The Rugby Championship XV - Statistics are like a Bikini

This time next year we will be talking Rugby World Cup and be eagerly debating the perennial rugby union question: Northern or Southern Hemisphere ascendancy.

The Rugby Championship 2014 is over and the debate as to the quality and preparation for the Rugby World Cup continue. To add some spice to the debate, we at Talking Rugby Union consulted with our NZ based pundit and tipster, Scott Donaldson.

Scott told us that statistics never lie, we told him to think of statistics as a bikini, important what they reveal but critical what they conceal.

With that advice, Scott provided a team of The Rugby Championship based on statistics from www.testrugby.com

This team is selected based on numbers worn by players during the tournament in at least one game and the average number of fantasy points per game of each player.

There were some close calls with three standout locks, while Michael Hooper just edged out Richie McCaw.

The highest scoring players were loose forwards and outside backs, with fullbacks, Number Eights and openside flankers scoring the most.

There were some unlucky players to miss the squad like Kieran Read, Conrad Smith, Jean De Villiers, Jan Serfontein, Sam Whitelock, Nicolas Sanchez, Richie McCaw, Dane Coles and Adriaan Strauss.  Some of these players were victims of being substituted or injuries which meant that they played less minutes.  

Scott told us: "I think players like Richie McCaw, Jean de Villiers and Conrad Smith provide much more than what the statistics may suggest. 

"I also think that the Argentinian props deserve inclusion after dominating every game."

There wasn’t really a standout first five eighth with most teams rotating players in that position for various reasons.

The Rugby Championship Team of the Round by country

New Zealand - six (but only one forward)
Australia - five
South Africa - three
Argentina - one

Interestingly Australia provided three forwards including two front-rowers which is ironic given that most people think their tight forwards are the worst in the competition.

The Rugby Championship 2014 XV

1 James Slipper (Australia)
2 Agustin Creevy (Argentina)
3. Sekope Kepu (Australia)
4 Brodie Retallick (New Zealand)
5 Victor Matfield (South Africa)
6 Marcell Coetzee (South Africa)
7 Michael Hooper (Australia)
8 Duane Vermeulen (South Africa)
9 Aaron Smith (New Zealand)
10 Aaron Cruden (New Zealand)
11 Julian Savea (New Zealand)
12 Malakai Fekitoa (New Zealand)
13 Tevita Kuridrani (Australia)
14. Ben Smith (New Zealand)
15 Israel Folau (Australia)

Scott is using data and republishing with permission from www.testrugby.com