Super Rugby: Strong-willed Sharks to take Title
It's Grand Final time in the Super Rugby, and if Matt Burke doesn't mind saying, he's taking some white hot form into the big dance.
I hope you all followed me into the Chiefs and Sharks last weekend at some juicy odds, and here's hoping I can lead you into some more money come Saturday night.
The Chiefs have the advantage of playing host, and with all the talk of a fairy tale finish to Sonny Bill Williams' Super Rugby career, this has all the makings to be a memorable occasion for the Kiwi outfit.
There's been plenty of talk as to whether the game should have been taken to Eden Park but I think staying at Waikato Stadium is the right call. It won't make a difference where it's played; they'll come from miles to see this one.
The combination of Aaron Cruden and Sonny Bill Williams in the 10 & 12 positions has been a remarkable success for the Chiefs. They lost the last two games in the regular season, and I said in the week leading into the finals that they would need something special to go all the way...and in those two men they have found it.
For the Sharks it's pretty simple: if they bring the aggression and discipline that has been on display this past month they are going to be damn hard to beat. Their ability to play at breakneck speed makes them hard to stop defensively and their ability to match their opponents physically makes them a difficult proposition to penetrate offensively.
JP Peterson and Frederic Michalak were outstanding last week and the Du Plessis brothers paired with 'The Beast' Tendai Mtawarira have been decimating scrums.
Now, I know they're playing away from home, and when the heat is on in the big games the home-crowd advantage can come in to play, but trust me, this Sharks outfit are strong-willed and I don't think a little over-the-fence trash talking is going to distract them from getting the chocolates.
Unfortunately for Sonny Bill and the Chiefs, I think it's going to be a nightmare ending for what has been a golden period for him in Rugby Union.
Best Bets @ Betfair
Sharks in a tight one and Freddy Michalak to be the man who drives it home.

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