15 April 2019, by: Quintin van Jaarsveld

SUPER RUGBY 2019 – TOP PLAYERS AT HALFWAY STAGE

The 2019 Super Rugby season has hit the halfway point and has produced plenty of highlights thus far.

The defending-champion Crusaders continue to lead the way and are in a class of their own on 34 points. They’re 11 points clear of South African Conference leaders, the Bulls, the Australian Conference-leading Melbourne Rebels and the Hurricanes, having won all but one of their fixtures, while their scheduled Round Five clash with the Highlanders was cancelled in the immediate aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Christchurch.

Nine rounds in, the Southern Hemisphere’s premier provincial competition has treated rugby lovers to plenty of magical moments, from instant classic clashes like the Chiefs-Blues battle at the weekend to sublime tries and exceptional individual performances.

Ahead of this weekend’s Round 10 action, we highlight the top performers of the first half of the season, those standout players who top the stats in nine categories, namely points, tries, carries, metres carried, clean breaks, defenders beaten, offloads, tackles and lineouts.

Sixteen South African players feature in the respective top 10 lists – two from the Bulls, six from the Lions, five from the Sharks and three from the Stormers. The pick of the South African bunch is Bulls captain and flyhalf, Handre Pollard, who’s the tournament’s top points-scorer by some margin.

1 Handre Pollard (Bulls) – 110

2 Damian McKenzie (Chiefs) – 81

3 Quade Cooper (Rebels) – 77

4 Hayden Parker (Sunwolves) – 69

5 Robert du Preez (Sharks) – 68

6 Elton Jantjies (Lions) – 66

7 Otere Black (Blues) – 62

8 Beauden Barrett (Hurricanes) – 56

9= Bryce Hegarty (Reds) – 55

9= Richie Mo’unga (Crusaders) -55

The point-scoring machines have been busy in the first half of the season, with Bulls star Pollard topping the pops on 110 largely due to his accurate boot. The dangerous Damian McKenzie has been doing duty at flyhalf and fullback and sits in second place on 81. The Chiefs playmaker was particularly prolific when he masterminded his team’s crushing win (56-20) over the Bulls at Loftus in Round Six. The always dangerous Aussie, Quade Cooper, rounds off the top three in the colours of the Melbourne Rebels on 77.

1= Will Jordan (Crusaders) – 8

1= Jack Maddocks (Rebels) – 8

1= Reiko Ioane (Blues) – 8

4 Ngani Laumape (Hurricanes) – 7

5 Folau Fainga’a (Brumbies) – 6

6= Shannon Frizell (Highlanders) – 5

6= Marnus Schoeman (Lions) – 5

6= Tom English (Rebels) – 5

6= Samu Kerevi (Reds) -5

6= Reece Hodge (Rebels) – 5

6= Matias Orlando (Jaguares) – 5

6= Semisi Masirewa (Sunwolves) – 5

Super Rugby is synonymous with terrific tries and this season has seen some scorchers so far. The flyers out wide have been finishing in style and three of them – Crusaders fullback Will Jordan, Rebels No.15 Jack Maddocks and Blues wing Reiko Ioane – share top spot with eight tries each. The list is not reserved for backline players, though, with forwards Folau Fainga’a (Brumbies), Shannon Frizell (Highlanders) and Marnus Schoeman (Lions) all having a knack for crossing the whitewash as well.

1 Samu Kerevi (Reds) – 108

2 Dan du Preez (Sharks) – 96

3 Akira Ioane (Blues) – 92

4 Isi Naisarani (Rebels) – 91

5 Israel Folau (Waratahs) – 85

6= Melani Nanai (Blues) – 84

6= Damian de Allende (Stormers) – 84  

8= Gerhard van den Heever (Sunwolves) – 82

9 Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks) – 78

10= Rahboni Warren-Vosayaco (Sunwolves) – 76

10= Malcolm Marx (Lions) – 76

Every team has its danger men and battering rams – players of different stature who share a common goal of breaching opposition defences, whether it be through force or speed. Centre Samu Kerevi has carried the Reds on his back this season and is the only player in triple figures. Loose forwards Dan du Preez and Akira Ioane have been huge for the Sharks and Blues respectively and round off the top three.

1 Melani Nanai (Blues) – 629

2 Gerhard van den Heever (Sunwolves) – 622

3 Israel Folau (Waratahs) – 506

4 Samu Kerevi (Reds) – 488

5 Ben Lam (Hurricanes) – 471

6 Rieko Ioane (Blues) – 465

7 Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks) – 462

8 Thomas Banks (Brumbies) – 435

9 Ngani Laumape (Hurricanes) – 431

10 Will Jordan (Crusaders) – 416  

Aka flyer miles, as outside backs dominate this division, using their speed and agility to maximum effect. Samoan-born Blues wing Melani Nanai and the Sunwolves’ South African speedster Gerhard van den Heever have been miles ahead of the rest, with the former narrowly shading the latter. Waratahs star Israel Folau, who’s been dominating headlines and whose career appears to be over due to his controversial comments on social media, is a distant third, while Sharks wing Makazole Mapimpi is the sole South African franchise player in the top 10.

1 Rieko Ioane (Blues) – 18

2 Sevu Reece (Crusaders) – 16

3 Israel Folau (Waratahs) – 15

4= Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks) – 14

4= Samu Kerevi (Reds) – 14

4= Semisi Masirewa (Sunwolves) – 14

7= Rosko Specman (Bulls) – 13

7= Will Jordan (Crusaders) – 13

7= Tevita Kuridrani (Brumbies) – 13

10= Tumua Manu (Chiefs) – 12

10= Jack Maddocks (Rebels) – 12

10= David Havili (Crusaders) – 12

10= Alex Newsome (Blues) – 12

Rugby at its finest, clean breaks are the payoff for patient offence, the product of inventive vision and/or individual skill, the moments that make fans jump out of their seats. Rieko Ioane has been the personification of the phrase like a hot knife through butter, making 18 clean breaks for the Blues. Crusaders wing Sevu Reece is second with 16 and that man Folau third with 15, while Mapimpi (14) and the Bulls’ Rosko Specman (13) add South African flavour to the list.

1= David Havili (Crusaders) – 36

1= Samu Kerevi (Reds) – 36

3 Melani Nanai (Blues) – 35

4 Israel Folau (Waratahs) – 30

5 Ben Lam (Hurricanes) – 29

6 Ardie Savea (Hurricanes) – 27

7= Anton Lienert-Brown (Chiefs) – 26

7= Semisi Masirewa (Sunwolves) – 26

9= Akira Ioane (Blues) – 25

9= Rieko Ioane (Blues) – 25

9= Thomas Banks (Brumbies) – 25

These are the magic men, the hot steppers whose fancy footwork leave defenders chasing shadows. Joint-best in this exciting category are Crusaders ace David Havili and Reds danger man Kerevi, followed closely by the Blues’ Nanai on 35. The general lack of creativity from South African sides, who prefer to stick to their traditional strengths, means that no local players are in the top 10.

1 Israel Folau (Waratahs) – 19

2 Anton Lienert-Brown (Chiefs) – 18

3= Pablo Matera (Jaguares) – 12

3= Whetu Douglas (Crusaders) – 12

3= Andries Coetzee (Lions) – 12

6 Dan du Preez (Sharks) – 11

7= Brodie Retallick (Chiefs) – 10

7= Samu Kerevi (Reds) – 10

7= Quade Cooper (Rebels) – 10

10= Sean Wainui (Chiefs) – 9

10= Tumua Manu (Chiefs) – 9

10= Sevu Reece (Crusaders) – 9

10= Jack Goodhue (Crusaders) – 9

10= Sergeal Petersen (Stormers) – 9

The undeniable Folau is in first place, the former Rugby League star not only becoming Super Rugby’s all-time top try-scorer but also creating tries and space for those around him through 19 offloads. Chiefs back Anton Lienert-Brown is the next best with 18, followed by a trio – multi-skilled Jaguares flank Pablo Matera, ‘Saders second rower Whetu Douglas and Lions fullback Andries Coetzee – tied in third place with 12.

1 Michael Hooper (Waratahs) – 102

2 Luke Jones (Rebels) – 94

3 Matt Todd (Crusaders) – 92

4= Pieter-Steph du Toit (Stormers) – 89

4= Liam Wright (Reds) 89

6 James Blackwell (Hurricanes) – 85

7= Julian Montoya (Jaguares) – 83

7= Marcos Kremer (Jaguares) – 83

9 Rob Simmons (Blues) – 81

10 Guido Petti Pagadizaval (Jaguares) – 80

Just as important as the try scorers, yet not nearly as celebrated, are the workhorses on defence – the tackling titans who put their bodies on the line week in and week out. Waratahs captain Michael Hooper is the only centurion with a whopping 102 tackles, with another Australian loose forward, the Rebels’ Luke Jones, second on 94 and Crusaders flank Matt Todd third on 92. Special mention must be made of Stormers utility forward Pieter-Steph du Toit, who’s joint-fourth with the Reds’ Liam Wright on 89 despite having only played six matches due to injury.

1 Guido Petti Pagadizaval (Jaguares) – 37

2 Sam Carter (Brumbies) – 32

3 Rory Arnold (Brumbies) – 31

4 Marvin Orie (Lions) – 30

5 Vaea Fifita (Hurricanes) – 28

6 Lukhan Saiakaia-Loto (Reds) – 26

7= Harry Hockings (Reds) – 25

7= Hyron Andrews (Sharks) – 25

9= Pieter-Steph du Toit (Stormers) – 23

9= Rhyno Herbst (Lions) – 23

9= Ned Hanigan (Waratahs) – 23

9= Rob Simmons (Waratahs) – 23

The agile tall timbers/pillars of strength are responsible for clean lineout ball in order to provide the ideal attacking platform for the backline. The lineout is a game within a game, and it’s Guido Petti Pagadizaval who’s standing tall at the halfway stage of the season with 37 takes. Brumbies duo Sam Carter (32) and Rory Arnold (31) complete the top three, while Lions lock Marvin Orie is fourth with 30.

Check out our Super Rugby Team of the Week – Round 9

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