Stats of Interest – read Brenden’s post

Tags: rugby, south africa, sport, springbok, springboks, the rolling maul

Morne has the same success rate as Carter but Dan is still a hero

Interesting for me is that while Carter is consistent between conversions and penalties, Steyn kick over 3% more conversions. Goosen kick over 1% more penalties than conversions.

Goosen 9% better than both but with fewer kicks.

Senior Rugby Correspondent Brenden Nel breaks down the statistics ahead of Saturday’s massive Castle Rugby Championship match between the Springboks and All Blacks.

There is no doubt the Soweto showdown will be a massive game. It has all the characteristics of a classic, with Bok expectation pitted against All Black consistency as the world’s top two sides battle for a season-defining victory.

That last point may be scoffed at a bit, especially as the Boks have had a rough ride while the All Blacks have swept all before them on their way to 15 consecutive victories and within touching range of their own world record of 17, but for both the Boks and the rest of the world, there is a glimmer of hope that the World Champions can be challenged, even if it has to be in the corner of Soweto at altitude and in front of a massively partisan home crowd.

KICKING STATS OF BOTH TEAMS’ KICKERS (including those out of the match-day 22)

Springboks

Morne Steyn 73% (108 from 147) – Conversions 45/60, Penalties 63/87
Frans Steyn 38% (3 from 8) – Con 0/2, Pen 3/6
Johan Goosen 82% (49 from 60) – Con 17/21, Pen 32/39
Ruan Pienaar 43% (3 from 7) – Con 3/5 Pen 0/2

All Blacks

Dan Carter 73% (66 from 90) – Con 30/41, Pen 36/49
Aaron Cruden 75% (105 from 140) – Con 49/61, Pen 56/79
Beauden Barrett 72% (78 from 108) – Cons 38/57, Pen 40/51
Israel Dagg 50% (1 from 2) – Con 1/2, Pen 0/0

DEFENCE

via Soweto Showdown: A statistical analysis – SuperSport – Rugby.

Supa rugga

 

The Crusaders are a brilliant team that has many individual players in the best in that position category. The Bulls looked decidedly pedestrian with a number of first choice Springbok players looking like second or third stringers. The blame cannot be placed entirely on Morne Steyns shoulders because the rest of the team tried to break the record for the most penalties conceded in one match. Serial offenders Flip vd Merwe and the rest of the scrum didn’t disappoint the Dan Carter fans. Carter was made to look more brilliant than he actually is by a series of easy penalties that a man of his caliber couldn’t really miss. H Meyer must be a worried man after seeing how poorly the Springbok laden side fared against an almost All Black team. If he insists on picking out of form Steyn, Spies, Greyling, Kruger, or either of the Potgieters to play against the Champions cup minnows Argentina, we’re in for a surprise.

 

Sharks have hit their straps at the right time and even though they have just had a hard game against the Reds and have to fly back to SA to meet the Stormers I think they might have enough in the tank to beat the Stormers at Newlands.

 

But! …………. If they do beat the Stormers, I honestly cannot see them flying back to NZ and beating the Crusaders or the Chiefs. This whole finals scenario shows just how ridiculous this whole conference setup actually is. Fly to Oz back to SA back to NZ is simply not on. I know this is the luck of the draw but there must be a better way to do it.

 

What worries me even more is that a whole scud of players in the Sharks team (If they’re in the final) would then have to play an international and then fly to Argentina. Some of these players have played top level rugby virtually every weekend plus flown 100’s of thousands of kilometers and the rugby continues for another couple of months of the same. Tests, Currie cup then more tests.

 

Is it just me that feels exhausted just thinking of this schedule.