NPC Rugby Best Bets - Round 1

Otago ended the regular season a single points short of Canterbury at the summit after an excellent campaign. Eight wins and two defeats was a very good return, while they scored a league high 338 points, although they did concede 248 points, 80 more than leaders Canterbury. Their excellent regular season led into a pulsating 44-41 win over Waikato before they hammered Bay of Plenty 41-17 in the semi-finals. As good as they were across the season, they could not find a way to deny Canterbury as they slipped to a 36-28 loss in the final. Now, the focus will be on taking this disappointment and turning it into a trophy this year. With eight wins across their last 10 against Southland, I am backing the travelling side to secure a win in their opener. 

Auckland ended the 2025 season well short of Counties Manukau in eighth after securing just two wins in 10 attempts. With 16 points on the board, Auckland were 11 short of a quarter-final berth after a poor season. Their campaign began with five successive defeats before a pair of wins over Tasman and Manawatu. Any hope they had of a resurgence was quickly put to an end as they were beaten three consecutive times. I predict that they will slump to a defeat in the toughest game they could have been given to start their season.