Rebels No. 8 Scott Higginbotham has the whole package © Getty Images

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Article: Force tipped to make it six straight wins

Tournaments/Tours: Super Rugby

This week's clash between the Melbourne Rebels and the Western Force may not be the most significant league clash when it comes to the outcome of the Super Rugby season but it will mean a lot to the players on each side. The gap between the sides from the Victoria and Western Australia appears to be closing and both sets of players involved in this match will fancy their chances of at least breaking into the top three of the Australian conference in 2014.

Within this head-to-head battle lies a mouth-watering personal clash, which will have a lot more riding on it than competition points. The Wallabies are far from the finished article at present but one area where they are particularly blessed with strength in depth is the back row.

Among those competing for a Test jersey are Ben McCalman of the Force and the Rebels' Scott Higginbotham. Both these men have won over 20 caps for their country and are in the prime of their respective careers. With a World Cup looming in less than 18 months, both men will be eyeing up a boarding pass to England, though Higginbotham has recently found himself out in the cold when it comes to international selection.

We put these men head-to-head and compare their Super Rugby performances since the start of last year, also highlighting their 2014 form on its own.

Ben McCalman v Scott Higginbotham: the stats that matter © Opta/ESPN Scrum

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Looking at their raw data from the beginning of 2013 can provide an insight into the different attributes of these two players. Higginbotham has been able to get over the advantage line, and indeed try line, more often than the Force man. His handling game is also one of his big strengths, though his expansive game quite often brings a high number of errors compared to McCalman. A proficient lineout catcher and vigorous defender, Higginbotham perhaps possesses the whole package. The biggest criticism of Higginbotham has to be with his discipline, though, and until this is tidied up, he may continue to be overlooked at international level.

Over the course of two years, McCalman has been outperformed in most individual attacking facets of the game. However in 2014 he is showing more signs of his prowess with ball in hand, beating more defenders than Higginbotham in fewer appearances. His offloading and carrying is getting stronger as well, while he is almost impeccable in defence. McCalman may not be as destructive (winning fewer turnovers) than the Rebels player, but he is very thorough and very rarely misses a tackle.

Both players have enjoyed a long run in their respective sides and if both can maintain this run of health, paired with the improved performances of their teams in the Australian conference, then we could see both men as prominent figures on the international scene for the next couple of seasons. But with a number of players gunning for selection, one man could really elevate himself over the other with a strong performance this weekend.