VIDEO: How pivotal players stack up
SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: They are commonly known as flyhalves, No.10s and in New Zealand first five-eighths. But more importantly, they are the playmakers of the team – the most pivotal players.
There is no doubt that a flyhalf is crucial to a team’s game plan – the general if you wish. While scrumhalves have become playmakers in their own right, the No.10s are the players that give direction to the team.
Good flyhalves are calm, clear thinking and have the vision to direct effective attacking plays. They also require good passing and kicking skills.
Jan de Koning takes a look at the four flyhalves in this week’s semifinals and sees how they stack up.
* Enlarge picture to see stats clearly
Crusaders versus Hurricanes
Richie Mo’unga (Crusaders)
The 24-year-old is the youngest, and certainly the most inexperienced, of the four pivots in the semifinals. He made his Crusaders debut in 2016 and his only cap for the All Blacks was against France in Dunedin, on June 23, this year.
However, he is a composed playmaker that has a level of maturity well beyond his years.
A fractured jaw, suffered in Round Three against the Stormers on March 3, saw him play only 10 matches this season.
However, since his return against the Rebels two months later, the Crusaders have looked unbeatable.
Mo’unga may have scored only three tries himself, but the Crusaders have scored 42 tries in eight matches since his return – more than five a match.
The Crusaders pivot has made the second most runs, for the second most run metres of this weekend’s No.10s. His linebreaks may be only third best, but he has the most tackle busts. He also has the least number of missed tackles.
Beauden Barrett (Hurricanes)
The undisputed king of flyhalves and the current World Rugby Player of the Year.
Maybe his form in 2018 is not up to the lofty heights he produced in 2017, but he remains one of the game’s most influential and exciting players.
His famous cross-field, foot-pass may have been used only sparingly since the June break. However, the Crusaders must be on high alert.
You can look at Barrett’s supposed ‘lack of form’ in the latter weeks of league action – just one win in five starts – but the signs were there in last week’s quarterfinal win over the Chiefs that Barrett is as influential as always.
The 27-year-old has the most tries of all flyhalves, six, while he also tops the runs and run-metres … by some distance.
His defence may be a question mark, since he has missed 26 of his 93 attempted tackles – a success rate of just over 70 percent.
Lions v Waratahs
Elton Jantjies (Lions)
The player that people just love to hate. His supposed lack of BMT (big match temperament) will be held against him forever – no matter what form he is.
The perception is that he is good for the Lions, but bad for the Springboks. And then they say he is only good in the league phases, but can’t cope in tight play-off games.
And the haters will even make disparaging remarks about his hairstyles.
He is a player that openly styles himself on mercurial former All Black Carlos Spencer – a man who mentored him in the early years of his career, when Spencer first played and then assisted fellow Kiwi John Mitchell with the Lions’ coaching.
Jantjies (27) made his Test debut for South Africa against Australia on 29 September 2012. However, his debut for the Springboks came in a non-cap game against the Barbarians on the 2010 end-of-year tour – when Spencer was still playing at the Lions.
He has played the most minutes of all four flyhalves, but the least number of penalties kicked – because of the Lions’ stated preference for scoring tries. This dramatically changed in the quarterfinal win over the Jaguares last week – when Jantjies kicked three penalties.
His game management was clearly illustrated, as the Lions made far fewer carries (100 to 146) and metres carried (320 to 463) than their Argentinean rivals – yet, outscored them by four tries to two. One of those came from a sublime Jantjies cross-field kick to wing Ruan Combrink.
Bernard Foley (Waratahs)
At 28 the oldest, the most experienced and most consistent of all four flyhalves.
He made his Wallaby debut in 2013 against Argentina, in Rosario. However, it was only in 2015 that he made the Australian No.10 jersey his own.
He came to the fore with a heart-stopping penalty in the 2014 Final, to guarantee the Waratahs their first Super Rugby title. Since then he has enhanced his reputation as the ‘Ice Man’ – for his cool and calm demeanour.
Foley is one of the Waratahs’ most consistent performers.
He has been the most prolific flyhalf in 2018 – with 217 points (three tries, 65 conversions and 24 penalties), which is way ahead of second-placed Jantjies’ 151.
His linebreaks are superior to the other No.10s in the semifinals, while his tackle count is also far superior to the others – his 113 tackles coming at a success rate of 73 percent.
Perhaps not recognised for his game-breaking ability, Foley does have the creative skillset – having won a silver medal with the Australian Sevens team at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.
By Jan de Koning
@king365ed
@rugby365com
