R
RuckinGoodStats
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Some stats from the RWC pool round for you to consider...
Overall, these two teams have pretty good stats, which is why they made the quarter-finals. Set pieces will be interesting. Both like to have the pill, but Ireland also love territory. Both make few errors, comparatively given how much time they have the pill. Ireland control of the game and ability to make the tackles and not miss them could be the difference.
Time, Possession and Territory
•Ball in play or contestable time is different for these teams. Ireland’s ball in play for its games is one of the lowest in the comp (16th). Wales is at the other end of the scale being the 2nd highest.
•Both teams like to have possession of the pill in the first half. Ireland are averaging 59% in the 1st half, the highest of any team. Wales is 5th highest with an average of 55%.
•Ireland also like to dominate territory in the 1st half was well. They are ranked 3rd highest with 61% territory. Wales are 18th with 44%.
•Ireland in the 1st half like to spend time in the 22. Again they are the highest in this regard with an average of 19%. Wales are 18th with an average of 10%
•Ireland’s 1st half dominates mostly continues in the 2nd half but Wales have more possession. For 2nd half Wales have the most possession with 58%, with Ireland 2nd with 56%.
•Ireland also to dominate the territory with 56%, or 4th highest. Wales is middle of the pack with 9th highest of 51%.
•No surprise that Ireland have highest overall possession and territory. Wales are 2nd with possession, but are 15th for overall territory. They are also at different end of the scale for overall time in 22. Ireland are 2nd highest with 19%, Wales 13th highest with 14%.
Points
•Both teams are leaking the exact same amount of average points.
•Ireland are 24% more likely to take a RWC penalty goal on the left side of the field than the right side of the field.
•Ireland are 43% more likely to score a RWC try in on the left side of the field than the right side.
•Wales are twice as likely to take a RWC penalty goal on the left side of the field than the right side of the field.
•Wales are 2 &1/4 times more likely to score a RWC try in on the left side of the field than the right side.
•Ireland’s opposition are twice as likely to take a RWC penalty kick from the left side of the field than the right side of the field.
•Wale’s opposition are twice as likely to take a RWC penalty kick from the left side of the field than the right side of the field.
•Before you think this left and right side has nothing to do with it, check out the ref below...
•Ireland kickers in RWC: Sexton 47% (7/15), O’Gara 84% (16/19). In 6-nations Sexton 75% (9/12), O’Gara 78% (7/9).
•Wales kickers in RWC: Hook 67% (6/9), Priestland 79% (11/14), Jones 92% (11/12). In 6-nations Hook 76% (12/17), 73% (8/11).
•Drop goals if it comes down to it, in RWC (6-nations): Sexton 1/1, O’Gara 0/1 (1/1), Priestland 0/3, (Hook 1/2)
Attack
•Due to the amount of possession both teams are high in completing ruck/mauls. The average number of phases are also very close.
•Ireland are 5th ranked with 8.3 offloads per game and Wales 3rd highest with 9.5 offloads.
•While both teams take roughly the same type of options with tactical kicking, Wales is the 2nd highest for tactical kicking errors, so 2nd worse at making tactical kicking errors.
•The Welsh 1st 5/8’s for set piece and recycled ball is running it the most out of any team in RWC.
Defense
•Ireland lead the RWC by a long way in completed tackles. They miss the lowest in the comp, averaging 5.3 per game. In terms of ratios, Ireland miss on average 1 in 15.8 tackle attempts. The next best is 1 in 9.8 by Australia.
•Wales is missing 1 in 7.2 tackle attempts on average. While this is 6th best in the RWC, Ireland have just shored up the defense a lot better.
Errors
•Having the amount of possession Ireland does you would expect a lot of errors. Typically that is what happens. Ireland are 18th lowest in RWC with 16.75 lost possessions/turnovers. Wales are 5th highest with 21.
•Both team lose the ball when taking it into the ruck an average amount, Ireland 2.75, Wales 3.
•Penalty count is not bad for Ireland 9.5 per game, 14th ranked. Wales 11 per game, 6th highest. Wales are conceded the 4th highest in conceding a penalty while in possession, making 4.75 or 43% of the time.
•Wales concede the 4th highest penalties at the ruck/maul. Ireland concede a lot more than other teams at the set pieces. Ireland also concede too many in the opposition's 22. They are 3rd highest in tis area for RWC.
•Handling errors by both teams are middle of the pack, given the amount of possession they have, remember I only count ball in play, that is pretty good.
Set pieces
•Ireland lead the comp with the most lineout infringements. For some reason their opposition seem to knock it on in the lineout when Ireland have the throw –in.
•Ireland favour throw to the middle of the lineout, Wales to the front.
•Ireland like to throw the ball in quickly if the other team has kicked it out way down the field.
•For a team that has few handling errors, Wales have had a lot of scrums, 3rd highest amount in RWC.
•At scrum time there are infringements on the team’s feed. This is consistent for both Wales and Ireland. There are also infringements on the opposition's feed in the Ireland’s scrums as well.
Ref stats: Joubert on average in RWC (his 2011 average) per game
•2.5 scrum resets (3.1), lowest of the the 10 RWC refs.
•5.0 scrum infringements (4.6) ranked 5th.
•21.5 pens awarded (19.6), 3rd highest.
•12.8 ruck pens (11.4), 4th highest.
•4.0 scrum pens (2.9), 3rd highest.
•0.3 lineout pens (0.1), 2nd highest.
•2.5 pens for offside (2.6), 5th highest.
•7.3 pens are inside the 22, 2nd highest.
•7.1 pens awarded end up with the team taking a shot at the posts.
•53% more likely to award a kick that ends up a shot at the posts from the right side of the field than the left side. hmmm these team favour the left side of the field...
•2.8 free kicks (2.1), highest
Overall, these two teams have pretty good stats, which is why they made the quarter-finals. Set pieces will be interesting. Both like to have the pill, but Ireland also love territory. Both make few errors, comparatively given how much time they have the pill. Ireland control of the game and ability to make the tackles and not miss them could be the difference.
Time, Possession and Territory
•Ball in play or contestable time is different for these teams. Ireland’s ball in play for its games is one of the lowest in the comp (16th). Wales is at the other end of the scale being the 2nd highest.
•Both teams like to have possession of the pill in the first half. Ireland are averaging 59% in the 1st half, the highest of any team. Wales is 5th highest with an average of 55%.
•Ireland also like to dominate territory in the 1st half was well. They are ranked 3rd highest with 61% territory. Wales are 18th with 44%.
•Ireland in the 1st half like to spend time in the 22. Again they are the highest in this regard with an average of 19%. Wales are 18th with an average of 10%
•Ireland’s 1st half dominates mostly continues in the 2nd half but Wales have more possession. For 2nd half Wales have the most possession with 58%, with Ireland 2nd with 56%.
•Ireland also to dominate the territory with 56%, or 4th highest. Wales is middle of the pack with 9th highest of 51%.
•No surprise that Ireland have highest overall possession and territory. Wales are 2nd with possession, but are 15th for overall territory. They are also at different end of the scale for overall time in 22. Ireland are 2nd highest with 19%, Wales 13th highest with 14%.
Points
•Both teams are leaking the exact same amount of average points.
•Ireland are 24% more likely to take a RWC penalty goal on the left side of the field than the right side of the field.
•Ireland are 43% more likely to score a RWC try in on the left side of the field than the right side.
•Wales are twice as likely to take a RWC penalty goal on the left side of the field than the right side of the field.
•Wales are 2 &1/4 times more likely to score a RWC try in on the left side of the field than the right side.
•Ireland’s opposition are twice as likely to take a RWC penalty kick from the left side of the field than the right side of the field.
•Wale’s opposition are twice as likely to take a RWC penalty kick from the left side of the field than the right side of the field.
•Before you think this left and right side has nothing to do with it, check out the ref below...
•Ireland kickers in RWC: Sexton 47% (7/15), O’Gara 84% (16/19). In 6-nations Sexton 75% (9/12), O’Gara 78% (7/9).
•Wales kickers in RWC: Hook 67% (6/9), Priestland 79% (11/14), Jones 92% (11/12). In 6-nations Hook 76% (12/17), 73% (8/11).
•Drop goals if it comes down to it, in RWC (6-nations): Sexton 1/1, O’Gara 0/1 (1/1), Priestland 0/3, (Hook 1/2)
Attack
•Due to the amount of possession both teams are high in completing ruck/mauls. The average number of phases are also very close.
•Ireland are 5th ranked with 8.3 offloads per game and Wales 3rd highest with 9.5 offloads.
•While both teams take roughly the same type of options with tactical kicking, Wales is the 2nd highest for tactical kicking errors, so 2nd worse at making tactical kicking errors.
•The Welsh 1st 5/8’s for set piece and recycled ball is running it the most out of any team in RWC.
Defense
•Ireland lead the RWC by a long way in completed tackles. They miss the lowest in the comp, averaging 5.3 per game. In terms of ratios, Ireland miss on average 1 in 15.8 tackle attempts. The next best is 1 in 9.8 by Australia.
•Wales is missing 1 in 7.2 tackle attempts on average. While this is 6th best in the RWC, Ireland have just shored up the defense a lot better.
Errors
•Having the amount of possession Ireland does you would expect a lot of errors. Typically that is what happens. Ireland are 18th lowest in RWC with 16.75 lost possessions/turnovers. Wales are 5th highest with 21.
•Both team lose the ball when taking it into the ruck an average amount, Ireland 2.75, Wales 3.
•Penalty count is not bad for Ireland 9.5 per game, 14th ranked. Wales 11 per game, 6th highest. Wales are conceded the 4th highest in conceding a penalty while in possession, making 4.75 or 43% of the time.
•Wales concede the 4th highest penalties at the ruck/maul. Ireland concede a lot more than other teams at the set pieces. Ireland also concede too many in the opposition's 22. They are 3rd highest in tis area for RWC.
•Handling errors by both teams are middle of the pack, given the amount of possession they have, remember I only count ball in play, that is pretty good.
Set pieces
•Ireland lead the comp with the most lineout infringements. For some reason their opposition seem to knock it on in the lineout when Ireland have the throw –in.
•Ireland favour throw to the middle of the lineout, Wales to the front.
•Ireland like to throw the ball in quickly if the other team has kicked it out way down the field.
•For a team that has few handling errors, Wales have had a lot of scrums, 3rd highest amount in RWC.
•At scrum time there are infringements on the team’s feed. This is consistent for both Wales and Ireland. There are also infringements on the opposition's feed in the Ireland’s scrums as well.
Ref stats: Joubert on average in RWC (his 2011 average) per game
•2.5 scrum resets (3.1), lowest of the the 10 RWC refs.
•5.0 scrum infringements (4.6) ranked 5th.
•21.5 pens awarded (19.6), 3rd highest.
•12.8 ruck pens (11.4), 4th highest.
•4.0 scrum pens (2.9), 3rd highest.
•0.3 lineout pens (0.1), 2nd highest.
•2.5 pens for offside (2.6), 5th highest.
•7.3 pens are inside the 22, 2nd highest.
•7.1 pens awarded end up with the team taking a shot at the posts.
•53% more likely to award a kick that ends up a shot at the posts from the right side of the field than the left side. hmmm these team favour the left side of the field...
•2.8 free kicks (2.1), highest
