Sports Blog 17/07/2018: Super Rugby Preview – Qualifiers, Friday 20th & Saturday 21st July 2018

With the qualifiers this weekend, who will make it to the 2018 Super Rugby semi-finals?

Far and away the favourites are defending champions the Crusaders, at an Outright Index spread of 40-43 – where the overall winners get 50 points, the runners-up 30 points, losing semi-finalists 20 points and losing quarter-finalists 10 points – alongside a fixed odds price of 4/9. They comfortably topped the New Zealand Conference, with a 12 points lead over the Hurricanes after securing 14 wins and just 2 losses.



They take on the Sharks, who came 3rd in the South African Conference and just squeaked a place in the qualifiers thanks to having a superior points difference over Australia’s Rebels, this Saturday in Christchurch. The Sharks, unsurprisingly, are the least fancied side out of the final 8, and have a lowly Outright Index spread of 10-11.5. As for the match itself, Spreadex are offering a one-sided Crusaders/Sharks Points Supremacy spread of 21-24.

The qualifiers actually kick-off on Friday, when New Zealand runners-up take on their fellow Kiwi Conference buds the Chiefs in Wellington. At Outright Index spreads of 20-23 and 14-17 respectively, the teams have already met twice this season, with the honours shared; the Hurricanes won 25-13 at the Westpac Stadium back in April, only for the Chiefs to come out the FMG Stadium with a 28-24 victory in the final round last week. Despite the Waikato side having the more recent win, Spreadex are offering a Hurricanes/Chiefs Point Supremacy spread of 4-7.

Moving back to Saturday and Australian Conference champs the New South Wales Waratahs face the Highlanders in Sydney. The Waratahs, who failed to reach this point last season, sit at an Outright Index spread of just 15-18, easily the worst of the 3 conference winners. In contrast the Highlanders are at 16-19, despite coming 4th in the New Zealand Conference. The Dunedin side also have the edge heading into the weekend, with Spreadex offering a tight Highlanders/Waratahs (h) Points Supremacy spread of 1-4.

Finally, South African Conference leaders the Lions grapple with Argentina’s Jaguares in Johannesburg. The Lions may be 2nd favourites behind the Crusaders, but there’s a big gap between the 2, with 2017’s beaten finalists at an Outright Index spread of 24-27 alongside a fixed odds price of 9/1. They should have too many problems at the weekend, however, with Spreadex offering a Lions/Jaguares Points Supremacy spread of 9-12.