Highlanders (1/9) – Western Force (21/4)

13 May 2022

• The Highlanders have won their last four Super Rugby matches on the bounce against the Western Force by an average margin of 23 points per game in that span; they had won only two of all their eight meetings prior in the competition (L6).
• The Highlanders defeated the Western Force 32-20 in their most recent meeting against them at home in Super Rugby (1 April 2016), snapping a four-match losing run against them in such fixtures; they will be aiming for back-to-back home wins against the Force for the first time in the history of the competition.
• The Western Force have lost their last 23 Super Rugby matches against New Zealand opposition, their longest losing run in such fixtures; their last victory against a New Zealand team was in March 2014 (18-15 v Chiefs).
• The Highlanders have won their last two Super Rugby matches, after winning only one of their 10 games prior (L9); the last time they enjoyed a longer winning run in the competition was a five-match span from May to June in 2021.
• The Western Force have won only two of their last 18 Super Rugby matches outside Australia (L16); although, their last win in the competition in New Zealand was against the Highlanders (31-29, Rd 5 2014).
• The Western Force have made 119 carries per game in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, the second most by any team in the competition (Chiefs – 126) and 10 per game more than the Crusaders (109).
• The Highlanders have made 25 kicks in play per game this Super Rugby Pacific season, the most by any team in the competition and six per game more than the Western Force (19).
• The Western Force have won 95 rucks per game in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, the most of any team in the competition and 10 per game more than the Highlanders (85).
• Marty Banks (Highlanders) has a 92% success rate on place kicks (11/12) in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, the best of any player in the campaign (min. 5 attempts).
• Manasa Mataele (Western Force) has gained 845 metres in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, the second most by any player in the competition (Will Jordan – 935) and 477 more than the Highlanders’ best Mitchell Hunt (368).

Brumbies (7/5) – Crusaders (11/20)

13 May 2022

• The Crusaders have won their last 10 Super Rugby matches on the bounce against the Brumbies, the longest winning run by either team in the history of this fixture; the Brumbies’ last win against the Crusaders was in February 2009 (18-16).
• The Crusaders have won their last four Super Rugby matches against the Brumbies in Australia, more than they won in all their nine such meetings prior in the competition (W3, L6).
• The Brumbies have won their last three Super Rugby matches in succession against New Zealand opposition; the last time they enjoyed a longer winning run in such fixtures was a six-match span from April 2004 to February 2005.
• The Crusaders have won 15 of their last 17 Super Rugby matches in Australia (L2); each of their two defeats in that span have come against the NSW Waratahs.
• The Brumbies have won their last five Super Rugby matches on the bounce at GIO Stadium by an average winning margin of 15 points per game in that span.
• The Brumbies have made dominant contact on 17 carries per game in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, the fewest of any team and seven per game fewer than the Crusaders (24).
• The Crusaders have made 148 tackles per game in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, the most of any team in the campaign; the Brumbies (142 per game) are ranked third in this category (Blues – 146).
• The Brumbies (36) and Crusaders (36) have retained possession on more kicks in play than any other teams in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season.
• Will Jordan (Crusaders) has made 45 tackle breaks in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, the most by any player in the competition and 22 more than the Brumbies’ best Tom Banks (23).
• Rob Valetini (Brumbies) has made dominant contact on eight tackles in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, more than any other player in the competition and three more than any Crusaders player.

Fijian Drua (4/6) – Moana Pasifika (6/5)

14 May 2022

• This will be the first Super Rugby match between the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika; it will be the fourth Super Rugby game to not feature a team from either Australia, New Zealand or South Africa (Jaguares v Sunwolves x3).
• The Fijian Drua have won only one of their nine Super Rugby matches in Australia (L8), a 31-26 victory against the Melbourne Rebels (4 March 2022); this will be Moana Pasifika’s second Super Rugby game in Australia (lost 26-22 v Melbourne Rebels – 30 April 2022).
• Each of Moana Pasifika’s last two Super Rugby matches have been decided by a margin no greater than six points on the day (L2); only one of all their eight games in the competition prior was decided by a single figure margin (won 24-19 v Hurricanes – 25 March 2022).
• The Fijian Drua have lost their last eight Super Rugby matches in succession, including a 67-5 loss to the Hurricanes last time out – their biggest defeat in the history of the competition and the first time they’d conceded 50+ points in a game.
• The Fijian Drua (9) and Moana Pasifika (10) have won the fewest lineouts per game (inc. steals) of any teams in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season.
• Only the Chiefs (10) have made more offloads per game than the Fijian Drua (9) and Moana Pasifika (9) in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season.
• The Fijian Drua have conceded 17 turnovers per game this Super Rugby Pacific season, the most of any team in the campaign and four per game more than Moana Pasifika (13).
• The Fijian Drua (8) and Moana Pasifika (8) have made fewer attacking 22m entries per game than any other teams in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season.
• William Havili (Moana Pasifika) has gained 250 metres from kick returns in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, the second most by any player in the competition (Will Jordan – 473 for Crusaders).
• Apisalome Vota (Fijian Drua) has made seven tackles resulting in a turnover won this Super Rugby Pacific season, the most by any player in the competition and three more than any Brumbies player.

Blues (1/9) – Queensland Reds (23/4)

14 May 2022

• The Blues have lost only one of their last six Super Rugby matches against the Queensland Reds (W4, D1), a 29-28 loss in June 2019; they had won only one of their six meetings prior to that span (L5).
• The Blues have won 15 of their last 16 Super Rugby home matches against Australian opposition (L1), including their last six in succession; their only defeat in that span was a 20-10 loss to the Melbourne Rebels (2 June 2018).
• The Queensland Reds have lost their last three Super Rugby matches in succession; the last time they went on a longer losing run in the competition was a four-match span from June 2019 to February 2020.
• The Blues have won 17 of their last 18 Super Rugby matches (L1), including their last 10 on the bounce; they have conceded 19 points per game across that span.
• The Blues have made six-line breaks per game this Super Rugby Pacific season, the second most by any team in the campaign and two per game more than the Queensland Reds (4).
• The Blues (66%) and Queensland Reds (60%) have crossed the gainline on a higher percentage of their total carries than any other teams in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season.
• The Queensland Reds have made 162 kicks in play collected by the opposition in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, the joint-most by any team (also Crusaders – 162) and 30 more than the Blues (132).
• The Blues have made 14 offloads resulting in a break in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, the most by any team in the competition and five more than the Queensland Reds (9).
• Harry Wilson (Queensland Reds) has crossed the gainline on 95 carries in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, 16 more than any other player in the competition and 38 more than the Blues’ best Mark Telea (57).
• Only the Crusaders’ Bryn Hall (7) has provided more try assists this Super Rugby Pacific season than the Blues’ Stephen Perofeta (6); the Queensland Reds’ James O’Connor (5) has made the most of any Australian player in the campaign.

NSW Waratahs (7/4) – Hurricanes (11/25)

14 May 2022

• The Hurricanes have won their last four Super Rugby matches in succession against the NSW Waratahs, more than they won across their eight meetings prior in the competition (W2, L6).
• The Hurricanes have won their last three Super Rugby matches in Australia against the NSW Waratahs, as many as they won in all their 10 such fixtures prior in the competition (W3, L7).
• The NSW Waratahs have won four of their last five Super Rugby matches (L1), including each of their last two; they will be aiming for a third consecutive win in the competition for the first time since July 2018.
• The Hurricanes will be looking to avoid back-to-back defeats in Super Rugby against Australian opposition for the first time since March 2014, following their 42-25 loss to the Brumbies in their most recent such fixture (1 May 2022).
• The NSW Waratahs won their most recent Super Rugby match against a New Zealand team (24-21 v Crusaders – 30 April 2022), snapping an 11-match losing run in such fixtures; they will be aiming for back-to-back wins against such opposition for the first time since May 2015.
• The NSW Waratahs have gained 46 metres per game from kick returns this Super Rugby Pacific season, the fewest of any team in the competition and 19 per game fewer than the Hurricanes (65).
• The Hurricanes have gained 505 metres per game in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, the most of any team in the competition and 132 per game more than the NSW Waratahs (373).
• The Hurricanes have made 25 tackle breaks per game in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, the most by any team in the competition and six per game more than the NSW Waratahs (19).
• Jed Holloway (NSW Waratahs) has won 57 lineouts (inc. 5 steals) in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, the joint-most by any player in the competition (also Matt Philip – 57 for Melbourne Rebels) and 36 more than the Hurricanes’ best James Blackwell (21).
• Jordie Barrett (Hurricanes) has made four offloads resulting in a break in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, the joint-most by any player in the competition (also Rieko Ioane – 4 for Blues).

Melbourne Rebels (21/4) – Chiefs (1/8)

15 May 2022

• The Chiefs have won seven of their eight Super Rugby matches against the Melbourne Rebels (L1), including their last four in succession; their 88% win rate against them is their best against any team in the history of the competition (min. 3 games played).
• The Melbourne Rebels have won only one of their last 11 Super Rugby matches at AAMI Park against New Zealand teams (L10), a 24-19 win against the Highlanders (1 March 2019).
• The Chiefs have won seven of their last eight Super Rugby matches outside New Zealand (L1), including their last four in succession; their only defeat in that span was a 40-34 loss to the Queensland Reds (Round 3, 2021 Super Rugby Trans-Tasman).
• The Melbourne Rebels will be aiming for back-to-back Super Rugby wins in Victoria for the first time since March 2021, following their 26-22 victory against Moana Pasifika in their most recent game in their home state (30 April 2022).
• The Chiefs have crossed the gainline on 74 carries per game in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, the most of any team in the competition; the Melbourne Rebels (49 per game) are ranked last in this category.
• The Chiefs have conceded nine penalties per game this Super Rugby Pacific season, fewer than any other team in the competition; the Melbourne Rebels (11 per game) have conceded the fewest of any Australian team in this category.
• The Melbourne Rebels have made dominant contact on 28% of their total carries in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, the best rate of any team in the campaign and four percentage points more than the Chiefs (24%).
• The Chiefs (151) and the Melbourne Rebels (147) have won the most and joint-second most lineouts (inc. steals) of any teams this Super Rugby Pacific season (also Brumbies – 147).
• Matt Philip (Melbourne Rebels) has made dominant contact on 37 carries in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, the most by any player in the campaign; the Chiefs’ best Quinn Tupaea (36) is ranked joint-second in this category (also Harry Wilson – 36).
• Bryn Gatland (Chiefs) has made 69 kicks in play in the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season, the most by any player in the campaign and 20 more than the Melbourne Rebels’ best Reece Hodge (49).