In the last few weeks I’ve done an analysis of the best attacking Australian players in the Super 14, this week, I finally found some reliable defensive stats and I’ve done the numbers – the results are below.
As a minimum, forwards must have attempted more than 30 tackles and backs more than 20 tackles in this years comp.
The Best… 
The Worst… 
And finally, how the teams rate in effective tackle % overall; 
I love stats!!!
<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="2306 https://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/?p=2306">16 Comments
David Pocock come on down, that is awesome – 91 tackles, 4 misses. Unbelieveable.
For those who don’t know why Carter is in the S14 – check it out.
While I’m not suprised by Tahu’s stats (no more Wallaby squad for Tim Tam?) the Tahs stats overall are puzzling. How do you win that many games with stats like that? Must great cover D?
Don’t understand the team stats, except that the Tahs have MADE more tackles than anyone else.
The player stats, though, are awesome. That is, they confirm my prejudices for and against certain players.
And look, I (sort of) have a gravatar.
oh, no i don’t :-(
Nice work Juan.
I think the Australian forwards are awesome, only 1 under 75%.
The backs are a diff story with 4 under 70%
The thing about it is a clingy gregen tackle is counted the same as a thrashing palu and mortlock tackle. Despite it being harder to pull off.
That’s why morti and palu are on the bad lists. Still great defenders though.
Bobas i know it may seem i am picking on you but i just have to question, you think its harder to effect a front on tackle like Palu or Morty sometimes do, than have good tracking for a player who is trying to run at space and penetrate gaps?
defenive tracking is a damn hard thing. Forwads have less of a %missed because, well the oppisution forwards are running straight most of the time and just want to get over the gain line. Give up 1 metre, give up 5, its still an effective tackel, adn your lateral movement wasnt being tested.
Jut an exmaple of a back with no lateral movement, Lloyd Johannsen, came and went…horrible defender thats why…could hit if you ran straight at him, but after a few games, after a few big hits, people started running aroud him, including our dear old Morty, who feld the full force of LoJo’s lack of lat movmeent, because LoJo decided to foreamr him in the head.
Dude, i dont think your picking on me, i just think we’re on different wave lengths, i’m on logic your on crazy ideas.
You yourself point out is harder to make big hits cos people run around you?
Its easier to cover defend because your running with them and the window you have to tackle is much longer, when its a big hit its usually a short window and one well timed evasive move will effect a tackle bust.
Cover defence gives up ground but rarely gives up missed tackles.
I agree with your 2nd paragraph (bar the 1st sentance) about forwards and back tackling percentages though, obviously that’s the cause. But there are tons more variables than that, eg. forwards have more weight to tackle with.
But Big hits are definitely easier to stuff up than cover defence you cant surely argue with that.
yes i can.
firstly at no poitn did i say cover defence…i said defensive tracking its what backs have to do to cover a large amount of ground with an attacking threat coming towards them.
Second, the ability to make a LET (Low effective Tackle) with defensive tracking is harder than a big hit beause well lets face it, people are tyring to take advantge of space.
a big hit, in close to the action, lots of bodies, please, how hard is it to stand in the way, 110 kilos on 110 kilos or thereabouts…ball runner off balance, recevied the ball at the line…
The Tahs defence may miss more, but their organisation is better. They come up as a line, and the inside men come across to cover missed tackles – they scramble well.
Compare that to the Reds, who in the last two games have come up in a ragged line, and they haven’t worked hard enough defensively and end up with a compressed defensive line. As a result, the Reds may miss less tackles, but teams tend to make a lot more clean line breaks through them as well.
Where are these stats from ? There is no way possible Phil Waugh has only missed 5 tackles this season. He’d have 4-5 times that, the way he’s been falling off tackles of late.
And yes, Rob Horne has been poor this year.
The problem with stats like these is that they vary from place to place. Here’s a second set of stats for some Tahs and Reds players.
Waugh: Tackles made 99 Missed 12
Beale: Tackles made 42 Missed 18
Horne: Tackles made 90 Missed 18
Carter: Tackles made 119 Missed 3
Braid: Tackles made 91 Missed 9
Cooper: Tackles made 55 Missed 16
Barnes: Tackles made 49 Missed 17
Ioane: Tackles made 39 Missed 12
One of the big reasons for the Tahs defence being so good is probably one T. Carter, but on the flip side one of the reasons for the Tahs attack being so poor is probably one T. Carter.
agreed.
screw the stats
Just put the most dangerous team on the park.
Ioane for number 10.
Woah, according to those Carter is a defensive miracle
him and beale almost make a good combo
Those ‘backs’ stats definitely confirm for me that I want Turner Ioane and Gits in the wallabies, as well as that Beale is shite and TimTam has no future.
I am impressed by Cross’ stats though in a tough position defensively. And puzzled by Moore?
Final thought: if you get to more tackles than most players, necessarily you are likely to miss more since more of your tackles will be marginal dives and lunges. So maybe Carter is just lazy … that theory doesn’t explain Beale though, maybe he’s lazy and a cream puff
Patrick – like the cut of your jib, but Carter has the second highest backs tackle count?