19 June 2019, by: Quintin van Jaarsveld

STATS: Best of the best in Super Rugby 2019

One of the most compelling and closely-contested play-off races in Super Rugby history reached an epic climax at the weekend.

Ahead of this weekend’s quarter-finals, we highlight the top performers of the regular 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.

A dozen South African players feature in the respective official SANZAR top 10 lists – five from the Lions, three from the Bulls as well as the Sharks, and one from the Stormers.

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The only South African player finding himself at the top of the pops in 2019 is Bulls captain and flyhalf Handre Pollard, who’s the tournament’s top points-scorer on 188. The Pretoria point-scoring machine is streets ahead of the rest and has been pivotal in leading the former three-time champions back to the play-offs for the first time since 2013.

A distant second on 156 is the Reds’ Bryce Hegarty, quite a feat given the Queensland outfit finished 14th. Another Australian, Bernard Foley, rounds off the top three, the Waratahs No.10 finishing with 137. New Zealand’s most prolific points-scorer this season is Crusaders flyhalf Richie Mo’unga, who comes in at number four on 125 and shades the other South African in the top 10, the Lions’ Elton Jantjies, by a solitary point.

1 Handre Pollard (Bulls) – 188
2 Bryce Hegarty (Reds) – 156
3 Bernard Foley (Waratahs) – 137
4 Richie Mo’unga (Crusaders) – 125
5 Elton Jantjies (Lions) – 124
6 Quade Cooper (Rebels) – 116
7 Hayden Parker (Sunwolves) – 112
8 Josh Ioane (Highlanders) – 110
9 Beauden Barrett (Hurricanes) – 103
10 Christian Lealiifano (Brumbies) – 98

Super Rugby is synonymous with terrific tries and fans have been treated to some scorchers this season. Sevu Reece has been particularly lethal in the second half of the tournament and has scored a remarkable 13 tries in the Crusaders’ 16 round-robin matches.

Hurricanes midfielder Ngani Laumape, Sunwolves speedster Semisi Masirewa and Brumbies hooker Folau Fainga’a are joint second on 11. Dan du Preez is the top South African-based try-scorer, the Sharks No.8 joint 10th having dotted down seven times.

1 Sevu Reece (Crusaders) – 13
2= Ngani Laumape (Hurricanes) – 11
2= Semisi Masirewa (Sunwolves) – 11
2= Folau Fainga’a (Brumbies) – 11
5= Jack Maddocks (Rebels) – 10
5= Braydon Ennor (Crusaders) – 10
7 Reiko Ioane (Blues) – 9
8= Will Jordan (Crusaders) – 8
8= Wes Goosen (Hurricanes) – 8
10= Dan du Preez (Sharks) – 7
10= Ben Lam (Hurricanes) – 7
10= Tevita Kuridrani (Brumbies) – 7

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 in a class of his own with a whopping 220 carries. Samoan-born Blues wing Melani Nanai is a distant second on 178, with Du Preez third on 177. Lions duo Malcolm Marx and Andries Coetzee are also in the top 10.

1 Samu Kerevi (Reds) – 220
2 Melani Nanai (Blues) – 178
3 Dan du Preez (Sharks) – 177
4 Akira Ioane (Blues) – 174
5 Isi Naisarani (Rebels) – 170
6 Kurtley Beale (Waratahs) – 168
7 Anton Lienert-Brown (Crusaders) – 166
8 Thomas Banks (Brumbies) – 158
9 Malcolm Marx (Lions) – 151
10 Andries Coetzee (Lions) – 150

Aka flyer miles, as outside backs dominate this division, using their speed and agility to maximum effect. Nanai has been invaluable for the Blues this season, racking up an astonishing 1,240 metres. Masirewa is the only other player who cracked the 1,000-metre mark, with David Havili from the Crusaders and Thomas Banks from the Brumbies joint third. Despite having limited opportunities in the first half of the season, Sharks star Curwin Bosch is the sole South African franchise player in the top 10.

1 Melani Nanai (Blues) – 1,240
2 Semisi Masirewa (Sunwolves) – 1,053
3= David Havili (Crusaders) – 993
3= Thomas Banks (Brumbies) – 993
5 Gerhard van den Heever (Sunwolves) – 966
6 Sevu Reece (Crusaders) – 911
7 Curwin Bosch (Sharks) – 885
8 Samu Kerevi (Reds) – 861
9 Rieko Ioane (Blues) – 854
10 Kurtley Beale (Waratahs) – 844

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. Reece has been the personification of the phrase like a hot knife through butter, making 34 clean breaks for the Crusaders. Fellow flyers Rieko Ioane and Masirewa are joint second on 28. Four South Africans feature in the top 10 – the Sharks’ Makazole Mapimpi, the Stormers’ Dillyn Leyds, the Lions’ Aphiwe Dyantyi and the Bulls’ Rosko Specman.

1 Sevu Reece (Crusaders) – 34
2= Rieko Ioane (Blues) – 28
2= Semisi Masirewa (Sunwolves) – 28
4= Braydon Ennor (Crusaders) – 26
4= Samu Kerevi (Reds) – 26
6 Tevita Kuridrani (Brumbies) – 24
7= Makazole Mapimpi (Sharks) – 23
7= Curtis Rona (Waratahs) – 23
7= Dillyn Leyds (Stormers) – 23
10= Aphiwe Dyantyi (Lions) – 22
10= Rosko Specman (Bulls) – 22
10= George Bridge (Crusaders) – 22
10= Melani Nanai (Blues) – 22

These are the magic men, the hot steppers whose fancy footwork leave defenders chasing shadows. Reds danger man Kerevi has been the most elusive player of the season, followed by New Zealand duo Laumape and Anton Lienert-Brown. 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 Samu Kerevi (Reds) – 71
2= Ngani Laumape (Hurricanes) – 62
2= Anton Lienert-Brown (Chiefs) – 62
4 Melani Nanai (Blues) – 60
5 David Havili (Crusaders) – 59
6 Semisi Masirewa (Sunwolves) – 56
7= Rob Thompson (Highlanders) – 49
7= Thomas Banks (Brumbies) – 49
9= Sevu Reece (Crusaders) – 48
9= Ma’a Nonu (Blues) – 48

Lienert-Brown is the main momentum man this year, creating tries and space for those around him with 32 offloads. Kerevi features prominently once again, followed by Nanai and multi-skilled Jaguares flank Pablo Matera. Flying the South African flag are Coetzee, Du Preez, Leyds and the Bulls’ RG Snyman.

1 Anton Lienert-Brown (Chiefs) – 32
2 Samu Kerevi (Reds) – 26
3= Pablo Matera (Jaguares) – 22
3= Melani Nanai (Blues) – 22
5 Andries Coetzee (Lions) – 21
6= Dan du Preez (Sharks) – 19
6= Kurtley Beale (Waratahs) – 19
6= Dillyn Leyds (Stormers) – 19
6= Israel Folau (Waratahs) – 19
10= RG Snyman (Bulls) – 18
10= Quade Cooper (Rebels) – 18

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. Australians dominate the defensive stats, with Waratahs captain Michael Hooper standing head and shoulders above the rest with a whopping 210 tackles. Rather surprisingly, no South Africans are among the top 10.

1 Michael Hooper (Waratahs) – 210
2 Liam Wright (Reds) – 180
3 Damian Fitzpatrick (Waratahs) – 175
4= Sam Carter (Brumbies) – 166
4= Angus Scott-Young (Reds) – 166
4= Luke Whitelock (Highlanders) – 166
7= Reed Prinsep (Hurricanes) – 157
7= Marcos Kremer (Jaguares) – 157
9 Matt Todd (Crusaders) – 156
10 Rob Simmons (Waratahs) – 154

The agile tall timbers/pillars of strength are responsible for clean lineout ball in order to provide the ideal attacking platform for the backline. It’s a game within a game, and it’s the Brumbies’ Rory Arnold who rules the skies with 69 takes. Lions lock Marvin Orie and Snyman are the key contributors from a South African perspective.

1 Rory Arnold (Brumbies) – 69
2= Sam Carter (Brumbies) – 64
2= Guido Petti Pagadizaval (Jaguares) – 64
4 Marvin Orie (Lions) – 59
5 RG Snyman (Bulls) – 50
6= Lukhan Saiakaia-Loto (Reds) – 44
6= Harry Hockings (Reds) – 44
6= Matt Philips (Rebels) – 44
9 Rob Simmons (Waratahs) – 43
10 Vaea Fifita (Hurricanes) – 42

 

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