Superbru tips: Rebels to upset Lions

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JUANDRE JOUBERT explains his Superbru picks for round five of Vodacom Super Rugby.

A perfect 7/7 in round four finally got me a Grand Slam Point, but to be fair, 63,776 other people also earned one.

Round five won’t be so easy, in fact, it will be one of the most difficult ones, even if there are only six matches.

Here are my predictions:

Chiefs vs Hurricanes:

The Hurricanes haven’t won in Hamilton since 2015, but will be confident of doing so against a Chiefs team that is all over the place and without a win in their first four matches. The Hurricanes are in good form, and Ngani Laumape is scoring tries for fun, so the Canes will take this one.
Hurricanes by 15

Brumbies vs Waratahs

The Brumbies threw away a 16-point lead against the Rebels to lose by three points, while the Waratahs beat the Reds by 11 points at home. With the Brumbies losing the influential David Pocock, I will give this one the Tahs, but only just.
Waratahs by 5

Stormers vs Jaguares

The Stormers, refreshed after a bye in round four, welcome the Jaguares to Newlands on Friday evening. The team from Argentina lost to a young Lions side last weekend and while their big guns are back, I cannot see them troubling the experienced Stormers pack, which has Steven Kitshoff in the front row for the first time this season.
Stormers by 13

Sunwolves vs Reds

A very tough one to start with on Saturday morning. The Sunwolves claimed a famous win in Hamilton before losing to the Blues, while the Reds are still winless after three games. Haydn Parker is back in the starting XV for this one, and he might be the one that gives the Sunwolves the edge.
Sunwolves by 6

Highlanders vs Crusaders

The Crusaders look unstoppable at the moment and have a few regulars back for this clash in Dunedin. The Highlanders are coming off two losses against the Rebels and Hurricanes. I cannot see the Highlanders winning this one, but would not be surprised if they do cause an upset.
Crusaders by 12

Lions vs Rebels

The Lions bounced back after two defeats to get over the line against the Jaguares last time out, while the Rebels are yet to taste defeat and have looked very good in their first three outings. The Lions have selected some inexperienced players in vital positions, which is why I am picking the Rebels to cause an upset.
Rebels by 8

Photo: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

– Joubert is Highbury Media’s digital media manager, who has won the company’s Super Rugby Superbru pool for two years running.

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Juandre Joubert