Chiefs’ utility back Damian McKenzie has been a revelation this season earning top spot in three categories scoring the most points, tries and boasting with the most running metres.

Emirates Lions pivot Elton Jantjies has scored the second most points so far this season behind McKenzie with 120 with the South African scoring 11 less on 109.

Scoring seven tries, McKenzie is one try ahead of Toyota Cheetahs flyer Sergeal Petersen and Joseph Tomane of the Brumbies in joint second place.

McKenzie ran 621 metres which resulted in 105 carries, five try assists and seven tries adding to his tally of points.

The Reds’ Samu Kerevi leads the Carries category with 107, Cheetahs captain Francois Venter is the only South African player that gets close to the top five with 84.

Petersen shares second place in Clean Breaks with the Reds’ Eto Nabuli with 15 each while Tomane leads the way with 22.

A crowded top-five in the Clean Breaks category also includes the DHL Stormers’ Leolin Zas, Lions wing Ruan Combrinck with 15 apiece, and Lionel Mapoe (Lions) with 12.

Combrinck’s stats shows the impact he has made for the Lions this season with the fifth most running metres of 566m.

Aaron Cruden of the Chiefs was responsible for nine try assists while the Lions halfback paring of Jantjies and Faf de Klerk form a potent combination in this category.

Jantjies shares second place with Aaron Smith of the Highlanders with seven apiece, while De Klerk and Stormers fullback Cheslin Kolbe are in good company in fourth place with five each.

Brumbies loosie David Pocock demonstrates he has not lost his ability to steal opposition ball winning 19 turnovers to top the category.

Southern Kings flanker CJ Velleman is one turnover behind the talismanic Aussie while his Eastern Cape team-mate Chris Cloete shares third spot with Blake Gibson (Blues), Matt Hodgson (Force), and Adam Thomson (Rebels) with 11.

Cell C Sharks flanker Marcell Coetzee and Cheetahs loose forward Paul Schoeman feature in fourth place along with Ardie Savea of the Hurricanes with 10 each while Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks) and Nizaam Carr (Stormers) are in fifth place with one turnover less.

Esterhuizen has also been defensively astute so far this season making 85 tackles which ranks fifth to Matt Hodgson’s (Force) category-leading 109 tackles.

Lineouts are South African teams’ forte with Stormers locks Eben Etzebeth and Pieter-Steph du Toit dominating the lineouts stolen category along with five more countryman.

Etzebeth stole nine lineouts with Du Toit taking four less in third place while the Bulls’ Grant Hattingh (four), De Jager, Hyron Andrews (Sharks), Uys and Warren Whiteley following in fifth place with three each.

All Out Rugby stats review – Halfway wrap

Points:
1. Damian McKenzie (Chiefs) – 120
2. Elton Jantjies (Lions) – 109
3. Beauden Barrett (Hurricanes) – 100
4. Ihaia West (Blues) – 92
5. Richie Mo’unga (Crusaders) – 90

Tries:
1. Damian McKenzie (Chiefs) – 7
2. Sergeal Petersen (Cheetahs) – 6
Joseph Tomane (Brumbies) – 6
3. Charlie Ngatai (Chiefs) – 5
James Lowe (Chiefs) – 5
Israel Folau (Waratahs) – 5
Beauden Barrett (Hurricanes) – 5
Akihito Yamada (Sunwolves) – 5
TJ Perenara (Hurricanes) – 5

Carries:
1. Samu Kerevi (Reds) – 107
2. Damian McKenzie (Chiefs) – 105
3. Dane Haylett-Petty (Force) – 96
4. Hendrik Tui (Reds) – 93
5. Israel Folau (Waratahs) – 89
6. Luke Jones (Rebels) – 87
7. Francois Venter (Cheetahs) – 84

Clean Breaks:

1. Joseph Tomane (Brumbies) – 22
2. Sergeal Petersen (Cheetahs) – 15
Eto Nabuli (Reds) – 15
Nemani Nadolo (Crusaders) – 15
3. Charlie Ngatai (Chiefs) – 14
Leolin Zas (Stormers) – 14
Ruan Combrinck (Lions) – 14
Seta Tamanivalu (Chiefs) – 14
Johnny McNicholl (Crusaders) – 14
4. Samu Kerevi (Reds) – 13
Aaron Cruden (Chiefs) – 13
5. Lionel Mapoe (Lions) – 12
James Lowe (Chiefs) – 12
Akihito Yamada (Sunwolves) – 12

Metres Run:

1. Damian McKenzie (Chiefs) – 621
2. James Lowe (Chiefs) – 594
3. Israel Folau (Waratahs) – 578
4. Samu Kerevi (Reds) – 569
5. Ruan Combrinck (Lions) – 566

Try Assists:

1. Aaron Cruden (Chiefs) – 9
2. Aaron Smith (Highlanders) – 7
Elton Jantjies (Lions) – 7
3. Nemani Nadolo (Crusaders) – 6
4. Cheslin Kolbe (Stormers) – 5
Harumichi Tatekawa (Sunwolves) – 5
Damian McKenzie (Chiefs) – 5
Faf de Klerk (Lions) – 5

Turnovers Won:

1. David Pocock (Brumbies) – 19
2. CJ Velleman (Kings) – 18
3. Blake Gibson (Blues) – 11
Chris Cloete (Kings) – 11
Adam Thomson (Rebels) – 11
Matt Hodgson (Force) – 11
4. Paul Schoeman (Cheetahs) – 10
Ardie Savea (Hurricanes) – 10
Marcell Coetzee (Sharks) – 10
Ed Quirk (Sunwolves) – 10
5. Andrew Durutalo (Sunwolves) – 9
Nizaam Carr (Stormers) – 9
Santiago Gonzalez Iglesias (Jaguares) – 9
Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks) – 9

Tackles:

1. Matt Hodgson (Force) – 109
2. Sam Cane (Chiefs) – 92
3. Ardie Savea (Hurricanes) – 88
Shane Christie (Highlanders) – 88
4. Michael Hooper (Waratahs) – 86
5. Andre Esterhuizen (Sharks) – 85

Lineouts Stolen:

1. Eben Etzebeth (Stormers) – 9
2. Elliot Dixon (Highlanders) – 7
3. Pieter-Steph du Toit (Stormers) – 5
Hendrik Tui (Reds) – 5
4. Scott Barrett (Crusaders) – 4
Grant Hattingh (Bulls) – 4
5. Lood de Jager (Cheetahs) – 3
Hyron Andrews (Sharks) – 3
Vaea Fifita (Hurricanes) – 3
Francois Uys (Cheetahs) – 3
Warren Whiteley (Lions) – 3

Lineouts won on own throw:

1. Francois Uys (Cheetahs) – 46
2. Rob Simmons (Reds) – 37
Guido Petti Pagadizaval (Jaguares) – 37
3. Adam Coleman (Force) – 36
4. RG Snyman (Bulls) – 35
5. Pieter-Steph du Toit (Stormers) – 34.

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