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The past couple of weeks have seen a fairly dramatic turnaround in the Super 14 competition. Teams that looked to be cruising have stumbled and the middle of the pack teams have lifted their performances to the point where there is now only 5 points separating the top eight teams on the ladder.

Early on two of the hot team to watch were the Waratahs and the Sharks, with the latter being especially dominant and looking for all intents like they would clearly finish ahead of the pack.

Fast forward to the present and how the mighty have fallen. The Waratahs have slipped from second on the ladder to sixth faster than the dogs at Dapto, and with a tough three game stretch in South Africa to close out their campaign are actually eighth in the betting to win the tournament this year.

The Sharks have slipped to second on the table with all the signs indicating that this downwards move may be just the beginning. They have some tough games ahead including the Bulls and the Waratahs and will be looking over their shoulder for the rest of the season as they desperately attempt to cling on to their top four spot.

So Who Are The Teams To Watch

The Chiefs

After losing their first three games of the season, the Chiefs have surged to the top of the table, and while they are experiencing some injury concerns at the moment they should have enough in the tank to get them into the finals.

The Crusaders

Currently sitting in eighth place, the Crusaders should be the strongest finishing team in the competition. Three of their last four games are against teams ranked currently outside the top ten so they should be on a roll by the time the finals roll around – they may even score themselves a home final if they rack up enough bonus points against these weak teams.

The Hurricanes

If any team finishes as strong as the Crusaders it will be the Hurricanes. Much like their rivals from across the Cook Straight they have been gifted with a run of soft games at the end of the season which will almost guarantee they finish in the top four.

The Bulls

The Pretoria based outfit is currently lying third on the ladder and should be able to maintain that position in the run home. Their last game of the season is at home against the Sharks and it is possible that results over the next couple of weeks will lead to that game being a playoff for a finals position.

Current Betting

Sharks – $4

Chiefs – $5

Bulls – $5.50

Hurricanes – $6.50

Crusaders – $8

Blues – $8

Brumbies       $17

Waratahs       $21

If you’d like to place a bet on any of these teams taking out the Super 14 title click here now to head over to Centrebet where you can get free bets of up to $100 when you sign up.

Crooksy

With round eight currently underway in the Super 14 competition it is probably a good time to look at where the teams are at and how their chances are heading into the final stretch before the finals.

Top NZ Teams Struggling So Far

The first obvious shock is the top 4 – not a Hurricane or a Crusader to be seen. At the start of the season these were the two favourites, and while they are still within striking distance, their form has been nowhere near as consistent as would have been expected.

The Crusaders in particular got away to a very slow start and have won just three of their first seven games. Ominously for other teams they have won their last three matches, with two of those being against teams currently in the top four – as good a sign as any that if you wanted to get some money on them you should do it now before their price plummets.

The Hurricanes are just outside the top four and have a match in hand on a couple of teams above them. They have lost two games this season, with both of those being at home – not sure what to make of that, but it is interesting none the less.

Waratahs Continue To Win Matches

Once again surprising many people ( as was the case last year) has been the Waratahs ability to win consistently. They have managed to do this amidst much off-field discussion on a number of things

• The less than exciting style of play (with much of the slanging coming from north of the border).
• The choice between Kurtley Beale & Daniel Halangahu at fly-half.
• The future of Phil Waugh

The third one is a potentially huge issue for the Waratahs over the next couple of months. If an arrangement can’t be reached and he heads overseas, it may be that a number of Waratahs will foolow suit leaving them well short on experience next year.

But for now, in spite of all the above the Waratahs have been excellent in their consistency. There next three games are at home before closing the regular season with a tough three match tour in South Africa, making those home games all the more crucial. There is possibly no other team with such a tough finish to their season.

Sharks Definitely The Team To Beat

By far the most outstanding team so far has been The Sharks. This was expected from them at the start of the season but it is another thing to actually deliver on potential. There only loss so far this year was away to the 11th placed Queensland Reds, on a tough four match stretch Down Under. the fact that they bounced back the very next week to beat the Force in Perth displays a strength on the team that will serve them well in the coming weeks.

The Sharks are rightly considered competition favourites, and their match at home against the Waratahs in round 13 could be a preview of one of the semi-finals just a couple of weeks later.

The Bulls are perhaps the team who deserve more credit than they have received. However their last two games have been there first two for the season and do not bode well for them. They need to turn this around very quickly or they risk losing their spot in the top 4 to either the Crusaders or the Hurricanes.

The way things are progressing you would have to say that while the Chiefs and Bulls are in the top 4 right now, they may not be for much longer. The ‘Tahs and the Sharks are looking solid and the Crusaders and Hurricanes have good momentum on the build. Outside of those 6 teams there is no else who has looked anything like a chance of winning.

To get odds and make bets on specific matches click here to get yourself a $100 betting bank from Centrebet.

Crooksy