For the Vodacom Super Rugby matches involving South African teams in round 14.
REBELS vs VODACOM BULLS (Melbourne, Friday, 11:45am)
– The Bulls have won five of their six Super Rugby meetings with the Rebels (L1), their solitary defeat in that run coming by just one point at AAMI Park in June 2015.
– The Rebels have won four of their last five home games in Super Rugby (L1), the solitary defeat in that run coming against South African opposition (Stormers).
– The Bulls have lost nine of their 10 Super Rugby games in Australia since the beginning of 2013 (W1), failing to score more than 20 points in any of those nine defeats in that spell.
– The Rebels have stolen 16 lineouts thus far in Super Rugby 2019, more than any other team and more than three times as many as the Bulls (5).
– Handre Pollard (Bulls) has kicked the most goals (51) in Super Rugby 2019, only Sunwolves’ Hayden Parker (40) is between him and Rebels’ best Quade Cooper (38).
LIONS vs HIGHLANDERS (Johannesburg, Saturday, 3:05pm)
– The winner has alternated in the last 10 Super Rugby meetings between the Lions and the Highlanders, both sides winning five games apiece during that spell; should that run continue, the Lions would be due victory in this game.
– The Highlanders have won five of their last seven Super Rugby fixtures in South Africa (L2), the same number they’d won in their previous 21 such matches (L16).
– The Lions have lost their last three Super Rugby games at home to New Zealand opposition, despite holding the lead at half-time in the last two matches of that span.
– Only the Crusaders (18) have scored more tries in the third quarter of matches than the Lions (13) and the Highlanders (12) in Super Rugby 2019.
– Matt Faddes (Highlanders) has scored three tries in his last four Super Rugby games; however, he’s not scored a try away from home in the competition since Round 12, 2017.
STORMERS vs CRUSADERS (Newlands, Saturday, 5:15pm)
– The Crusaders have won 15 of their last 17 games against the Stormers in Super Rugby (L2), including each of their last seven in a row.
– The Stormers have won just three of their last 16 Super Rugby games against sides from New Zealand (L13), although each of those three victories during that spell did come at home.
– The Crusaders have won their last five Super Rugby matches on the bounce in South Africa; only once in Super Rugby history have any overseas team enjoyed a longer winning streak in South Africa (Blues-6 wins from 2002 to 2005).
– The Crusaders (55) have scored the most tries of any team this Super Rugby season, while the Stormers (22) have scored the fewest.
– Only Duane Vermeulen (Bulls, 20) has won more turnovers in Super Rugby 2019 than the Crusaders’ Matt Todd (16).
Photo: Joe Allison / www.photosport.nz
