All Blacks coach Steve Hansen with Sam Cane (L) and Richie McCaw (R). Photo / Getty Images.
Richie McCaw was dealt to by Sam Cane when they went man-on-man a few weeks ago, and now he's getting crunched by his All Black rival's numbers.
Cane, the Chiefs openside, figures strongly in the Herald Rugby Stats Centre as Super Rugby approaches the business end of the
season. The numbers make sad reading for the great Crusader McCaw however, whose only appearance on the leaderboards comes in the missed tackles and penalties conceded departments.
As an Aussie cricket luminary once remarked, statistics aren't fool proof otherwise selectors wouldn't be needed. But they do help tell the tale for McCaw who is struggling for form and fitness, while Cane is flying high according to the turnovers (17), tackles (119) and even offloads (18).
Even the Blues' openside tag team of Brendon O'Connor (13) and Luke Braid(12) both figure highly in turnovers won, whereas McCaw is nowhere to be seen. McCaw has also missed a staggering 17 tackles this season.
The stats hit the bullseye in one area, portraying star Wallaby back Israel Folau from the Waratahs as Super Rugby's chief danger man. He is close to the best in all the key indicators - carries (140), metres (986), defenders beaten (37) and offloads (27). It's no surprise that another former league star Sonny Bill Williams is the other top offloader.
