The Aviva Premiership Final - Statistics

Statistics, all season long we have poured over Opta’s numbers following scintillating rounds of Aviva Premiership action and now it is time to use them prior to a game, the big game, the Aviva Premiership Final. As we are all well aware Saracens’ and Bath’s Semi-Finals were diametrically opposed in their style, one contained high tempo, fluid attacking rugby and the other housed grit and dogged determination. Indeed the only similarity between the two was that both sides had significantly less territory that their opponents; Bath with just 37% and Saracens a mere 34%. 

As we all know the start of a match is critical and from a try scoring perspective both have scored a similar scoring accounts in the opening twenty minutes, Bath with 16 and Saracens with 15, however the key difference is that Bath have conceded only 6 tries during that time period whereas Saracens have conceded 15. At the other end of the match both score their largest proportion of tries in the final 20 minutes with 29 for Bath and 24 for Saracens. 

When you put the two sides against each head to head then Saracens have the greater number of historical victories with 22 to Bath’s 12 across their 34 meetings. Most recently Saracens have won 9 of their last 10 fixtures against Bath with Bath’s sole victory being at The Rec in October of this season. From a team perspective Saracens have made the greater number of tackles this season, and have a greater lineout success rate, 87% to 85% however unsurprisingly Bath dominate their opponents when it comes to the attacking averages; average meters gained, 417 to 368, average number of defenders beaten, 21 to 14 and average clean breaks 9 to 7. Away from ball in hand a key area of interest for the Final will be the set piece, with two highly experienced front rows clashing on the pristine Twickenham surface and it may surprise you that their average scrum success rates are very even; Bath, 87% and Saracens 86%. 

If we focus on an individual basis then both Team Captains are vital when it comes to the lineout. Stuart Hooper has a played 1,386 minutes of rugby, has won the most lineouts of any Bath player with 68 and has stolen the most ball with 11 steals. Al Hargreaves has taken 63 lineouts of his own and stolen the same amount of ball, 11.  Both are the favoured option in the middle of the lineout and the battle between the two, like so many match ups, will be fascinating. 

Saracens’ defence is well known, they have let in the least tries of any side just 42, although Bath aren’t far behind with 44. For Mark McCall’s side the man that has put in more hits than any other is Jamie George with a staggering 221. He is way ahead of the pack and it is Jacques Burger who is the next Saracen on the tackle count with 148, albeit in 5 less matches than his team-mater. Bath’s biggest hitter is the powerhouse himself Leroy Houston with 163 however his contribution spans wider than just hits as he is Bath’s top carrier of the ball with 151 carries and slots just behind Semesa Rokoduguni in terms of defenders beaten with 59. 

As we all know the numbers can only tell us so much and we’ll have to wait and see how both sides handle the pressure of one final match, on the beautiful Twickenham turf with the ultimate domestic prize on the line. 

Final Stats

• George Ford has assisted more tries, 13, than any other Aviva Premiership player this domestic season.
• Bath’s back three of Watson, Rokoduguni and Banahan have made 3,018 meters between them and delivered 22 tries. 
• Billy Vunipola has made 193 carries in 15 appearances for Saracens and beat the most defenders of any Saracen in 38. 
• Saracens’ back three of Goode, Ashton and Strettle have made 2,918 meters and scored 23 tries. 
• If they run out on Saturday Jamie George and Dominic Day will be the only two men that will have featured in every single Aviva Premiership game this season.