This article will provide you with valuable data in relation to teams that score and teams that leak points, the goldmines and the deserts.

If you want to take your research a step further, this information is a perfect base for assessing the strength of draw for teams in the second half of the season.

AVERAGE SCORES

If the sight of the Crusaders sitting atop the ‘Average Scores’ table surprises you, find another hobby.

The Crusaders run riot week in week out throughout the Super Rugby competition and the sheer number of offloads, line breaks, tries and tackle busts they make is reflected in their fantasy scores.

Their playing structures mean there is no better team to be a winger and it allows players to be efficient with their energy expenditure, whilst playing a game based around running in wider channels looking for holes rather than in tight.

There should be no surprise that the other 4 Kiwi teams trickle in over the next 5 places, only to be separated by a lone Aussie side, the Waratahs.

Surprisingly the Australian Conference leading Rebels, who are brimming with talent and play an expensive style of rugby, come in at 12th.

CRUSADERS	504
BLUES	474
CHIEFS	470
WARATAHS	461
HURRICANES	457
HIGHLANDERS	445
SHARKS	428
REDS	428
BULLS	417
SUNWOLVES	409
LIONS	404
REBELS	391
BRUMBIES	390
STORMERS	375
JAGUARES	343

AVERAGE LEAKED POINTS

The ol’ adage of “pickith upith thee whom plays the Sunwolves” still rings true with the Japanese based side leaks points faster than my wife’s bank account leaks money on boxing day.

The thing to take from this is that Aussie Conference sides come up against the Sunwolves twice throughout the season and the Brumbies are yet to face them. In fact the boys from ACT will play the Sunwolves in round 13 and then round 16… But beware, in the 2 round between those match-ups, they have a bye followed by he team who leak the least points, the Bulls.

It is interesting to note that the next two highest point conceding teams are the Highlanders and the Chiefs. Whilst the Hurricanes and top scoring Crusaders roll in at 8th and 9th respectively. But it should come as no surprise that the Kiwi sides sit a lot worse off in the ‘Average Points Leaked’ table in comparison to the ‘Average Scores’ table. They simply play other high scoring Kiwi sides more often!

To round out the table the Bulls sit on the bottom followed by the Sharks, both of which who let in roughly 50 points less than their closest rival the Blues and roughly 165 points less than the Sunwolves!

SUNWOLVES	518
HIGHLANDERS	485
CHIEFS	467
REDS	444
STORMERS	433
BRUMBIES	432
JAGUARES	430
HURRICANES	429
CRUSADERS	420
LIONS	410
WARATAHS	407
REBELS	406
BLUES	406
SHARKS	358
BULLS	350

THE WRAP

So what do you take from this?
1) Pick up Crusaders, Kiwi players or pretty much anyone versing the Sunwolves
2) Avoid the Stormers like the plague. Not only do they score very little points, but they still have match ups with 3 of the bottom 4 points conceding teams.

Written by Nelson Dale