There has been no shortage of drama so far in the 2019/20 European Champions Cup. Eight teams have navigated their way through the pool phase and arrived in the knockout stage believing they have a chance of going all the way.
This report aims to analyse key individual statistics and identify three players who have had the greatest impact for their teams so far. The three players selected are; Virimi Vakatawa; John Cooney; and Josh van der Flier.
Virimi Vakatawa – Racing 92 – Centre
Vakatawa has delivered several scintillating performances for Racing 92 in the European Champions Cup this season. Having played in all six fixtures for his club, he was awarded player of the match three times. Vakatawa’s key stats for the for the pool stage:
- Vakatawa spent 450 minutes on the pitch, starting every game in the centre position.
- Scored a total of four tries and had a direct assist in one.
- Ranks first in number of defenders beaten with 39, which is 12 more than George Moala (Clermont).
- Ranked first in total number of clean breaks with 14, tied with Teddy Thomas (Racing 92) and Olly Thorley (Gloucester).
- Ranked third in total number of offloads with 10, three behind joint leaders Taqele Naiyaravoro (Northampton) and Sofiane Guitoune (Toulouse).
- Has made 65 carries in total and gained a total of 396 meters for Racing 92.
Analysis
On average, Vakatawa beats one defender with 60% of his carries, and beats an average of one defender every 11.5 minutes. He gains an average of 6.1 meters per carry.
Vakatawa’s ability to both beat defenders and offload in the tackle makes him a nightmare for teams to cope with. This is one of the many reasons Racing 92 currently lie second in total number of tries scored this season (26).
John Cooney – Ulster – Scrum-Half
Cooney has been in sensational form this season in the European Champions Cup and has been instrumental in Ulster’s march to the knockout stage. He played in all six fixtures and was awarded player of the match on two occasions. Cooney’s standout stats are as follows:
- Cooney spent 457 minutes on the pitch, starting at scrum-half.
- Ranks first in total number of points scored with 71.
- Ranks fourth in total number of tries scored with 5, tied with Alivereti Raka (Clermont), George Moala (Clermont) and Romain Ntamack (Toulouse).
- Scored 8/9 penalties and 11/15 conversions.
Analysis
John Cooney has scored 55% of Ulster’s total points in Europe (129). He has scored an average of 11.8 points per game and has been worth one point per 6.4 minutes spent on the pitch. His overall kicking accuracy from the tee is 79.2%, scoring 88.9% of penalties and 73.3% of conversions.
Cooney is a unique talent in that he plays scrum-half, he takes the kicks at goal and is prolific in terms of scoring tries. Ulster won two of their pool games by a single point and Cooney kicked the winner in both games in the closing stages. He is crucial to Ulster’s hopes of progressing to the semi-final stage.
Josh van der Flier – Leinster – Back Row
Josh van der Flier has had a major impact on Leinster’s European Campaign and was a key reason Leinster conceded the fewest points (76) over the first six games. He played in every pool game and earned one player of the match performance against Northampton. Van der Flier’s stats are as follows:
- Van der Flier spent 445 minutes on the pitch, starting in the back row.
- Ranks first in total number of tackles made with 98.
- Ranks first in total number of successful tackles made with 93.
- Ranks first in total number of turnovers won with 7, tied with Fritz Lee (Clermont), Bundee Aki (Connacht), Ben Curry (Sale) and Joe Tekori (Toulouse).
- Made 28 carries for his team with a total of 7 clean breaks.
Analysis
Josh van der Flier has been successful in 94.9% of his tackles in Europe. He has made one successful tackle for every 4.9 minutes spent on the pitch. He has reclaimed possession for his team on seven occasions, with an average of 1.2 turnovers per game. Converted 25% of his carries into clean breaks.
Van der Flier has displayed an immense work rate which is shown by his tackling statistics. Only three players come close to van der Flier in terms of successful tackles made. James Ryan (Leinster), C.J. Stander (Munster) and Dave Ewers (Exeter) have all made 82 successful tackles. Van der Flier, along with the rest of the Leinster pack, have consistently shown why they are the outright favourites.
European Rugby Scout 