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We preview the best matches to catch on Rugby Pass this week.
Super Rugby: Highlanders vs Crusaders (Friday May 13, 3:35pm HKT)
The top two teams in Super Rugby at the moment – at least according to Scotty Stevenson’s Power Rankings – meet under the roof in Dunedin for Friday night’s match of the round. The Crusaders cruised against the Reds last week, winning 38-5 despite only having around 30% possession. The Highlanders are the kings of winning without the ball, and might be favourites on the back of last week’s clinical performance against the Chiefs.
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They also have the most to play for – sitting five points behind the Crusaders and Chiefs in the New Zealand conference with time winding down on the regular season, a win this weekend would set them back on course for home advantage come playoffs time.
Asian Championship: South Korea vs Hong Kong (Saturday May 14, 11:00am HKT)
There’s probably an argument to be made that the Asian Championship is the toughest competition in rugby – a tri-series where the third-placed team faces a relegation playoff. With Japan beating South Korea 85-0 and Hong Kong 38-3 in the last two weeks the winner seems a foregone conclusion, making this weekend’s game the first of two relegation battles. South Korea have a significant points differential stacked against them, and need to win to have any chance of avoiding the dreaded playoff.
Super League: Wigan vs Hull FC (Saturday May 14, 3:00am HKT)
Is there a more evocative, more quintessentially Super League sounding fixture than ‘Wigan vs Hull’? The big names have returned to their rightful place near the top of the table after 13 weeks of competition – both have 18 points and sit just a game behind the leaders Wolves. Hull come into this match with the momentum after a 28-26 win over Catalans last time out, while Wigan slumped to a 40-10 defeat to Wolves. If the first three months of Super League are anything to go by (ie wildly unpredictable) you’d put your money on Wigan this weekend.
NRL: Storm vs Cowboys (Saturday May 14, 3:30pm HKT)
The NRL is back from the international break with the Indigenous Round, the single greatest week of the season for fans of snazzy special edition jerseys. The game’s greatest indigenous player, Johnathan Thurston, will lead the Cowboys against the Storm in what shapes as the game of the round, the first half of a double-header at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night. It’s a top of the table clash with both teams currently sitting on 14 competition points. It’s a tally they also share with the Sharks and the Broncos, who play the Sea Eagles in the second game of the night.
Champions Cup: Saracens vs Racing 92 (Saturday May 14, 11:55pm HKT)
The pinnacle of European club rugby is upon us, with the most dominant club in England this season facing one of the richest clubs in France. Saracens have been in a rich vein of form in recent months, winning their last five Aviva Premiership matches to finish top of the table. Racing 92 have hit the skids in the Top 14, losing again last weekend to fall to fourth on the table, but their Champions Cup form has been something else, and they head into this match as the narrowest of favourites. Like most finals it probably won’t be the prettiest display of rugby we’ll see all year, but it should go down to the wire. Who’s better at drop goals: Dan Carter or Owen Farrell?
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