OVER the last seven rounds of the Premiership, Bristol Bears posted numbers which might have been cut and pasted from Virat Kohli’s scorebook at the cricket World Cup: 101, 73, 57, 99, 40, 61, 81.
The figures show the aggregate points totals generated by the Bears in those seven fixtures, starting with routs at Ashton Gate over opponents within sight of reaching the Premiership final; Bath, dispatched 57-44 in late January, Northampton similarly so, 52-21 in the next match two months later.
The Bears’ total points, for and against over those seven games, amount to 492, an average of 70 per match. They are not alone in purveying a game as close to a point-a-minute as makes no difference.
Harlequins have averaged the same total, in their case over a longer period. Their last nine results of the season produced totals of 81, 84, 64, 73, 68, 83, 52, 76, 59 points: 640, average 70 per match.
The stats can be interpreted as support for widely contrasting points of view: evidence that the Premiership has never been more entertaining or damning proof that the try is being bashed as never before during the 201 years since the Webb-Ellis boy began trending.
Nobody has traded them more extravagantly than Quins, 91 in their nine matches since resuming serious business post-Six Nations: 40 for, 51 against which works out at a try every eight minutes. A figure of a different kind, arguably Tinseltown’s most enduringly lustrous, would have given short shrift to those scoffing at ‘basketball’ rugby.
Mae West, Hollywood’s prototype sex symbol, famously professed her belief that she could never get enough of what she liked: “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.’’
Bu hikaye The Rugby Paper dergisinin May 26, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye The Rugby Paper dergisinin May 26, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Ten-try Chiefs show Pirates no mercy
TEN-TRY Exeter inflicted the backlash from six successive defeats in their worst ever start to a Premiership season on a young Pirates side suffering their own problems in the Championship.
South America look to keep on building
AS Sebastián Piñeyrúa's historic six-year term as President of Rugby Sudamérica comes to an end, his replacement shows no signs of slowing down.
Scarratt excited by new pathway
ENGLAND centurion Emily Scarratt is delighted with the new women's BUCS programme which aims to provide a smoother pathway for young aspiring female players.
Baxter: I want to make things better
ROB Baxter will not be walking away from Exeter, the only club still looking for a Premiership victory this season, believing he can get the Chiefs back on track and he cannot bear the thought of anyone else doing the job.
Pearce walks in his father's footsteps
PADDY Pearce is living a dream after emulating his father and great-uncle by playing for the club he supported as a boy, Bristol.
New England group will cause uncertainty
SO JUST when we thought that everything was getting sorted between the RFU, the clubs and players, a number of new agreements and a new group raises its head.
Galthie turns his sights to the future
FRANCE head coach Fabien Galthie offered the clearest hint yet of Les Bleus' future on Wednesday, when he released 19 players back F to their clubs for the ninth and final Top 14 round before the international break.
Gilmore has tightened up our defence - Anderson
CAMERON Anderson has hailed the impact made by defence coach Jason Gilmore, below, since he arrived at The Stoop in the summer.
Ampthill given 11-try lesson in class from Bath
BATH secured a thumping away success in the opening match of their Premiership Rugby Cup campaign against Ampthill at Dillingham Park.
New faces take the plaudits for Saints
NORTHAMPTON handed out a thorough lesson to a tame Leicester team in this one-sided East Midlands derby to launch the Premiership Cup.