Rugby World Cup final: All Blacks have the statistical edge

All Blacks winger Nehe Milner-Skudder in action against South Africa. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Going into Sunday's Rugby World Cup final, the All Blacks dominate the Wallabies across several individual player categories, although our trans-Tasman rivals more than hold their own in some key areas.

Four All Blacks, Nehe Milner-Skudder, Julian Savea, and Kieran Read, feature in four different top 25 categories according to the Opta stats via Rugby Herald stats centre, and three more, Ben Smith, Ma'a Nonu, and Dan Carter, appear in three other lists, with several others New Zealand players making one or two showings.

The All Blacks' strength out wide sees the back-three trio of Smith (453m), Milner-Skudder (437m), and Savea (395m) in the top five for metres gained, with Wallabies' veterans Drew Mitchell (283m) ranking 13th, semifinal hattrick hero Adam Ashley-Cooper (261m) 17th, and Israel Folau (259m) 19th, sitting above All Blacks midfielder Nonu, in 24th spot with 230m.

The ball carries category is absent of any Australians, while five All Blacks feature in the top 25, with the industrious Smith sitting second with 65 runs, Savea in seventh with 52, and Read is in a five-way tie for 10th with 49. Milner-Skudder and blindside flanker Jerome Kaino come in down the count with 47 and 45 runs respectively.

As for line breaks, six All Blacks feature in the top 25, with Smith and Milner-Skudder again out in front in a tie for fourth with 10 each, and seventh-ranked Savea having torn through the defence on nine occasions. Four Wallabies make an appearance, with five-eighth Bernard Foley ninth with eight line breaks, and outside backs Mitchell and Ashley-Cooper in a six-way tie for 14th with seven, while Folau, along with Nonu and Carter, are all tied for 22nd with five each.

The Aussies prevail in the defenders beaten category, however, with Mitchell coming first with 26, while Milner-Skudder and Nonu give the All Blacks top five representation in third and fifth, having beaten 23 and 17 tacklers respectively. Further down the list, Folau claims 11th equal and Savea is 14th equal.

Three All Blacks are named in the top 25 for offloads, headed by Sonny Bill Williams with 13, while Wallabies playmaker Kurtley Beale is a surprise entry in fifth spot with eight, ahead of Carter (7) and Sam Cane (5).

As for the set piece, the All Blacks hold the upper-hand come lineout time, with Read collecting 25 to sit fourth, one above Wallaby lock Rob Simmons with 23. Down the list, All Blacks lock Sam Whitelock and Australia's No6 Scott Fardy are tied with 15 each.

Lineout steals are evenly shared with two All Blacks and a pair of Wallabies among the top five. Read again leads the way with six, followed by Retallick with five, and Wallabies locks Dean Mumm (four) and Simmons (three) fill third and fifth place.

Predictably, the Australians hold the edge at the breakdown, with No8 David Pocock topping the turnover count with 14, ahead of Read in fourth place with eight.

Richie McCaw is the next best All Black, with the captain locked in a four-way tie for 11th with six turnovers, and Australia's Fardy came in 20th with five, and All Blacks hooker Dane Coles tied for 24th with four.

The Australians have been forced to make more tackles, with lock Kane Douglas (58), Fardy (55), ahead of Hooper - who is in a six-way tie with Kaino on 48 - while Pocock rounds out the top 25 with 46.

The defensively strong All Blacks do not appear on the missed tackles list, while opensider Michael Hooper is the only Wallaby, in 24th spot with nine ineffective efforts to his name.

Ill-discipline is an area where the Australians are exemplary; while All Blacks loose-forward veterans Read (7) and McCaw (5) come in at 11th and 21st for penalties conceded.

In the kicking stakes, the All Blacks hold the edge through Carter who sits second on the list with 60, ahead of Australian rival Bernard Foley with 51.