Stats and facts: Leinster vs Bulls

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Get all the important stats and facts ahead of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship semi-final between Leinster and the Vodacom Bulls in Dublin on Friday.

Powered by the Vodacom URC’s official stat providers Oval Rugby and supported by historic information from Stuart Farmer Media Services (SFMS), the URC StatMaster applies context to the data available for each match in the upcoming round.

STATS AND FACTS: Stormers vs Ulster

The Vodacom URC StatMaster isn’t just about ranking the top-scorers or tacklers, it pinpoints the metrics that provide real insight into the matchups taking place and what factors can prove influential in the winning and losing.

Performance data fields for teams and players are used and combined with reports and analysis on penalties, 22 entry data and times of scoring to provide a one-page insight report on each fixture.

The goal of the Vodacom URC StatMaster Insight Pack is to help demystify the game and make it easier to explain through simplified data.

Leinster

  • Leinster were already the top try-scorers in the URC but supercharged their total by running in 12 tries against Glasgow Warriors in the final eight, taking them to 85 for the season. On Friday, they face the second-highest try-scorers, with the Bulls having racked up 70 for the campaign
  • Leo Cullen’s men boast the highest success rate of the four remaining sides when it comes to kicking at goal (81.9%)
  • Leinster have been dominant at the breakdown this season, boasting a 96.65% success rate for rucks won in the competition

Vodacom Bulls

  • The Bulls possess some of the standout individual performers of the season, with Kurt-Lee Arendse leading the way for clean breaks (23) and metres gained (991), Johan Grobbelaar topping the charts for lineouts won (169) and Marcell Coetzee out in front for offloads (37)
  • Coetzee’s offload tally contributes to a team total of 228 for the Bulls, which is also a high for the competition
  • Bulls lock Ruan Nortje was this week crowned Ironman as part of the Vodacom URC Awards, having racked up more minutes than any other player during the regular season (1,394)

Did you know?

  • Leinster have only suffered one defeat at the RDS Arena this season in any competition, beaten 20-10 by Ulster in November
  • The Bulls have lost just one of their last 10 matches in the URC – a 19-17 defeat at the Stormers in April
  • Leinster were 31-3 winners when these sides met at the Aviva Stadium on the opening weekend of the season

Photo: Getty Images

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Dylan Jack