Tackle The Odds: European showdown Challenge & Champions Cup Semi-Finals
Domestic rugby really seems to be thriving at the moment, another high scoring weekend in terms of total points scored but more importantly a weekend of surprises! This bodes well for the European Challenge & Champions Cup!
It’s really exciting to see teams in top form heading into the European Semi Finals. Checkout our previous post to catch up with all the results & highlights from last weekend.
Today we’re writing to you in partnership with 10Bet who are providing the best betting odds for the Rugby Union Market all provided below. In the meantime have a look out for our predictions below. But first! Look who is making their Super Rugby debut for the Crusaders against the Queensland Reds! 🌼
Tipster Record
The Tipster record took a hammering this week with a few upsets coming in. We scored 67% predictions rate which puts our overall success rate all the way down to 70% still above par but not where we want to be. We did put our money where our mouth is and things were looking up for a certain period of time for our accumulator:
Bristol rather ruined our hopes somewhat pulling a rabbit out of the hat in the last minute of the game at welford road. Shoutout to friend of the blog Max Lahiff for his double in the last quarter of the game, good to see him celebrating like a professional too
So onto this weekends fixtures
The Challenge Cup
Brand new battles: Natal Sharks vs Clermont
Have to say, not seen these two teams play eachother before and don’t see a lot of their rugby with the sharks being in the URC & Clermont being towards the bottom end of the Top14 table. As far as form goes, clermont look very patchy indeed and the same could be said for the sharks however we are favouring the sharks here. Their front 5 boasts 3 of the biggest names in the world cup winning South African team alone. The odds have both of these sides the same – no clear favourite at 1.91 either side, you have to think that will change when the Sharks announce their team.
Prem v URC: Gloucester vs Treviso
A really hard challenge to call, Treviso are known now to be a plucky side and will be chomping at the bit for some silverware. Gloucester really struggling in the premiership, placing 2nd last but its hard to compare the standard of the premiership with the uRC. The bookies here are favouring gloucester at 1.44 odds but treviso are serious contenders at 2.75 odds. Treviso really have not been far off the pace in the URC and currently sit in 8th place. We can see Treviso causing an upset here so we are backing the italian Stallions.
The Champions Cup
Wow wow wow, get excited!
A classic rematch: Leinster vs Northampton
Poor quality video above made up for with an emphatic comeback by leinster back in 2011. Very different teams and stories for this match up but it will be a great game to watch with both sides bringing really contrasting rugby to the table. They are also bringing completely different form, Leinster have rested a lot of their big names and as such suffered back to back defeats from their tour in south africa. Northampton, look very lively and a narrow defeat to a great harlequins team on the weekend will not trouble them.
However, this game is being played at the infamous croke park which brings its own history and tenacity to this game, it may look like a leinster win here, who will have all of their big names rested but i just wonder if northampton are building something special here with courtney lawes looking to end his northampton career on some european silverware. the bookies have leinster as huge favourites of course and have northampton at a very generous 6.00. Head says Leinster, heart says Northampton
David & Goliath: Toulouse vs Harlequins
Great teams, playing great rugby, this will be quite the match up. both of these teams like to play fast, the major difference here is just the pedigree that Toulouse can bring off their bench. Harlequins however have this insane ability to pull a win from anywhere in a game even when the chips are down.
i’m not sure there is much point talking about form in this match up because both of these teams have the ability to score 50+ points on their day. Harlequins are flying high in the premiership and toulouse sit comfortably at 2nd in the top14. the bookies have Toulouse as huge favourites here putting Harlequins at 8.50 odds. In all honesty, we see Toulouse winning this match up ending harlequins record european run
Backing Ourselves
We would like to get our record right back on track this weekend, lets see
Challenge Cup
Natal Sharks @1.91, Treviso @2.75
Champions Cup
Northampton @6.00, Toulouse @1.06
Super Rugby
Hurricanes @1.05, Blues @1.13, Moana Pacifica @1.73, Crusaders @1.25, Chiefs @1.03, Brumbies @1.13
Follow along with live scores and odds below
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