We enter the final round of the group stages this weekend, with the top six locked in. We take a look at all five matches from a betting angle and offer up a few suggested bets.
FRIDAY
Crusaders v Hurricanes — Click here to bet
The Crusaders have already locked in their place in the playoffs, sitting in 4th on 36 points. They have won three of their last five and arrive at this match in a confident mood after back-to-back home wins, first putting the Blues away 36-20 and then producing arguably their best performance of the season last weekend in a 36-32 victory over the Chiefs.
The Hurricanes, meanwhile, sit comfortably at the top of the table after winning nine of their last 10 matches. They beat the Highlanders 45-28 at home last weekend, dispatched the Blues 47-24 away from home the week before, and hammered Moana Pasifika 17-50 three weeks ago to underline just how dangerous they are when they hit top gear.
Head-to-Head
The Hurricanes lead the head-to-head 3-2 over the last five meetings, winning the most recent encounter 38-31 at home along with both matches back in 2024. The Crusaders’ two wins over that span both came in 2025, a 31-24 result away from home and a 33-25 win at home.
Betting and Verdict
The bookies have the Crusaders at 1.20 while the Hurricanes are out at 5.50 and the draw priced at 41.00.
The handicap is set at Crusaders -13.5.
The Hurricanes have rotated the squad which explains the big start bookmakers are giving them, however they have plenty of depth and could just spring a surprise.
Suggested Bet: Hurricanes to win at 5.50.
Reds v Fijian Drua — Click here to bet
The Reds pulled off a win last weekend, beating Moana Pasifika 33-31 away from home, and they can now focus on achieving the best possible play off spot. They have won two of their last five, with back-to-back losses against the Western Force and Chiefs, before last weekend, interrupting their run.
The Fijian Drua produced a brilliant performance against the Western Force last weekend in a match they were expected to lose comfortably, ultimately going down by just four points, 19-15. They have won two of their last five, with their notable wins coming against the Highlanders 24-14 at home and the Brumbies 33-28 away from home.
Head-to-Head
The Reds have won the last two encounters between the sides, 21-6 away from home earlier this year and 52-7 at home last year. The Drua had won the three before that, all at home.
Betting and Verdict
The Reds are at 1.12 while the Drua are out at 7.00 and the draw at 41.00.
The handicap is set at Reds -16.5.
The Reds will be looking to build momentum heading into the play offs and the Drua showed last weekend against a side they were tipped to lose to heavily, that they can keep matches close if motivated. I am expecting an open and high scoring game in Brisbane.
Suggested Bet: Total Points over 60.5 at 1.91

Bomb Squad Insurance
Applies only to bets placed before kick-off.
Qualifying Markets:
- Anytime Try Scorer.
- First Try Scorer.
- Last Try Scorer.
Single/ Straight bets only.
Pre Match Only.
Free Bets do not count towards this offer.
Refund must be claimed within 24 hours of the game finishing.
Refund limited to 1 refund per customer per event.
Free Bet vouchers received must be used within 7 days.
Max refund per account per day in Free Bets:
- Max refund per account per day R5,000
- Max refund for Black card members per day R7,500
- Max refund for Super Black card members per day R10,000
Free Bets terms and conditions apply.
Simply email promotions@wsb.co.za with Subject ‘Bomb Squad’ within 24 hours of the game finishing.
SATURDAY
Brumbies v Moana Pasifika – Click here to bet
The Brumbies sit safely in 5th place on the table after winning seven of their 13 games and arrive at this match on the back of consecutive wins. They beat the Waratahs 21-14 away from home last weekend and dispatched the Western Force 32-15 at home three weeks ago.
Moana Pasifika’s dreadful run has only continued, with the home side now having lost 12 matches in a row. They hosted the Reds last weekend and put up a real fight, ultimately going down by just two points, 31-33.
Head-to-Head
The Brumbies have won the last three games against Moana Pasifika, with the most recent meeting a 24-0 shutout away from home earlier this year. The last two times they hosted Moana Pasifika at home they ran out 60-21 and 62-36 winners.
Betting and Verdict
The Brumbies are at 1.06 while Moana Pasifika are out at 12.00 and the draw 46.00.
The handicap is set at Brumbies -22.5.
The Brumbies have found their form at exactly the right time of the season after stringing together back-to-back wins, and they will be going full steam ahead into the playoffs. Their last two home games against Moana Pasifika produced massive scorelines, and with this season’s Pasifika side looking even worse than previous editions, I expect a repeat of that scoring pattern.
Suggested Bet: Brumbies total points over 44.5 at 1.87.
Chiefs v Blues — Click here to bet
Second place hosts third in what looks like one of the matches of the weekend.
The Chiefs were on a seven-game winning streak before losing 36-32 to the Crusaders away from home last weekend, while the Blues come into the match having lost their last two, 36-20 to the Crusaders and then 24-47 to the Hurricanes two weeks ago. Before that run of defeats, the Blues had put together a three-game winning streak of their own.
The Blues cannot catch the Chiefs who will finish 2nd but they will likely need to win to finish 3rd.
Head-to-Head
The Chiefs have the upper hand in the head-to-head, winning three of the last five, including the match earlier this season where they won 15-19 away from home. The Blues last beat the Chiefs in 2025, a 20-19 result away from home in the playoffs, although the Chiefs still progressed under Super Rugby’s playoff format.
Betting and Verdict
The Chiefs are at 1.49 while the Blues are out at 2.90 with the draw 26.00.
The handicap is set at Chiefs -5.5.
The Chiefs have been dangerous all season and return to home soil this weekend, where they have been particularly strong. With the Blues coming off back-to-back losses and the Chiefs likely to lean on their home advantage, I think they should be able to cover the handicap.
Suggested Bet: Handicap, Chiefs [-5.5] at 1.87.
Western Force v Waratahs — Click here to bet
The Western Force struggled past the Drua last weekend, eventually winning 19-15 in a far tighter contest than anyone had predicted. They have won four of their last five matches, with their only loss in that stretch coming against the Brumbies three weeks ago.
The Waratahs, by contrast, have won just one of their last five and they come into the match off the back of a 14-21 home defeat to the Brumbies last weekend. They are out of playoff contention and look like a side ready to put their feet up.
Head-to-Head
The Waratahs have won three of the last five matches against the Force, however, the Force were able to beat them 20-17 away from home earlier in the month.
Betting and Verdict
The Western Force are at 1.53 while the Waratahs are out at 2.80 and the draw is 26.00. The handicap is set at Western Force -5.5.
The Force have been the better side over the last month and have proven they can get the better of the Waratahs in this fixture. With the Waratahs on a downward trajectory, I think the Force will be able to steal it again.
Suggested bet: Handicap, Western Force [-5.5] at 1.95
Click here for betting on all the weekend’s Super Rugby matches
Note: All prices correct at the time of writing but are subject to change


