Super Rugby: Top 10 penalty machines – until end of Round 7

With 7 Rounds of this years Super Rugby competition completed and much discussion in the various media regarding disciplinary hearings, we thought it would be interesting to look at the players’ records so far in conceding penalties.

The scrums have become an absolute lottery and so it is no surprise that front rowers will be giving away many penalties while loose forwards can also tend to ‘live life on the edge’. However, what is surprising, according to the stats, is that as many as 6 props names appear in the Top 10 list of serial transgressors thus far this season.

2 Players who have been discussed quite a lot lately, Bismarck du Plessis and Liam Messam also appear on the list, which is disappointing considering they are the captains of their teams. Perhaps it is no surprise then that the match between the Sharks and Chiefs turned out to be such a nasty affair. Interestingly though a 3rd player who has been discussed over and over again, Francois Steyn, is not in this Top 10.

Top 10 list of Penalty magnets:

Here’s a list you don’t want to see your name on. The most penalized players of the start of the Super Rugby campaign. While it should come as no surprise that props are the most penalized position, we also have room for backrowers that push the envelope.

Leading the list is Ben McCalman, the Western Force backrower racking up no fewer than 12 penalties thus far, including an impressive 4 in the 1-point loss to the Vodacom Bulls in Round 6.

The Chiefs have struggled with their discipline this year and their skipper Liam Messam is leading from the front in this regard, with 10 – including 4 in the win over the Brumbies in Round 2. Unlike the Force, the Chiefs seem to be dodging bullets thus far.

Another captain leading from the front here is Bismarck du Plessis, who is currently serving a 5-week ban for a nasty bit of business that may impact his World Cup hopes, given Adriaan Strauss’ good form of late.

Deon Stegmann is the only other non-prop in the list, with 9 dings on his record.

The scrum penalty is the bane of the modern game and, though the penalties often seem arbitrary, we do have a special place in our hearts for Ross Geldenhuys, who managed to amass 12 penalties in just 4 matches before being dropped by the Highlanders after Round 5.

Other names are among the top names in the game, so don’t read too much into this. Vincent Koch and Tetera Faulkner, for instance, feature in this week’s “In Form Props” list and Charlie Faumuina is a solid contender in the All Blacks player pool.

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Top Ten Penalty Magnets of Super Rugby: