For the last 18 months South Africans had to listen to boredom about the ‘boring rugby’ they play, but Super rugby statistics at the half-way stage of the competition suggests it is in fact the Antipodean teams that does most of the playing, WITHOUT the ball.
When I started out with this column the point was to highlight how a team’s attitude can be measured by looking at their defense.
It had (still has) specific bearing on the Lions team trying to establish just what type of ‘attitude’ exists in the camp and how this relates to their on-field results.
Many coaches will tell you that defense and tackling is first and foremost an attitude an individual and team has, and secondly, skills and systems.
You can coach a team and individual the latest skills and techniques in tackling, and implement the best defensive systems, but if that team or individuals in the team does not have the right attitude to go out and show some balls, it is effectively useless.
With the Lions it seems to be a thing that has been coming for a long time, who can forget Tim Lane apparently telling Lions management when asked what assistance he needed to turn the Lions season around while on tour; “Send me 15 guys that can #$%$^*@ tackle!”.
But as I browsed the defensive statistics I noticed something very strange…
A lot has been said of South African teams’ inability, or preference to play ‘without’ the ball and banking on opposition mistakes to score points.
A tell-tale sign of playing without the ball, is of course looking at how many tackles a team has to make in a game when they of course, do not have the ball.
The numbers are fascinating…
Whilst Antipodean teams are far better in their execution of defense (tackle success ratio’s), there is some daylight between the amount of tackles South African Super rugby teams are making on average per game (not having the ball in hand) compared to that of the top Antipodean teams.
This in turn suggests that South African teams, on average, have far more possession of the ball and not only possession, but ball-in-hand (running) possession given the amount of tackles the Antipodean teams make on average per game.
The exception to the rule here is the Stormers, who average there and there about with the Antipodean teams – but with that it is also interesting to note that the Stormers are known to have the best defense in the competition thus far, and actually build their play around defense and defensive structures rather than attacking rugby.
All the South African teams combined makes on average 113 tackles per game. Important to note here is that the Stormers, with an average of 129 tackles per game heavily inflates this figure.
Individual averages are;
Bulls: 101 per game
Cheetahs: 118 per game
Lions: 109 per game
Sharks: 110 per game
Stormers: 129 per game
The top Antipodean teams (Crusaders, Chiefs, Waratahs and Brumbies) in comparison make on average, a combined 134 tackles on average per game.
Individual averages are;
Crusaders: 127 per game
Waratahs: 140 per game
Brumbies: 126 per game
Chiefs: 143 per game
So why do you only see two South Africa teams at the top of the log then you might ask?
Well the answer is simpler than you think, all of the Antipodean teams on average only misses 10% of their tackles, meaning they have an A+ average or complete close to, or over 90% of their tackles successfully, whereas South African teams most successful teams (Stormers and Sharks) average an 86% completion rate and the rest, miss just about 20% of all their tackles (that is one in every 5 tackles where the Antipodean teams miss 1 in every 10)…
So even though this proves that the top Antipodean teams are better defenders than the South Africans, it also proves they have to do a hell of a lot more of it than the Saffa’s which to my mind, puts this myth of South Africans preferring playing ‘without the ball’ to rest.
(Statistics from Verusco)
Just like I thought…
I ended 3rd…
Someone flucked up the list on this site !!!
I smell a rat 😆
Vuurtjie aka clone…
Jy le lekker laag daar op die S14 log he… 😆 😆 😆
Pienaar says in the paper to Plum. “The weather is foul here. We have been giving Plumtree a bit of a hard time for having wanted to live here for so long” He was Wellington coach for five years before joing the Sharks.
Pienaar also says, “If I have to play at FH against the Canes, so be it. Chopping and changing is nothing new for me this season,” He said he had been looking forward to playing scrummie for the season, but the plan changed a few times! and it was not about him but rather the team.
So that is good his mind is at a good place. Just do it Ruan.
Puma,
It will be a great effort from the Sharks to pull of the win, but we’ve been up against it through the whole season thus far, and I think we should have the mental strength to overcome the weather, long tour and injuries.
We’ve shown great character, fighting through every game (except the ‘Saders) to the bitter end, never giving up……now that takes character, especially after losing 5 in a row, most, if not all teams would have given up.
30 – Blouste……..hahaha.
I forgot to check where I ended up. Going to check now.
Still sad though…
Pienaar needs game time in ONE position !!!
But hey, I guess injuries played a big role….
Pienkste 32,
My Sharks het my lelik seer gemaak, en daai blerrie wild card pics wat ek gemaak het…..pynlik, maar nou ja, ek sal maak soos my Sharks en deur druk tot die einde.
34 @ Fire…
Always an optimist hey 😉
They say every dark cloud has a silwer lining…sometimes you just need to look harder… 😆
I predicted before the tour the Sharks will come back with only one win out of seven games…
Okay I ended 6 last on bru with 6 nations. Ireland cost me twice 😀 Chose my team with the heart first 😀
36 – Blouste, Yip Pienaar does need game time in one position but we need him now and he knows it. This is now for the team.
Pity Hernandez got injured when he did otherwise none of this shifting of Ruan would have happened.
Take note Sharks last year Pienaar got injured playing FH we had to put Fransie there and it cost us.
We need always and always to have a back up FH.
Ireland cost me twice aswell !!! 👿
Puma,
Pienaar just need to back himself at FH, every week when he plays at FH and Kockot at SH things started moving…..he just has to believe he is as good as we all know he is.
Well just go and buy another overseas FH… 😆
I’m out for 5 minutes…
37 – Fires, To be honest if the calls went our way with the refs like they should have, Sharks could be 5 from 6. Then we should not have let ourselves be in a situation where a penalty against us that should not be a penalty cost us the game. We have to be putting many more points on the board so the ref really don’t matter too much. Though still feel bad about the rough calls we got.
43 – Blouste, Nah that what has cost us. Must look here at home for one.
42 – Fires, Ruan was really good when he moved to FH on Saturday. He just needs to get that in his head he is far better than he thinks it is. Like Morne wrote about atitude today. That is one aspect of it. Believe in yourself. Very important.
What happens when Ludik is able to play? I hope that Lambie is not dropped. We should now be playing him every week.
Pienkste,
For this weekend in Wellington though, behind every silver lining there’s a dark cloud 😆
I hope we’ll at least make it 2 from seven, but the odds are stacked against us….again.
Puma,
Who knows, maybe Plum will get really adventurous and play Lambie at FH when Ludik is ready for FB. I think Lambie will do well there, just a few more games needed at FB and he’ll be mustard.
Guys, the weekend will be tough, but hey Fires your predicting us Bulls will struggle aswell…
We can only hope !!!
FS @ 48
Dick…Is that you…
No man ,the guy has just performed well at fullback in his FIRST game and already you want him to play at flyhalf 😯
Keep the players in their positions…have’nt you learned…
48 – Fires, I don’t like messing with players positions, but think Ludik too is a huge talent. Lambie I heard played U15 last at FH. The rest has been FB. I liked him there on Saturday. Well if he can be as good at FH then we are all set for next year. Will have to see what Ludik can do first.
Blouste, yip this weekend going to be tough. Bulls will win, jeepers I have not a worry in the world about that game. Sharks have a their hands full with the Canes. Hope Cheetahs can cause a upset too with the Reds. Well hoping they without a lot of players.
Hard picks these:
Brumbies/Chiefs
Tahs/Blues
Sharks/Canes
Cheetahs/Reds
Easy picks:
Force/Bulls
Landers/Lions
Bulls and Landers should win. The other picks going to be difficult.
Well if they want to play him at fly and he have before then keep him there…
Please don’t shunt these okes around anymore…
They are your talented youngsters coming through….
@ 52
Exactly, at least 4 difficult picks this weekend !!!
54 – Blouste, We must just play players in their right position. That makes players happy and a happy team. No more shifting players about unless if we have to like this weekend. We don’t have a FH. Goode is out injured. Also he was not up to much except he could kick at posts.
55 – Blouste, I am not doing well on Bru cause I went with the unexpected one week and fell flat on my face. Also going with Sharks have cost me. Only went against them once.
So for now not too worried. Will select Bulls and Landers.
Then think Blues, Brumbies, Going with my heart. Somehow think I am wrong. Sharks by 2. Also going to go with Cheethas even though they have many players injured. Tough to beat them even without their best on home soil. Well that is my thoughts for now….hahaha.
Okay I go away for 5min and everyone is gone 😯
Going to get a coffee and then will blog for only a bit. Or go to voldy..hehe. No-one home here.
Back in 5 min.
Goode was always going to leave after this game or not?
Puma,
Thought Lambie played FH for the u/21’s last year, or for the u/19’s? Then I might just be guilty of jumping the gun, let him play the remainder of the season at FB, try him out at FH in the CC….as long as he believes he can do it. Else keep him at FB.
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