Importance of scoring penalties in Super XV – Rugby news
As we enter round eight of the Super XV, it is widely being speculated that this year the Super XV has more defensive orientation as compare to the attacking orientation.
Those following the season would definitely be thrilled by the certain defining attacking moments however the overall outset of the game plan is apparently defensive.
The unbeaten team of Super XV, the Stormers has started the season by emphasizing more on their defence, it was their defence, which was winning them matches, and attack was scoring only few points. Super XV is yet to see a free scoring game in the season
with teams piling up big scores. As the season has progressed the importance of taking and then scoring on penalties have been widely recognized. This approach is apparent from the fact that the top scorer for the unbeaten team Peter Grant is yet to score
a try and in comparison, he has scored 26 penalties.
During the seventh round of the Super XV, the trend of scoring more penalties was even more apparent. In the total seven matches, 30 tries were scored, six of them coming from Highlanders Vs Brumbies game.
Only two penalties were scored in the game that is the lowest number of penalties scored in a game during the round seven. Five tries were scored in Lions Vs Reds game but eight penalties were also scored. Reds were able to secure the victory by 5 points
or a try and probably the only match the reflects the impact of tries and their importance in the matches.
In the biggest game of the round seven in which the Sharks played against the Stormers, a single try was scored and five penalties were scored. All the Sharks points were scored through the penalties.
Seven tries were scored in the match played between the Blues and Cheetahs and a penalty each was scored. The main factor due to which Western Force lose to Rebels was the fact that James O’Connor lost to score a penalty on four occasions.
At the end it was Rebels taking the game by single point, both team scored three tries each. In Bulls Vs Hurricanes affair, two tries were scored but it was the Morne Steyn’s five penalties that allowed Bulls to control the Hurricanes and win the game by
12-point margin, which interestingly was the highest margin during round 7. A try each was also scored in Waratahs Vs Chiefs game with Waratahs wining the game by 7 points. Waratahs scored three penalties while Chiefs were able to score one.
Teams reflecting on their round seven performance cannot ignore the importance of find the penalties and most importantly scoring. It is more likely that the defensive trend will continue and less and less number of tries will be scored particularly in the
heavy weights encounters. In such games a team capitalising on the penalties will definitely had an edge over the opposition and most likely to make it to play offs.
Tags: