The Welshmen figuring in the latest league stat attack

WHICH Welshmen has made more breaks than anyone else in the Guinness PRO12 this season and which one has secured the joint-highest number of turnovers?

Which unsung regional player has put in the second-most tackles in the competition and which much-discussed Welsh international figures in the top five in three different attacking categories?

These and other questions are answered by the fascinating player stats after the first 18 rounds of championship action.

Opta’s performance statistics reveal who have been the most influential players up to now, as the competition enters the finishing straight.

There are some expected names at the top of the pile and some surprise ones as well, while certain teams are well represented despite being down in the second half of the league table.

Just the one Welshman stands out on his own at the top of a category and that’s Cardiff Blues winger Tom James.

He has made the most breaks (22) in the competition, which is all the more creditable given he has only started 12 of the 18 matches, amid injury problems.

James, who has dropped out of the Wales reckoning again this season, is also in the top 10 for metres made, while he’s beaten 29 defenders and scored seven tries.

Another man who has been overlooked by the national selectors is James Davies and he too is hitting the heights in the Pro12 stat attack.

The Scarlets openside is joint top of the turnovers tally, having won 23 of them – as has highly-rated young Leinster flanker Dan Leavy – while “Cubby Boi” is also fourth on the tackle count with 196 hits.

One player who always seems to divide opinion is Welsh international Matthew Morgan, with his running and his defence earning plaudits and flak respectively. But in these attackfocused stats, the Cardiff Blues fullback shows up well.

He is second highest in both metres made (1289) and defenders beaten (45), while also near the top in terms of breaks.

Someone who doesn’t tend to grab the headlines is Dragons skipper Lewis Evans, but in what has been another difficult season for his region he has maintained his standards and that is illustrated by him being second only to Ulster’s Sean Reidy for tackles made, having put in no fewer than 205.

The Ospreys’ Dan Evans regularly gets a name-check in these kind of articles and Mr Consistent is up there again, figuring in the top five for carries, metres made and breaks.

One man you might not expect to see feature is Willis Halaholo, as it doesn’t feel as though he has really set the world alight since joining the Blues following his Super Rugbywinning exploits with the Hurricanes.

But he’s actually joint second, along with team-mate Morgan, for defenders beaten with 45 and the Kiwi centre certainly does like a step.

Looking at the stats overall, one player in particular stands out and it’s perhaps not that surprising given his pedigree.

All Blacks winger Charles Piutau arrived at Ulster amid much expectancy and he hasn’t disappointed, beating the most defenders, making the most offloads and also figuring prominently in terms of carries, metres made and breaks. He is some player.

But great credit is also due to Connacht full-back Tiernan O’Halloran who has made the most carries and the most metres in the Championship.

In fact, he has run for a remarkable 1,705 metres so far, some 416 more than the next best, Morgan, while making 36 more carries than his nearest rival.

Now that is some effort by the man from County Galway.