Superbru tips: Lions to win, Sharks to lose

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After going 5/7 in round 12, JUANDRE JOUBERT explains his Superbru picks for round 13 of Vodacom Super Rugby.

After the Sharks proved me horribly wrong to start round 12, I recovered well and ended up getting 5/7 to earn seven points, thanks to four margin points.

The draws in Christchurch and Dunedin are the only two games where I got nothing.

Round 13 looks as follows:

Blues v Hurricanes

A tasty NZ derby to start off the round as the Hurricanes travel to Auckland. The Canes are on a four-match winning run and haven’t lost to the Blues since 2014. The Blues have lost three in a row, and I think this will become four as the Hurricanes will be too strong for them.
Hurricanes by 10

Rebels v Reds

The second match of the round gets under way in Melbourne as the Rebels host the Reds. The Rebels will be desperate to break their three-match losing run, while the Reds want to continue their surge in the Australian conference. This is a very tough one to call, but I am going with the home side.
Rebels by 6

Bulls v Crusaders

Friday’s final match takes place at Loftus as the Bulls play host to the Crusaders. I backed the Crusaders by plenty against the Sharks and we all know how that turned out. The Bulls scraped past the Waratahs and will have to put in a much-improved performance in order to avoid a hammering against another NZ side. The Crusaders have recalled some of their big guns. My heart says Bulls, but I will have to go with my head here…
Crusaders by 10

Highlanders v Jaguares

The Jaguares are very much in the running to to claim top spot in the Southern African conference, and a victory against the Highlanders will put them in strong position to do just that. The Highlanders’ draw against the Chiefs came at a heavy price, as Ben Smith suffered an injury that ruled him out for eight weeks. The Jaguares could cause an upset here, but I am going to play it safe and pick the home side to sneak a win.
Highlanders by 4

Chiefs v Sharks

The Sharks came very close to doing the unthinkable and almost defeated the Crusaders at Christchurch, they had to settle for a draw in the end. The Chiefs fought back from 16 points to also end up with a draw against the Highlanders. Another tight one, so I am picking the home side.
Chiefs by 6

Lions v Waratahs

The Lions are back at home and refreshed after their bye in round 12. Warren Whiteley is back and his presence will make a huge difference. The Waratahs looked poor against the Bulls. The Lions have won the last four encounters against the Tahs, and will make it five in a row on Saturday.
Lions by 10

Brumbies v Sunwolves

Does anyone really care what happens in this game? Check out the SA Rugby magazine Facebook page or website to see what the final result was, but I reckon the Brumbies will cruise to victory.
Brumbies by 15.

– 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