After Super Round certainly lived up to its moniker, producing a whopping 69 points per game average in Melbourne last weekend, teams return to their preferred home grounds in Round 3.
The Fijian Drua will take their home game against the Crusaders to Churchill Park in front of what should be a vocal crowd to kick off a massive Saturday of action.
Following that contest we have a pair of blockbuster battles with the Hurricanes hosting the Blues, then the Reds travelling to Canberra to take on the Brumbies.
We’ve got you covered below with our Super Rugby Pacific Round 3 previews and best bets so read on and see who we are backing.
Through two weeks the Chiefs have been far and away the most impressive side in the Super Rugby competition, recording big wins against the Crusaders in Christchurch and Moana Pasifika in Melbourne.
Now they prepare for the bottom of the table Highlanders who have given up 112 points across their first two defeats against the Blues and Crusaders.
If that doesn’t explain the logic behind the $1.02 head to head price on the Chiefs and -22.5 line the nothing will.
That is a huge handicap to put on the Chiefs but the Highlanders have been nothing short of atrocious thus far and I am happy to take them on again, especially if they continue to give up 56 points per game.
Back the Chiefs to Cover -22.5 @ $1.83
Despite starting their season with back to back losses, the Rebels have shown enough in those two games to not be completely scared off their prospects this year.
They went down by seven points in the west in Round 1 before a stirring comeback fell just short against the Hurricanes at AAMI Park last Friday.
As for the Waratahs, they got off to a slow start against the Drua, going into the break with scores level at 10-10 before cruising home for a 46-17 in their first victory of the season.
Recent history actually favours the Rebels, who have won four of the last six meetings between the teams, but through two weeks the Waratahs have looked like the better side.
It will not be a blowout and this is the game that is worth dipping into the winning margin market, backing the visitors to eke out a hard fought victory.
Back the Waratahs by 1-12 Points @ 2.88
As good of an occasion as it will be, seeing the Drua playing their first home game of the season in Fiji, it’s tough to see the final scoreline being all that friendly to the hosts.
So long as the version of the Crusaders that belted the Highlanders 52-15 last year makes the trip over the Pacific, the margin of victory could blow out.
Even if the Drua can bring the intensity to rattle their Kiwi opponents, as we saw them do against the last Waratahs last week, they just cannot maintain it over 80 minutes.
It might be close early on but the Crusaders class will eventually show and they should win this game by a lot more than the -23.5 point line.
Back the Crusaders to Cover -23.5 @ $1.91
If this Hurricanes side is for real, a home game against a Blues team desperate for a response is the perfect opportunity to prove that they are a legitimate contender in 2023.
They will have to play this game without the suspended Ardie Savea after his brain fade against the Rebels earned him a week off.
He is going to be a big absence for the Hurricanes and the Blues will be eager to show that their 20-25 loss to the Brumbies last week as an aberration and they were closer to the team that put up 60 on the Highlanders in Round 1.
The market is clearly expecting the Blues to be closer to that opening round team, with the visitors a slight favourite and that’s what I am going to back as well.
Back the Blues to Cover -3.5 @ $1.91
It might have come against an out of sorts Force team, but any time a Super Rugby side puts up 71 points you have to stand up and take notice.
As bad as the Reds were closing out their first game, they were utterly ruthless in Melbourne and Brad Thorn will be hoping that is a sign of progress for his team.
They have won four of their last five against the Brumbies, but the home team will be brimming with confidence following a determined win over the Blues last weekend to continue their perfect start to the season.
Since the start of the 2020 Super Rugby season, seven of the nine games between these teams have been decided by a margin of four points or less and there is every reason to expect a similar outcome here.
The Brumbies have looked like a slightly better team through two games and if they can keep the game tight, they have the closers to get a hard fought win.
Back the Brumbies to Win by 1-12 Points @ $3.10
Moana Pasifika will have their moments in Super Rugby Pacific this season, but one of those moments won’t come in Round 3 when they take the long flight to Perth.
At home in front of their supporters, the Force are a very different side to the one that had no answers against the Reds in Melbourne.
Last May they took care of Moana Pasifika by 20 points when they met in Auckland and the Force were chasing a finals spot.
Now in Perth, it’s tough to imagine the visitors will travel that strongly and this line should be more than comfortable for the Force.
Back Western Force to Cover -5.5 @ $1.80