HEC stats from Rugby World

http://www.rugbyworld.com/news/blogs/moneyball-the-heineken-cups-most-effective-players/

Interesting reading, will put up my thoughts in a tick, just wanted to share

Doesn't surprise me that Best is top of the turnovers. He acts like an extra flanker for Ulster and Ireland and so allows his other team-mates to do the carrying and tackling they want to!

Henry is a machine when it comes to tackling, but a bit of a shock to see Ruan didn't place higher in the kicking stats. Although he is probably the best there for picking out the opportune moment to kick!

Anscombe came with the rep as a breakdown specialist. Looks like it has had an effect

Ye Irelands back row should be SOB, Henry, Heaslip... if heslip wasnt captain id have o'mahoney in at 6 and sob at 8

Josh Navidi, such amazing work rate. Love the Dan Parks stat aswell.

dave seymour being up their in tackles and turnovers is interesting and he has not had a look in with the saxons even.. Of course stats can be misleading and the fact that Sale never have the ball means he has to make more tackles than most.

Andy Trimble joint 3rd in the turnover list, amazing stuff from a winger.

Rory Best's turn over rate is phenomenal, two opensides behind him and they aren't even close. Pretty impressive stats for Henry as well.

HQ matt wrote:dave seymour being up their in tackles and turnovers is interesting and he has not had a look in with the saxons even.. Of course stats can be misleading and the fact that Sale never have the ball means he has to make more tackles than most.

They can only pick so many players and for a few seasons now Seymour has threatened to come good without ever really rising above any of the other young 7's.

Rory Best is just a turn over machine!

Interesting that only one player from any of the top English teams is in there, you could look at it as they've all learnt to play fairly balanced games with a good mixture of time with and without the ball, when they do have it they work quickly to get points rather then spending ages in possesion. At least that's what I hope.

I am not sure these stats represent effectivesness. For instance Danny Cipriani kicked a lot. Is that good? Dave Seymour tackled a lot. Fine but he had to tackle so much because Cipriani kicked away all Sale's posession.


Having lots of carries is neither good nor bad. It depends on what the alternatve was. Did Heaslip carry so much because he failed to pass when that was the best option? If a team rely on one player to carry too much, surely that is easy to defend against and therefore a weakness not a strength.


If you are going to measure tackles I think tackles missed is a better measure as tackles made might mean your team had no possession.

Shows why Chris Henry is forcing himself into the reckoning for Ireland. A great spoiler/tackler in the mould of the traditional Irish 7s. He and Best have been a great duo at the breakdown all season and I'm not surprised at all by those stats!

Notch wrote:Shows why Chris Henry is forcing himself into the reckoning for Ireland. A great spoiler/tackler in the mould of the traditional Irish 7s. He and Best have been a great duo at the breakdown all season and I'm not surprised at all by those stats!

Just hope he can restrict the penalty count because that is the most common way Ireland give away matches.