OptaJonny

1 - The official X page for Stats Perform's rugby coverage, brought to you by OptaJonny. Illuminating.

[OptaJonny @OptaJonny]

11 - 11 clubs are represented in our European Club Rugby Team of the Week.

The top three ranking players according to the Opta Index were:

🥇Jiuta Wainiqolo | Lyon
🥈Jac Morgan | @gloucesterrugby
🥉Matt Romao | @SharksRugby

Picks.

[OptaJonny @OptaJonny]

5 - The top 5 for catch % from contested kicks in European club rugby since the start of 2025/26 (min. 50 attempts) contains the France starting back three for #FRAvRSA:

44% - Steward
42% - Niniashvili
40% - Grandidier-Nkanang
36% - Attissogbe
35% - Bielle-Biarrey

Defused?

[OptaJonny @OptaJonny]

1 - South Africa's box kicking game in this year's Nations Championship:

🥇 Box Kicks - 50
🥇 % Box Kicks Contested - 56%
🥇 % Box Kicks Retained - 32%

Bombardment.

[OptaJonny @OptaJonny]

1 - South Africa's box kicking game in this year's Nations Championship:

🥇 Box Kicks - 50
🥇 % Box Kicks Contested - 56%
🥇 % Box Kicks Retained - 32%

Bombardment.

[OptaJonny @OptaJonny]

1 - This will be the 1st time Antoine Dupont has started at fly half for @FranceRugby.

He has started 8️⃣ games there at club level, last doing so in March 2024 (v Pau in T14).

He also started at 10 for France U20s during the Junior World Championship in 2016 (v Japan).

Shift.

[France Rugby @FranceRugby]

🇫🇷🇿🇦 La compo du #XVdeFrance pour défier les Sud-Africains ce vendredi à 21h10 !

🎟️ Nos Bleus auront besoin de vous ➡️ https://t.co/JIF283Gw0r

[OptaJason @OptaJason]

6.3 - Casey McLean has made or assisted a line break every 6.3 receipts at the men's #RLWC2026, the most frequently of any player (min. 30 receipts).

6.3 - Casey McLean 🇳🇿
6.4 - Sualauvi Fa'alogo 🇼🇸
8.0 - Robert Toia 🇹🇴
8.8 - Kotoni Staggs 🇦🇺
8.9 - Jacob Preston 🇦🇺

Weapon.

[OptaJason @OptaJason]

2 - Filipo Daugunu (@wallabies) made 3 line breaks, 3 tackle breaks & 2 offloads yesterday - the 2nd #Wallabies player on Opta record (2010 onwards) to make 2+ in each category in a Test after coming off the bench.

Kurtley Beale - 2 LB, 4 TB, 3 O v SA (20 July 2019).

Positive.

[OptaJonny @OptaJonny]

22 - Henry Pollock has averaged a try every 22 minutes in this year’s Nations Championship (5 in 111 minutes), the best rate of any player (min. 40 minutes).

Overall, only Will Jordan (6) has scored more tries than him in the tournament.

Winger.

[OptaJonny @OptaJonny]

14 - Louis Rees-Zammit beat 14 defenders v Japan, the most by any player in the Nations Championship at the weekend and the most ever by a Wales player on record:

🥇 Louis Rees-Zammit, 14 v 🇯🇵 in 2026
🥈 Liam Williams, 11 v 🇫🇯 in 2014
🥈 Blair Murray, 11 v ☘️ in 2025

Sidestep.

[OptaJonny @OptaJonny]

1 - Caleb Navale (Fiji) was the only player to make 50+ runs (52) & 100+ tackles (109) during the group stage of the men's #RLWC26.

Warrior.

[OptaJonny @OptaJonny]

2 - The two players that have recorded the most post-contact metres at the women's #RLWC26 both play for Samoa:

Monica Tagoai - 191 🇼🇸
Annetta Nuuausala - 181 🇼🇸
Isabelle Kelly - 173 🇦🇺
Isabella Waterman - 171 🇫🇯
Elsie Albert - 166 🇵🇬

Enforcers.

[OptaJonny @OptaJonny]

7 - Seven players have made 50+ tackles in the Nations Championship this year, with Ross Vintcent making the most overall.

68 - Ross Vintcent 🇮🇹
60 - Jac Morgan 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
59 - Alex Coles 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
54 - Ben Gunter 🇯🇵
54 - Julian Montoya 🇦🇷
53 - Marko Gazzotti 🇫🇷
51 - Michele Lamaro 🇮🇹

Chief.

[OptaJonny @OptaJonny]

100% - Of players to make 10+ carries in the Nations Championship this year, Hugo Keenan is the only one to have crossed the gainline on every carry (18/18).

100% - Hugo Keenan
92% - Aphelele Fassi
92% - Luke Cowan-Dickie
91% - Fabien Brau-Boirie
88% - Caleb Clarke

Boss.

[OptaJonny @OptaJonny]

7 - @AllBlacks' Josh Moorby has made seven line breaks in the Nations Championship so far this year, the most of any player.

He has done so despite playing just 129 minutes.

Hurricane.

[OptaJonny @OptaJonny]

184 - @RLSamoa have made the most tackles breaks at the 2026 @rugbyleaguewcup (184) and boast 3 of the 6 players with 20+ breaks:

27 - Spencer Leniu 🇼🇸
25 - Herbie Farnworth 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
24 - Dudley Dotoi 🇵🇬
23 - Jermaine McEwen 🇼🇸
21 - Francis Manuleleua 🇼🇸
21 - Casey McLean 🇳🇿

Toa.

[OptaJonny @OptaJonny]

6 - The six players to have averaged a turnover won every 60 minutes or better across the major European club competitions in 2026/27 (min.400 minutes)

37- Tom Willis
38- Freddy Douglas
53 - Josh MacLeod
57 - Alivereti Loaloa
57 - Luka Ivanishvili
59 - Max Hicks

Bandits.

[OptaJonny @OptaJonny]

100% - The players with the highest place-kicking success rates among those with >10 attempts in European club rugby this season:

100% - Handre Pollard (16/16)
96% - Joe Simmonds (27/28)
95% - Joris Segonds (21/22)
93% - Theo Vidal (13/14)
88% - Antoine Gibert (15/17)

Vintage.

[OptaJonny @OptaJonny]

2.17 - Among players to have played 400+ minutes across the major European club competitions this season, George Ford is the only one averaging 2+ break assists per 80:

2.17 - George Ford
1.83 - Finn Russell
1.69 - Romain Ntamack
1.57 - Maxime Lucu
1.56 - Billy Searle

Focus.

[OptaJason @OptaJason]

2 - Tom Wright (@wallabies) has scored one try in each of his last two Tests against England and is on a two-match try streak in Tests overall.

Agent.

[OptaJonny @OptaJonny]

123 - @avironrugbypro's Manu Tuilagi gained 123 metres from his 13 carries against Union Bordeaux-Begles.

It was the most of any @top14rugby player at the weekend, and the most by an inside centre this season.

Evergreen.

[OptaJonny @OptaJonny]

12 - 12 sides are represented in our European Club Rugby Team of the Week.

The top three ranking players according to the Opta Index were:

🥇 Gabin Lorre | Lyon
🥈 Melvyn Rates | @MHR_officiel
🥉 Max Hicks | @NCL_RedBulls

Selection.

[OptaJonny @OptaJonny]

77 - Bethan Dainton (@WalesRugbyL) made 77 tackles throughout the first two rounds of the women's #RLWC26, at least 23 more than any other player.

77 - Bethan Dainton 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿
54 - Perrine Monsarrat 🇫🇷
51 - Talei Holmes 🇫🇯
51 - Leila Bessahli 🇫🇷
49 - Hollie-Mae Dodd 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Turbine.