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Super Rugby Round 3 Picks: All Blacks-depleted NZ teams to be challenged at home and afar by in-form overseas rivals

March 1, 2019
Hurricanes' Beauden Barrett during the Round 9 Super Rugby match, Hurricanes v Chiefs at Westpac Stadium, Wellington. 23rd April 2016. Copyright Photo.: Grant Down / www.photosport.nz

There's been plenty of talk about a Global League this week but things can't get much more international than the third round of Super Rugby action! All five Kiwi teams are involved this week and up against overseas opposition. Lets see how much the TVNZ pickers know about the offshore competition...

How it works:  TVNZ sports buffs will chip in their picks for matches involving New Zealand sides each round with some adding a little insight into their thinking. There's DOUBLE POINTS on offer this week with all the Kiwi teams facing overseas opposition so a correct result will give them four points and a correct margin two bonus points!

Round 3

Hurricanes v Brumbies
Rebels v Highlanders
Chiefs v Sunwolves
Reds v Crusaders
Jaguares v Blues

Matt Hall-Smith - 1 NEWS Sport Reporter

Hurricanes v Brumbies: Hurricanes 13+
Rebels v Highlanders: Rebels 13+
Chiefs v Sunwolves: Chiefs 13+
Reds v Crusaders: Crusaders 13+
Jaguares v Blues: Jaguares 1-12

Guy Heveldt - 1 NEWS Sport Reporter

Hurricanes v Brumbies: Hurricanes 13+
Rebels v Highlanders: Rebels 1-12
Chiefs v Sunwolves: Chiefs 13+
Reds v Crusaders: Crusaders 1-12 - "I genuinely think the Reds could tip them up this week, but will stick with them... just."
Jaguares v Blues: Blues 1-12 - "Surely???"

Brodyn Knuckey - 1 NEWS NOW Sport Producer

Hurricanes v Brumbies: Brumbies 1-12
Rebels v Highlanders: Rebels 13+ - "Classy Rebels outfit and Highlanders still chopping and changing... big test for the backline with no Smiths involved."
Chiefs v Sunwolves: Chiefs 13+
Reds v Crusaders: Crusaders 1-12
Jaguares v Blues: Jaguares 1-12 

Maddy Lloyd - 1 NEWS Sport Producer

Hurricanes v Brumbies: Hurricanes 13+
Rebels v Highlanders: Highlanders 1-12
Chiefs v Sunwolves: Chiefs 13+ - "They better not bloody do me over again after last week."
Reds v Crusaders: Crusaders 13+
Jaguares v Blues: Blues - "Call me crazy... they'll come back."

Faleatua Malili - 1 NEWS NOW Sport Producer

Hurricanes v Brumbies: Brumbies 1-12
Rebels v Highlanders: Rebels 13+
Chiefs v Sunwolves: Chiefs 1-12
Reds v Crusaders: Crusaders 13+
Jaguares v Blues: Blues 1-12

Matt Manukia - 1 NEWS Sport Reporter

Hurricanes v Brumbies: Brumbies 13+
Rebels v Highlanders: Highlanders 13+
Chiefs v Sunwolves: Chiefs 13+
Reds v Crusaders: Crusaders 13+
Jaguares v Blues: Jaguares 1-12

John McKenzie - 1 NEWS Reporter

Hurricanes v Brumbies: Hurricanes 1-12
Rebels v Highlanders: Rebels 13+
Chiefs v Sunwolves: Chiefs 13+
Reds v Crusaders: Reds 1-12
Jaguares v Blues: Blues 13+

Alex Powell - 1 NEWS NOW Sport Producer

Hurricanes v Brumbies: Hurricanes 13+
Rebels v Highlanders: Highlanders 1-12
Chiefs v Sunwolves: Chiefs 13+
Reds v Crusaders: Crusaders 1-12
Jaguares v Blues: Jaguares 1-12

Dewi Preece - 1 NEWS Sport Reporter

"I don't know why I bother... but here we go!"

Hurricanes v Brumbies: Hurricanes 13+ - "Time for the Hurricanes to get their season properly underway. Ngani Laumape to shine on his return to Palmy."
Rebels v Highlanders: Rebels 1-12
Chiefs v Sunwolves: Chiefs 13+ - "Even accounting for less than 40 minutes from Brodie, surely this is a nailed-on result? SURELY?!"
Reds v Crusaders: Reds 1-12 - "A wise owl once told me..."This is why you don't pick 'upsets' against the Crusaders"...I wasn't listening."
Jaguares v Blues: Jaguares 1-12

Michelle Prendiville - 1 NEWS Sport Reporter

Hurricanes v Brumbies: Hurricanes 1-12
Rebels v Highlanders: Highlanders 1-12
Chiefs v Sunwolves: Chiefs 13+
Reds v Crusaders: Crusaders 1-12
Jaguares v Blues: Blues 1-12 - "Surely the Blues are going to get one win on their overseas trip - they need it!"

Josh Reich - 1 NEWS NOW Editor, LEADER

Hurricanes v Brumbies: Brumbies 1-12 - "The Brumbies were dynamic against the Chiefs, and the Hurricanes chopping and changing can’t benefit anyone except Steve Hansen."
Rebels v Highlanders: Rebels 1-12
Chiefs v Sunwolves: Chiefs 13+
Reds v Crusaders: Crusaders 1-12
Jaguares v Blues: Jaguares 1-12

Andrew Saville - 1 NEWS Sport Presenter

Hurricanes v Brumbies: Hurricanes 1-12 - "Beauden Barrett's back. Enough said."
Rebels v Highlanders: Highlanders 1-12
Chiefs v Sunwolves: Chiefs 13+
Reds v Crusaders: Crusaders 1-12 - "Reds always tricky in the heat of Brisbane - even for the Crusaders. Hard to go past them again though, especially with that pack."
Jaguares v Blues: Blues 1-12 - "Mmmm, tough one. A must win, or three losses on the trot and it’s same old, same old, and you can already start kissing playoffs goodbye."

Stephen Stuart - 1 NEWS Sport Reporter

Hurricanes v Brumbies: Brumbies 1-12
Rebels v Highlanders: Rebels 1-12 - "Rebels have key players returning... could win by even more!"
Chiefs v Sunwolves: Chiefs 1-12 - "Depleted but so are the Sunwolves. Just lucky they are playing them this week."
Reds v Crusaders:  Crusaders 1-12
Jaguares v Blues: Jaguares 1-12

Victor Waters - Breakfast Sport Producer, 2018 Champ

Hurricanes v Brumbies: Hurricanes 1-12
Rebels v Highlanders: Highlanders 1-12
Chiefs v Sunwolves: Chiefs 13+
Reds v Crusaders: Crusaders 1-12
Jaguares v Blues: Blues 1-12

Abby Wilson - 1 NEWS Sport Reporter

Hurricanes v Brumbies: Hurricanes 1-12 - "With their All Blacks back, I’m sure they’ll bounce back strongly from that 'blip' in Christchurch... even if the Brumbies won’t be easy."
Rebels v Highlanders: Rebels 1-12
Chiefs v Sunwolves: Sunwolves 1-12
Reds v Crusaders: Crusaders 13+
Jaguares v Blues: Jaguares 1-12 - "Can you see that I’ve lost faith in most of the NZ teams and we’re only in week three?"

Scoreboard:  Reich 17, Hall-Smith 16, Saville 13, Waters 12, Heveldt 11, Lloyd 11, Prendiville 9, McKenzie 9, Knuckey 8, Manukia 8, Wilson 8, Stuart 7, Powell 6, Preece 6, Malili 5 

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