Stats back Argentina win #FanUp

Aug 11 • General News, International, Springboks, The Rugby Championship • 3358 Views • Comments Off on Stats back Argentina win #FanUp

Photo: @howzitjax / Rugby 15

The Springboks may have produced a below-par performance on Saturday but a spirited Argentina side were in top form for their historic 37-25 victory on South African soil.

Statistics taken from the Vodacom Rugby App paints a dismal picture of the Springboks’ performance on the night and some of the reasons why Los Pumas were deserved victors.

The South American side were defensively executing 107 tackles compared to the 70 the Springboks had to make.

The hosts were careless with possession making 19 handling errors while conceding eight turnovers.

To add insult to injury the Springboks were further neutralised in the scrums where they only won three on their own ball and losing three on their own shove.

When they managed to hold onto the ball they dominated the statistics making 110 carries to 67 by the visitors.

Argentina made three more Clean Breaks than the Boks’ eight while the home side beat 20 defenders to 17.

The Castle Lager Championship came to a dramatic climax with Australia winning the title for the first time since 2011.

The collated statistics in the individual categories paint a slightly rosier picture of how South African players faired in the shortened Championship.

Fullback Willie le Roux proved himself as one of the sharpest weapons in the Springboks’ armoury topping the Metres Run and Clean Breaks categories.

The fleet-footed player made 287 metres in his three Rugby Championship matches with Australia’s Israel Folau following shortly behind him with only a metre less.

Breakthrough Springbok star Jesse Kriel made the third most running metres with 197m in his three maiden Tests.

Le Roux made six clean breaks throughout the competition with Argentina’s hat-trick hero from the weekend Juan Imhoff making five for second place on the rankings in this category.

His 33 Carries was the third most in the Championship with Folau’s 44 topping the stats while Springbok loose forward Schalk Burger making the second most with 36.

Folau’s name crops up again at the top of the Defenders beaten list with the 20 players he bamboozled.

Damian de Allende, who was also one of South Africa’s shining lights during the campaign, is ranked second with the 12 defenders he beat.

Compatriot and flyhalf Handre Pollard is in third place with 11 while Kriel beat 10 defenders along with Argentina’s Santiago Cordero.

Burger was also South Africa’s biggest defender making 40 tackles during the campaign for third place behind New Zealand’s Richie McCaw (43) and Kieran Read (42) while compatriot Lood de Jager also features among the top tacklers with his 33.

Australia’s David Pocock once again highlighted his class as a fetcher topping the Turnovers won category with his eight.

Behind him Springbok hooker Bismarck du Plessis shared second place with Argentina’s Agustin Creevey with five apiece with South African open-side flanker Heinrich Brussow equal with De Allende with four each.

South Africa v Argentina:
Points: 25-37
Tries: 3-3
Try Assists: 3-4
Penalties conceded: 9-16
Kicks from hand: 7-17
Metres run: 366-317
Clean breaks: 5-8
Carries: 110-67
Defenders beaten: 20-17
Passes: 151-106
Offloads: 14-4
Tackles: 70-107
Missed tackles: 17-20
Knock ons: 19-9
Turnovers won: 6-8
Handling errors: 19-9
Lineouts won on own throw: 12-8
Scrums won: 3-7
Scrums lost: 3-1

Metres Run:

Willie le Roux (SA) – 287
Israel Folau (Aus) – 286
Jesse Kriel (SA) – 197
Charles Piutau (NZ) – 178
Santiago Cordero (Arg) – 139

Clean breaks:

Willie le Roux (SA) – 6
Juan Imhoff (Arg) – 5
Adam Ashley-Cooper (Aus) – 4
Ben Smith (NZ) – 4
Damian de Allende (SA) – 4

Carries:

Israel Folau (Aus) – 44
Schalk Burger (SA) – 36
Tevita Kuridrani (Aus) – 35
Willie le Roux (SA) – 33
Handre Pollard (SA) – 32
Damian de Allende (SA) – 31

Defenders beaten:

Israel Folau (Aus) – 20
Damian de Allende (SA) – 12
Handre Pollard (SA) – 11
Jesse Kriel (SA) – 10
Santiago Cordero (Arg) – 10

Tackles:

Richie McCaw (NZ) – 43
Kieran Read (NZ) – 42
Schalk Burger (SA) – 40
Brodie Retallick (NZ) – 33
Lood de Jager (SA) – 33

Turnovers won:

David Pocock (Aus) – 8
Agustin Creevey (Arg) – 5
Bismarck du Plessis (SA) – 5
Damian de Allende (SA) – 4
Heinrich Brussow (SA) – 4