Super Rugby tips: round two early Saturday match betting preview

Brumbies v Chiefs

Sky Sports Action, 8.45am Saturday

The Brumbies and Chiefs both suffered Super Rugby first-round losses and while bookmakers are probably right to make the Waikato men odds-on to bounce back and beat the ACT outfit for a fifth successive game, the hosts appeal with an eight-point handicap start.

The Gio Stadium is not the fortress it was, and Wallabies ace David Pocock is sidelined with a head injury sustained in the 34-27 Canberra reverse to the Rebels.

However, the Brumbies are still rarely out of sorts for two games in a row in front of their own fans. Last year, while they lost four home matches, they were only beaten by more than 12 points by the champion Crusaders.

All Blacks Brodie Retallick and Damian McKenzie return for the Chiefs, who lost 30-27 at home to the now two-from-two Highlanders last week, but while they are a lively outfit in all areas, they are far from the finished article.

Recommendation
Brumbies +8
1pt 10-11 Betfair, Paddy Power, Sky Bet

Crusaders v Hurricanes

Sky Sports Action, 6.35am Saturday

All Blacks aces Beauden Barrett and Ardie Savea are missing but the wager that appeals most when New Zealand's current top two teams clash for a first time this campaign in Christchurch, is the Hurricanes with a start of 11 from the Crusaders.

The Canes still name five All Blacks in their run-on side, including a first start in two years for talisman hooker Dane Coles, and head coach John Plumtree has held back two more big guns, TJ Perenara and Ngani Laumape, for bench duties.

They may well have sneaked their 20-19 win at the Waratahs last Saturday but they did so without honeymooning kingpin fly-half Barrett, the 2016 and 2017 world player of the year. And Plumtree was clearly sufficiently impressed by tryscoring rookie flanker Du’Plessis Kirifi not to risk senior openside flanker Savea, who picked up a knee strain in Sydney.

The Crusaders, who boast nine All Blacks in their starting 15, also edged an away win last Saturday at the Blues but their play was scratchy surprisingly often at Eden Park.

It is hard to argue with the power and precision of 20 straight home wins and last year's start of back-to-back cosy home wins over the Chiefs and Stormers. But the Crusaders traditionally take a few matches to get into their stride when the opposition are determined to pick up at least a losing bonus point and are not troubled by injuries.

The Canes have won the teams' last three meetings before week eight of the competition.

Recommendation
Hurricanes +11
1pt 10-11 general

Sunwolves v Waratahs

Sky Sports Arena, 4.30am Saturday

A bad Bernard Foley penalty miss was the difference between defeat and victory for the Waratahs in round one at home to the Hurricanes but any Tahs errors off the tee shouldn't matter too much in Tokyo. Take the Sydney franchise to give up 20 points.

The Tahs have scored 57, 50 and 77 points in their three previous meetings with the Sunwolves and the hosts were hammered 45-10 by the Sharks in Singapore last Saturday.