Blues vs Waratahs Predictions & Tips - Blues to give Waratahs a hiding

The Waratahs have been beaten heavily a number of times in 2021. They will be below par in Auckland again, so I’m tipping the Blues to win by more than 34 points.

The Blues have won their last five matches against the Waratahs. They last met during 2019 Super Rugby where the Blues just managed to win 31-29 at Eden Park.

The Blues made a magnificent start to their Super Rugby trans-Tasman campaign, beating the Rebels 50-3 in Melbourne last week. They will look to go back-to-back this weekend against the Waratahs with another four-try bonus point on offer.

The Auckland-based outfit had a disappointing Super Rugby Aotearoa tournament after finishing third. It was a season that started well but inconsistency hampered them later on.

Last week the Blues were completely dominant. They first built scoreboard pressure by taking the three points on offer. Once they felt confident and the Rebels started chasing the game, the Blues came out of their shell and played some incredible rugby in the second half.

The Blues have no injury concerns this week. They will start at full strength.

The Waratahs have not won a match this season, suffering eight defeats in Super Rugby AU and one thus far in Super Rugby trans-Tasman. There has been a bit of improvement for the Waratahs in recent weeks but their young squad has struggled to maintain good starts.

Last week the Tahs were involved in quite an incredible match. They ultimately lost 64-48 at home to the Hurricanes. 

During the match the Waratahs showed attacking intent not yet seen in 2021 but it cost them defensively. They will need to find a better balance to their game but they'll take some confidence from their attacking display.

Young flyhalf Will Harrison will have to make do with a place on the bench. Ben Donaldson has retained his starting birth after an impressive attacking display last week.