The stats don't lie: Week 18 review

Ben Smith had the most running metres of the season by a New Zealander with 1164 metres. Photo / Getty Images

The Crusaders won the New Zealand conference with their win over the Hurricanes on Saturday night, while the Blues' victory over the Highlanders ensured them of a home play-off next weekend and also the better draw should they win through to the Super semi-finals.

BLUES v HIGHLANDERS (33-16)

- In the contest to be back-up to Richie McCaw, Luke Braid made all of his 15 tackle attempts and made 38 metres with ball in hand. Adam Thomson missed just one of his 21 tackle attempts and made just four metres, but also took two lineout takes.

- Jared Payne had the better of the battle at fullback, making two linebreaks and gaining 125 metres overall. Ben Smith made no linebreaks this week and gained just 20 metres. Both players lost possession in contact twice during the game. Smith does end his Super season with the most running metres made of all the New Zealand backs, with 1164 metres. The next best is Rene Ranger with 1072 metres.

- The Blues won six from nine of their lineouts, Ali Williams won two from three of his lineout throws and stole one off the Highlanders. He made all seven of his tackles, made 13 metres with the ball in hand and conceded one penalty. Anthony Boric took just the one lineout take, made all his 14 tackles, made one linebreak and 30 metres with ball in hand, and conceded no penalties.

- Jarred Hoeata by contrast won four from five of his lineouts throws but made no steals. He made 16 of his 17 tackle attempts, made 40metres with the ball in hands and conceded two penalties. Tom Donnelly only played 57 minutes and in that time had no lineouts thrown to him, but made nine tackles and 15 metres with the ball in hand. Like Hoeata, he also conceded two penalties.

- The Highlanders have ended their season, but can boast the best lineout of the New Zealand franchises having won 86 percent of their own throws.

- The Blues conceded seven penalties, four at the breakdown and three for off-side play. The Highlanders conceded 10 with four scrum penalties, five breakdown indiscretions and just one piece of off-side play.

- Lachie Munro took over the goal kicking for the Blues this weekend and kicked four penalties and three conversion for a 66 percent success rate. He also passed 50 points for the season.

- Tony Brown kicked the eighth drop goal of his career and kicked on penalty for a success rate of just 40 per cent on the night.


CRUSADERS v HURRICANES (16-9)

- There were only seven clean linebreaks in the this game, two by the Hurricanes and four by the Crusaders, but it was Zac Guildford's break in the second minute of the second half that led to the only try of the game to Robbie Fruean.

- Rookie Crusader Tom Marshall outshone his fullback counterpart Cory Jane with two linebreaks and a total of 143 metres gained. He also pulled off a try-saving tackle on Aaron Cruden. Jane made just one linebreak and gained 128 metres.

- Aaron Cruden was 100 percent with his goal kicking landing all three penalty attempts, and finished the Super season with an 82 percent success rate and a tally of 112 points. This week he made no linebreaks or offloads, but was successful with seven of his tackles missing just one.

- Dan Carter wasn't as successful with his goal kicking, landing two from five penalties and one conversion for just a 50 percent success rate on the night. He made one linebreak and one offload, made 101 metres, and was successful with 15 of his 16 tackles.

- The 45 metre drop goal by Andy Ellis was his third in Super Rugby, and gave the Crusaders a seven point buffer going into the final ten minutes of the game.

- Ma'a Nonu made one linebreak and one offload, and completed 11 tackles missing just one. He also conceded a penalty for a late tackle which took his total number of penalties conceded this season to seven, including one yellow and one red card.

- The Crusaders set piece was dominant, winning a scrum turnover in the 59th minute and stealing four throws off the Hurricanes' lineout (Brad Thorn winning two of those). The Crusaders won all seven of their lineout throws.

- Matt Todd made the most of Richie McCaw's absence making all of his 17 tackle attempts, winning a steal at the breakdown and making 29 metres with the ball in hand.

- Turnovers were high on a wet, windy night. The Crusaders made 11 knock-ons while the Hurricanes made 13 as well as throwing two forward passes.

- The Crusaders conceded 11 penalties, with six coming at the breakdown and two at the scrum. The Hurricanes conceded just seven, with five at the breakdown.

- This win gave the Crusaders the New Zealand conference title, but it does provide them with the tougher road to the final. Their first play-off game is this weekend where they will play the Sharks in Nelson. If they win that game they must then travel to Cape Town to take on the Stormers in the semi finals. A win there would see them have to travel back to either Australia or New Zealand for the final.

CHIEFS v REDS (11-19)

- Quade Cooper proved again why he is the top play maker of the competition, making 120 metres with the ball in hand plus two offloads. In comparision, Stephen Donald only made 55 metres and one offload. He also had the worse of the tackle stats missing two of his three tackle attempts, while Cooper missed just one from six.

- Romana Graham's yellow card in the 17th minute of the game allowed Cooper to kick the penalty goal that saw him surpass 200 points for the season.

- The Chiefs made seven clean linbreaks in this game, but made handling errors including eleven knock-ons.

- Liam Messam made five ball carries and finished the Super season with a total of 48 pick and drives and 146 runs. Against the Reds he gained a total of 84 metres, made all 14 tackle attempts, took two lineouts and made two linebreaks.

- The lineout was a struggle for the Chiefs losing five of their 16 throws. They had the worst lineout of the New Zealand franchises this season, winning just 73 percent of their own throws.

- The Chiefs conceded eight penalties, six coming at the breakdown.

- Caleb Ralph came on for the Reds in the 64th minute of the match to add another Super appearance to his tally that now equals George Gregan's record of 136 Super games.

Full game stats can be found at haka.co.nz

- HERALD ONLINE