The stats don't lie: Week 14 peview

Luke Braid has made 97 percent of all his tackles this season and averages almost 16 per game. Photo / Getty Images

Round 14 and just three New Zealand sides playing this weekend, with the Hurricanes and Highlanders both having the bye.

Top of the New Zealand conference the Blues take on the top of the South African conference the Stormers in Auckland, while the all-New Zealand derby sees the Crusaders playing the Chiefs in Napier.

BLUES v STORMERS

- Both teams are coming off a loss from last week, but managed to maintain their 1st place positions in their respective conferences. The Blues lead the Crusaders by five points, while the Stormers are just four points ahead of the Sharks.

- Of the thirteen games played between these two sides the Blues have won eight and the Stormers five. The Stormers won last year's game 33-21.

- One of the key match up areas in this game will be in the loose, where the Blues trio of Peter Saili, Luke Braid and Jerome Kaino take on Duane Vermeulen, Francois Louw and Schalk Burger.

- Watch for Luke Braid's defence, he has made 97 percent of all his tackles this season and averages almost 16 per game.

- Peter Saili averages 8.6 ball carries and 56.7 metres gained per game, while Jerome Kaino is averaging 7.0 ball carries and 35.2 metres gained.

- Ali Williams and Anthony Boric will be looking to shut down the options for the towering Andries Bekker when it comes to lineouts. Last week the Blues won 82 percent of their lineouts while the Stormers won 92% of theirs.

- The Blues should have the edge in the backs with the Stormers losing Peter Grant, Jean de Villiers and Jaques Fourie to injury, but watch out for Bryan Habana on the wing who is the King of Intercepts.

- Keven Mealamu is set to become New Zealand's most capped Super Rugby player with this game being his 130th. He is currently sitting equal with Reuben Thorne who played 129 games for the Crusaders. Mealamu has played 118 games for the Blues, and 11 for the Chiefs in 2002.

- Rene Ranger is second equal for number of tries scored with seven, but is relegated to the bench this week. Alby Mathewson and Jared Payne have both scored five tries.

- Luke McAlister needs just seven more points to bring up 100 points for the season.

CRUSADERS v CHIEFS

- This game in Napier will be the fourth home-away-from-home game for the Crusaders this season. Of the three Hawkes Bay-based players in their team, only Zac Guildford remains uninjured and will start on the left wing.

- The Crusaders have won twelve of the sixteen games played between these two sides, and they won the game in Round 9 by 34-16.

- The Crusaders are still the competition's best attacking side averaging 35.6 points per game played, while the Chiefs average 24.3.

- Richie McCaw may only have played two and half games so far this season but he is already averaging 14 tackles per game and has the highest percentage of the New Zealand flankers when it comes to completing his tackles at 97.6 percent.

- Teenager Sam Cane makes his first start for the Chiefs at openside flanker, going up against McCaw.

- Watch for Fritz Lee and Liam Messam, who are top the table for ball carries and metres gained when it comes to the NZ loose forwards. Both average just over 10 ball carries per game, while Lee averages 70.3 metres and Messam 69.2 metres. Kieran Read is averaging 8.9 ball carries and 60.4 metres gained.

- Both sides were heavily penalised at the breakdown last week with the Crusaders conceding five and the Chiefs six.

- The Chiefs made six clean linebreaks against the Stormers last week, while the Crusaders could only manage four against the Cheetahs.

- Dan Carter is sitting on 96 points for the season and has clocked those up in only seven games this season. Stephen Donald has 80 points and was 100 percent with the boot last week kicking three penalties and three conversions for a tally of 15 points against the Stormers.

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

- HERALD ONLINE