Super Rugby
Why Nic White doesn't need the box-kick
Richard Kelly
March 19, 2015
Nic White is proving to be an attacking asset for the Brumbies this season © Getty Images
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The Super Rugby season is now five weeks old and we've already seen a number of standout performances in the playmaking roles.

Aaron Cruden was seemingly back to his creative best in the Chiefs' win over the Stormers last weekend while opposite number Kurt Coleman could well be the No.10 answer the Cape Town side have been crying out for.

In Australia, young Rebels fly-half Jack Debreczeni has made a promising start to his Super Rugby career while Reds No.9 Will Genia has been a rare shining light in an otherwise disastrous Queensland season. But it's the form of Brumbies No.9 and Wallabies aspirant Nic White that has perhaps been most eye-catching; the nippy scrum-half showing that when he avoids the box-kick, he is among the most creative playmakers in the game.

Using the numbers provided by Opta Stats, we've deconstructed the first five rounds of Super Rugby to uncover the playmaking contributions of numbers 9, 10 and 12.

TeamTriesTry AssistsTries + AssistsClean BreaksKicks in PlayPassesBreak Assists / Key PassesDefenders BeatenOffloads
Blues1 16623503179
Brumbies471146441471216
Bulls4593592641234
Cheetahs22464119411311
Chiefs4591342307103028
Crusaders1123412804911
Force1235583702228
Highlanders1346412465187
Hurricanes22446236581013
Lions 112612561118
Rebels23533428081613
Reds 2249536052511
Sharks5381295214 207
Stormers12310602985248
Waratahs336114647471520

The Brumbies are flying high at the top of the Super Rugby ladder after five rounds, with coach Stephen Larkham's attacking nous evident in their four wins to date. The Brumbies are the top try-scorers in the competition while their playmakers lead the way when it comes to assisting those five-pointers, as well as chipping in with four of their own. The form of Nic White has been a huge plus; the scrum-half has had a direct involvement in more tries (6) than anybody else so far. He is still the focal point of the Brumbies' kicking but it's his contributions with ball-in-hand that have been far more valuable.

With regards to direct running and a try-scoring threat, you need not look any further than the Sharks. The likes of Patrick Lambie and Cobus Reinach have been dynamic individually, but they are struggling to create space for teammates. The Durban-based side have the unwanted tag of being the only starting 9, 10 and 12 yet to create a clean break for their colleagues. They rank equal 14th for offloads as well; the exact area they'll need to monitor against this week's opponents, the Chiefs.

It's hard to go past Dave Rennie's in-form outfit across the complete list of playmaking numbers. The two-time champions have chopped and changed their combinations so far, yet their continuity has not really suffered. Their inside backs are producing more break assists than any other side, as well as ranking second when it comes to tries and assists of their own combined. They have made the most clean breaks and are also the top offloaders in the competition.

Aaron Cruden had an awesome game against the Stormers © Getty Images
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The Stormers top the South Africa conference and they too rank well when it comes to their ball-players going at the line to engage defenders. But it's their astute kicking that is perhaps adding the greatest value, despite only hovering around the competition average for total kicks in play.

Competition strugglers, the Reds and Lions, need far more from their playmakers if they're to make any progress up the table. There is some solace for the Queenslanders in that they are at least beating some defenders, an area that should be aided by the return of Quade Cooper.

Elsewhere, there are worrying signs for perennial title contenders, the Crusaders. While they've battled injury and have been forced into a few different combinations, the direct contributions of their scrum-halves and first-receivers have not measured up to the rest numerically. It's unlikely they'll be able to compete at the top of the New Zealand conference unless things improve in the coming weeks.

© Opta Stats for ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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