Flashback to 14/15 Premiership stats

With the 2015/16 season fast approaching the time is right to have a little look back at the key Opta statistics from last season to get the domestic pulses racing ahead of the new campaign.

Let’s start with the attacking statistics, Newcastle Falcon’s Sinoti Sinoti mesmerised us all with his wonderful feet and deservedly topped the metres made list with a cool 1,641, Sinoti Sinoti also beat 85 defenders in the process and will be integral to the Falcons’ continued develop this season.

In terms of clean breaks Bath Rugby’s powerful winger Semesa Rokoduguni made the most with 37 to his name followed by a man that is half of his size, Christian Wade with 28. The earliest try scorer came after just 24 seconds as John Afoa scored for Gloucester Rugby against the Newcastle Falcons and I expect that will take some beating this season.

If we drill down and focus on individuals there are a few that made huge contributions to last season’s competition and none more so than Exeter’s Thomas Waldrom. The raised eyebrows that some had when Waldrom was signed by Rob Baxter are long gone as he finished the year with the most tries scored in the competition 16, the most carries 308 and was second in terms of metres made 1,467.

Wasps’ Nathan Hughes is another that turned all of our heads with his continual development and all around game. In total Nathan made 37 offloads, beat 71 defenders and made 238 carries of his own. Both gentlemen will joined by reinforcements at their respective clubs this season with Julian Salvi joining the Exeter Chiefs and George Smith joining Wasps and I expect them both to lead the way again in the 2015/16 season.

When it came to goal kicking Andy Goode’s 240 points earned him the Aviva Premiership Golden Boot and he did so with a 79% success rate. Gareth Steenson topped the accuracy charts with 84% and was closely followed by Bath Rugby’s George Ford at 83% who also made the most try assists of any player in the competition with 14.

Defensively Salvi topped the charts in terms of tackles made with 261, followed by Newcastle’s Mark Wilson, 255 and Saracens’ Jamie George on 230.  At the other end of the scale the top 5 individuals in terms of missed tackles were all backs, albeit it from a range of clubs, however I’ll be kind and not name and shame them!!

From a team perspective the Leicester Tigers’ lineout was the most secure fuelled by Tom Youngs 92% throwing accuracy. As you’d expect with their fluid attacking game Bath Rugby had the highest defenders beaten metric of all sides and Harlequins’ average number of carries eclipsed them all.

When it came to the denouncement of the season Saracens became the first side ever to win the competition from fourth position and London Welsh broke a number of records in terms of points conceded and consecutive matches lost.

All in all the season was a pulsating, entertaining and dramatic one. After such fruitful recruitment across the board and a long pre-season this year’s Aviva Premiership competition is set to eclipse the last, the question is which side will be the last one standing come May 2016?