Time for our weekly statistical analysis of the Sharks game, thanks to the Versuco stats kindly supplied by www.ruggastats.com.
We’ll start with defence, as usual, an area in which the Sharks stood up really well again. Stats are never going to reveal exactly how much impact each tackle had, of course and I feel it was the intensity at the tackle point and the desire to really knock the Cheetahs back every time they touched the ball that was key. The overall tackle effectiveness percentage was about 91% (12 misses from 129 attempts) which was just a fraction lower than against the Leopards last week. The Cheetahs were a few points further back on 87% and with such good defence on both sides, it really was a very close match, everywhere but on the scoreboard. Keegan Daniel was the most prolific individual tackler, weighing in with 13 stops and 2 assists. Coming up just behind that were Alistair Hargreaves (10 tackles and 3 assists) and Andries Strauss (also 10, but no assists). Missed tackles were low all round and the bizarre thing is, the only player to miss more than one was… wait for it… Keegan Daniel. So he was simultaneously the best and the worst tackler, using that measure! Looking at a more sensible statistic, we see that Odwa Ndungane only made a single tackle and missed another, giving him a tackle completion statistic of only 50%, far below Daniel’s 87%. All-in-all, Hargreaves was probably the best guy defensively across the team, since he didn’t miss a single attempt out of 10, giving him 100%.
Looking at ball carries, it was again Willem Alberts (14) and Ryan Kankowski (12) who did the main damage, ably assisted by our main man Eugene van Staden, who weighed in with 8. Top of the pops amongst the back was Stefan Terblanche, really getting very involved at outside centre with 10 ball carries. An interesting stat is that Daniel only carried the ball up 3 times, a far cry from his usual number when playing in the number 8 jersey. The award for most line breaks, somewhat surprisingly, goes to Andries Strauss (3), with Louis Ludik just behind on 2. Ludik also tops the metres gained stat (116), just a shade ahead of Kankowski, who managed 114.
Moving on to the handle count, we see that, outside of the halfbacks, Louis Ludik was actually the guy to get his hands on the ball most often, with 18 touches, just one ahead of both Terblanche and Alberts. Most passes (again, outside of the halfbacks) is a three-way split between Daniel, Kankowski and Strauss, with 9 each.
When it comes to breakdown contribution, two of the supposedly looser members of the pack really stood tall. Well don to Pat Cilliers – apart from demolishing Calldo in the scrum, he also hit the most rucks (32), just a shade ahead of Hargreaves (29). Steven Sykes was surprisingly quiet in this respect, with Louis Ludik a surprise in 3rd place (28 rucks hit!). I’m starting to think that hte fullback should actually have got man of the match, given his all-round contribution.
Errors were pretty low all-round, with van Staden, Hargreaves and Daniel each giving away two penalties. Charl McLeod and Odwa Ndungane were both pretty guilty of knocks (4 and 3 respectively) and it’s also these two players who share top spot in our “combined screw up score” log, with 7 each.
it shows how much pressure leaving botes out puts on the rest of the team. ludik shouldn’t be doing a loosies job.
It just shows you …. I do not like stats one bit. It takes the enjoyment out of it… Rob mentioned how strong Sykes was in the breakdowns (if i remember correctly) – but yet statistically he did not feature…
So it looked like he had a good game, but he did not really??
I rather think that a person had a good game, by watching and enjoying it, rather than go and take all apart and come to the conclusion – your players are actually shit!
Sometimes it’s the flashy stuff that gets you the MOTM. Kanko had a good game but I would have given the award to a few others before him.
I didn’t watch the game but 28 rucks for the fullback! That’s 28 times someone has to cover fullback on defence or there’s a lack of a second phase option with Ludik joining the line on attack.
Great to see his willingness but doesn’t look like clever rugby.
@Flashman (Comment 4) : well, I guess it could be an indication that one of the backs got caught in possession behind the advantage line and Ludik happened to be one of the closest players…
It would be interesting to find out how many try scoring opportunities Odwa has butchered a) over the try line, b) within 5 metres of the try line and c) in the 22.
@robdylan (Comment 5) : True, true – hopefully most of the rucks were on attack then.
@lostfish to who would you have given the motm? Kanko was brilliant just proves my point that he is better than spies he runs into gaps and spies rather tries to run over people which he doesn’t really do well considering his size!
@lostfish (Comment 6) :
@Flashman (Comment 7) : oh yes – most definitely. I think it was 22 attack and 6 defence
@Benna08 (Comment 8) : Spies is a flat-track bully
@robdylan not a very good one!
@Benna08 (Comment 12) : agree
@robdylan
would like to see a sprint between kanko and spies though!
@Benna08 (Comment 14) : it would be interesting. Did you see Hoff smoke Nokwe this weekend?
@robdylan
When he gave him a stiff arm?
@Benna08 (Comment 16) : nah, when he just ran away from him
It was that break down the right had side that Oddy managed to fluff
@Benna08 (Comment 16) : welcpme to the site, btw
@robdylan (Comment 15) : My moment of the match was when Alberts swotted Nokwe away like he was an annoying little fly.
@robdylan
Oh I can’t recall that in the game but anyway thanks I’m the biggest skark you will meet!
@Benna08 (Comment 20) :
And I am the biggest SHARK…
Welcome!
Well, you get lies, damned lies, and then there’s stats! Love it though!
@robdylan
Have you got a sharks tattoo on your shoulder?
@Benna08 (Comment 23) : no, admittedly I don’t.
It wouldn’t show up over the full Sharks jersey I have tattooed on my torso
@Crock (Comment 22) : yup
@pinkice
Sorry I meant to direct that msg to you have you got a shark tattoo on your shoulder?
@robdylan
Lol mine still a baby shark tattoo then?
@Benna08 (Comment 8) : towards the end of the match I was thinking Alberts because he just doesn’t ever give up, works hard and scored an awesome try.
@Crock (Comment 22) : welcome to the site!
@Benna08 (Comment 27) : hehe… nah, I’m teasing you!
I don’t have any tattoos, but would be very keen to enter any competition that aims to establish who the biggest Sharks fan is
Reckon this website might score me a point or two
@robdylan thanks mate!
@robdylan
Do you write the articles or how does it work?
@Benna08 (Comment 32) : I write about half of them, I guess… lots of other keen volunteers help out too
@Benna08 (Comment 26) : do you have 2? One each cheeck?
@robdylan
What’s your view on stefan?
@Pink Ice (Comment 34) : slooooowly…. get to know him first
@pinkice
Nope and neither do you lol
@Benna08 (Comment 35) : lovely oke… he’s actually starting to grow on me as an outside centre as well. I was VERY critical of the decision to stick with him earlier in the season.
He must retire after this Currie Cup, though… or move into a player-coach role, only taking a bench spot when absolutely necessary
@robdylan
I’m sure he’s a great guy but I think he should have retired at the end of last years cc, that way he could have gone out on a high I don’t think he’s a good player anymore and I seriously doubt he’s decission making as a captain! A captain should set an example he makes to many mistakes in my view!
@Benna08 (Comment 35) : Making sure that people will remember him long after he’s retired!
@robdylan (Comment 36) : hey, just kidding!
@Pink Ice (Comment 41) :
rovers into semi. beat UJ 26-20!
@Pink Ice (Comment 2) : You have to realize that the stats only count the first three players to hit a ruck, an attacking ruck usually have about 5 or more players involved. The last guy getting into the ruck could be just as important as the first. The first guy secures the ball, the last guy insures that the it is clean possession.
Hey guys, knock on here, i love coming to the website and reading all the comments and info relating to the games, it really is my first choice website to go to in the morning. My only problem is I do not get to see the games, unfortunately fox sports here in Brisbane does not show the currie cup at all. I was wondering if anyone knows where I can view the highlights of the recent games.
Any info would be greatly appreciated.
@robdylan (Comment 15) : Did you see Lachie Turner wipeout all opposition in a sprint for all football codes in Aus last week?,i would love to see a race between SA best,i got a feeling Mvovo would prove to be fastest.Even quicker than Bjorn Basson at kwas.
@Ruggabugga
That would be quite an interesting race! My money would be on Nokwe though, I think he is the quickest in South Africa.
@Richard Ferguson (Comment 47) : Did you see the race on sport24,brilliant!!!
@ruggabugga (Comment 48) : i think JP would suprise a few too!
@Letgo (Comment 44) :
Thanks Letgo…see now Iknow something new!
@knock on (Comment 45) :
Welcome Knock on! Sorry, mate, I cannot help you – although you can always follow our “live commentary” when on here when the games are on!
@knock on (Comment 45) : try supersport they usually have highlights from the weekend. I know the sharks cheetahs highlights are there.
@RuckingFun (Comment 51), thanks, I have tried that and the website tells me that due to the fact i am in another country it will not allow me to see the highlights
@PinkIce (Comment 50), Thanks for the welcome, although the “live commentary” is great, I do miss seeing the lads on telly