Rugby World Cup-winning Springboks continue to dominate the stats in Japan
Split with Damian de Allende and Franco Mostert.
Two double Rugby World Cup-winning Springboks have further underlined their quality as they top key statistics in Japan Rugby League One.
The duo are joined by an All Black as one of the stats leaders in the ever-growing league.
Most dominant ball carrier
The robust running Springbok veteran Damian de Allende of the Saitama Wild Knights leads the way with ball in hand, holding the highest percentage of dominant carries in the league with a ridiculous 63.6%, according to Opta.
It may not be a surprise to Springboks fans who have seen the centre barge his way up the midfield since 2014.
Interestingly, De Allende’s number exceeded that of the reigning World Rugby Men’s 15s Player of the Year, Ardie Savea (61.3%), who is renowned for his carrying ability.
🇿🇦🇯🇵 Pieter-Steph du Toit and Damian de Allende catching up after game. pic.twitter.com/7CUYEAah1U
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) January 6, 2024
Top tackler
Once again it is little surprise to see the three-lung freak of endurance that is Franco Mostert well and truly leading the way in the tackle count with a tally of 179 this campaign. The Honda Heat star’s total is 13 ahead of the nearest player who is Brave Blossoms skipper Kazuki Himeno (166).
The very high tackle count from the South African shows that Mostert has not taken his foot off the gas after claiming his second World Cup title last year, during which he made a simply crazy 49 tackles during the knockout stages of that tournament. What made it even more sweet is that the towering forward did not miss one during that period.
179 – The six players with the most tackles completed in this season’s @LeagueOne_EN D1:
179 – Franco Mostert 🇿🇦
166 – Kazuki Himeno 🇯🇵
158 – Pieter Labuschagne 🇯🇵
154 – Ardie Savea 🇳🇿
149 – Yuya Odo 🇯🇵
148 – Tiennan Costley 🇳🇿Persistent.
— OptaJonny (@OptaJonny) April 10, 2024
Most try assists
All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson claimed Toshiba Brave Lupus star Richie Mo’unga was the form New Zealand 10 earlier in the season, and the numbers certainly point that way. The brilliant playmaker leads the way with an impressive 13 assists – two ahead of the nearest player.
🇳🇿 Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo had Richie Mo'unga to thank for their win.
🇯🇵 Lots to catch up on in #LeagueOne in Japan as sides jostle for top four. https://t.co/FLDyidrZxU
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) April 10, 2024
The likes of Mo’unga have led to lengthy debates about the All Blacks selection policy, with players based overseas ineligible for selection. However, the coach has called for an open mind around the topic with no changes announced yet.
As it stands Damian McKenzie is the front-runner to wear the All Blacks shirt this year with veteran Beauden Barrett a possible selection when he returns from Japan side Toyota Verblitz in the middle of the year.
