Boks lose despite superior stats
Photo Caption: Lodewyk De Jager of South Africa wins ball in line out during the 2015 Castle Rugby Championship match between South Africa and New Zealand at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg, South Africa on July 25, 2015 – Photo Credit Gavin Barker/BackpagePix
27 JULY 2015 – Hardly putting a foot wrong, the Springboks learned another cruel lesson in their 27-20 defeat to the All Blacks in their Castle Lager Rugby Championship clash in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Statistics taken for the Vodacom Rugby App demonstrate exactly how South Africa had the upper hand before New Zealand snatched the victory.
Enjoying most of the possession and the territory while dominating other key facets of the game, the Boks could not close out the game.
The hosts had 52 percent of the possession and 51 percent of the territory but the All Blacks once again demonstrated that it’s the team that makes the best of their chances that takes the spoils.
South Africa took to the field with a positive attitude which was reflected by the 17 carries they made more than New Zealand, beating 28 defenders compared to the 19 by the visitors.
Leading his country’s charge on attack, Springbok flyhalf Handre Pollard led the Defenders beaten category with his seven.
Bok inside centre Damian de Allende also featured prominently on the rankings making two clean breaks.
He also topped the Carries department along with South African captain Schalk Burger and New Zealand flyer Charles Piutau with 14 apiece.
De Allende and his midfield partner Jesse Kriel made 11 carries each along with Bok lock Lood de Jager and Argentina’s Tomias Lavanini.
Topping the Clean breaks category, Willie le Roux made four with New Zealand’s Ben Smith and Argentina’s Gonzalo Camacho tied in second place with three each, while De Allende got the better of two defenders along with Australia’s Israel Folau.
Le Roux and Jesse Kriel also cracked top-five in the Metres Run category covering 78 metres and 76 metres with the ball in hand.
Marking his return to the Bok team for the first time in four years, Heinrich Brussow made a valuable contribution against the All Blacks.
He was the only South African to make it into the top-five in the Tackles category with the 14 he executed along with New Zealand’s Dane Coles, while Australia’s David Pocock topped the category with 18.
Brussow and Pocock won the most turnovers in their respective matches winning three each with their nearest competitors winning one apiece.
Castle Lager Rugby Championship stats:
Metres run:
1. Santiago Cordero (Arg) – 106
2. Charles Piutau (NZ) – 102
3. Israel Folau (Aus) – 93
4. Willie le Roux (RSA) – 78
5. Jesse Kriel (RSA) – 76
Clean breaks:
1. Willie le Roux (RSA) – 4
2. Ben Smith (NZ) – 3
3. Gonzalo Camacho (Arg) – 3
4. Damian de Allende (RSA) – 2
5. Israel Folau (Aus) – 2
Carries:
1. Charles Piutau (NZ) – 14
Handre Pollard (RSA) – 14
Schalk Burger (RSA) – 14
2. Facundo Isa (Arg) – 12
Santiago Cordero (Arg) – 12
3. Damian de Allende (Arg) – 11
Jesse Kriel (RSA) – 11
Lood de Jager (RSA) – 11
Tomias Lavanini (Arg) – 11
Defenders beaten:
1. Handre Pollard (RSA) – 7
Santiago Cordero (Arg) – 7
2. Charles Piutau (NZ) – 6
3. Damian de Allende (RSA) – 6
4. Israel Folau (Aus) – 6
5. Dane Coles (NZ) – 5
Tackles:
1. David Pocock (Aus) – 18
2. Kieran Read (NZ) – 16
3. Richie McCaw (NZ) – 16
4. Dane Coles (NZ) – 14
5. Heinrich Brussow (RSA) – 14
Turnovers won:
1. David Pocock (Aus) – 3
Heinrich Brussow (RSA) – 3
2. Aaron Smith (NZ) – 1
Augustin Creevy (Arg) – 1
Bismarck du Plessis (RSA) – 1
Charles Piutau (NZ) – 1
Dane Coles (NZ) – 1
South Africa v New Zealand Stats:
1. Clean Breaks: 10-7
2. Carries: 125-108
3. Defenders Beaten: 28-19
4. Passes: 158-141
5. Possession: 52%-48%
6. Territory: 51%-49%
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