Bok forwards dominate individual performances XV

STAT ATTACK: When it comes to top performers in the pack, look no further than the South Africans.

SANZAAR has selected Team of the Week based on the best individual performances by position in the last five years… and it is some team!

The fact that New Zealand has seven players in the team is indicative of their form in recent years including winning the last five Super Rugby titles.

South Africa has five players including, two Lions who were part of the three-in-a-row Finals sequence [2016-2018], while Australia has two representatives and Argentina one.

Huw Jones, the Scottish international who represented the Stormers at the time, is the only back from a South African team.

It is a different story in the pack where South Africans make up half of the eight up front. They are Pieter-Steph du Toit, Jean-Luc Du Preez, Albertus ‘Kwagga’ Smith and Warren Whiteley.

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Nearly every player scored at least one try in his best performance. Several players scored a brace of tries including Force fullback Dane Haylett-Petty, Highlanders wing Waisake Naholo, Chiefs scrumhalf Augustine Pulu, Highlanders prop Aki Seiuli, Jaguares hooker Agustin Creevy, Chiefs lock Brodie Retallick and Lions flank Smith.

Hurricanes all-action centre Ngani Laumape scored three tries in a superlative performance in 2019 against the Brumbies in Round Three. Laumape also beat six defenders, made three clean breaks and gained 162 metres from his 18 carries on the day.

Top try scorers in this category are Blues wing Rieko Ioane who scored four against the Sunwolves in Round Four of 2019 and Stormers centre Jones who also scored four tries.

Jones scored his against the Kings in Round 17 of 2016 the most by an outside centre in a Super Rugby game in the last 10 years; Jones also made six clean breaks, two offloads, beat seven defenders and gained 118 metres from just 10 carries in what is statistically the best match performance in the last six seasons. These impressive stats make him the Player of the Week of this team.

Some other standout statistics include those of Du Toit who won 13 line-outs (incl. two steals) against the Sunwolves in Round 12, 2016 to go along with his 10 tackles, three offloads, 17 carries, one try scored and the five defenders he beat on the day.

Smith gained 135 metres from his 12 carries against the Kings in Round 14, 2017 – only one flank has made more in a Super Rugby game in the last decade; produced a try assist, beat seven defenders and made 18 tackles.

Not to be outdone Waratahs prop Sekope Kepu produced two try assists against the Sunwolves in Round 18, 2018 – only one other prop has achieved the feat in a Super Rugby game since 2015; Kepu also scored a try of his own, made seven carries for 31 metres gained, a clean break and six tackles in just 53 minutes on the field.

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Best individual performances team:

15 – Dane Haylett-Petty (Western Force)
(Round 15, Season 2016)

Gained 210 metres from his 19 carries against the Cheetahs in Round 15, 2016 – the second-most metres by an Australian player in a Super Rugby game in the last decade as he beat nine defenders, scored two tries and made three clean breaks.

14 – Waisake Naholo (Highlanders)
(Round 11, Season 2016)

Scored two tries, made 16 carries for 129 metres gained, four clean breaks, three offloads and beat 12 defenders in Round 11, 2017 against the Cheetahs.

13 – Huw Jones (Stormers)
(Round 17, Season 2016)

Scored four tries against the Kings in Round 17, 2016 – the most by an outside centre in a Super Rugby game in the last 10 years; Jones also made six clean breaks, two offloads, beat seven defenders and gained 118 metres from just 10 carries in what is statistically the best match performance in the last six seasons.

12 – Ngani Laumape (Hurricanes)
(Round Three, Season 2019)

Scored a hat-trick of tries against the Brumbies in Round Three 2019; Laumape also beat six defenders, made three clean breaks and gained 162 metres from his 18 carries on the day.

11 – Rieko Ioane (Blues)
(Round Four, Season 2019)

Scored four tries, made four clean breaks and beat four defenders in just 12 carries against the Sunwolves in Round Four 2019; Ioane also made 11 tackles and won a turnover on the day.

10 – Beauden Barrett (Hurricanes)
(Round 10, Season 2015)

No New Zealand flyhalf has made more carries in Super Rugby game in the last 10 years than Barrett’s 21 against the Waratahs in Round 10, 2015; he gained 176 metres in the process, scoring a try, beating eight defenders, making four clean breaks, kicking two conversions and not missing a single tackle attempt (9/9).

9 – Augustine Pulu (Chiefs)
(Round 15, Season 2015)

In 68 minutes of game time against the Bulls in Round 15 2015, Pulu scored two tries, gained 101 metres from his 14 carries, beat seven defenders, made four clean breaks, won a lineout and made six offloads.

8 – Warren Whiteley (Lions)
(Round Six, Season 2015)

Finished with a 100 Percent tackle success rate (26/26) against the Rebels in Round Six, 2015; Whiteley also won three line-outs (inc. one steal), produced a try assist, beat two defenders, made two clean breaks and 14 carries on the day.

7 – Jean-Luc du Preez (Sharks)
(Round three, Season 2017)

Made 15 carries, beat seven defenders, produced three offloads, made three clean breaks and 16 tackles against the Waratahs in Round Three, 2017.

6 – Albertus Smith (Lions)
(Round 14, Season 2017)

Gained 135 metres from his 12 carries against the Kings in Round 14, 2017 – only one flank has made more in a Super Rugby game in the last decade; Smith also scored two tries, produced a try assist, beat seven defenders and made 18 tackles.

5 – Pieter-Steph du Toit (Stormers)
(Round 12, Season 2016)

Won 13 line-outs (incl. two steals) against the Sunwolves in Round 12, 2016 to go along with his 10 tackles, three offloads, 17 carries, one try scored and the five defenders he beat on the day.

4 – Brodie Retallick (Chiefs)
(Round Five, Season 2018

Scored two tries from his 12 carries against the Bulls in Round Five, 2018 in which he also made three offloads, three clean breaks, beat six defenders and made six tackles.

3 – Sekope Kepu (Waratahs)
(Round 18, Season 2018)

Produced two try assists against the Sunwolves in Round 18, 2018 – only one other prop has achieved the feat in a Super Rugby game since 2015; Kepu also scored a try of his own, made seven carries for 31 metres gained, a clean break and six tackles in just 53 minutes on the field.

2 – Agustin Creevy (Jaguares)
(Round 11, Season 2017)

Did not miss a single tackle (13/13) against the Sunwolves in Round 11, 2017; Creevy also made 12 successful line-out throws, four offloads, beat five defenders and scored a brace of tries in his 19 carries.

1 – Aki Seiuli (Highlanders)
(Round 13, Season 2017)

Scored two tries, beat four defenders and made three clean breaks in his nine carries against the Force in Round 13, 2017, as well as two offloads and 11/13 tackles on the day.

Source: SANZAAR

• Stats provided by Opta

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