2025 Super Rugby Quarter-Finals Preview

Five teams have seen their seasons come to a close and two more will be sent packing after the Super Rugby Quarter Finals this weekend.

Two Aussie teams are still flying the flag on this side of the Tasman with the Reds and Brumbies still alive alongside the four remaining New Zealand sides.

This year we also have the introduction of a second chance where the highest ranked losing side will get a lifeline into next week’s Semi Finals.

It’s great news for one of the Chiefs, Crusaders, Brumbies and Hurricanes with one of those sides set to benefit from this tweak.

Let’s get to our previews and best bets for the three games set to take place this Friday and Saturday.

With nothing to play for by the time their Round 16 game kicked off, it would have been easy for the Reds to pack it in against the Drua and into go full injury prevention mode.

Instead they showcased their attacking prowess and produced their best display of the season, scoring 52 points and recording their biggest win of 2025.

Beating up on an already eliminated Drua was not enough to convince me that the problems that have plagued them since the start of April have been solved.

Against the teams that made the finals this season, they have won one of six games and that includes a 43-19 defeat in Christchurch back in March.

That game kicked off a strong run of form from the Crusaders, winning 10 of 12 games and missing out on the minor premiership on bonus points.

While the Reds showed some promise earlier this season, this is where their campaign comes to a close.

Crusaders to Cover -12.5 @ $1.95

In the only all New Zealand derby this weekend, the Chiefs will start as favourites in a market that is much closer than expected.

Admittedly against subpar opponents, the Chiefs have been ruthless in their last three home games, putting 46 on the Highlanders, 56 on the Force and 85 on Moana Pasifika.

The Chiefs have been perfect as the home side this season, winning all six games at FMG Stadium and the one roadshow match at Blake Park.

While the Blues did win the Super Rugby Final between the two sides last year at this ground, this is not the same team and the Blues have been pretty average in 2025.

They posted a miserly 6-8 record this season, only making the finals due to picking up more bonus points than Moana Pasifika and the Waratahs.

With the way the Chiefs are going at the moment, they just look too good to back against and they should be able to take care of business and book a home Semi Final.

Chiefs to Cover -7.5 @ $1.90

If the first two games of the weekend go as expected, both teams could be guaranteed a spot in the Semi Finals regardless of who wins in Canberra.

However if there is an upset, that’s where it could get interesting with sudden death stakes attached to it.

The Hurricanes finished the season with a wet sail, winning their last five games to soar up the ladder and pip the Reds for fourth spot.

That run began with an entertaining 35-29 win in Canberra over the Brumbies but for some reason they will start as outsiders here.

A price that becomes even more confusing when you consider the home side have been struggling to stay healthy and have lost their last two games against New Zealand opponents including that controversial 33-31 defeat to the Crusaders.

While they might come out to prove a point, the Hurricanes form over the last month is too hard to go past and they should be able to pick up the win and continue their momentum into the Semi Finals.

Hurricanes to Win @ $1.95

2024

The field has been whittled down to eight and after this weekend just four teams will remain in contention for the Super Rugby title in 2024.

Six of the eight finalists from last season are back for another shot at the trophy, with the Waratahs and Crusaders replaced by the Highlanders and Rebels.

As the eighth seeded Rebels prepare to be wound down due to financial difficulties, they have a chance to do something incredibly amusing by going on a run starting with their clash against the Hurricanes on Saturday.

Before that it all kicks off with the Reds visiting the Chiefs while the Brumbies, arguably Australia’s best hope will host the Highlanders on Saturday night.

Read on for our best bets for the Super Rugby Quarter Finals below!

Just going off the form lines, you would be forgiven for thinking that the Chiefs are in real danger heading into this clash.

However a bit of context has to be applied to their defeats in Round 14 and 15, which came against two sides that finished on top of the Super Rugby ladder and they had very little to play for last week being locked in to fourth spot.

There might be a bit of concern about being drawn against the Reds though, the Queenslanders have beaten them twice in the last 13 months and can cause some problems on their day.

Expecting an upset here might be asking a bit much of the Reds but they are more than capable of keeping this game closer than the line at publish.

In the Quarter Finals last year the Chiefs won 29-20 and the gap between these teams has shrunk in 2024.

Not to mention the Reds just seem to have the Chiefs number, covering in four of their last five against the Chiefs and I’ll back them to keep it close if not win outright (as optimistic as that may sound).

Reds to Cover +11.5 @ $1.82

While it might not be a line completely synonymous with the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, it’s “time to say goodbye” to the Melbourne Rebels as we know them.

The writing has been on the wall for a while and despite an impressive effort to get past the distractions and finish in eighth spot, this is going to be their final game in Super Rugby.

Admittedly limping into the finals on the back of six straight defeats is not the most encouraging sign when you are set to face the minor premiers now.

It just depends how much sympathy the Hurricanes have for their plight and the correct answer is “probably not much”.

Back in March it was a demolition job with the Hurricanes winning 54-28 and I’m expecting another resounding victory here.

Hurricanes to Cover -27.5 @ $1.87

From one potential blowout to another, the Drua are once again on the road which is not a good sign for their chances of beating the Blues.

They have lost 21 of 22 road games in Super Rugby Pacific and covered in just two of their last eight.

One of those defeats came at the hands of the Blues back in February and the Auckland-based side are in imperious form, covering in their last eight at home.

Not to mention they boast a competition best points difference of +255, missing out on the minor premiership by a single point.

In Fiji it might be a different story but Eden Park has claimed much bigger sides than this Drua team and I’m expecting the Blues to be well clear after the opening 40 minutes.

Blues to Cover -24.5 @ $1.87

If any game is going to be close this Saturday, it will be this one in Canberra, but the market is not expecting the Highlanders to put up much of a fight.

When you examine the Brumbies form it makes total sense because the boys from Canberra are on a six game winning streak, claimed 11 of their last 12 and have lost one home game in the last two seasons.

That’s not to say it has been easy for them all year, but when you look for a team brimming with confidence, the Brumbies look like they are primed for a run over the next few weeks.

Part of their run was a six point win over the Highlanders in New Zealand back in March and the visitors should be able to keep it close.

But it’s a finals game in Canberra and the Brumbies are undoubtedly the better team, I’ll take them to edge out the Highlanders.

Brumbies to Win by 1-12 @ $3.00

2023

Just three weeks remain in the 2023 Super Rugby season and we have reached the win or go home portion of the campaign.

The Super Rugby Pacific Quarter Finals bring us four matches with plenty of intrigue behind each one.

After a dominant regular season, the Chiefs have assumed favouritism in the outright betting market and the Crusaders are just behind them on the second line of betting with both expected to win comfortably this weekend.

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

While the Waratahs will no doubt be happy to be in the Super Rugby finals series, this battle with the Blues could not have come at a less fortuitous time.

There is no other way to describe their loss to Moana Pasifika last week other than atrocious and a mounting injury list, combined with a far more talented opponent does not bode well for their fate this weekend.

Nor does their record of just one win in the last 95 years at Eden Park, a graveyard for Aussie rugby teams at the best of times.

While the matchday squads are yet to be confirmed at the time of writing, the Tahs are going to be without captain Jake Gordon and Harry Johnson-Holmes while carrying the injured quarter of Jed Holloway, Langi Gleeson, Lalakai Foketi and Izaia Perese into the game.

With those names joining an already lengthy injury list, it shapes up as a monumental task for the visitors to even stay close to their opponents here.

Back in April the Blues belted the Tahs 55-21 and will be riding a three game winning streak into this one.

While their 16-9 triumph over the Highlanders last week might not look that impressive on paper, the game was played with a test match intensity with the Highlanders needing to win and the Blues happy to grind out the result.

There will likely be no grinding here as the Blues can put their foot down early and run away with what should be a pretty comfortable victory to book their spot in the semi finals.

Blues to Cover -17.5 @ $1.83

It was a dream regular season for the Chiefs, going 13-1 and cruising to the minor premiership which means that they won’t have to leave Waikato for the entirety of the finals series.

However there was one blight on their copybook and it came at the hands of this weekend’s opponent, the Queensland Reds.

Four weeks ago the Chiefs took a home game (and a rotated squad) to New Plymouth and were stunned by the inconsistent Queenslanders who won 25-22 in a game that arguably propelled them into the finals.

Even the most optimistic of Reds fans would accept that this is going to be a massive task for them and a win would likely require a 16^th, if not 17^th player taking to the field for the entire 80 minutes.

Last season the Reds campaign came to a close with a 22 point defeat at the hands of the Crusaders and it certainly looks like the Brad Thorn era at Ballymore is going to come to an end this weekend.

The Chiefs are simply the better side and the Reds have struggled to put together a complete game for most of the season.

Perhaps they can stick with their opponents for a while, but the quality of the Chiefs will see them home in the end.

Chiefs to Cover -18.5 @ $1.83

While many were stunned by the Reds win over the Chiefs last month, this matchup produced the best upset of the 2023 competition.

Playing in front of a vocal home crowd, the Drua stunned the Crusaders 25-24 to kick start their run towards a maiden finals campaign.

However the time for sentimentality and enjoying the story of the Drua’s successes has been and gone, we are not going to see another boilover here.

The biggest change from that game in March to this one is the location of the match, and the Drua are a markedly different side when playing away from Fiji.

They have lost 13 of their 14 Super Rugby games as the away team and their only win came over a Moana Pasifika side that was, let’s be honest, not good.

A final round defeat at the hands of the Hurricanes might have broken a four game winning run for the Crusaders but there is a different feel to this team in the Super Rugby Finals and playing in Christchurch.

Currently on a five game winning run at OrangeTheory Stadium (six if you include being the “home” team in Super Round), each of those victories have come by a double digit margin.

It might not make for great viewing but I’m expecting this to be a pretty one sided affair.

Crusaders to Cover -21.5 @ $1.83

We might have to wait until the fourth game of the weekend for the one potentially close quarter final but it will surely be worth the wait.

With a clear top five teams in the competition, the inevitable battle between the fourth placed Brumbies and fifth placed Hurricanes is without a doubt the game of the weekend.

Neither side can be described as “flying” when it comes to their form heading into the playoffs but both are more than capable of hitting the accelerator and going on a run.

There is no question the Brumbies will be a bit frustrated about playing in this Quarter Final though, with losses to the Force and Chiefs in Rounds 13 and 14 respectively dropping them out of second spot.

It was a brutal ending to the Hurricanes schedule with defeats away to the Chiefs and Blues preceding a last up win at home over the Crusaders which ultimately made no difference to their final standing.

Just five points separated these teams when they met at the end of April in Wellington and playing this game at home could give the Brumbies the edge they need.

This is a rivalry that has favoured the team playing in front of their own fans with the home side winning the last six games and nine of the last ten dating back to 2015.

While the New Zealand sides as a whole have been better than the Australians, the Brumbies have been leading the charge and as has been mentioned before, they are a good team.

Brumbies to Win @ $2.00

2022

We started the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific competition with 12 teams and now we’re down to eight teams as Quarter Final weekend approaches.

As many predicted at the start of the season, all five New Zealand sides qualified for the postseason tournament but for the Highlanders, it went right down to the wire, only earning their spot in the final game of the season.

That set up a clash with the table topping Blues in the first round of the finals while the other three games are Trans-Tasman contests.

After a profitable regular season, we’re looking to end the tournament on a high note starting with our Super Rugby Pacific Quarter Final best bets below.

For the second straight week, the Reds and Crusaders will face off at Orangetheory Stadium after closing out the regular season against one another.

It was a fairly one sided contest with the Crusaders flying out to a 21-3 halftime lead before the Reds closed the gap late on to see it end 28-15.

While that wasn’t enough to cover the -17.5 line, the Crusaders showed just how far ahead of the injury depleted Reds they are and this is their time of the year.

Even with some reinforcements coming over for the visitors including hard hitting centre Hunter Paisami, not having their two best players available is just too much for them to overcome.

Back the Crusaders to Cover -20.5 @ $1.90

The resurgence of the Waratahs has been the story of the Super Rugby Pacific season as they ended the season in sixth place and with more wins than losses.

Perhaps the most impressive part of their run to the playoffs is the fact they won three of their six games against New Zealand conference opponents and their most recent two losses were by a combined seven points.

Working against them though is this week’s opponent, the Chiefs is the side that belted them 51-27 in the Super Round in late April.

However even in that game there were moments of encouragement for the Tahs to take from it as they dug themselves out of a 30-10 hole in the closing stages of the first half.

If they can avoid a very early red card like they received in Melbourne, then the visitors should be able to push the Chiefs all the way and make this a much closer contest.

Back the Waratahs to Cover +9.5 @ $2.00

If there is one lesson to take from the last few weeks of Highlanders rugby, it’s that they are not at the same level as the rest of their Kiwi counterparts.

Having only just made the Super Rugby Finals after losing to the Waratahs and Rebels in the last two weeks, you can see that this side just is not going to be all that competitive this weekend.

After all, they are taking on the minor premiers the Blues who were put to the sword in the last two weeks, but they now return to Eden Park where they have been ruthless.

Their last five wins at this venue have been by at least 12 points and they seem to be getting stronger as the season goes on.

Back the Blues to Cover -14.5 @ $1.90

Seeing the Brumbies suffer three straight defeats to close out the regular season has shaken the confidence in them a bit, but not enough to take them on against the Hurricanes here.

After all, the visitors are coming off a loss in Perth last weekend and did lose in Canberra a month ago as the Brumbies won that game 42-25.

With the lead in form both sides have, it’s tough to expect a big win either way and I do have faith that the Brumbies will find a way to flick the switch and get themselves home.

Back the Brumbies to Win by 1-12 @ $2.90

2021

COMPETITION ALTERED DUE TO COVID

2020

COMPETITION ALTERED DUE TO COVID

2019

It’s win or go home time in the 2019 Super Rugby Quarter Finals and the big question is, can any of these teams stop the Crusaders run to the title?

The Highlanders get first crack at them this weekend but there are three other games that will bring plenty of intrigue as well.

Starting with the Jaguares who will want to make the most of the best season in team history while the Hurricanes and Brumbies both bring strong form into the key time of the year.

We have previews for all four Super Rugby Quarter Finals here and found our betting plays for each game.

Some might have predicted a down year for the Crusaders with some All Blacks going through an enforced rest period and, technically they were right.

Only 11 wins from their 16 games, only five points clear at the top of the table, but still the best side in Super Rugby.

They have won their last four home games against the Highlanders and seven of their last ten home games against them have been won by 13 or more points so, really the numbers all point to one outcome.

There are three other games to overthink and over analyse this weekend, this is not the one to go crazy on, Crusaders to cover.

Back the Crusaders to Cover -13.5 @ $1.90

It has been the best season in Jaguares history, and they have a chance to book a home semi-final this weekend.

With a phenomenal run of form including nine wins from their last ten games, they won the South African Conference.

That home semi won’t come easy though as they host a Chiefs side that has been playing finals rugby for the last month, including a huge upset over the Crusaders in Fiji to help propel them into an unlikely finals berth.

What has stood out in the Jaguares run though, is their ability to win multiple different ways, whether they need to score 30 or keep a team under 20, they can do it and with a frenetic crowd behind them, I’ll back them to win.

During their run though, five of their last seven wins have been by 12 or less points so instead of taking them at the line, I’ll back them to win a close one.

Back the Jaguares by 1-12 @ $2.50

It’s easy to forget that the Hurricanes have been Super Rugby’s second best side for most of the season, considering they have been overshadowed in their conference by the Crusaders.

Remarkably though, they actually won more games than their Kiwi counterparts but lost out on bonus points.

They have won eight of their last nine and now host a Bulls side whose road form is both encouraging and concerning.

Having just finished a successful tour two weeks with a win and two draws from their four games, they have shown they can perform.

The concerning part is the fact they have to do another long haul flight a week after flying back to South Africa which has to have some sort of impact on the team.

At this time of year, in inter-conference matches, you have to back the home side to win and cover, especially when they have been as successful as the Hurricanes.

Hurricanes to Cover -13.5 @ $1.90

Australia’s lone remaining hope in the Super Rugby competition, the Brumbies, have put together an impressive run over the last couple of months, earning them favouritism for this quarter final.

They have won six in a row and are looking to make it seven against a Sharks side that has really struggled for consistency.

Taking the under in this one also seems like a solid play considering both sides will happily let this become a battle of the forward packs but that should play into the hands of the Brumbies on a cold Canberra night.

The Brumbies have been really strong against the spread lately as well, covering in their last seven home games and eight of their last nine at GIO Stadium so not only will I back them to win, I’ll take them with the handicap.

Brumbies to Cover -7.5 @ $1.90

2018

The Super Rugby Finals are here and there are now only eight teams left in contention for the 2018 Super Rugby Championship.

The action gets underway with a genuine blockbuster between the Hurricanes and the Chiefs on Friday and continues until the early hours of Sunday morning when the Jaguares will make their Super Rugby Finals debut when they take on the Lions.

The Waratahs are the only Australian team left in contention and they face a tough assignment against the Highlanders, while the Crusaders host the Sharks in the other game.

We have analysed all four games set to take place this weekend and our complete 2018 Super Rugby Quarter Finals tips can be found below.

The Hurricanes lost a close one last week to this same Chiefs side, setting us up for a huge clash between these two rivals.

That 24-28 loss, a game the Hurricanes were supposed to win against an understrength Chiefs side, will loom large in the minds of the home side this week.

Fortunately for the Hurricanes, they still managed to hang on to the fourth spot on the ladder, but their inability to show any sort of poise during the opening half has to be a concern.

The Chiefs, on the other hand, dominated from the get go, scoring three unanswered tries within the first half hour of the game, jumping out to a comfy lead.

What we’re left with now will no doubt be a close encounter on Friday night, but despite last weeks shortcomings, the Hurricanes still hold the edge in the market.

The Hurricanes have won just two of their last five against the Chiefs, but hold an impressive 8-0 record as the home favourites.

Chris Boyd’s side will also hold their heads high following last week’s efforts in the second half. The Hurricanes fought all the way back to be within striking distance of the win, while also dominating the possession count.

For the Chiefs, the unfortunate number for the Hamilton based side is three. That’s the number of wins they’ve notched over the Hurricanes in their last 10 trips to Wellington, and things won’t get any easier with the suspension of Johnny Fa’auli.

The Chiefs are the in-form side here, while the Hurricanes have won just one of their last five. Still, the home ground advantage counts for so much here, making the Hurricanes the safer bet.

Back the Hurricanes 1-12 @ $2.50

There’s no stopping the Crusaders, and on the heels of a 54-17 victory over the Blues to end the regular season last week, the Christchurch based side are the scariest in the competition.

The Sharks also enter this one following a 20-10 win over the Jaguares, a victory that secured a finals spot for the Durban based club. The Sharks’ 3-1 record against New Zealand sides this season sure is impressive, but when you consider everything that goes against them ahead of Saturday night, it’s not hard to understand why the Sharks are at such long odds.

Impressively, the Crusaders have never lost a home playoff game in their 22-year history, and to make matters worse for the rest of the competition, the Crusaders also enter the finals on a 12-game unbeaten run.

Since the Crusaders are the outright favourites this season, the Sharks won’t find any solace in the fact that their last meeting with the Crusaders in the playoffs resulted in a 38-6 loss.

Stranger things have happened, but a Sharks win on Saturday seems pretty close to impossible. They haven’t played the Crusaders at all this season, and as we all know, the Crusaders in the playoffs are a team no one wants to face.

This one has the makings of a blowout, and after the Sharks only just managed to sneak into the finals, it’s doubtful they are up to this test.

Back the Crusaders to Beat The Line (-20.5 Points) @ $1.91

A 31-40 loss to the Brumbies last week wasn’t what the Waratahs had planned entering the finals.

On the flip side, the Highlanders held on for a narrow six-point win over the Rebels in New Zealand. It wasn’t a pretty win, but it ensured the Dunedin based club kept extended their home record to 7-0 on the year.

With a trip to NSW ahead, the Highlanders will feel pretty confident going into this one. It was a while ago now, but the last time the Waratahs hosted the Highlanders in the playoffs, it was the Highlanders who walked away with a 35-17 victory on the road.

This is, of course, a different Waratahs team however, one that the Highlanders are more than familiar with. These two last played back in Round 14, a game the Waratahs won in Sydney 41-12.

As the home underdog, the Waratahs hold a 1-0 record against the Highlanders, while the Highlanders 3-2 record as the away favourite is less than convincing.

The Highlanders have been particularly spotty in away games this season, showing an inability to score points on the road. This should turn out to be a high scoring game though, and if you are feeling adventurous, there’s some big odds available on the Waratahs to make this a blowout.

Back the Waratahs 13+ @ $8.00

These two enter the playoffs at complete opposite ends of the spectrum.

The Lions were nothing short of impressive last week during their 38-12 win over the Bulls, but what do we make of the Jaguares now? A 10-20 loss to the Sharks hardly has the Argentinian side looking like the team we once thought they were.

After winning seven games in a row earlier in the season, everyone thought this might just be the year the Jaguares challenge. That could still happen, but it will take a lot to stop the Lions’ relentless forward pack this week.

The Lions dominated just about every offensive category last week, but by far the biggest takeaway from last week’s victory was the Lions’ aerial attack.

Head-to-head, the Jaguares have won three of their last five, but their 4-4 record as the away underdog is less than convincing.

For punters, the fact that all six meetings between these two sides have been decided by the home team is telling. The Jaguares do hold a 4-0 record again South African sides this season, but you have to consider the form of these two clubs, something that doesn’t favour the Argentinians.

Back the Lions to Beat The Line (-10.5 Points) @ $1.91

2017

The 2017 Super Rugby season has been completed and it is fair to say that it has been one to forget for Australian Rugby fans.

The Brumbies finished in tenth position on the overall Super Rugby ladder, but the format of the competition means that there must be at least one Australian team in the Super Rugby Finals and the Brumbies were the Australian side that were least bad.

There are a number of big games in the opening weekend of the 2017 Super Rugby Finals and we are confident that we can take our stellar regular season tipping form into the finals.

The Brumbies may have qualified for the Super Rugby Finals, but their stay is unlikely to last long.

The Hurricanes will go into this clash as clear favourites and it is easy to see why.

No Australian team has beaten a New Zealand side this season and there is nothing to suggest that will change this weekend.

The Hurricanes have won five of their past six games as away favourites, while the Brumbies have lost and failed to cover the line in their four games as home underdogs this season.

This is a game that the Hurricanes should win very comfortably and there is very little chance that the line of 10.5 points will be anywhere near enough.

Back The Hurricanes To Win (-10.5 Points)

The Crusaders suffered their first loss of the season last weekend, but they will still go into this clash with the Highlanders as clear favourites.

The Crusaders have been nothing short of dominant during the Super Rugby season and they have been one of the best betting sides in the entire competition.

They have won their past seven games as home favourites and they are 5-2 against the line in this scenario.

The Highlanders are a side that generally get the job done as favourites, but they don’t have a great record as underdogs.

They have won just one of their past four games as away underdogs and they are 2-2 against the line in this scenario.

The Crusaders can continue on their winning ways and cover the line of 6.5 points in the process.

Back The Crusaders To Beat The Line (-6.5 Points)

The Lions have been clearly the best South African side in Super Rugby this season and they are dominant favourites to account for the Sharks.

The Lions have lost only one game this season and they went into the Super Rugby Finals on the back of a comfortable win over the Sharks themselves.

They have won their past nine games as home favourites and they are an impressive 7-2 against the line.

The Sharks were no match for the Lions last weekend and it would take a big reversal of form for them to be any chance whatsoever this weekend.

While the Sharks have won two of their past five games as away underdogs, they have lost their past five games to the Lions and have been no match for their rivals in recent seasons.

This is a game that the Lions should win comfortably, but there is no value at their current price.

No Bet

The Stormers have the home-ground advantage, but it is the Chiefs that will go into this clash as narrow favourites.

Winning away from home has not been an issue for the Chiefs this season, but they have been tough to trust from a betting standpoint on the road.

The Chiefs have are 3-1-1 as away favourites, but they have failed to cover the line in their past five games in this scenario.

The Stormers went into the Super Rugby finals on the back of three straight wins and they will take confidence from the fact that they beat the Chiefs earlier this season.

Their record at DHL Newlands is excellent and they have won their past two games as away underdogs for a clear profit.

The Stormers are more than capable of producing an upset this weekend and they are great value at their current price.

Back The Stormers To Win @ $2.20

The Super Rugby regular season is in the books and we are now set for the finals, which for the first time ever will include eight teams.

There is no second chances from this point forward and any side that suffers a defeat will be eliminated for the competition – even if they finished on top of their Conference.

That means that there is a great deal to play for and we are expecting four outstanding games of rugby this weekend!

This is a very interesting game as the Brumbies have the home-ground advantage, but it is the Highlanders that will start this game as clear favourites.

The Highlanders have not lost a game since the competition returned from the mid season break and they were particularly impressive against the Chiefs last weekend.

The worry for the Highlanders is that their record away from home this season has not been particularly strong – they have won only three of their six games as away favourites and they have the same record against the line.

The Brumbies secured their position on top of the Australian Conference with a victory over the Force last weekend, but it is fair to say that they still didn’t play the best rugby.

This is a unique position for the Brumbies as they have not started a home game as underdogs this season, but they have won six of their past eight games at home as well as their past three games against the Highlanders in front of their home fans.

The Highlanders are definitely the team to beat, but the Brumbies have a much better chance than their odds suggest and they are a good bet to score an upset win at their current price.

Recommended Bet: Back The Brumbies To Win @ $2.50

The Hurricanes secured the minor premiership with an impressive victory over the Crusaders last weekend and they are dominant favourites to progress to the Super Rugby Semi-Finals with a win over the Sharks.

The Hurricanes have now won five games on the trot and they improved their overall record as home favourites to 5-1, but their record against the line in this situation is a far from convincing 2-4.

The Sharks head into the Super Rugby finals on the back of two lacklustre wins over the Cheetahs and the Sunwolves, but they have still managed to win five out of their past six fixtures.

The South African franchise actually have a very strong record as away underdogs – they have won three of their past six games in this situation and they are 5-1 against the line over the same period.

There is no doubt that the Hurricanes are the team to beat, but this game should be closer than the betting suggests and the Sharks are more than capable of covering the line of 12.5 points.

Recommended Bet: Back The Sharks To Beat The Line (+12.5 Points)

This is likely to be the most hotly-contested of the four quarter-finals and the market suggests just as much.

The Lions gave up the opportunity to claim the minor premiership when they sent their b-team to Argentina and lost to the Jaguares, but they will still go into this clash with the Crusaders as narrow favourites.

The Lions have been nothing but outstanding from a betting perspective this season and they have won all six of their games as home favourites, while failing to beat the line just once.

The Crusaders head into the Super Rugby finals on the back of a forgettable performance against the Hurricanes and they will need to produce an improved performance to beat the Lions in the early hours of Sunday morning.

In saying that, there is plenty to like about the record of the Crusaders this season and they have actually won two of their three games as away underdogs for a healthy profit.

This is set to be an outstanding game of football, but the market looks to have priced both these teams just about right and I am happy to stay out from a betting perspective.

Recommended Bet: No Bet

This is another Super Rugby quarter-final where the home team will start as clear underdogs.

The Stormers finished on top of their conference to earn a home final and they have thrown under the radar in the lead-up to the finals, but they have lost just two of their past eight games.

They have not played many games as home underdogs, but they did win their only previous game in this scenario and they have lost just two games in front of their home fans this season.

The Chiefs received a reality check when they suffered a 25-15 loss to the Highlanders last weekend, but their was still a lot to like about their performance and their record away from home is fairly strong.

They are 6-2 on the road this season and they have won two of their past three games at DHL Newlands.

The Chiefs look to have a clear edge over the Stormers and they can overcome the lengthy trip to South Africa to record a comfortable victory.

Recommended Bet: Back The Chiefs To Beat The Line (-3.5 Points)