Seven key stats
We bring you seven key statistics from Super Rugby's Round Seven.
Hammett can fall back on best attacking numbers
Equal leaders in the try scoring stakes (20 = with the Blues) and ruck dominance (96 percent = with the Chiefs and Rebels), along with the most clean breaks (52), carries (736), metres (2928), beaten defenders (146) of any team in the competition has the Hurricanes confirmed as the most dangerous attacking outfit.
At this point no other team is more potent with the ball in hand than the Hurricanes, a remarkable statistic considering the team has won just two matches and sits tenth on the table, but four bonus points has the team sitting just one win outside the top six.
Spearheading this is Julian Savea, arguably the most potent winger in Super Rugby in 2014, with his 56 carries earning 448 metres for an average gain of eight metres per run, while 20 beaten defenders, nine clean breaks and three off-loads show how the Hurricanes primary weapons are entering the game more with each outing.
Hodgson the glue for the Force
While the Western Australians took a bye over the weekend, the fact the Matt Hodgson remains perhaps the best defending player even with a round out of action only exemplifies how important the recent centurion is to the rising team.
Eighty three tackles, second on the charts, combine with the most turnovers (12) of any player.
His influence is crucial as the Force rank in the bottom four of most offensive ladders, with their carries and metres placed 15th overall, while their best team ranking in Super Rugby – again thanks to the influence of Hodgson – is with a ruck percentage of 95 percent (equal second).
The rise and rise of Victor
Bulls supporters might have been shocked to see their team almost caught by the Chiefs, but despite the draw the men from Pretoria will take some mighty satisfaction out of the fact that they had the champions measure for most of the match.
While King Victor continues to show he has lost nothing at this level, the Bulls visibly lift when he lurks around the field.
His 27 line-out takes has him ranked third overall but this number is increasing by the week and on current metrics he should overtake Ben Mowen (34) and Steven Luatua (28) in the near future. Four line-out steals and eight takes from the restart add to his undoubted value in the air.
But with 40 tackles, 20 carries, 18 passes and a second row leading six off-loads show how important the veteran still is to South African rugby.
Waratahs shouldn't forget their blue wall
By match-to-match statistics, the Waratahs are currently the best defensive team in the competition.
Over five games they have conceded only 94 points and eight tries. Before their heavy defeat to the Sharks they were averaging roughly 16 points conceded per game.
Other numbers make it obvious that it is a team effort without spending too much time causing chaos in the breakdown, not a single Waratahs player is in the top 25 for turnovers won – while Michael Hooper is the team's top tackler with 56 but is ranked 18th overall.
The best numbers for the coaching staff is a tackle success rate of 89, the best in the business, and the fact that there are no Waratahs in the top 30 for missed tackles.
The rise of the next generation of centres
So far it has not been a big season for Super Rugby midfielders, but 22-year-old Damien de Allende (Stormers), 25-year-old Johan Sadie (Cheetahs) and 21-year-old Malakai Fekitoa (Highlanders) are putting their hands up for higher honours.
The three are collectively the best performed centres so far in the competition.
Fekitoa has 53 runs for a total of 284 metres with 18 beaten defenders, the best attacking numbers of any 12 or 13.
While South Africa may wonder where a replacement for Jean de Villiers will come from, they have a ready-made replacement already in Cape Town, de Allende's 53 runs for 278 metres is second only to his Highlanders counterpart while his 46 tackles is only bettered by All Black Conrad Smith (54).
Sadie's 50 runs for 229 metres has him third ranked as an attacking centre, while his 42 passes is only surpassed again by captain Conrad (44).
Dilemma for All Blacks fullback?
Last year it was widely recognised that Israel Dagg wasn't in perfect touch during Super Rugby but he was allowed to ‘come right' in the All Blacks environment but such gratis might have to be put aside this year due to the continued rise of his competitors.
Quite simply Ben Smith and Charles Piutau are by pure numbers more polished custodians.
Dagg isn't out of form, 58 runs for 276 metres with two breaks, seven beaten defenders and six off-loads are handy numbers.
But Smith (72 runs, 416 metres with 13 beaten defenders) and Piutau (65 runs, 366 metres and 17 beaten defenders) are in rare touch.
Add to this the recent form of Andre Taylor, who is averaging a fullback best 9.47 metres per run during his two matches, and Hansen could have some big dilemmas at the back.
Bulls only rely on one or two supporting numbers
Numbers don't truly rank belligerence up front, but with the best line-out in Super Rugby at 94.2 percent, only an incredible fight back from the Chiefs prevented the Bulls from matching the longest victory streak (four – Sharks and Brumbies) achieved so far this season.
Elsewhere, on attack, the Bulls are making a mockery of their quite poor offensive statistics.
Their 11 tries has them placed tenth overall.
However they are ranked 14th in clean breaks (18), 13th in carries (528), 14th in metres (1722), 14th in off-loads (30) and are dead last with beaten defenders (68).
The fact they come up against the best attacking team by numbers in the Hurricanes this week will see how much “lies, damned lies and statistics” really mean in Super Rugby.
Source: SANZAR media unit
