17th February 2010 13:57

 

A 93 per cent tackle completion rate for unlucky-to-lose Scotland

The Welsh comeback, France's annihilation of Ireland, and England's soporific win over Italy come under the statistical microscope this week.

For all the claims that England were boring, the stats don't make Italy out to be any saints either. So why not criticise them as well?

Ok, England only made five line-breaks. Italy made not a single one - and that when both teams were making only 90 per cent of their tackles!

Italy kicked 61 per cent of their possession, England only 54.

But aside from that, the teams were incredibly evenly matched in Rome, rather bearing out our opinion that people underestimate Italy, both at home and if they are playing a team which attacks up front rather than out wide as England do. If you want to beat Italy, stretch them out wide.

Ireland's capitulation to France makes for grim reading.

A 27 per cent error rate is what undermined what ought to have been winning stats in terms of possession (38:53 to 27:29), completed passes (184-91) and stealing opposing line-outs (4-0).

A penalty/free-kick concession count of 13-8 did not help the Irish either, but with France making seven breaks to Ireland's four, it seems clear that France's ability to finish those breaks off that counted for something as well. Wales must be careful.

Very careful in fact. the Welsh missed tackle count was the highest of the lot, with only 86 per cent of their tackles made.

But where Scotland shot themselves in the foot was discipline. They conceded twelve penalties to Wales' five, allowing the Welsh a phenomenal 52 minutes of territorial advantage to Scotland's 32.

The Welsh were also lively with the ball in hand, making a staggering 227 passes, even if those only yielded four line breaks. They kicked away only 34 per cent of their possession, a very low figure these days.

That Scotland managed six line breaks yet made fewer than half of Wales' pass total is a further damnation of Wales' defence and/or vindication of Scotland's sterling efforts - the Scots' tackle completion rate of 93 per cent was the best of all Six Nations.

The Welsh were also culpable of far too many errors - 25 per cent of their possession ended with some form of error. If only we had to hand the difference between the first and second halves though...