Super Rugby's most potent attacking weapon
While debate over who should don the Springboks No. 10 jersey heats up as the June test window nears, one player has separated himself from the pack.
Robert du Preez has emerged as a point-scoring machine since joining the Durban-based Sharks, leading the competition in points after 12 weeks of competition and declaring himself the most potent offensive weapon in Super Rugby.
While an outlandish call at first glance, there’s no doubt that du Preez has the numbers to back up the claim.
Du Preez’s point production has been on another level in 2018.
The first five-eighth has scored 132 points and four tries, good for best in the competition and best among his position respectively. That amounts to 13.2 points every outing, and when you throw in du Preez’s competition-leading seven try assists he is responsible for 16.7 Sharks points every game. He also ranks fourth in the competition in line-break assists (12), showing great awareness to put his teammates into space.
His 38-point outing against the Blues – the third highest single-game haul in Super Rugby history, where he kicked a perfect 13/13 from the tee and scored a try for good measure – and his 18-point effort against the Highlanders – where he outscored the New Zealand side by himself after scoring a try and converting six flawless kick attempts – stand out in what has been a breakthrough season for Du Preez, who has become the leader of one of the highest scoring teams in Super Rugby.
After ten games the Sharks rank third in points scored (296) and sixth in points per game (29.6 – 0.3 points separate teams ranked four through six). He has scored 45% of the Sharks’ total points and is responsible for an impressive 56% when try assists are factored in.
For reference the next highest points scorer, Damian McKenzie, has scored 107 of the Chiefs’ 268 points, good for 11.9 points per game and 39% of the Chiefs’ total points. When you add McKenzie’s six try assists he is responsible for 51% of the Chiefs scoring and his true points per game increases to 15.2.
The area that truly separates du Preez from the rest of the competition is his incredible ability from the tee.
The 24-year-old is kicking goals at an 88% clip (48/54) and has a ludicrous 94% rate (32/34) when it comes to conversions.
Only the Sunwolves’ Hayden Parker has been more accurate from flyhalf at 90% – though his sample size is significantly smaller as he has taken just 10 kicks.
Du Preez’ boot is also a significant weapon during the run of play. He leads the competition in kicking metres with 2260 and carves off an average of 33.7 metres every time he puts boot to ball.
With the Springboks in for a busy June featuring four tests, it will be tough for new coach Rassie Erasmus to overlook the Sharks’ young gun if he can maintain this level of performance.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
The whole thing has blown up because Eben’s words have clearly struck a nerve in Ireland. Otherwise they would just laugh it off. I think some former Irish players, commentators and some Irish fans know deep down this Ireland team started to believe its own press and that a certain amount of arrogance had started to creep in during the World Cup. The topic was actually brought up by Irish pundits on Off the Ball recently. It’s fine to be arrogant if you can back it up. Ireland didn’t.
20 Go to comments‘The Irish are good people'. Why is Goode praising a people who hate his own? Wet wipe.
20 Go to commentsLa mejor final que se puede ver en el emisferio norte.
1 Go to commentsA lot of cope from south africans in the comments. Etzebeth is a liar and a hypocrite; you don’t have to defend him!
20 Go to commentsHe got big and really slow for a flyhalf…not sure he’s relevant in a bok conversation anymore
4 Go to commentsBest tourney team vs best team in the regular season for 3 games in RSA - talk is cheap, let’s see what’s what on the tour
20 Go to commentsOne overlooked statistic from their 2016 winning season is the Huricanes are still the only team in Super rugby history not to concede a try during the playoff rounds.
4 Go to commentsThanks for the article, Nick. The Nienaber blitz D does ask a lot of its scrumhalf. I have been watching JGP on D and he often looks like he has mastered what Nienaber asks for better than Faf de Klerk and Cobus Reinach! 🤣 Impressive season by JGP if I must make an understatement.
21 Go to commentsOkay last one. I promise. I think it’s despicable for Andy Goode to suggest that Eben can’t count to 12. To be fair he only had to count to 8 - the number of Irishmen who DIDN’T say that. Less the 3 kiwis of course. 23 - 12 - 3 = 8. See Joe. I can do maffs.
20 Go to commentsCheers, Nick! How do you see the Reds’ Jock Campbell’s play this year? Not as strong a carrier as Andrew Kellaway or Tom Wright, but does avoid errors. Do you see Joe Schmidt as wanting safety first at 15 or a try-assisting counterattacker?
85 Go to commentsI’m sure this was all just a big misunderstanding. Irishmen and Afrikaaners conversing in a noisey stadium. Not easy to get the right messages across. A minefield.
20 Go to commentsSay what you will about Andy Goode. But he is right about one thing… I’m not sure what that one thing is exactly… but I’m willing to hear him out.
20 Go to commentsAnother article to bait and trigger Irish fans. This must stop.
20 Go to commentsHi Nick. Thanks for your +++ ongoing analysis. Re Vunivalu, He’s been benched recently and it will be interesting to see what Kiss does with him as we enter the backend of SRP. I’m still not sold.
85 Go to commentsIn the fine tradition of Irish rugby, Leinster cheat well and for some reason only known to whoever referees them, they are allowed to get away with it every single game. If teams have not got the physicality up front to stop them getting the ball, they will win every single game. They take out players beyond the ruck and often hold them on the ground. Those that are beyond the ruck and therefore offside, hover there to cause distraction but also to join the next ruck from the side thereby stopping the jackal. The lineout prior to the second try on Saturday. 3 Leinster players left the lineout before the ball was thrown and were driving the maul as soon as the player hit the ground and thereby getting that valuable momentum. They scrummage illegally, with the looshead turning in to stop the opposing tighthead from pushing straight and making it uncomfortable for the hooker. The tighthead takes a step and tries to get his opposite loosehead to drop the bind. Flankers often ‘move up’ and actually bind on the prop and not remain bound to the second row. It does cause chaos and is done quickly and efficiently so that referees are blinded by the illegal tactics. I am surprised opposition coaches when they meet referees before games don’t mention it. I am also surprised that they do not go to the referees group and ask them to look at the tactics used and referee them properly. If they are the better team and win, fair play but a lot of their momentum is gained illegally and therefore it is not a level playing field.
1 Go to commentsI’d be fascinated to see what other candidates you all might have for the Lions captaincy role. Let me know, below 👍
2 Go to comments“ planning for the next cycle….” Sigh ill-advised language Elton old juice bean. Ppersonally glad you self-eliminated yourself, there were better players in the position around you.
4 Go to commentsRegardless of best in world etc. Lawes was outstanding against Leinster and has been all season. Looked like three try saving turnovers. His turnovers also contributed to NH scores. Immense performance.
2 Go to commentsDickson now considered the top ref in England it appears. Good that these series are getting one NH and one SH ref.
2 Go to commentsI don’t think any coach or selector would ever rely on Blackadder being available for selection. I didn’t think it would be possible but he has easily eclipsed Ennor as they most injured player of all time. IMO a symptom of today’s game where players are required to carry at least 10kg of extra mass from when they first hit the scene in their early 20s. Some players respond well to this, maybe due to genetics allowing them to recover faster, or not having reached their peak natural weight yet, but for others the constant training to maintain their weight eats away at recovery time and they spend most of their careers injured.
4 Go to comments