Super Rugby Pacific statistics: Damian McKenzie and ‘exciting’ Wallabies rookie setting the pace after Round Three
Chiefs utility back and Western Force flanker Carlo Tizzano.
After three rounds of the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season, Planet Rugby takes a closer look at the players who are key to the exciting rugby on show and who leads the rest in the respective individual statistics categories.
Top try-scorer
Exciting rookie Wallabies flanker Carlo Tizzano has hit the ground running during the Western Force‘s Super Rugby Pacific campaign as he has already crossed for five tries in three matches played.
Tizzano opened his account with a brace against Moana Pasifika before crossing the whitewash again against the Brumbies and this past weekend he was rewarded with another two tries in his side’s loss to the Reds in Perth.
Runners-up
There’s a two-way tie for second place in this category after three rounds with Moana Pasifika speedster Kyren Taumoefolau and Crusaders scrum-half Kyle Preston both having crossed for four tries apiece.
Taumoefolau was the only one of the two in action in Round Three – as the Crusaders had a bye – but he could not add to his tally.
Top points-scorer
No surprises here as Damian McKenzie, who was the leading points-scorer during the 2024 season, has continued where he left off in that campaign and is setting the pace once again with 48 points scored in three matches for the Chiefs.
The All Blacks star kicked 14 points in his side’s Round Three win over the Brumbies in Hamilton after starting the season with a 20-point haul in the Chiefs’ victory against the Blues before contributing 14 points in his side’s win over the Crusaders in Round Two.
Runners-up
Next best is young Hurricanes fly-half Harry Godfrey, who is just four points adrift of McKenzie while Wallabies fly-half Ben Donaldson of the Force is hot on his heels on 42 points.
Top tackler
Apart from delivering outstanding attacking performances, Tizzano has also come to the fore with outstanding defensive displays and he is setting the pace with a whopping 63 tackles made, which means he is averaging 21 hits per match.
Runners-up
Tizzano’s impressive statistics in this department puts him well clear of his closest rivals with Blues hooker Ricky Riccitelli occupying second position after making 54 tackles so far this season.
Not far behind is Tizzano’s fellow flanker at the Force, Nick Champion de Crespigny, who is in third position with 53 tackle completions.
Top carrier
Leading the way in this department is Moana Pasifika back-row Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa, who has already made 56 carries after just three matches played so far this season.
He was machine-like for his team in their narrow defeat against the Highlanders in Auckland at the weekend as he finished with 19 carries made in that encounter.
Runners-up
Meanwhile, leading the chase behind Ta’eilo are two of the Chiefs’ All Blacks stars, Quinn Tupaea and McKenzie, who have been in the thick of the action for the men from Hamilton with 45 and 41 carries respectively for the tournament’s table-toppers.
Most defenders beaten
Unsurprisingly, it is McKenzie who is leading the pack here as he has already beaten 23 defenders so far this season and that total looks significantly better after a brilliant attacking performance in the Chiefs’ win over the Brumbies where he managed to get past eight defenders.
Runners-up
Tupaea occupies second position in this category but he is some way behind McKenzie as he has beaten 13 defenders while Highlanders skipper Timoci Tavatavanawai is in third spot, just one adrift.
Running metres
This category has a surprising leader in Highlanders speed merchant Caleb Tangitau, who has literally hit the ground running in his first season at the Dunedin-based outfit as he is setting the pace with 285 metres gained from three matches played.
Runners-up
Once again, McKenzie is in the mix and he occupies second spot, with just four running metres less than Tangitau while another All Black, Sevu Reece, is in third place with 228 metres gained although he has played one match less than Tangitau and McKenzie.
Most line-outs won
The Force have shown in their three matches this year that their set-piece work are amongst their strengths and unsurprisingly Wallabies lock Darcy Swain tops the charts in this category with 14 clean line-out takes.
Runners-up
Meanwhile, Swain’s stiffest competition comes from fellow Wallaby Rob Leota of the Waratahs and his club-mate Miles Amatosero, who are tied for second spot with just two less lineouts won.
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