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Brendan Moran
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Free rugby tips, best bets and analysis for Saturday’s United Rugby Championship final.
Table of Contents
where to see
Premier Sports 1, 6.30pm Saturday
best bid
bulls to raise trophy
1pt 11-8 hill
Advised by Chris Rivers
The Stormers win the United Rugby Championship final
1 point per stretch 15-2 3rd of July
game preview
When four South African super rugby teams joined Pro14 to kick off the United Rugby Championship in September, it was felt it would take a while for the newcomers to take root.
But in the first season we have an all-South African final in Cape Town and three of those teams will be in the European Champions Cup next season.
The schedule was against them from the start due to their unavailable caps and being unaccustomed to playing in Europe, and in the first four rounds of the season South African teams won four of their 16 games.
However, by spring and back on home soil, those same four sides lost just two of their last 16 regular-season games.
The Stormers finished second and held home ground in the playoffs, but the Bulls clinched the biggest win, beating Leinster – champions for the last four years – in Dublin.
The bets are that the finals will be just as close as they were when the teams met throughout the season.
The Stormers have won their last ten games, the Bulls ten of their last eleven and that one loss came against tonight’s opponents.
It ended 30-26 for the Stormers when the teams met in Pretoria in January and they followed that up with a 19-17 win on home soil in Cape Town in April.
The Stormers were tapped by Racing Post Sport’s Chris Rivers early in the playoffs with a big 15-2 either way, and they’ve already fulfilled the place part. But given the tightness expected and the signs of the last two games, the value of the day could lie with the underdogs.
Top tryscorer Leolin Zas picked up an injury in Stormers’ semi-final win over Ulster and will not feature, while fly-half Manie Libbok struggled with his kicking in the game and missed his first two attempts to convert.
Counter number Chris Smith has been solid and dependable for the Bulls and this final could end up nailing chances, especially with rain forecast.
Both teams have strong packs and fighting forward will be key for sure. Given the rivalry between these teams, the game looks set to be played as another hard-fought derby.
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FIRST PUBLICATION ON JUNE 17, 2022 AT 4:54 PM