Predictions: Bledisloe Cup and Champions Cup

It's the third Bledisloe Cup match of 2017 on Saturday with Australia hosting New Zealand standing out from the week's European games.

The All Blacks have already secured the trophy for another year after winning games one and two, but the Wallabies will be keen to put those losses behind them in Brisbane and look an improved side under Michael Cheika of late. They are, in fact, unbeaten in their last four.

Combinations seem to be settling and there are new players coming through and putting their hands up such as Jack Dempsey and Reece Hodge, while Marika Koroibete looks a real handful on the wing. That combined with a return to form of Will Genia and Kurtley Beale and they'll be a threat to a New Zealand side that knows they are in for a real Test match at Suncorp. That is probably why they have named a full strength XV, barring of course the enforced changes due to injury.

It will be a cracker of a match on Saturday and one we can see going down to the wire, leading to us going for a New Zealand win by 10.

Champions Cup

Europe's elite club continues this week and starts tonight when the Scarlets tackle Bath in what will be a thrilling match to start Round 2.

With only five days between the opening two rounds, and a bruising opening match against Toulon on Sunday, the Welsh region need to dig deep against a Bath outfit that saw off Benetton Rugby last week. Scarlets though do look a side more than capable of pool progression.

This will be just the second match in Europe between the clubs after they met in the 2002 quarter-final, with the current PRO12 champions recording a 27-10 away win that day.

Scarlets are unbeaten in their last three home matches (W2, D1). They've not gone four without defeat since 2006/07 when they reached the semi-finals. Bath have won nine of their last 12 against Welsh opposition in the competition, although they have not played against the regions since the 2008/09 pool stage when they met the Dragons. They may find this trip to be a losing one.

Scarlets could be too hot to handle for Bath and will run out winners to give their Champions Cup a real shot in the arm. Scarlets by 12.

Other Champions Cup predictions:

Glasgow Warriors vs Leinster: Glasgow by 7
Treviso vs Toulon: Toulon by 12
Clermont vs Northampton: Clermont by 15
Munster vs Racing 92: Munster by 12
Leicester vs Castres: Leicester by 14
Saracens vs Ospreys: Saracens by 20
Montpellier vs Exeter: Montpellier by 7
La Rochelle vs Ulster: La Rochelle by 10
Wasps vs Harlequins: Wasps by 5

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