Super Rugby / Editor / 30 June 2011 / Leave a comment Bet Now

Matthew Burke has a feeling the Blues will have a case of the mean Reds in this round of the Super Rugby.

Reds v Blues

True to their name, this could be a blue night for the team from Auckland.

Their win over the Waratahs a week ago wasn't the most convincing of games, although they did enough against what was an injury-laden team who offered minimal in attack and only occasionally put them under stress.

Luckily, the get the return of one of their try-scoring machines, Rene Ranger.

Against the Reds, however, they wont be afforded the same luxury as last weekend, and will find themselves attacked at every chance through the forwards to gain ascendency, with the Reds then releasing the ball to the likes of Genia and Cooper to control the waves of attack.

Rested up from finishing on top of the table, and with the some big-name players like Robinson and Ioane returning from injury, the Reds will have too much for a Blues team who have showed spirit in games but largely produced mediocre performances over the last two months.

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Stormers v Crusaders
Newlands is one of the best grounds to play at in the world, but intimidating - you get absolutely no support, except from your boys sitting on the bench.

However, despite the 45,000 screaming Stormers fans who will be present this week, the Crusaders will have enough skill, calm and big-match temperament to overcome a hostile crowd and team.

The Stormers come into this game with one of the best defences, but I question whether they will have the same potency in attack as the Crusaders. The last outing at Newlands went the way of the Cantabrians even, with a host of stars missing. This is as close to a full compliment as possible for the Crusaders, including talismanic skipper Richie McCaw, back from a month-long layoff.

The Stormers will rely on their home ground advantage and hope that the travel and fatigue will be a factor in the back of the game. Led by inspirational captain Schalk Burger, they will look to the likes of Habana, De Villiers and Fourie to make their mark in attack and set them up for a win.

The Crusaders have dealt with so much adversity this year, and this weekend is another step along the journey.

CLICK HERE FOR THE MATCH ODDS.