Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry stats: All Blacks midfielder dominates physical battle while wingers shine in unexpected ways
Rugby's Greatest Rivalry stats: All Blacks midfielder dominates physical battle while wingers shine in unexpected ways
Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry gave us all the excitement and passion that we crave as rugby fans, with the Springboks coming away 3-1 victors over the All Blacks.
But who excelled in the four Tests? Well, here are the stats to wrap up the series.
Individual stats
Points scored: Cheslin Kolbe scored all of his points through the boot, taking on the kicking responsibilities to nail 29 points against the old rivals, knocking over seven penalty goals and converting four tries. The electrifying wing was unable to add to his points total beyond the second Test, however, after being removed from the field just nine minutes into the third. He would eventually be diagnosed with a broken jaw, ruling him out for the remainder of the series.
Tries scored: Will Jordan was again the most prolific try scorer in international rugby, averaging a try a game across the four-match Test series. Two came in the All Blacks’ opening-round win at Ellis Park, he then scored at the FNB Stadium in the third Test and before getting his final try in Baltimore in the final match of the series. Damian de Allende and Ardie Savea crossed the try line three times each, but the latter was forced to retire from the tour through injury before the final Test.
Tackles completed: It was a truly fascinating battle between the two best inside centres in the world, but Jordie Barrett excelled, almost single-handedly carrying the All Blacks during periods of the series. He made 55 tackles across all four matches, averaging almost 14 tackles a match, which included game highs in both the second and third Tests. South Africa’s Pieter-Steph du Toit followed with a team-high 49 tackles, averaging just over 12 per match, with De Allende (44), Jasper Wiese (43), Eben Etzebeth (42) and Ruan Nortje (42) trailing close behind.
Metres gained: Jordan again led the chart with an impressive 275 metres made, almost 100 metres more than his closest teammate Cam Roigard with 180. The winger regularly popped up in space and was a real threat when he got behind the Springboks line. Kurt-Lee Arendse was the most effective South African attacker, making up for lost time in the second and third Tests after being injured in the opener. He finished with a team-high of 220 metres, including a remarkable 169 in the series decider.
Carries made: Wiese had an industrious series, taking the ball into contact a remarkable 56 times over the four Tests. His carries weren’t simple run-of-the-mill efforts either; each charge caused untold damage to the All Blacks defensive line, with the visitors needing to triple up on tackles at times. The powerful number eight came into the series regarded as arguably the best in the world in his position, and left having proved it. His teammate De Allende followed with 40, while All Blacks star Jordan led the chasers on 35 after regularly coming in off his wing to hunt for the ball.
Defenders beaten: From his 35 carries, Jordan beat 20 defenders, topping the chart in all but the final Test in Baltimore. Roigard closely followed with 18, consistently causing the Springboks defensive issues around the breakdown, while Damian McKenzie caused havoc in the back field, beating 13 defenders. Arendse was the most effective Springbok one-on-one, taking 12 All Blacks to the cleaners in the two and a bit matches he was involved in.
Line breaks: Again, New Zealand’s superstar winger Jordan led the way, making seven line breaks to kick-start the All Blacks attack, while Arendse returned the favour five times, with four coming in the final match in Baltimore.
Turnovers won: Somewhat surprisingly, it wasn’t a gritty flanker that took the turnover award, but instead a playmaking back, the midfielder Barrett. Seven times Barrett turned the ball over for his side, which included a mammoth five-turnover game in the opener at Ellis Park. In second place was Malcolm Marx, arguably the player of the series, with four turnover wins for South Africa.
Team stats
Points scored: Up until the final match, New Zealand had actually scored more points across the series than the hosts, but after South Africa’s resounding final victory, the scores swung around to make it 121-111 over the four-Test series, reinforcing that, actually, the Springboks are undoubtedly the better team.
Tries scored: Perhaps unsurprisingly, the All Blacks led on the try-scoring front, with 17 touch downs compared to their slightly more cautious, but efficient hosts. The 14-try Springboks controlled the scoreline in three of the four Test matches, but there’s no denying the All Blacks’ attacking excellence, with players who can create try-scoring moments from almost nothing.
Tackles completed: What may explain the All Blacks’ dominant try-scoring record will be the Springboks’ marginal tackle completion rate of just 82%, compared to the All Blacks’ superior 84.5%. South Africa did find themselves needing to make more contacts in defence, as their game plan was less about controlling the ball and more about taking the points when they were on offer and playing the position on the field, but even so, Rassie Erasmus will have been hoping for a tackle rate north of 85%.
Metres gained: The two sides were incredibly close on this scale, with the hosts clocking 1,429 metres gained and the visitors slightly pipping them with 1,435. Both sides proved extremely efficient with the ball in hand, so it’s no surprise that they clocked such high numbers across the four Tests.
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Carries made: The All Blacks’ 617 carries to the Springboks’ 436 tells a huge story, one that begins and ends with one word: efficiency. South Africa walked away from the series with three victories on the scoreboard and a higher total points tally, despite the All Blacks banging on the door for longer.
Line breaks: When two of the greatest teams in the game come together, the quality of the attack is always going to be outstanding, but again so is the defence. So the fight between unstoppable forces and immovable objects resulted in just five line breaks separating the two sides, with the visitors’ excellent attacking dynamism earning them 34 line breaks compared to South Africa’s 29.
Turnovers won: Somewhat surprisingly, the All Blacks again came out on top, turning the ball over 30 times in total, not least thanks to the tenacity of Barrett, who was credited with almost a quarter of his side’s efforts. South Africa still made 25, and arguably made the better of it when they did recover the ball.