Waratahs vs Rebels Predictions & Tips - Rebels backed to pick up massive win

The Waratahs have improved over the last two weeks of action, so they should be in a competitive mood for this one. The Rebels are, however, desperate to make the play-offs, so I’m tipping them to clinch a narrow victory by 12 or less points.

The Rebels have won three of their last four matches against the Waratahs. Earlier this season the Rebels beat the Waratahs 33-14 in Melbourne.

The Waratahs are bottom of the Super Rugby AU table as we enter the final week of round robin competition. They have lost all seven matches whilst conceding 256 points and only scoring 113 themselves.

It has been a nightmare season for the Sydney-based outfit who lost most of their best players at the end of last season. The Tahs’ last two performances will however give the team, supporters and the players plenty of confidence.

After being hammered 61-10 by the Brumbies earlier this season, the Waratahs took the Canberra side to the brink in round seven, losing 24-22 at home. That was followed by a bye week before another narrow defeat last weekend.

The Waratahs made a superb comeback in the second half against the Western Force and looked set for their first win of the season. Unfortunately a last minute penalty by the Force saw the Waratahs go down 31-30.

The Waratahs have no injury concerns and start with the exact starting lineup from last week.

The Rebels come into this fixture under huge pressure. They are fourth on the table, two points behind the Western Force in third which is the final playoff spot.

If the Reds beat the Force on Friday, the Rebels will just need to win to get into the playoff. The benefit of that is that they will know exactly what they need to do by the time this game kicks off.

The Rebels look set to secure that final spot but have suffered defeat in their last three matches. The first of those defeats came in a 44-19 loss to the Reds at home before losing 16-15 to the Western Force at home.

Last week the Rebels performed admirably in a 26-20 defeat to the Brumbies. That losing bonus point could however be crucial in the final standings.

The Melbourne-based outfit will be greatly concerned by their lack of attacking quality this season. They have scored the least (10) tries in the tournament.

The Rebels remain unchanged in the backline this weekend but there are a few changes in the forward pack.

Isi Naisarani and Brad Wilkin both come back into the lineup in the loose trio. Ross Haylett-Petty starts at lock while Jordan Uelese and Cameron Orr get an opportunity in the front-row.