It is that time of the week again when 'Orrible Punt arrives in the Planet Rugby prediction hot-seat to give his Super Rugby calls. Let's get to it.

Again it is just the six fixtures this week as the Sharks, Rebels and Bulls enjoy their breather. Despite this trio's absence there will still be some decent games, as the Blues host the Reds before Saturday sees the Chiefs meet the Hurricanes and Cheetahs take on the Highlanders.

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Blues vs Reds

"Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results," is clearly a quote about backing the Blues this season. Yet there is reason to look into their chances again. Somebody found the 'on' switch for Ma'a Nonu last weekend and Gareth Anscombe's accurate goal-kicking was a positive, as is a powerful scrum anchored by Charlie Faumuina. If and it's a big IF they can find a way to cut out the errors that have plagued them then there is a big chance to beat a Reds side that has lost their last three away matches and seem to be cursed at fly-half. The All Blacks have favoured Piri Weepu against Will Genia and the Blues have followed suit, whilst Kiwi Mike Harris gets the chance to punish the Aucklanders for overlooking him. Alongside him, the return of Digby Ioane is boost, and the match-up against Rene Ranger promises to be electric. Blues by three.

Lions vs Brumbies

The Brumbies have lost all three away matches this season but after outscoring the Bulls five tries to two last week, they will be confident of beating a Lions side that has lost six games in a row and only managed to score ten tries. There will also be a sense of injustice about certain refereeing calls in that Bulls loss. With a creaking line-out and inexperienced combinations, the Lions may lack the ability to build an adequate attack and the Brumbies are capable of scoring from deep with guys like Jesse Mogg or dominating the breakdown through Michael Hooper. Providing they avoid conceding too many penalties within Elton Jantjies' range, the ACT side should run out victors in Johannesburg. Brumbies by six.

Chiefs vs Hurricanes

The Chiefs can attribute their great start to the year to a defence that has only conceded eight tries and 148 points so far. They prevented the Sharks from scoring at home last week, a feat they also accomplished in 2010. The line-out operated at 100 per cent and Aaron Cruden has plenty of ball-carrying options like Liam Messam or strike runners such as Lelia Masaga to choose from. Arguably the most balanced team in the competition, they have only lost once, by four points to the Highlanders in Round One. The 'Canes have scored an impressive 28 tries but possess the third worst defence and have not beaten a team ranked higher than ninth yet. They were also taken apart by both the Crusaders and Cheetahs up front. The Chiefs showed against both the Brumbies and the Cheetahs that they can beat a high-scoring team and should do the same again here. Chiefs by seven.

Force vs Stormers

The Force are without a coach, after terminating the contract of Richard Graham who had activated a six-month get-out clause in his contract to join the Reds next season. Back-row star David Pocock is also being linked with a move away so there will be a sense of unease out West. They have been outscored in the first-half in seven of their eight matches which doesn't bode well when playing a Stormers side that score over 60 per cent of their points in the first-half. The Force have a habit of scoring their tries in the second-half (65 per cent) and have only conceded three tries in the last 20 minutes of matches but against the Stormers, that may be too late. The South African conference leaders' crushing defence has contained six of their opponents to nineteen points or less and they are capable of counter-attacking from turnovers, as the Reds discovered last week. Despite a mounting injury list, the away side should score early in this game and then hold out. Stormers by eight points.

Cheetahs vs Highlanders

Mike Delany made a welcome return to Super Rugby for the Highlanders last week, slotting seven of his nine kicks at goals and providing a sumptuous no-look inside ball for the always dangerous Hosea Gear to set up a try. With five of their six victories coming by a winning margin of five or less, the side from Dunedin are masters of closing out tight games, something the Cheetahs have struggled with. The Bloemfontein outfit have picked up four losing bonus-points from five defeats this season and collected seven from eleven losses last year. It's arguably the toughest game to call this week and the bookies are struggling to split them but the New Zealand team have won the last five meetings between the two sides and as they say - winning is a habit. Highlanders by four points on Saturday.

Waratahs vs Crusaders

The Crusaders put in an all-round performance last week, first by dominating in the set-piece and gaining a 32-0 lead and then by resisting a Hurricanes fightback. The pack all made well over twelve tackles with Matt Todd managing a staggering 23, an improvement of his 20 the week before. Richie McCaw is close to full fitness, and the Crusaders seem to shifting up the gears - ready for a charge at the title. In contrast, the 'Tahs are struggling. They may be second in their conference but they have had a favourable start to the campaign, playing the Force and Rebels twice, and have consistently let teams back into games in the second-half (only outscoring an opponent once in this period). Their backline will be disjointed with Rob Horne suspended for a dump tackle on Kurtley Beale and full-back Bernard Foley injured. The Crusaders have five wins in a row over the New South Wales franchise and the trend looks likely to continue. Crusaders by about nine points.