Super 14 Round 12 Team of the Week
Roar Guru
By LeftArmSpinner, 5 May 2009 LeftArmSpinner is a Roar Guru
The player of the round, statistically, is Rene Ranger. But here is the full Super 14 team of the week.
1 Ben Alexander BRU
2 Andrew Hore HUR
3 Brok Harris STO
4 Brad Thorn CRU
5 Nathan Sharpe WFR
6 Liam Messam CHI
7 Duane Vermeulen STO
8 Stephen Hoiles BRU
9 Will Genia RED
10 Isaia Toeava BLU
11 Rudi Wulf BLU
12 Ma’a Nonu HUR
13 Conrad Smith HUR
14 Rene Ranger BLU
15 Leon MacDonald CRU
There are now just a handful of games that will decide the semi-finalists and, more importantly, the teams who will play their semi-final at home.
1. Chiefs Vs Hurricanes (Chiefs)
2. Sharks Vs Waratahs (Sharks)
3. Sharks Vs Bulls (Sharks)
Should the Sharks lose both games, the Waratahs and Crusaders would finish in equal fourth, before bonus points.
My projected semi-finalists don’t include an Aussie team. If I am correct, they only have themselves to blame.
The Force self-destructed against the Hurricanes, allowing eleven points in the last three minutes. The Waratahs chose the wrong game plan and then continued with it for much too long, dropping home games and bonus points.
1 Chiefs 45
2 Sharks 43
3 Hurricanes 43
4 Bulls 41
5 Crusaders 40
6 Waratahs 36
7 Brumbies 36
8 Force 34
9 Blues 31
10 H’Landers 31
11 Stormers 23
12 Lions 19
13 Reds 18
14 Cheetahs 11
One interesting statistic is that if you average the number of points for each of the three countries’ teams, New Zealand teams average 38 points, Australia averages 31 points and South African teams average 27 points.
So much for the lack of relative depth in Australian rugby compared to the South African when it comes to a fifteenth Super rugby team!
Vote for your “Player of the Round”:
Stephen Hoiles
Liam Messam
Leon MacDonald
Richard Kahui
Rene Ranger
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The Crowd Says (10) | Page 1 of Comments
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Jerry said | May 5th 2009 @ 4:45am | Report comment
Wulf played fullback – surely if you’re basing your selection on statistics you can’t be switching positions. Fullback gives many more opportunities to return the ball from kicks which means more metres gained, more kicking metres from return kicks and more chances at busting tackles which are often one on one or with a fractured line to start with.
Also, on the subject of ‘average points per team’ it doesn’t show Aus does deserve a 5th team but it does show SA doesn’t – but then with 3 teams in the bottom 3rd of the table it doesn’t take a genius to figure out they’re basing their argument on money, not on field results.
Jerry said | May 5th 2009 @ 4:48am | Report comment
And I’ve just notice you’ve put Toeava in at 10 where he’s barely played in years. 12 and 10 are not interchangeable and just cause someone has good stats in one position, shoehorning them into another is bogus. You wouldn’t stick a prop in at hooker cause he had good stats one week.
van der Merwe said | May 5th 2009 @ 7:43am | Report comment
No Waratahs’ locks? No Sharks’ front row? The Cheetahs supposedly have one of the best lineouts but the former dominated them. Likewise, the Highlanders, who have one of the strongest front rows, were turned into mincemeat by Smit and co. But then, I suppose that statistics assume that all opposition is equal.
Campbell Watts said | May 5th 2009 @ 1:32pm | Report comment
Kahui for player of the round!
Set up Morlands 2 tries and got one of his own with 4 players hanging off him for the crucial 4 try bonus point!
LeftArmSpinner said | May 5th 2009 @ 2:12pm | Report comment
jerry, good points all round. I thought that Wulf had played 15. I have attempted to put players in their positions, believe it or not,as that is more technically correct, given the concept and purpose of the post.
Van, it is stats only. Its interesting that neither get a look. I agree that the Tahs did very well winning opp lineouts. caldwell won two steals, mumm got one, mowen got two also. so five steals in one game.
here is a comparison of Brad Thorn and Caldwell. put simply, Thorn did more around the field. the stats score was Thorn 33 (19).
THorn with Caldwell in brackets:
Minutes Played 80 (80)
Tries 1 (0)
Runs 11 (3)
Tackles bust 2 (0)
Offloads 2 (0)
Linebreaks 1 (0)
Tackles made 9 (10)
Tackles missed 4 (0)
Long arm penalties 1 (0)
Errors 1 (0)
Lineout takes 4 (0)
Lineout steals 2 (2)
To me this is a good example of the purpose of stats. Thorn just did more and did it more effectively. Multiply that by 15 players and the difference is enormous and makes the chance of winning the game so much greater because the pressure such a performance puts on the opposition is enormous.
Jerry said | May 5th 2009 @ 4:15pm | Report comment
VDM’s point about the scrum is a good one though – if your stats for front rowers don’t recognise how the scrum performs they’re overlooking a large part of the yardstick by which those players should be judged.
katzilla said | May 5th 2009 @ 9:27pm | Report comment
You’ve guesstimated that both the Sharks and Hurricanes will finish on the same points but have the Sharks above the Canes.
You realise the amount of points they would need to win their next few games by in order to achieve that don’t you?
LeftArmSpinner said | May 5th 2009 @ 11:36pm | Report comment
Jerry, not my stats, Rupert Murdochs stats. speak to ‘im!!! The front row get the points for a scrum win.
Here is a list of all the stats:
Playing 1 – 60 minutes 1
Playing more than 60 minutes 2
For each try 5
For each try assist 2
For each try save 2
For each conversion 2
For each conversion miss -1
For each penalty 3
For each penalty miss -1
For each drop goal 3
For each drop goal miss -1
Yellow card -5
Red card -15
For each run 1
For each tackle bust 1
For each offload 1
For each linebreak 3
For each error -1
For each tackle made 1
For each tackle miss -2
For each lineout take on own throw 1
For each lineout steal on opposition throw 3
For each not straight -2
For each tight head won, awarded to entire front row 5
For each tight head lost, awarded to entire front row -5
Pilfers 4
For each turn over forced 2
For each penalty – long arm -2
katzilla, I have only done it on comp points for wins, not BP’s or points difference. Technically, then the canes will finish 2nd unless they beat the Chiefs.
katzilla said | May 5th 2009 @ 11:56pm | Report comment
Excellent
two NZ semis would be lovely thanks
LeftArmSpinner said | May 6th 2009 @ 8:18am | Report comment
katzilla, not only two teams, but two teams playing breathtaking footy.
I watched the Blues V Canes game last week. fantastic rugby. physical, fast and exciting.
Here in Tahland, the only breathtaking experience is how much of a wanker Tahman has been and continues to be. We are surprised when they score 2 tries against the bottom ranked team……..