Sharks need to stifle charging Chiefs
1 Aug 2012
JON CARDINELLI analyses the final and notes that the Chiefs and Sharks share attacking strengths, but not the same defensive weaknesses.
Why bother with an analysis? The Chiefs have been one of the most physical teams in the tournament, while the Sharks’ ability to produce an intense forward showing will be compromised by their taxing travelling schedule. The Sharks will be at a significant disadvantage this Saturday. Some might even call the final a mis-match.
What the stats and trends can show us is that the challenge facing the Sharks is greater than most expect. Forget the travel fatigue and the fact that this game will be staged in Hamilton – the Chiefs’ attack will be tough to repel and their defence difficult to breach.
According to ruckingoodstats.com, the Sharks are the highest-ranked team in terms of keeping the ball in play over the course of a match. They average 7.4 offloads (the second-best rate in the tournament) and break 16.9 tackles (seventh-best in the tournament) per game. These stats support the statement that they are a very dangerous attacking unit.
But then so too are the Chiefs. The men from Hamilton may not boast the possession stats of the Sharks, but when they do get their hands on the ball, they make their opportunities count.
They are the top-ranked team in terms of offloads (9.1 per match), and their robust ball carriers manage to break 20.9 tackles per match (third-best in the tournament). They are also particularly effective in the opposition’s 22, breaking 5.5 tackles per match. They are the best team in the competition in terms of linebreaks (3.3 per match), and flyhalf Aaron Cruden runs at the defence more than any other pivot.
While there may be similarities in the attacking strengths of these two finalists, their defensive records are vastly different.
The Sharks miss 20.7 tackles per match, making them the worst team in the tournament for tackles missed. It will interest the Chiefs to note that the Sharks miss 5.5 tackles on average in their own 22, and as previously mentioned, the Chiefs are a side that enjoys tackle-busting success in the red zone. The Sharks missed 23 tackles last week in the semi-final against the Stormers, so it’s not as if the total average miss-rate is an unfair reflection of their current defensive form.
By comparison, the Chiefs are one of the best defensive units in the comp. Their line speed has allowed them to stifle opponents and force them into errors. The stats substantiate this claim, as the Chiefs have effected the most charge downs and intercepts.
But the Chiefs are not without weakness. They have made more errors than any other team when kicking from hand. They have also conceded the most penalties overall, as well as the most penalties at the ruck and maul.
While the Sharks’ high tempo game has proved successful this season, they cannot hope to beat the Chiefs at their own game. The more prudent course of action is to attempt to slow the Chiefs down.
The Chiefs lineout hasn’t been that flash and the stats confirm that they are ranked third for quick throw-ins. This suggests that they enjoy playing the game at a lively pace and are not well equipped to combat a good opposition lineout.
The Sharks also have the most disciplined scrum in the tournament, and it is here where they will fancy themselves against the Chiefs. They should also attempt to draw the Chiefs into a battle at close quarters, as the Chiefs don’t have a good record when it comes to maintaining their discipline at the breakdowns and mauls (see above).
The Sharks are the more disciplined side, but will they need to improve on their breakdown performance against the Stormers. John Plumtree’s men may have won the battle at the collisions in that match, but they still conceded 10 penalties at the ruck and maul.
If they can sharpen up in that area, then they will stand a good chance of stifling the Chiefs.
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323 Comments
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1 Aug 2012, 15:30 pm
@Hurricane-295:
cheers hurri
1 Aug 2012, 15:31 pm
@Hurricane-287:
No nastiness here bud.
Just telling it how it is.
1 Aug 2012, 15:32 pm
oh white card, oh white card where are you..?…
1 Aug 2012, 15:33 pm
@SA rugby is k@k-291: Do you discuss rugby every now and again, when not busy pulling a Federer (Transformation copyright).?
1 Aug 2012, 15:34 pm
SA Rugby is K@K…
stop fighting it man…
that just sinks the hooks deeper into your gullet… if you don’t wriggle so much we can cut you free too…!!
TranSport doesn’t have to look for street cred…
he’s one of us…
case closed…
goodnight nurse…
adele sings…
1 Aug 2012, 15:34 pm
@wait for it, wait for it…-303:
@the artist formerly known as gunther-302: Talk about the cricket. Headingley…..batting paradise? Important toss to win?
1 Aug 2012, 15:35 pm
The Kiwis have a cyclist named Jack Bauer in the time trial.
No 24 hours jokes please.
1 Aug 2012, 15:37 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-307:
that’s kief…!!
he from the sutherland…?
1 Aug 2012, 15:37 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-306:
Often a bowlers one better in recent years.
But we have a very good record there.
Bowl first if we can.
The wicket will be best on days 2 and 3.
1 Aug 2012, 15:37 pm
@The Sharks rugby pedigree is packaged by Mad Eye Productions.-304: I’ll leave you with this for this weekends game
the chiefs will win by nine, why? because imo the forward packs will cancel each other out, taumololo will again score a close range try, and the chiefs backline will have the edge… the TKB, Cruden. SBW axis will outdo their opposites
this is where the game will be won, but again, its imo…
enjoy
1 Aug 2012, 15:40 pm
@SA rugby is k@k-310:
“the chiefs will win by nine, why? ”
i know this one…!!
because there’s 10 x more south africans…?
1 Aug 2012, 15:46 pm
UFO. yawn. again, just my opinion. you don’t like it fine
1 Aug 2012, 15:49 pm
@ufo-308:
Has to be the coolest name in cycling.
He’s killing it too..
LoL at the kazakhstan cycling suit.
Borat is going to s.hit himself when he sees that.
1 Aug 2012, 15:50 pm
@SA rugby is k@k-312:
and you say you have a sense of humour…?
guess it’s time for your beddybyes too then…
cool man…
gonna be a good game of rugby…
just hope as always that it’s controversy free…
1 Aug 2012, 15:51 pm
@the artist formerly known as gunther-313:
not near a tv… damn…
borat on a bike…?
a sight to behold…!!
1 Aug 2012, 15:52 pm
well jaydubya…
i seez weze doggone fished thishere creek cleaner’n'a gator’s toof…
timez for-uz hillbilliehandfishers to call it a day…
“its a day…”
1 Aug 2012, 15:57 pm
@ufo-316: were you “noodling”?
1 Aug 2012, 16:01 pm
@Transformation-317:
yeah… lots of noodle between the saffas and kiwis on this thread…
gotta run…
cheers…
1 Aug 2012, 16:40 pm
Good god, who’s been poking Poops with the dirty end of the toilet brush again?
1 Aug 2012, 18:24 pm
The daily clowns have not failed, although its all stale.
Now they are heavy into the hyping mode also as every molehill becomes a Table Mountain so 2 swimming golds becomes all the gold in the SA Reserve Bank.
Reality suggests that since 1964 they(SA) have less Olympic golds than Phelps has amassed since 2004. The lesson, a molehill is no more than a molehill(not even an ant heap).
1 Aug 2012, 19:34 pm
Pops meltdown, extraball new nic, normal Keo day
When do the real Olympics start.
2 Aug 2012, 07:08 am
@MarkFilewalker-320: Do you feel better now?
2 Aug 2012, 07:11 am
@Transformation-81: Walsh. Best ref in the competition IMO. Marshall best commentator.
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