Ruck Involvements - Bled 1 2016
Apologies for the delay but family stuff and it wasn't easy watching this game 3 times to gather this data.
Remember:
1. Early means 1st or 2nd of player’s team AFTER the ball carrier has been tackled and brought to ground.
2. Impact means active engagement: strong physical contact, changed shape of ruck, clean-out, protecting ball etc. (more than hand on someone’s bum or arriving after the hard work has been done). Yes it’s subjective - but as I collect all data at least it’s consistent.
3. Impact DOES NOT equate to Effectiveness. I’ve concluded that coming up with an effectiveness measure is just too hard in the time that I have available – but open to suggestions.
Involvements over time
Comments (Analysis fairly limited die to time constraints)
- The Ruck Involvements by both teams show very similar profiles with some differences due to the All Blacks 55% possession. Both teams won 94% of their own rucks.
- The main difference was in Defence Ruck Involvements:
Apologies to the Wallabies Tight 5 who did better than the earlier plot showed.
Sorry G&Gers - just grabbed and commented on some incorrect data.
The Wallabies Front Row actually outworked the ABs Front Row for DRIs.
The opposite was the case for Locks.
The ABs Back Row of Cane, Kaino & Read matched the %DRIs of McCalman, Hooper and Pocock.
This is a big step up from the RWC Final where the ABs Back Row made only 35% of the ABs DRIs compared to the Wallabies Back Row's 61% of Wallabies DRIs.
3. The All Blacks showed a high commitment to support their ball carriers averaging 2.6 players involved per Attack Ruck. This is higher than the average of any Aussie Team in SR2016. By contrast the Wallabies averaged only 2.2 players involved per Attack Ruck.
4. The All Blacks stood off many Defence Rucks and averaged only 0.7 players placing pressure on the Wallabies ball carriers. This is about the same level of involvement as averaged by Aussie teams in SR2016. The All Blacks earned 8 TOW - 1TOW per 7.6 DRIs.
5. The Wallabies showed a higher level of involvement in Defence Rucks averaging 1.0 players placing pressure on the All Blacks ball carriers. The Wallabies earned 12 TOW - 1TOW per 8.3 DRIs.
6. Pocock earned an impressive 7TOW -
1TOW per 3 DRIs.
7. Hooper earned only the single TOW -
1TOW per 13DRIs.
8. Owen Franks and Wyatt Crockett ( a player much maligned by Aussie fans) showed high rates of ruck involvement - mostly supporting their ball carriers. Head and shoulders above the efforts of any Wallabies starting Front Rower.
9. Good Ruck Involvements from replacements - Ardie Savea and Liam Squire for the All Blacks and Allan Ala'alatoa for the Wallabies.
10. Best ruck involvements by
Backs:
Kuridrani - 21 Total (13 Attack/8 Defence)
(In addition to his game-high 17 tackles - none missed, 2OL, 7carries for 25m)
Don't underestimate the impact of Ruck Involvements by players such as Kuridrani, To'omua and Horne.
Crotty - 19T (14A/5D) - 7 carries for 59m, 1OL, 5 Tackles/0 missed -
40 mins ONLY
Fekitoa - 18T (14A/4D)
(In addition to 2TOW, 10 tackles/0 missed, 13 carries for 74m, 4 OL)
PS Thanks for the encouraging interest in the data.
PPS I am still very surprised that Cheika pulled McCalman (who regularly plays 80 mins) when he could have had Fardy 6, Pocock 7 and McCalman 8 and switch Hooper to 12 to cover for the 3 x injuries AND replace the hurting Genia with Phipps.