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The key stats for round 4 of the Rugby Championship
Can anyone stop New Zealand? The imperious All Blacks are on track to retain their Rugby Championship crown following a third straight win in this year’s competition.
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While they did not have it all their own way against Argentina, Steve Hansen’s side still galloped clear down the stretch to record a flattering 46-24 result in Nelson last Saturday.
They have now picked up bonus points in each of their Championship outings in 2018 ahead of a showdown with South Africa, who will perhaps still be trying to work out quite how they lost in Australia.
With the pressure lifted off coach Michael Cheika – for now at least – the Wallabies will hope to build on that 23-18 triumph when they host the Pumas on the Gold Coast.
Ahead of round four, we take a look at the key numbers thanks to Opta’s help.
Round #4 2018 TRC
First clash this year between @AllBlacks and @Springboks – can Boks spoil the party in Wellington? All Blacks win with bonus point secures title! #NZLvRSA
Meanwhile rejuvenated @qantaswallabies host @lospumas on Gold Coast #AUSvARG
https://t.co/SO5lvl36T9 pic.twitter.com/uODbCvRvGN— TheRugbyChampionship (@SanzarTRC) September 13, 2018
New Zealand v South Africa
If the wounded Boks are going to slow New Zealand’s march towards yet another title, they will have to reverse a miserable run of recent form against the reigning world champions.
The All Blacks have won 11 of the last 12 meetings, including the last six by an average margin of 23 points, while they are also unbeaten in eight games on home soil against South Africa.
Worryingly, New Zealand boast an outstanding record at the Westpac Stadium, winning 87 per cent of their games at the venue in Wellington and all six when the Springboks have been the opponents.
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If Rassie Erasmus’ side are to avoid losing three Championship games in a row for the first time since 2016, defence will be key. They’ve averaged the fewest number of missed tackles (22) so far and have only conceded 18 second-half points this year, though they have not reached 20 themselves on New Zealand soil since 2009.
South Africa’s hopes are boosted by the absence of Sonny Bill Williams for the home team, but they will not want a repeat of the round four meeting from last year – they were thrashed 57-0 in Albany.
Continue reading below…
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Australia v Argentina
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The Wallabies will be aiming to win two on the bounce – a feat they have not achieved since the 2016 campaign – when they welcome Argentina to the Gold Coast.
Cheika watched his side blank South Africa in the second half as they overturned an 18-17 deficit at the halfway stage despite only gaining 253 metres in Brisbane.
Matt Toomua was the hero, scoring 15 points at Suncorp Stadium including a pair of second-half penalties. Surprisingly, he had only registered 20 prior to the game and had never previously kicked a goal for his country.
Still, they have dominated the Pumas, winning 15 of the last 16 games between the two nations, including a 45-20 victory at the same stage last season. Israel Folau scored two tries on that occasion and he will hope to cross again at the weekend after being named on the wing.
Mario Ledesma’s team put 17 points on New Zealand in the second half and while they were unable to record a second Test win in 2018, they showed their capabilities in attack. Nicholas Sanchez will once again be a key performer – the fly-half became his country’s top all-time scorer last week.
Watch: Kurtley Beale and Pete Samu ahead of Argentina clash
Comments on RugbyPass
Well that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
2 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
2 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
2 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
2 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
4 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
18 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
18 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
3 Go to commentsBeaches? In Cardiff? Where?
1 Go to commentsHe is right , the Crusaders will be a threat. Scott Barrett, ( particularly), Fergus Burke , Codie Taylor, ( from sabbatical) etc due back soon for the Crusaders. There are others like Zach Gallagher too. People can right the Crusaders off, Top 8 , here we come !!
1 Go to commentsWe will always struggle for money to match the other sides but the least the WRU can do is invest properly in Welsh rugby. Too much has been squandered on vanity projects like the hotel and roof walk amongst others which will never see a massive return. Hanging the 4 pro sides out to dry over the last decade is now coming back to bite the WRU financially as well as on the pitch. You reap what you sow.
1 Go to commentsWhat do you get if you cross a doctor with a fish? A plastic sturgeon
14 Go to commentsWhat happened to feleti Kaitu’u? Hasnt played in a while right?
1 Go to commentsGregor I just can’t agree with you. You are trying to find something that just isn’t there. Jordie Barrett has signed until 2028. By the end of that he would have spent probably 11-12 years on Super Rugby and you say he can’t possibly have one season playing somewhere else. It is absurd. What about this scenario, the NZR play hard ball and he decides to leave and play overseas. How would that affect the competition. There seems to be an agenda by certain journalists to push certain agendas and don’t like it when it’s not to their liking. I fully support the NZR on this. Gregor needs to get a life.
3 Go to commentsHope he stays as believe he can do a great job.
1 Go to commentsMake what step up? Manie has a World Cup winner’s medal around his neck and changed the way the Springboks can play. He doesn’t have anything to prove to anyone. The win record of the Boks with him in the team is tremendous. Sacha can be wonderful and I hope he has a very succesful Bok career, but comparing him to Manie in terms of the next Bok flyhalf is very strange. Manie is the incumbent (not the next) and doing pretty incredibly.
4 Go to comments00 😍 U
1 Go to commentsSabbaticals have helped keep NZ’s very best talent in the country on long term deals - this fact has been left out of this article. Much like the articles calling to allow overseas players to be selected, yet can only name one player currently not signed to NZR who would be selected for the ABs. And in the entire history of NZ players leaving to play overseas, literally only 4 or 5 have left in their prime as current ABs. (Piatau, Evans, Hayman, Mo’unga,?) Yes Carter got an injury while playing in France 16 years ago, but he also got a tournament ending injury at the 2011 World Cup while taking mid-week practice kicks at goal. Maybe Jordie gets a season-ending injury while playing in Ireland, maybe he gets one next week against the Brumbies. NZR have many shortcomings, but keeping the very best players in the country and/or available for ABs selection is not one of them. Likewise for workload management - players missing 2 games out of 14 is hardly a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Again let’s use some facts - did it stop the Crusaders winning SR so many times consecutively when during any given week they would be missing 2 of their best players? The whole idea of the sabbatical is to reward your best players who are willing to sign very long term deals with some time to do whatever they want. They are not handed out willy-nilly, and at nowhere near the levels that would somehow devalue Super Rugby. In this particular example JB is locked in with NZR for what will probably (hopefully) be the best years of his career, hard to imagine him not sticking around for a couple more after for a Lions tour and one more world cup. He has the potential to become the most capped AB of all time. A much better outcome than him leaving NZ for a minimum of 3 years at the age of 27, unlikely to ever play for the ABs again, which would be the likely alternative.
3 Go to comments