The Roar’s Super Rugby tips and predictions, round 8: ‘Scary

It looks like being the tightest round yet of an exciting Super Rugby season as the panel are split every which way on the five games this weekend.

SUPER RUGBY TEAMS ROUND EIGHT

Christy Doran

Chiefs, Moana Pasifika, Crusaders, Blues, Force

Round eight is honestly scary. There’s honestly not a single tip I’m confident about. That’s the beauty of the competition in 2025.

I’m tipping the Chiefs against the Reds, but that’s mainly because the fixture is across the ditch and Clayton McMillan has stacked his bench and that strength could prove the difference in the final 20 minutes. Also, the decision to leave Tom Lynagh on the bench is something I’m not sure about either.

Moana Pasifika have their tails up and I can see that momentum being too much for the Waratahs to handle.

The Tahs have plenty of quality in their team, but there’s lots of changes too. That doesn’t always help. The other factor is Moana have scored at least 29 points per game, that’s a bucket load. Good luck.

Call me stupid, but the biggest upset I’ve gone for is in Fiji. The loss to Moana last weekend should wake the Crusaders up. It’s a huge game for both sides. I like the decision to move Sevu Reece closer to the action in the midfield.

The Blues haven’t helped many tipsters out in 2025, and yet I’m tipping them again. It’s not something I’m confident about, especially as the Hurricanes looked to rediscover their form from 2024 last weekend. 

The Force, meanwhile, have shown that they’re not going away in 2025 and they’re a much tougher proposition at home. This will be one of the matches of the round and it’s a must-win match for both sides if they want to qualify for the finals. It’s a huge game for Darcy Swain and Ben Donaldson, particularly.  

Nick Wasiliev

Chiefs, Moana Pasifika, Crusaders, Hurricanes, Force

Oh god, some good matches this weekend – and what a game to start us off! The Reds have a decent recent record against the Chiefs – with one exception – in Hamilton. The Wallaby trio coming back will make this a much closer game than most of the one-sided affairs we’ve seen so far at the Tron – more in the line of the Blues thriller than the Saders blowout. But the Chiefs bench is terrifying to look at – and I think that will get them home.

You know what? I’m going with the making history pick. After their loss to the Canes last week, I’m worried that the Waratahs might be too complacent making seven changes for this match. While the Tahs have much better depth and will hope the likes of Isaac Kailea and Taniela Tupou can mop up affairs, Moana Pasifika just beat the Crusaders in CC, and bar the loss of Miracle Faiʻilagi, look pretty settled. They are looking for their first-ever back-to-back wins, and given they’ve won their last two matches over the Tahs, they likely will back themselves here.

Am I doing this? Will the Crusaders win in Fiji for the first time? Yes, I think so. Despite the Drua’s imposing record and several stars back, they are also missing several key players, notably skipper Meli Derenalagi, who is very important when it comes to the pack’s management and discipline. Also, this is the first time the sides are meeting in Suva – and the Drua do not have as good a record in the Fijian capital as they do at their fortress in Lautoka – in fact, they’ve lost two of their last three matches in Suva. The Crusaders will be angry after last week, and this serves as a good opportunity to nab a much-needed win on the road.

The Blues have seven players released from the casualty ward, and five will be back in the matchday 23 – they are desperate to turn this season around. The Canes look to have turned a corner since their loss to Moana Pasifika, having won three in a row. A season like this is all about momentum, and I back the men from Wellington to heap more misery on the current champions in a thriller.

This last match could go one of two ways – the Force have the bye next week so could have one eye on that – but this comes at the end of a crucial three-week period for them, and a win here does a lot of good for their finals chances.

I expect them to come to this match focused. The Highlanders will ask a lot of questions, and have the rub of the green in recent results, but Simon Cron’s men are closer to full strength than Jamie Joseph’s side – I back the men from the west to win.

Simon Cron (rugby.com.au)

Ben Pobjie

Chiefs, Waratahs, Drua, Hurricanes, Force

Chiefs vs Reds: I want nothing more than to see the Reds win. Well, not entirely true: I want a few things more, but that’s private. Anyway, I expect the Reds to put up a fine showing, but fall just short against the deadly Chiefs.

Moana Pasifika vs Waratahs: The Waratahs of today usually don’t play horribly two weeks in a row. Shame they rarely play well two weeks in a row either, but for this game they will be desperate to erase last weekend’s humiliation, and I think have the goods to knock off a Moana team that will still be floating on air.

Drua vs Crusaders: The Crusaders, like the Tahs, will be eager to turn their form around after the shock loss to Moana. But unfortunately for them they’ve got the toughest road trip in rugby to contend with, and the Drua will be overjoyed to claim another scalp.

Blues vs Hurricanes: The Blues get some stars back, but these two teams are living up to their names more than any others, and the Blues won’t survive the storm.

Force vs Highlanders: The Force have a chance for a great leap forward with a touch of luck and a dash of composure, and though this is a battle between two teams who both make it hard for tipsters, I’ve got faith in progress of the west.

Hamish Bidwell

Chiefs, Moana Pasifika, Fijian Drua, Hurricanes, Force

A good test for the Reds. I find it hard to shake the memory of their clash with the Crusaders, so will be interested to see if they fare any better in Hamilton.

I suspect Moana Pasifika can’t rise to last week’s heights, but I’ll tip them just the same.

The Crusaders don’t have a good record in Fiji and got manhandled last week. I won’t be shocked to see them lose this one.

It would be classic Hurricanes to score something of an upset last week, then follow it up with a meek surrender. I’ll back them to buck the historical trend. Should be a pretty clear-cut win for the Force.