JOHANNESBURG –Three leading South African players feature among the most creative players in Super Rugby when it comes to try-assists so far this season.
Heading into round seven of Super Rugby, there are just five log points that separate the four local sides in what is proving to be a particularly competitive South African conference.
The Lions are currently top of those SA standings, with the Johannesburg-based side having tallied 25 tries from six games. With that in mind, it's no real surprise to see that Elton Jantjies is ranked second for try-assists.
The influential flyhalf has been central to the Lions' success for several years. This season, he has racked up 451 metres of game time, while contributing five try-assists, which is only second to the Rebels' Quade Cooper.
Jantjies is in fact accompanied by Will Genia of the Rebels, and the Sharks' Louis Schreuder, who have also both contributed with five try-assists. Bulls and Bok flyhalf Handre Pollard also finds himself among those top-ranked players, having contributed four try-assists to date.
Notably, two of those try-assists also came from kicks, with Pollard having been quite masterful this season when it comes to putting a chip over the defence for a teammate to chase.
In a deeper analysis, there are also some interesting figures when it comes to noting which players have made passes that have created a break. Damian McKenzie (Chiefs), Hayden Parker (Sunwolves), Kurtley Beale (Waratahs) and Ryan Crotty (Crusaders) have all delivered such passes on seven occasions.
Once again, though, kudos have to go to Jantjies, who has created breaks through six effective passes.