Lions stat attack... Faletau’s pitched in most while Liam’s yards apart from rest
IT proved a Lions tour to remember, even if Warren Gatland’s side couldn’t quite return home with the series win they had been targeting.
But under the circumstances they emerged with an immense amount of credit.
MARK ORDERS runs the rule over the stats for the whole trip and establishes who fired and who misfired... MOST TRIES It is a heck of a long time, and indeed a different world, since Tony O’Reilly ran in 22 tries from 23 games on a tour with the Lions.
That was back in 1959, and 15 years later JJ Williams posted 12 touchdowns from as many matches in South Africa.
By those standards the pickings this time have been relatively slim, albeit the tourists have played far fewer games and had a brutal schedule to contend with.
Tommy Seymour finished top of the pile with three touchdowns, while there were two from Jack Nowell and the same number from Mr Pen Try. Tommy Seymour 3 Jack Nowell 2 Penalty try 2 Eleven players 1 MOST POINTS Despite the odd flicker of concern over his kicking at one point, Owen Farrell came good to deliver in the Tests.
Dan Biggar also proved a dependable marksman, while there was an extraordinary goal-kicking performance from Leigh Halfpenny, who fired over 11 shots from 11 attempts. Owen Farrell 45 Dan Biggar 35 Leigh Halfpenny 31 MOST MINUTES PLAYED Taulupe Faletau banged in six starts on the tour and featured for 80 minutes in each game.
His fellow back rower CJ Stander also figured prominently, while Alun Wyn Jones worked his passage with 379 minutes spread over seven matches. Taulupe Faletau 480 Anthony Watson 447 Elliot Daly 419 Liam Williams 414 CJ Stander 386 Jonathan Sexton 383 Alun Wyn Jones 379 FEWEST MINUTES PLAYED Poor Ross Moriarty saw his involvement restricted to just one game after picking up a back injury. He had started promisingly, but it wasn’t to be on this trip for the Welsh youngster.
Nor did Stuart Hogg have much luck, while Ken Owen started just one game and despite Rhys Webb taking the field six times, he only featured for 170 minutes. Ross Moriarty 80 Stuart Hogg 99 Ken Owens 160 Rhys Webb 170 Jared Payne 185 Jack McGrath 187 Peter O’Mahony 223 George North 223 TURNOVERS WON Take a bow, three Ireland internationals.
Rory Best and CJ Stander achieved a dozen possession steals between them, while one of the unluckiest players not to make the Test team, Iain Henderson, pilfered ball five times.
Mako Vunipola flew the flag for the props with six turnovers.
Taulupe Faletau, Justin Tipuric and Sam Warburton all achieved two apiece. Rory Best 6 CJ Stander 6 Mako Vunipola 6 Iain Henderson 5 James Haskell 3 Maro Itoje 3 Sean O’Brien 3 MOST CARRIES A ravenous appetite for carrying ball saw CJ Stander 32 more charges forward than any other 2017 Lion. Twenty-two of those runs came against the Highlanders.
Taulupe Faletau also impressed, even if he did understandably find fewer opportunites in the Tests, being restricted to 21 in his three outings against the All Blacks. CJ Stander 84 Taulupe Faletau 56 Liam Williams 49 Ben Te’o 48 Maro Itoje 45 Anthony Watson 45 Sean O’Brien 42 MOST METRES MADE A fine effort in this section from Liam Williams, who dazzled at times with his running from deep.
Fellow back-three man Anthony Watson also proved willing to counter, while Ben Te’o ran hard in midfield. Liam Williams 344 Anthony Watson 255 Ben Te’o 226 Jonathan Davies 220 Tommy Seymour 215 Jack Nowell 201 Taulupe Faletau 173 Leigh Halfpenny 170 CJ Stander 170 CLEAN BREAKS Te’o made eight of his clean breaks in the first two Saturday games of the tour, but thereafter found the going tougher.
Five defence busts came from Jonathan Davies in the series opener against New Zealand, more than any other individual had managed in the previous seven Lions Tests. Ben Te’o 9 Jonathan Davies 7 Liam Williams 7 Anthony Watson 7 Elliot Daly 6 Tommy Seymour 6 Conor Murray 5 Jack Nowell 5 DEFENDERS BEATEN The elusive Watson flickered impressively throughout his six appearance, proving a difficult customer for defenders to pin down.
Let’s hear it, too, for Taulupe Faletau, the only forward in the top six here. He used his quick footwork or his strength to beat would-be tacklers, notably Israel Dagg in the second Test when Faletau claimed a memorable try. Anthony Watson 18 Ben Te’o 14 Taulupe Faletau 14 Liam Williams 12 Elliot Daly 11 Jack Nowell 11 MOST OFFLOADS Te’o is considered a route-one man but he does strive to keep moves alive and he comfortably heads the offload section. The Welsh quartet of Alun Wyn Jones, Justin Tipuric, Liam Williams and Jonathan Davies were also keen to play a fluent game. Ben Te’o 9 Alun Wyn Jones 5