Stat Attack: Key match for the Lions against North Harbour this weekend

Above: Wellington Lions captain Du’Plessis in action against North Harbour in their match two years ago. So far in 2020 he is the only player to have been on the field for every minute played (405). Last year he also started every match (12) and was only substituted three times: after 74, 75 and 71 minutes respectively, meaning he has been absent from the field during last year and this one for a total of just 20 minutes.

• By Peter Marriott

The Wellington Lions meet North Harbour this Saturday at Wellington Stadium at 2.05pm in their sixth round National Provincial Championship (NPC) match.

Wellington’s record against North Harbour in the NPC competition since 1988 is played 32, won 19 (59.4%), lost 13, and drawn none.

The results of those matches are:

Wellington has beaten North Harbour in 11 of their last 13 matches against them.

Wellington has hosted North Harbour at home on the following occasions:

Of the 17 matches played in Wellington, Wellington has won 12 and North Harbour has won five.

Wellington and North Harbour met for the first time in a first-class match (non-NPC) on 13 September 1986, at Wellington. Wellington won the match 22-19. The overall record between the two sides is played 33, Wellington 20 wins, and North Harbour 13 wins.

Wellington’s record in all NPC matches is played 462 won 289 (62.6%), lost 161, and drawn 12.

Wellington’s record in all NPC matches at home is played 232, won 167 (72.0%), lost 61, and drawn four.

Wellington’s record in all NPC matches at Westpac/Sky Stadium is played 119, won 84 (70.6%), lost 34 and drawn one.

North Harbour’s record in all NPC matches is played 323, won 150 (46.4%), lost 162, and drawn 11.

Wellington has aggregated 844 points against North Harbour in all NPC matches made up of 98 tries, 67 conversions, 74 penalties and one drop goal.

North Harbour has aggregated 754 points against Wellington in all NPC matches made up of 89 tries, 66 conversions, 61 penalties, and one drop goal.

Wellington has scored four tries or better in NPC matches against North Harbour on 14 occasions including 11 times in their last 13 matches. Four tries or better have been scored on 10 occasions in Wellington.

North Harbour has scored four tries or better in NPC matches against Wellington on 12 occasions including six times in Wellington.

Wellington’s record for most tries in a match against North Harbour is seven, at Albany in 2010.

North Harbour’s record for most tries in a match against Wellington is six, at Takapuna in 1994 and Albany in 2019.

The record for most tries scored in a NPC match by a Wellington player against North Harbour is two, by Tana Umaga at Albany in 1998, by Lome Fa’atau at Wellington in 2001, by Alapati Leiua at Albany in 2010, by Charlie Ngatai at Wellington in 2013, and by Vaea Fifita at Albany in 2015.

The record for most tries scored in a NPC match by a North Harbour player against Wellington is two, by Blair Larsen and Eric Rush, both at Takapuna in 1994, by Mark D Robinson at Wellington in 2001, by Viliame Waqaseduadua at Wellington in 2005, by Nafi Tuitavake at Albany in 2008, by David Raikuna at Albany in 2011 and by Matt Duffie at Albany in 2019.

The record for most penalties in a NPC match by Wellington against North Harbour is seven, at Wellington in 2016. The record for most penalties in a NPC match by North Harbour against Wellington is six, at Takapuna in 1990.

The record for most penalties by a Wellington player in a match against North Harbour is seven, by Jackson Garden-Bachop at Wellington in 2016. The record for most penalties by a North Harbour player in a match against Wellington is six, by Warren Burton at Takapuna in 1990.

Wellington’s sole drop goal against North Harbour was kicked by Simon Mannix at Takapuna, in 1992. North Harbour’s sole drop goal against Wellington was kicked by Jamie Cameron at Takapuna, in 1990.

Wellington has scored 159 points this year made up of 23 tries, 16 conversions, four penalties, and no drop goals.

Jackson Garden-Bachop has had 29 attempts at goal so far and has successfully converted 20 of them (69.0%). Just six of his attempts have been for a penalty.

Wellington has scored 14 first-half tries and nine second-half tries.

Wellington has conceded 150 points this year made up of 18 tries, 12 conversions, 12 penalties, and no drop goals.

Wellington has conceded eight first-half tries and 10 second-half tries. One of the tries conceded by Wellington in the first quarter was scored by Nathan Vella for Bay of Plenty after just 33 seconds!

Wellington scores an average of 18.8 points in the first half and 13.0 points in the second half. Their average score per match is 31.8 points.

Wellington concedes an average of 15.6 points in the first half and 14.4 points in the second half. They concede per match an average of 30.0 points.

North Harbour has scored 144 points this year made up of 17 tries, 13 conversions, 11 penalties, and no drop goals.

North Harbour has scored nine first-half tries and eight second-half tries. They have yet to score a try in the third quarter.

North Harbour has conceded 129 points this year made up of 17 tries, 13 conversions, six penalties, and no drop goals.

North Harbour scores an average of 15.8 points in the first half and 13.0 points in the second half. Their average score per match is 28.8 points.

North Harbour concedes an average of 14.0 points in the first half and 11.8 points in the second half. They concede per match an average of 25.8 points.

When Wellington and North Harbour last met at Albany on 4 October 2019, North Harbour were the victors 42-34 after leading 32-8 at halftime.

Du’Plessis Kirifi has now captained Wellington 17 consecutive times for 10 wins, six losses and one draw.

James O’Reilly has appeared in 40 matches for Wellington but only started in seven of them. He has started the last two matches in succession and if he starts against North Harbour, it will be the first time he has started three matches in a row.

Jackson Garden-Bachop has now played in 69 matches for Wellington. If he appears against North Harbour he will become the most experienced player in this year’s squad. Dane Coles has also played 69 times for Wellington and although he has been named in the squad, he has yet to take the field this year.

Garden-Bachop can also claim to have appeared in every one of the last 55 matches played by Wellington. He has started in 51 of them and been a substitute in four but never more than one occasion in a given year. The last match he missed was against Hawke’s Bay, at Wellington, on 30 September 2015. The score: 22-22.

In all NPC matches Wellington has conceded 1120 tries: 560 int home matches, and 560 in away matches.

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Lions v Otago post-match stat attack:

ellington’s overall record in all NPC matches is played 462, won 289 (62.6%), lost 161, and drawn 12

Wellington has lost their last two matches in a row. They have not lost three in a row since actually losing their last four played in 2016.

Wellington’s loss brought an end to their sequence of three wins in a row against Otago. Wellington last won four in a row against Otago between 1985 and 1989 when there were actually five wins in succession.

Wellington’s loss also brought an end to their sequence of seven wins in a row at home.

Wellington’s record against Otago in NPC matches is now played 43, won 24 (55.8%), lost 17, and drawn two.

Wellington and Otago first met in a first-class match in Wellington on 24 July 1883. Wellington won the match 1-0. Since then they have gone on to play a total of 119 matches, Wellington has won 64 times to Otago’s 46. There have been nine draws.

In their last two matches, against Canterbury and Otago, Wellington was level or ahead in the 77th and 78th minute respectively before going on, in different circumstances, to lose both times.

Wellington’s record in all matches at home is played 232, won 167 (72.0%), lost 61, and drawn four.

Wellington brought up 1000 points in NPC matches against Otago. The total now stands at 1027.

The fourth of five tries conceded by Wellington was the 100th to be scored by Otago against Wellington in all NPC matches. Otago is the fourth team after Canterbury (150), Auckland (141) and Waikato (125).

Wellington has conceded exactly 50 tries in all home matches against Otago.

In 232 home matches Wellington has conceded 560 tries against all sides. In 230 away matches Wellington has conceded 560 tries against all sides.

For the first time in 23 home matches against Otago, Wellington has conceded more than four tries:

(five to be exact!).

Just two changes were made to Wellington’s starting XV against Otago: the fewest changes made in a match from the previous one played.

Wellington provided the eighth instance in the 35 matches played in 2020, when the team leading at halftime lost the match.

After Week 5 Wellington has had more penalties (12) kicked against it than any other side.

Wellington has scored 34 points 18 times in NPC matches, including 12 times in home matches.

Only 27 points and 30 points (19 times each) have been scored on more occasions in all their games.

Wellington has scored 34 points against Otago three times in home matches, all three instances occurring in their last five encounters in Wellington.

Wellington has lost just two of its matches when scoring 34 points. The previous occasion was against North Harbour (34-42) at Albany last year.

On the other hand Wellington has now conceded 35 points on four occasions, and lost the match each time.

Wellington has been involved in 22 matches which have been won or lost by one point. The results have been evenly split: 11 wins and 11 losses. There have been 12 occasions at Wellington and, again, they have been evenly split: six wins and six losses.

Taine Plumtree started a match for the first time, in his third appearance for Wellington.

After attempting to kick just three penalty goals in Wellington’s previous four matches, Jackson Garden-Bachop kicked three against Otago being successful with two of them. Garden-Bachop, with 44 points, is fifth on the Mitre 10 Cup points scoring table. North Harbour’s Bryn Gatland is at the top with 64 points.

Jackson Garden-Bachop brought up 550 points for Wellington, in his 69th match. He now has 560 points at an average of 8.1 points per match. With his 69 appearances for Wellington, he is the most experienced player in this year’s squad, alongside Dane Coles who although part of the team,  has not taken the field in 2020.

Wes Goosen appeared in his 53rd match but it was his 50th start. He has started in five different positions: 16 times at No 11, three times at No 12, 11 times at No 13, 13 times at No 14 and seven times at No 15.

James O’Reilly started a match for just the seventh time in his 40 appearances for Wellington. It was also only the second time he has started two matches in succession.

All four try scorers against Otago touched down for the first time this year: Trent Renata, James O’Reilly, Alex Fidow and Kemara Hauiti-Parapara.

Renata’s try, after five minutes, is now the quickest for Wellington in 2020. It beats Julian Savea’s try against Waikato, in the first match, which was scored at the six minute mark.

Captain Du’Plessis Kirifi is the only one left who has been on the field for every minute of the five matches played so far: (405 minutes).