URC Round 9, Gallagher Prem, Top 14 + Other Rugby 1-4 Jan

Stormers bulls - over 6,5 tries @ 10/11

Wind looks like will be strong all game and with points line at 49.5 I prefer tries here and avoid banking on kicks.

also Andre Hugo Venter 1st try @ 18/1 seems big. 

Very tempted with over 44.5 in Belfast but rain/snow showers forecast so will go in live play maybe.

EDIT: got suckered in by what looked like good conditions at KO. Then the snow arrives. Off and on but damage done. 6-3 at half time.

Got the blog rolling 

Over 46.5 Sharks v Lions 9/10 
Bulls +9.5 9/10 

Paul de Villiers Last try scorer Stormers vs Bulls. Hoping he sneaks a maul try coming off the bench. @19 odds WSB 

A good Friday night for a change and bouncing into today's fixtures like a $100 bill in a hooor house. 

Firstly in the Celtic / Rangers derby am on the Gers and draw . 

Football aside , first up in Durbs the total points again are very low and I'm treading wearily initially , it's upped to 48.5 now and I will go low if I can get under 51.5 in running . I do like the plus 11.5 Lions and have taken that already. 

In France Perpignan prop up the Top 14 , they host a much weaker Toulouse side and even at plus 6.5 the hosts it could be fraught with danger , no bet. 

Exeter plus 11.5 is my main bet of the earlier fixtures , very good this term and teh cap looks too big  for me. 

 

Well that Sharks result was one of the most shocking losses I've endured in a long time.

As if being held up over the line with 5 mins to go then conceding at the death isnt bad enough, I had decided to cash in with 20 mins left which would have been half profits for my in play -1.5 bet. But for some reason it was unavailable - as if the bookies knew what was going to happen lol

2026 off to a very bad start.

wow, over 46.5 and 35 points in the 1st half 

Then the Lions score at the death and a conversion lands the bet - looked to be travelling fine then hits the post and comes back - seems like I am still stuck in 2025 

A couple of bets for me to end the weekend 

Benetton 1-12 1.62/1 
Double Connacht under 16.5 onto Zebre under 13.5 at 24/10 

Christ I was miles off in stormers game. No excuses but it’s criminal a side that is loaded to attack have such a poor pitch for home games, looked in dreadful condition still. 

I've gone balls to the wall Zebre under 13.5 , I'm sure to be sweating like a rapist throughout 

In big trouble here. I have Zebre over 12.5  @  17/20.  13 Looks so very good 

A weekend of seriously tight margins for me with 1 score losses in Connacht, Sharks and Benetton games and narrow wins on Bulls and Zebre 

Round 1 of 2026 to the bookies 

Clear skies , cold , but still think under 55.5 at 4/5 is the way to go in Leicester .