Since we all love statistics...

[DPK]

The Highveld Myth?

What is the Springboks' Test record on the Highveld? And what is their Test record at home, away from the Highveld? Anonymous, South Africa

The Highveld covers approximately 400,000 km² (around 30% of South Africa's land area) taking in parts of the Mpumalanga, Northern Cape and Limpopo provinces, and most of Gauteng and the Northern Free State.

The Bushveld and Lowveld form the boundaries in the north, northeast and northwest while the Drakensberg Mountains provide natural borders to the east and southeast. At its western edge is the Kalahari Desert with the Great Karoo to the southwest.

The Highveld's Test rugby venues are in Pretoria, Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Soweto, Rustenburg, Witbank, Springs and Kimberley (where the early British & Irish teams played three Tests, never losing).

South Africa's Test record at home (1891 to 2010) can be broken down as follows:

At Highveld venues P 105 W 71 D 5 L 29 70% success rate

At Other venues P 108 W 75 D 7 L 26 73% success rate

Overall Home record P 213 W 146D 12 L 55 71% success rate

…So there would appear to be no significant advantage to the 'Boks when playing at altitude.

* Success rate based on there being two points available for a Test: both awarded for a win; one for a draw and none for a loss.

Any statisticians want to put forward a rebuttal? This is from the always interesting "Ask John" feature on the Scrum.com website.

 

[Blue]

I'd love to see similar stats since the mid nineties.

I don't think it's a myth since then.

The only team to beat us frequently on the highveld has been NZ?

Everyone else has battled at altitude since readmission.

Bit of a nothing stat that.

 

[PaarlBok]

All Blacks Win 5 Lose 6
15-Aug-92 Lose: 24-27 Ellispark, Johannesburg
24-Jun-95 Win: 15-12 Ellispark, Johannesburg
31-Aug-96 Win: 32-22 Ellispark, Johannesburg
19-Jul-97 Lose: 32-35 Ellispark, Johannesburg
19-Aug-00 Win: 46-40 Ellispark, Johannesburg
14-Aug-04 Win: 40-26 Ellispark, Johannesburg
25-Jul-09 Win: 28-19 Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
24-Aug-96 Lose: 26-33 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
07-Aug-99 Lose: 18-34 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
19-Jul-03 Lose: 16-52 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
26-Aug-06 Lose: 26-45 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Wallabies Win 10 Lose 1

22-Aug-98 Win: 29-15 Ellispark, Johannesburg
17-Aug-02 Win: 33-31 Ellispark, Johannesburg
23-Jul-05 Win: 33-20 Ellispark, Johannesburg
09-Sep-06 Win: 24-16 Ellispark, Johannesburg
30-Aug-08 Win: 53-8 Ellispark, Johannesburg
03-Aug-96 Win: 25-19 Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
04-Sep-10 Lose: 39-41 Free State Stadium, Bloemfontein
23-Aug-97 Win: 61-22 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
28-Jul-01 Win: 20-15 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
30-Jul-05 Win: 22-16 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
28-Aug-10 Win: 44-31 Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

 

[PaarlBok]

Attendance
Ellispark Win 17 Lose 5 52979
15-Aug-92 New Zealand Lose: 24-27 72000
03-Jul-93 France Lose: 17-18 60000
15-Oct-94 Argentina Win 46-26 40000
13-Apr-95 Samoa Win: 60-8 25000
10-Jun-95 Samoa Win: 42-14 50000
24-Jun-95 New Zealand Win: 15-12 62000
02-Sep-95 Wales Win: 40-11 48000
31-Aug-96 New Zealand Win: 32-22 63000
05-Jul-97 Britain Win: 35-16 60916
19-Jul-97 New Zealand Lose: 32-35 59737
22-Aug-98 Australia Win: 29-15 62308
19-Aug-00 New Zealand Win: 46-40 57250
16-Jun-01 France Lose: 23-32 52330
17-Aug-02 Australia Win: 33-31 58800
14-Jun-03 Scotland Win: 28-19 52000
14-Aug-04 New Zealand Win: 40-26 62857
23-Jul-05 Australia Win: 33-20 60500
09-Sep-06 Australia Win: 24-16 48000
09-Jun-07 Samoa Win: 35-8 30109
09-Aug-08 Argentina Win: 63-9 28200
30-Aug-08 Australia Win: 53-8 54219
04-Jul-09 Britain Lose: 9-28 58318

Loftus Win 13 Lose 5 45744
04-Jun-94 England Lose: 15-32 51000
02-Jul-96 Fiji Win: 43-18 45000
24-Aug-96 New Zealand Lose: 26-33 51000
23-Aug-97 Australia Win: 61-22 49000
20-Jun-98 Ireland Win: 33-0 34845
27-Jun-98 Wales Win: 96-13 33633
07-Aug-99 New Zealand Lose: 18-34 51000
17-Jun-00 England Win: 18-13 45150
28-Jul-01 Australia Win: 20-15 54000
06-Jul-02 Samoa Win: 60-18 25796
19-Jul-03 New Zealand Lose: 16-52 50000
26-Jun-04 Wales Win: 53-18 43920
30-Jul-05 Australia Win: 22-16 50000
26-Aug-06 New Zealand Lose: 26-45 50000
02-Jun-07 England Win: 55-22 50000
14-Jun-08 Wales Win: 37-21 43393
27-Jun-09 Britain Win: 28-25 52511
28-Aug-10 Australia Win: 44-31 43152

Osfontein Win 7 Lose 2 33611
03-Aug-96 Australia Win: 25-19 38000
13-Jun-98 Ireland Win: 37-13 28500
24-Jun-00 England Lose: 22-27 37000
08-Jun-02 Wales Win: 34-19 34000
12-Jun-04 Ireland Win: 31-17 38000
26-May-07 England Win: 58-10 31000
07-Jun-08 Wales Win: 43-17 21000
25-Jul-09 New Zealand Win: 28-19 37000
04-Sep-10 Australia Lose: 39-41 38000

 

[I like to watch]

strange that AB's are undefeated @ loftus, thought that was the hardest place to go as a touring team.
Certainly is for the wobblies

 

[PaarlBok]

strange that AB's are undefeated @ loftus, thought that was the hardest place to go as a touring team.
Certainly is for the wobblies

Maybe you think about Super Rugby?

 

[Ruggo]

I magine what it would of been like before the seperation. Back in the days when the pre game ritual was likely to have a smoke before running on. Well back into the amiture days.

 

[DPK]

(Just to be clear, I'm not fishing, just thought it was interesting)

 

[qwerty51]

(Just to be clear, I'm not fishing, just thought it was interesting)

How can it be fishing? It's not like it's a negative or positive statistic. It really means nothing.

 

[DPK]

Just stating my position is all. It could be wielded in a negative way, I think.

 

[PaarlBok]

(Just to be clear, I'm not fishing, just thought it was interesting)

would have been sensible if you compare those three Stadiums with
Newlands (All Blacks second home) 15 wins 6 lose

22 Aug 1992 Australia Lose: 3-26 43000
11 Jun 1994 England Win: 27-9 45000
25 May 1995 Australia Win: 27-18 51000
30 May 1995 Romania Win: 21-8 45000
10 Aug 1996 New Zealand Lose: 18-29 51000
10 Jun 1997 Tonga Win: 74-10 27210
21 Jun 1997 Britain Lose: 16-25 46100
04 Jul 1998 England Win: 18-0 39512
14 Aug 1999 Australia Win: 10-9 48000
21 Jul 2001 New Zealand Lose: 3-12 49720
15 Jun 2002 Wales Win: 19-8 40547
12 Jul 2003 Australia Win: 26-22 48678
19 Jun 2004 Ireland Win: 26-17 50000
06 Aug 2005 New Zealand Win: 22-16 49118
24 Jun 2006 France Lose: 26-36 48500
16 Jun 2007 Australia Win: 22-19 50000
15 Aug 2007 Namibia Win: 105-13 21788
21 Jun 2008 Italy Win: 26-0 36623
16 Aug 2008 New Zealand Lose: 0-19 49653
08 Aug 2009 Australia Win: 29-17 49000
12 Jun 2010 France Win: 42-17 49000

and

Durban (9 wins 6 lose)

26 Jun 1993 France Draw: 20-20 45000
17 Jun 1995 France Win: 19-15 45000
17 Aug 1996 New Zealand Lose: 19-23 52000
28 Jun 1997 Britain Lose: 15-18 52400
15 Aug 1998 New Zealand Win: 24-23 56000
19 Jun 1999 Italy Win: 101-0 36210
26 Aug 2000 Australia Lose: 18-19 52000
23 Jun 2001 France Win: 20-15 45000
10 Aug 2002 New Zealand Lose: 23-30 54448
07 Jun 2003 Scotland Win: 29-25 37000
21 Aug 2004 Australia Win: 23-19 52000
18 Jun 2005 France Draw: 30-30 50419
10 Jun 2006 Scotland Win: 36-16 32500
23 Jun 2007 New Zealand Lose: 21-26 54112
23 Aug 2008 Australia Lose: 15-27 48123
20 Jun 2009 Britain Win: 26-21 48714
01 Aug 2009 New Zealand Win: 31-19 43149

 

[Crow]

Thanks, PaarlBok. That's reasonably interesting.
It seems that the only real problem with altitude lies with the Wallabies.

 

[whatty]

I've always believed playing at Kingsmead and Newlands for the traditional foes is just easier compared to Bloem, Loftus and Ellis Park. This been traditionally the 5 test venues.

So interesting to see the stats that appear to back that up. Maybe it is playing amongst Afrikanerdom and away from the more European feel of Durban and Cape Town that does it with the fear of altitude.

 

[PaarlBok]

I've always believed playing at Kingsmead and Newlands for the traditional foes is just easier compared to Bloem, Loftus and Ellis Park. This been traditionally the 5 test venues.

So interesting to see the stats that appear to back that up. Maybe it is playing amongst Afrikanerdom and away from the more European feel of Durban and Cape Town that does it with the fear of altitude.

Oh well if its about Afrikanerdom then the Bokke should play in the shadow of the Taal Statute

in Paarl

Thats where it all started but then here is to many All Blacks supporters.

 

[The_Brown_Hornet]

Beautiful part of the country is Paarl.