For me the Super 14 can be divided into two sections. First there are the bets I place on each match (short term bets) be they fixed odds or spreads plays and secondly there are the “long term” markets most of which I have had my money on since before the season begun and they will only be concluded when Super 14 winner is decided or the group stages concluded.  {readmorelink}Read more{/readmorelink}

The first 8 weeks have seen me ride something of a roller coaster in the short terms with some great wins early on gradually eroded as I have let the bookies back in.

After 7 weeks though my long term punts were generally looking good but with a single drop goal as the hooter sounded the Force’s flyhalf changed all of that last Friday.

It is too early to tell whether that last minute victory over the Stormers will cost me big at the end of the day but I cannot recall one moment in this Super 14 that I would like reversed more than that one.

First up I identified the Force as early value to finish last and took 14/1 that they would end up with the Wooden Spoon. Had that kick missed they would have anchored the table 1 point below the Lions as opposed to the 2 points cushion they now have over the Joburg outfit.

I really got stuck into the Stormers pre season backing them to win at 20/1, to be top SA team at 5/1 and the biggest strike of all was that they would make the semifinals at 33/10.

All of those prices had shortened dramatically as they headed overseas and the semifinal spot was virtually a banker if the bookmakers were to be believed but the defeat as deserved as it was (they were awful) has them struggling to deliver on what promised to be a great season.

They play the Blues in Auckland this Saturday and hopefully they can find their form and grab what would be an upset victory but rest assured if they miss the playoffs by a point or two, I will think back to a David Hill moment of magic that had far too many negative repercussions for my liking.

Joel Stransky step aside, your drop goal in 1995 is nowhere near as significant as this one, at least not in this punters eyes!

This article was written for the CitiGaming supplement of the Citizen Newspaper and was first published on the 8th of April 2010.

Brent Graham is a blogger on www.goodforthegame.co.za and presents a sports betting radio show every Thursday night from 22h00 – 22h30 on 1485AM Radio Today or Channel 169 of the DSTV Audio Bouquet.

You can follow him on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/brentgraham or get on his mailing list by dropping him a line at brent@goodforthegame.co.za