A much better performance from the Wallabies last week but the All Blacks still look another step up in class.
The statistics confirm what most of us already know – the Wallabies are retaining possession but have little to offer in attack. It’s obvious to the vast majority of G&GR readers that Giteau shouldn’t play #10 ever again and there’s no doubt Cooper will slot straight back into that position for the next game. The question is where will Giteau go? It’s interesting that Giteau is allowed to play for his club this weekend but the rumours are that neither Quade Cooper or Anthony Faingaa will be allowed to play for their club side.
I’ll be posting a separate analysis on the Wallabies attacking woes next week but for now, following are some numbers comparing the Wallabies possession and tries scored so far in the Tri Nations.
| WALLABIES | v SA | v NZ | v NZ | Total |
| Number of Times in Possession | 37 | 29 | 42 | 108 |
| Number of Phases | 139 | 128 | 154 | 421 |
| Average Phases Per Possession | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Tries | 2 | 3 | 1 | 6 |
| Percentage of Possession Sequences Ending in Tries | 5% | 10% | 2% | 6% |
| OPPOSITION | Total | |||
| Number of Times in Possession | 41 | 37 | 40 | 118 |
| Number of Phases | 129 | 114 | 114 | 357 |
| Average Phases Per Possession | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Tries | 2 | 7 | 2 | 11 |
| Percentage of Possession Sequences Ending in Tries | 5% | 19% | 5% | 9% |
Some other key areas we’ve been following closely are Defence and Possession Lost.
| DEFENCE | v SA | v NZ | v NZ | Total |
| Tackles Attempted | 169 | 171 | 163 | 503 |
| Made | 147 | 141 | 141 | 429 |
| Missed | 22 | 30 | 22 | 74 |
| Made % | 87% | 82% | 87% | 85% |
| Tackles – Dominant % | 23% | 17% | 10% | 14% |
| Tackles – Completed % | 77% | 83% | 90% | 86% |
| POSSESSION LOST | v SA | v NZ | v NZ | Total |
| Possession Lost at Breakdown | 2 | 4 | 9 | 15 |
| Possession Lost Other Than at Breakdown | 18 | 4 | 8 | 30 |
| Total Possessions Lost | 20 | 8 | 17 | 45 |
| As a Percentage of Total Possessions | 54% | 28% | 40% | 28% |
Click on the Team Statistics or Player Statistics icons to download the relevant data sheet.
