THE STATS DON'T LIE
11/15/2024 02:35 AM
A foundation alone does not define a home. Add inthe architectural plan, together with the right materials and fittings, and your mansion becomes a reality.
And so it is with a rugby team.
It takes time and all the right elements to build success, which at the beginning, looks nothing more than mere foundations, but has the potential to be something of beauty and pride.
There are many ways to define success in rugby. As we enjoy the break in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, now is a good time to exams what the stats say.
A year on from last year’s 'foundation-building' when Hollywoodbets Sharks Head Coach John Plumtree was new to the role (his second stint actually) and called for patience, his words proved prophetic when he led the team to EPCR Challenge Cup glory and followed it up with another trophy, this time the Carling Currie Cup.
At the time, the Durban side were facing numerous challenges and it showed in the way they fought but could not consistently get over the line while the team gelled and players became entrenched in difficult and trying circumstances.
Starting the VURC tournament on tour asks a lot of a team, especially when numerous frontline stars are away on national duty. This was the unenviable task of team management and players and the response was always positive, yet the results had yet to come.
And now, after five rounds of the 2024/25 edition, it is clear that the Hollywoodbets Sharks are onto something special. The foundation is there, the walls are up, the roof covers the structure and the fixtures and fittings are all starting to provide the look and feel the structure demands.
Flowery language and metaphors aside, the stats tell the story of a Hollywoodbets Sharks team that has come a long way in just one year. The team isn't just competing, it's telling people to take notice of the extraordinary work that has taken place behind the scenes to produce individual and team performances the players, coaching staff and above all, the fans, can be immensely proud of.
Comparing the average number of log points scored per game illuminates perfectly the growth and development the side has achieved in the short space of time. In the 2023/24 season, the Hollywoodbets Sharks scored on average 1.39 log points per game. After five rounds this season, the figure has leapt to nearly double, three log points per game.
Last year, the team scored 19 points per game on average, increasing their tally this year to 28.4 which shows the attacking intent as well as the improved ability to close opportunities.
21 dominant carries per game by the Hollywoodbets Sharks is the most in the tournament, as is their average post contact metres (126m). The team is currently ranked third for dominant carry percentage (19,6%), fourth in the competition for average carry metres per game (397m) and fifth for average number of defenders beaten per game (22.4). Defence is also important, and the team rank third overall for their 5.2% average dominant tackle percentage.
It is clear from these statistics that the Hollywoodbets Sharks are more than capable of holding their own in this elite competition and they will look to use these, improve on them and deliver when the tournament resumes on 30 November when they host the DHL Stormers at Hollywoodbets Kings Park.
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