The stats don't lie: Week 12 preview

The Blues have scored 30 tries so far this year. Photo / Getty Images

Two local derbies to look forward to this weekend, with the Hurricanes hosting the Blues and the Chiefs playing the Highlanders.

Then it's off for potentially the match of the round when the Crusaders (best attacking side) travel to Cape Town to take on the Stormers (best defensive side).

Here are some key numbers on the New Zealand sides.

BLUES

- Have played the Hurricanes 16 times and are ahead on ten wins. They have only lost five of these fixtures (last going down 27-45 in Wellington, 2009), plus there was a draw in 2004.

- Have the edge with those wins averaging 30 points for and 24 against.

- Lead the New Zealand conference and have scored 30 tries so far this year, with their average score per game being 27 points for and 20 against. They have scored four or more tries in five of the 10 games they have played.

- Their tackle completion/efficiency rate so far this season is 88.9 per cent.

- They average 20 handling errors (knock-ons, poor pass, spilled ball etc) per game.

- Have the lowest average for penalties conceded for any of the NZ teams, with just 9.9 per game. They concede 64 per cent of their penalties at the breakdown, and have conceded the most penalties for off-side in general play and from kicks of all the NZ sides.

CHIEFS

- Have played the Highlanders 16 times and have 10 wins and six losses. They lost to the Highlanders in round two this year, going down 13-23 in Dunedin.

- Have scored 23 tries this season, with their average score per game being 22 points for and 25 against. They have scored four or more tries in only 2 games.

- Their tackle completion/efficiency rate is 89.5 per cent.

- They average 28 handling errors per game, the most of any New Zealand side.

- On average concede 11.1 penalties per game, and are the most penalised NZ side when it comes to scrums with 19 full arm penalties conceded this season. Their breakdown penalties only make up 57 per cent of the penalties they have conceded, which is the lowest of all the NZ sides.

HURRICANES

- Lost the round five game played in Auckland against the Blues 17-41.

- Have scored 21 tries this season, the least of all the NZ sides. They are worst attacking side averaging 24 points for, and also the worst defensive side conceding an average of 24 points each game. They have only managed to score 4 or more tries in three matches this year.

- Their tackle completion/efficiency rate is 89.4 per cent.

- Despite their sometime frenetic style of game the Hurricanes average 20.8 handling errors per game, the least of all the NZ sides.

- Concede an average 10.9 penalties per game, and have conceded 7 penalties for foul play plus received the most cards of any of the New Zealand franchises with four yellow cards and one red. Their breakdown infringements make up 65 per cent of their penalties.

CRUSADERS

- The Crusaders have played the Stormers 14 times and have won 10 of those encounters, but lost to them last year 14-42.

- Are the best attacking team in the competition having scored a total of 316 points and 36 tries. They are the best defensive side of the five NZ franchises, and second only to the Stormers in the overall competition having conceded just 165 points.

- Their average score this season is 35 points for and 18 against.

- Their tackle completion/efficiency rate is 90.4 per cent, the best of the New Zealand sides.

- They average 25 handling errors per game.

- Concede an average 10.8 penalties per game, and have conceded the least breakdown penalties of the NZ sides with a total of 44 which make up 64 per cent of their total full arm penalties.

HIGHLANDERS

- The last time the Highlanders played in Chiefs' territory was in 2010 at Mt Mauganui, where they lost 21-27.

- Have scored 24 tries this season, averaging 22 points for and 20 against. They have scored 4 or more tries in just two games so far.

- Their tackle completion/efficiency rate is 88.6 per cent which is the lowest of all the NZ sides, yet they are the second-equal best defensive NZ team alongside the Blues.

- They average 27 handling errors per game.

- Concede 11.6 penalties per game, with 66 per cent coming at the breakdown. They have conceded the most penalties of any NZ side for the tackler not releasing the tackled player.

Further NZ player stats can be found at Haka.co.nz