Boks are not 'head hunters'

STAT ATTACK: South Africa’s improved tackle technique and discipline are reflected in the statistics of the Rugby Championship.

In their come-from-behind 31-27 win over New Zealand in an epic Round Three match at Ellis Park this past weekend, the Springboks conceded just five penalties to the 14 of the All Blacks.

Sam Cane’s headshot on Bok captain Siya Kolisi at Ellis Park – which resulted in a cheekbone injury that could rule him out of the Round Four rematch in Cape Town this coming Saturday – is a prime example of the two teams’ contrasting styles.

The All Blacks have made most of their tackles to the ‘upper torso’.

The Boks, in stark contrast, were the lowest on the list for upper torso tackles and highest for ‘hips and below’.

According to @OptaJonny, 48 percent of New Zealand’s tackles were to the upper torso, 22 percent to the lower torso and only 30 percent to the hips and below.

The Boks, in the same Round Three encounter, made less than 40 percent of their tackles to the upper torso, 24 percent to the lower torso and 37 percent to the hips and below.

37% – South Africa went ‘low’ with 37% of their tackle attempts against New Zealand (hips or lower), the highest rate of any team in Round 3 of #TRC2024 (excluding missed tackles with no contact). Chop. pic.twitter.com/xS2269VTUy

— OptaJonny (@OptaJonny) September 3, 2024

The Springboks succeeded with 110 of their 127 tackle attempts (missed 17), for a success rate of 92 percent.

The contrast to New Zealand is stark. They made just 131 of the 159 tackles they attempted (missed 28), for a success rate of just above 82 percent.

South Africa’s tackle success for the tournament, after three rounds, sits at just under 90 percent.

The Boks have scored 12 tries and conceded just five – four of those in this past weekend’s win over the Kiwis.

Discipline is another stark contrast – the Boks are the most disciplined with an average of nine penalties per game, while New Zealand is the worst with 12 penalties per match.