Rugby: Accurate marksman key to winning margin

Julian Savea of the Hurricanes on the attack during the round six Super Rugby match against the Highlanders. Photo / Getty Images

Players with big reputations all have signature rugby moments.

Julian Savea is carving out a catalogue of powerful episodes on the left wing for the Hurricanes and Michael Hooper's brilliant try-saving cover tackle against the Brumbies was a highlight of his quality performance for the Waratahs.

In Pretoria, the Bulls and Handre Pollard had a mixed day before the young goal-kicker converted his sixth penalty from near halfway to pinch victory and protect his claim to be the premier goal-kicker in Super Rugby. He has an 85 per cent success rate and has kicked a 59m penalty among his succession of high-quality strikes.

Goal-kicking methods and theories are much more varied than a consensus that teams cannot sustain winning results without a premier marksman.

The Bulls and Pollard are locked mid-table with the Waratahs and Crusaders while Ihaia West from the Blues is the second-best kicker yet his team are trailing the entire field.

After six games in this year's series, Patrick Lambie from the Sharks has been worked the most with 38 attempts and he has converted 79 per cent of those kicks, including four from six penalty attempts to beatthe Chiefs in torrid weekend conditions.

The All Blacks' world record marksman, Daniel Carter, has shared the kicking duties at the Crusaders and been successful with 76 per cent of his 21 attempts.