Super Rugby Predictions for Week 1
Team Ratings for Week 1
A couple of comments for the start of this competition.
I have in the past have had reasonable success rating new teams at -10, and have done that this time. The Waratahs were a total disaster last year and rated -11. I don’t believe they will be worse than the new teams so did adjust their rating to -9. Even this may be viewing them a little negatively. Overall, be aware this is a new competition in a number of ways, and initially I may not achieve very good results.
I have predicted a result for the opening game involving Moana Pasifika, which seems unlikely to go ahead.
The basic method is described on my Department home page.
Here are the team ratings prior to this week’s games, along with the ratings at the start of the season.
| Current Rating | Rating at Season Start | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crusaders | 13.43 | 13.43 | 0.00 |
| Blues | 9.26 | 9.26 | -0.00 |
| Hurricanes | 8.28 | 8.28 | 0.00 |
| Highlanders | 6.54 | 6.54 | -0.00 |
| Chiefs | 5.56 | 5.56 | -0.00 |
| Brumbies | 3.61 | 3.61 | -0.00 |
| Reds | 1.37 | 1.37 | -0.00 |
| Western Force | -4.96 | -4.96 | 0.00 |
| Rebels | -5.79 | -5.79 | -0.00 |
| Waratahs | -9.00 | -9.00 | 0.00 |
| Moana Pasifika | -10.00 | -10.00 | 0.00 |
| Fijian Drua | -10.00 | -10.00 | 0.00 |
Predictions for Week 1
Here are the predictions for Week 1. The prediction is my estimated expected points difference with a positive margin being a win to the home team, and a negative margin a win to the away team.
| Game | Date | Winner | Prediction | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moana Pasifika vs. Blues | Feb 18 | Blues | -19.30 |
| 2 | Waratahs vs. Fijian Drua | Feb 18 | Waratahs | 6.50 |
| 3 | Chiefs vs. Highlanders | Feb 19 | Highlanders | -6.50 |
| 4 | Crusaders vs. Hurricanes | Feb 19 | Crusaders | 5.20 |
| 5 | Reds vs. Rebels | Feb 19 | Reds | 12.70 |
| 6 | Brumbies vs. Western Force | Feb 19 | Brumbies | 14.10 |