Statistics - Tri-Nations, Week 7

Mercifully it was a much less controversial match this week when the Wallabies beat the Springboks more easily than the 27-15 score suggests.

Sanctions

There were no yellow cards but two citings – CJ van der Linde of South Africa for the illegal way he persists on thudding into a tackle/ruck and Rocky Elsom for an air tackle in the line-out, not the first by a Wallaby this year.

Cards so far

Victor Matfield (South Africa) – high tackle
Brad Thorn (New Zealand) – high tackle

Citing with suspension so far

Brad Thorn (New Zealand) – an act contrary to good sportsmanship, suspended for a week.
Bismarck du Plessis (South Africa) –  contact with the eyes or eye area, suspended for three weeks

Penalties conceded

In this section we record the times a team was penalised.

* = points conceded

South Africa vs Australia

Total number of penalties: 9

South Africa: 5
Australia: 4

The reasons for the penalties were as follows:

South Africa:

Off-side: 1 (James)
Scrum: 1 (Mtawarira*)
Discipline: 1 (Van der Linde* – shoulder; Bekker – high; Van der Linde – shoulder)

Australia:

Tackle: 1 (Hynes)
Offside: 2 (Elsom, “forwards” after a kick)
Discipline: 1 (Elsom* – air tackle)

Each side missed a penalty kick at goal.

Free kicks conceded:

South Africa: 7 (7 tackles)
Australia: 6 (5 tackles, 1 + 10)

Of the free kicks, two were turned into scrums.

Getting possession – line-outs, scrums, free-kicks, drop-outs, turn-overs

In this section the figures represent the number of times you get to play with the ball.

South Africa:

Line-outs: 15 (5 lost, 3 quick)
Scrums: 6 (1 reset)
Drop-outs: 2

Australia:

Line-outs: 10
Scrums: 7 (2 reset, 5 collapses, 1 penalty, 1 lost)
Drop-outs: 1

For the first time in the Tri-Nations the scrummaging in a match involving Australia was reasonable in the number of resets and collapses..

In the first Tri-Nations match, between New Zealand and South Africa, the scrums were 23, 2 resets, 3 collapses.
In the second Tri-Nations match, between New Zealand and South Africa, the scrums were 13, 1 resets, 3 collapses.
In the third Tri-Nations match, between Australia and South Africa,  the scrums were 23, 10 reset, 16 collapses.
In the fourth Tri-Nations match, between Australia and New Zealand,  the scrums were 16, 6 reset, 13 collapses.
In the fifth Tri-Nations match, between New Zealand and Australia, the scrums were 11, 7 resets, 12 collapses.
In the sixth Tri-Nations match, between South Africa and New Zealand, the scrums were 24, 5 resets, 2 collapses.
In the seventh Tri-Nations match, between Australia and South Africa,  the scrums were 18, 3 reset, 5 collapses.

In matches involving only New Zealand and South Africa, there were 60 scrums, 8 resets and 8 collapses.
In matches involving Australia, there were 68 scrums, 26 resets and 47 collapses.

There are two matches to go. It is a consummation devoutly to be wished that the scrum continue on this more positive way.

Stoppages (total of line-outs, scrums with resets, free kicks, penalties, drop-outs):

South Africa vs New Zealand: 71

Stoppages in the Tri-Nations matches:

New Zealand vs South Africa (i): 81
New Zealand vs South Africa (ii): 71
Australia vs South Africa (i): 82
Australia vs New Zealand (i): 65
New Zealand vs Australia: 81
South Africa vs New Zealand: 85
South Africa vs Australia: 71

Tries

This is the number of tries each team scored.

South Africa vs Australia: 5

South Africa: 2
Australia: 3

Tries/penalties scored

This gives the ratio of tries scored to penalties scored by each team:

South Africa: 2/1
Australia: 3/1

The ratio of tries scored to penalties goaled is 5/2

In the first Test of the Tri-Nations the ratio was 2/5
In the second Test of the Tri-Nations the ratio was 3/11
In the third Test of the Tri-Nations the ratio was 2/4
In the fourth Test of the Tri-Nations the ratio was 7/1
In the fifth Test of the Tri-Nations the ratio was 5/6
In the sixth Test of the Tri-Nations the ratio was 3/0
In the seventh Test of the Tri-Nations the ratio was 5/2