Warriors won by 24-13
Leinster at home to beat a jekyll and hyde Blues but only by 5. Blues have an excellent team on paper.
Blues may have an excellent team on paper but they sucked again and lost 59-22

Bath at home will beat Exeter although I really like Chiefs. bath by 3
Bath did win 23-15 (by 8)
Sarries to beat Saints away from home by 5. This is a brave call, but Sarries are just too well organized.
And thuis it came to pass with Sarries winning 16-6
Leicester to bt Gloucester away by 5
Missed the game...must have been good because Cherry and Whites won this 27-21. Maybe Leic have lost some polish

Sundays games...I haven't checked team sheets yet but on the basis of guess I'd say Quinns to narrowly bt Irish away and Wasps at home to bt Welsh by 15

Bledisloe Cup

Preview: Australia v New Zealand

With that world record 18 victories in their sights, the All Blacks go in hunt of moving to within one of that target when they face Australia on Saturday.

Beating the Wallabies this weekend would equal the mark set by the 1969 All Blacks and the Boks of 1998. Lithuania hold the official highest total while Cyprus (15 international wins) will no doubt keep knocking on the door, so New Zealand are not alone in striving for global bragging rights.

Speaking of landmarks, the fixture at Suncorp will see Keven Mealamu make his 100th appearance for his country while Nathan Sharpe will wear the gold for one last time in front of Australian fans on home soil. How the veteran lock will hope it's not to be during their 100th loss to New Zealand.

The Force forward, who recently announced that he would further prolong his international career until after the end-of-year tour, will lace up his boots alongside Sitaleki Timani in a pack that has seen more than its fair share of injuries. This week, it's Saia Faingaa and Ben Alexander.

Injury nightmares have not ended there either as James O'Connor revealed on Thursday that he would not feature on the upcoming tour due to a hamstring issue, which means he joins scrum-half Will Genia and utility-back Berrick Barnes in definitely missing November games against France, England, Italy and Wales. Should their rotten luck continue, a testing winter month in Europe lies in wait.

New Zealand could not be in more of a contrasting state going into this contest, as an unbeaten Rugby Championship and players fit and in form makes theirs a happy camp. They seem settled and even boast the luxury of experimenting instead of changes being forced upon them. In comes tighthead Charlie Faumuina, who has waited patiently for his start while there is one other change of Mealamu in for Andrew Hore as they look for revenge for that 25-20 defeat 14 months ago when the Wallabies won the Tri-Nations.
Sam Whitelock touched on that loss this week so by no means will this just be a warm-down with the Bledisloe Cup already safely locked up for another year, the Kiwis want to make a statement. Can they be beaten? It seems unlikely due to the cohesive unit the All Blacks have become. Steve Hansen is also timing his tweaks perfectly - case in point being the inclusion of Hosea Gear over a much less experienced Julian Savea for their game in Soweto. That move proved inspired as Gear deserved his return, shone and has ultimately retained his place after causing SA a great deal of bother. Savea will get other chances.

Yes, we can say what we like about the Wallabies' injury issues, South Africa's selection arguments and Argentina's rebirth but not enough credit has been paid to Hansen in our opinion. Look back at 2003 and 2007 for a moment and how those English and Springbok teams struggled to remain at the World Cup bar they had set themselves. New Zealand meanwhile have gone about their business post-Graham Henry, with Hansen looking set to lead a group capable of greater standards right up until 2015's main event in England.

Ones to watch:

For Australia: Barring the absence of David Pocock, this looks as close as Australia are going to get to their starting back-row line-up. Wycliff Palu returns on Saturday after a long absence and forms a well-balanced trio alongside the busy Michael Hooper and in-form Scott Higginbotham and Robbie Deans will be hoping they click in quick time. When fully fit, Palu is a destructive and intelligent carrier so one hopes he plays to his potential behind a lock who will be playing his last game on home soil for Australia, Nathan Sharpe.

For New Zealand: Kieran Read and Daniel Carter were quite simply superb against South Africa in Soweto. Carter had his swagger back while Read was his consistent self at the base, despite almost bombing a certain try for Cory Jane before recovering to find Ma'a Nonu on his other shoulder. Carter meanwhile was once again back to his mesmeric as his set-up of Conrad Smith's try from slick hands being one of the highlights from last time out. All Blacks fans and neutrals hope for more displays of simple yet brilliant rugby again.

Head-to-head: We arrive at hooker for this battle as the powerful Tatafu Polota-Nau collides with the man making his 100th Test appearance for the All Blacks, Keven Mealamu. The Blues veteran has been handed the starting spot on Saturday and will be only the third All Black to reach the distinguished milestone, following captain Richie McCaw and full-back Mils Muliaina who made their 100th appearances during last year's successful Rugby World Cup. Polota-Nau and Mealamu know each other's games well but that shouldn't take anything away from their battle. On the other end of the scale, two players who have never faced each other on the international stage, Nick Cummins and Hosea Gear, clash on the wing. Both are high-impact entertainers which bodes well for a decent scrap this Saturday.

Recent results:

2012: New Zealand won 22-0 in Auckland
2012: New Zealand won 27-19 in Sydney
2011: New Zealand won 20-6 in Auckland
2011: Australia won 25-20 in Brisbane
2011: New Zealand won 30-14 in Auckland
2010: Australia won 26-24 in Hong Kong
2010: New Zealand won 23-22 in Sydney
2010: New Zealand won 20-10 in Christchurch
2010: New Zealand won 49-28 in Melbourne
2009: New Zealand won 32-19 in Tokyo

Prediction: Australia are an unprecedented 7/1 to win at home. New Zealand by 15!

The teams:

Australia: 15 Mike Harris, 14 Nick Cummins, 13 Ben Tapuai, 12 Pat McCabe, 11 Adam Ashley-Cooper, 10 Kurtley Beale, 9 Nick Phipps, 8 Wycliff Palu, 7 Michael Hooper, 6 Scott Higginbotham, 5 Nathan Sharpe (c), 4 Sitaleki Timani, 3 James Slipper, 2 Tatafu Polota Nau, 1 Benn Robinson.
Replacements: 16 James Hanson, 17 Sekope Kepu, 18 Kane Douglas, 19 Dave Dennis, 20 Liam Gill, 21 Brett Sheehan, 22 Drew Mitchell.

New Zealand: 15 Israel Dagg, 14 Cory Jane, 13 Conrad Smith, 12 Ma'a Nonu, 11 Hosea Gear, 10 Daniel Carter, 9 Aaron Smith, 8 Kieran Read, 7 Richie McCaw (c), 6 Liam Messam, 5 Sam Whitelock, 4 Brodie Retallick, 3 Charlie Faumuina, 2 Keven Mealamu, 1 Tony Woodcock.
Replacements: 16 Andrew Hore, 17 Owen Franks, 18 Luke Romano, 19 Victor Vito, 20 Piri Weepu, 21 Aaron Cruden, 22 Ben Smith.

Date: Saturday, October 20
Venue: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Kick-off: 20:00 (10:00 GMT)
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)
Assistant referees: Jaco Peyper (South Africa), Lourens van der Merwe (South Africa)
TMO: Matt Goddard (Australia)
Pete says;
 The Wallabies are playing for pride as they attempt to deny the All Blacks their 17th consecutive test rugby win and their 100th test match win over the hosts on Saturday night in Brisbane.  Is there a chance that the All Blacks who have already locked the Rugby Championship and Bledisloe Cup trophies in the cabinet for a season could get complacent and take the injury depleted Wallabies lightly?  People forget that the Wallabies finished second in the Rugby Championship and were the last team to beat the All Blacks when they last met in Brisbane. 
ABs by 24

Currie Cup Semi Finals

Sat 20 Oct
Sharks v Blue Bulls    Sat 20 Oct 16:30 (local) 09:30 Houston
Lions v Western Province    19:30 (local) 12:30 Houston
I like Sharks by 5 and WP with all their Boks back by 3. Lions are one hell of a team but I just cannot see them overcome so many returning Bok.

Preview: The Sharks v Blue Bulls

Last year's runners-up, the Sharks, host the Blue Bulls in what promises to be an explosive Currie Cup semi-final in Durban on Saturday.

Both teams head into this clash on the back of good form after registering impressive results last weekend. The Sharks thrashed Griquas 42-3 to finish in pole position on the tournament table and the Bulls claimed a morale-boosting 50-29 victory over the Golden Lions which galvanised their season.
That win for the Pretoria outfit has made a big difference to their season as a defeat could have meant that they had to play in the promotion/relegation match with the EP Kings on Friday.
Sharks coach John Plumtree knows that the Bulls' triumph over the Lions make them a dangerous side and he expects a tough assignment this weekend.
"The Bulls did well to beat the Lions, it's never easy to win at Coca Cola Park," he said.
"They did a really good job there. They had a relegation gun pointing at their heads, which is different to our situation.
"Hopefully what we decide in terms of selection and how we integrate the players back into the side will benefit the team and then ultimately we can win the trophy - that's what we all want."
After a long and strenuous season Plumtree knows that his side will have to be at the their best over the next two weeks in their chase for honours.
"There is so much to look forward to, so much work has been done and lots of rugby has been played," he said.
"We know what we're coming up against, a very hungry Bulls side looking to prove a point. It's been a tough year, there are four teams who can finish their season on a high and all four will be talking about that."
Blue Bulls captain Dewald Potgieter believes his team have turned the corner after experiencing several lows this season and he is confident they can upset the hosts in the 'Shark Tank'
Potgieter said the fact that several of the Bulls players have won the Currie Cup before will prove valuable this weekend.
"We know what a special effort will be needed to go all the way," he said.
"We have been with our back against the walls for long spells this season, but responded every time, which is typical of the characters you find in this squad.
"They won't quit and that will be the mind-set again this weekend against a team that is well respected, but not unbeatable."
Players to watch:
For Sharks: Flanker Marcell Coetzee was one of the Sharks' most impressive players over the entire Super Rugby season, earning him a Bok jersey. He works tirelessly on defence and attack, enjoys the physical nature of the game and thrives in the foraging role. Against a side like the Bulls that latter part of his game could be a defining factor in this encounter.
For Blue Bulls: Springbok speedster Bjorn Basson is one of the leading finishers in rugby and seldom wastes a try-scoring opportunity. Another string to his bow is his aerial ability as he seldom loses the battle when competing for up-and-unders which is one of the main features of the Bulls' game-plan. After spending a large part of the season on the sidelines due to injury, Basson will be keen to impress. Don't bet against him doing just that.
Head-to-head: The battle between Sharks pivot Pat Lambie and Blue Bulls counterpart Morne Steyn could play a significant role in determining who should start in the position for the Springboks during their upcoming November internationals in Europe. Steyn was the man in possession at the start of the international season but was dropped by Bok coach Heyneke Meyer during the latter stages of the Rugby Championship. Lambie, although part of Meyer's squad throughout the year saw little game-time with his appearances restricted to cameo roles. Both will be keen to prove that they should start for the Boks and their battle should make for riveting viewing.
Previous results (2012):
September 28: Sharks won 13-12 in Durban
August 25: Blue Bulls won 42-31 in Pretoria
Prediction: It's one of the oldest clichés in the game but with several Springboks in both starting packs, as well as on the bench, the team that wins the forward battle will be triumphant. The home side, however, can call on seasoned internationals like Beast Mtawarira and Willem Alberts which will be crucial as the game progresses. Sharks to win by six points!
The teams:
Sharks: 15 Louis Ludik, 14 JP Pietersen, 13 Paul Jordaan, 12 Tim Whitehead, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Pat Lambie, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Keegan Daniel (c), 7 Jean Deysel, 6 Marcell Coetzee, 5 Anton Bresler, 4 Jandre Marais, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Kyle Cooper, 1 Dale Chadwick.
Replacements: 16 Craig Burden, 17 Tendai Mtawarira, 18 Wiehahn Herbst, 19 Steven Sykes/Peet Marais, 20 Willem Alberts, 21 Charl McLeod, 22 Meyer Bosman.
Blue Bulls: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Akona Ndungane, 13 JJ Engelbrecht, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Bjorn Basson, 10 Mornè Steyn, 9 Jano Vermaak, 8 Arno Botha, 7 Jacques Potgieter, 6 Dewald Potgieter (c), 5 Flip van der Merwe, 4 Juandrè Kruger, 3 Werner Kruger, 2 Willie Wepener, 1 Mornè Mellett.
Replacements: 16 Chiliboy Ralepelle, 17 Frik Kirsten, 18 Wilhelm Steenkamp, 19 CJ Stander, 20 Francois Hougaard, 21 Louis Fouchè, 22 Dean Greyling.

Amlin Cup Rd 2

Thur 18 Oct
Gloucester Rugby v Bordeaux Begles      19:45 (local) 13:45 Houston
Game over. I had Glaws by 21 and they were in the lead by 19 until last minute. Glaws win 25-13
Agen v Bath    20:45 (local) 13:45 Houston
I had Bath by 15. But as usual Bath played pitifully and only managed to finally comeout on top in last minutes. Bath are just so one dimensional, and they have such strong backs.
Agen 22-27 Bath

Sat 20 Oct
I Cavalieri Prato v London Welsh    14:00 (local) 07:00 Houston Pete says Welsh by 18

Bucharest Wolves v Calvisano     15:00 (local) 08:00 Houston   This is a tough one as there is no commentary on either team from last week and we couldn't even watch the teams last week. I'll go with bookies and hope they have Calvisano correct as Fav and I'll take them by 2. Bucuresti are usually tough at home. And these are 2 bum teams who only get together for this cup.

London Irish vs Mont-de-Marsan  15:00 (local)  09:00 Houston Irish should have too much class in backs and will win by no more than 12

Worcester Warriors v Rugby Rovigo    15:00 (local) 09:00 Houston
Worcester are going gang bang and at home should beat these mostly part timers by 32

Perpignan v Gernika RT    19:00 (local)  12:00 Houston
Stade Francais v Grenoble     21:00 (local) 14:00 Houston
Newport Gwent Dragons v Bayonne    20:10 (local)  14:10 Houston

Sun 21 Oct
Rugby Mogliano v London Wasps 14:30 (local)  07:30 Houston