2023 Super Rugby Round 7 Preview

The middle portion of the 2023 Super Rugby Pacific season kicks off with a light weekend of action as the bye weeks commence.

Only eight teams are in action with the Drua, Blues, Rebels and Chiefs receiving the Easter weekend off.

That means there will be an unbeaten team for at least another week while the last remaining winless side Moana Pasifika faces a tough task when they take on the Crusaders on Good Friday.

We’ve got our Super Rugby previews and best bets below so read on and see who we are backing.

Let’s keep this nice and simple, any line below 50 points in favour of the Crusaders will have me backing the home team.

Scott Robertson’s side were well below their best in Brisbane on Friday night, but they still comfortably accounted for an out of sorts Reds team.

If they can improve even in the slightest, this game could be over by halftime.

Moana Pasifika just do not seem to be able to get things together this season, despite playing the Highlanders close in the first half, they fell apart and wound up losing by 28 points.

This is not going to be close and if the Crusaders win by less than 30, then it could be panic stations in the stands of Orangetheory Stadium.

Back the Crusaders to Cover -28.5 @ $1.83

It has been a rough start to the season for the Reds with just two wins through six games and only one convincing performance in that time as well.

Brad Thorn’s side continues to struggle with discipline and execution, however if there is one opponent that will bring the best out of them, it’s the Brumbies.

In this rivalry, the home side has won 16 of the last 17 games between the two teams dating back to 2016, which makes the Reds an intriguing proposition.

Thorn has rung the changes with his side looking for a response and we might just get one here.

Back the Reds to Win @ $2.40

No team has been more entertaining to watch this season than the Hurricanes, who are far and away the best attacking side in the competition.

Across six games, they have scored 243 points, well clear of the Crusaders and Brumbies who are second and third in that category with 199 and 198 points respectively.

While the Highlanders might have found their footing over the last three weeks after a horror start to their campaign, It seems awfully unlikely they are going to have the capacity to keep pace.

Look for the Hurricanes to jump out to a fast start and go on with the job.

Back the Hurricanes to Cover -8.5 @ $1.91

If you just go off the recent form lines, the Blues and Rebels have had the exact same run of results in their last three outings.

However context is very important when you consider the Blues two defeats have come at the hands of the Crusaders and Chiefs, while the Rebels have gone down to the Chiefs and much more concerningly, the Fijian Drua.

Last week the Rebels were never really in that game, scoring two late tries to make the final scoreline a bit more respectable.

It looks like we might be in for some more one-way traffic, however the Blues might not let up the way the Drua did.

Back the Blues to Cover -15.5 @ $1.91