As we head into the final week of the season and a monumentally important play off decider against Blackheath we take a look at last weekend’s fixture against Richmond. Here we will delve into stats and where the game was truly won and lost in this week’s Stat Bunker brought to you by Cairnhill.
Richmond ultimately ran out comfortable winners on Saturday afternoon and the top line stats demonstrate why. The home side had 8% more possession than the Exiles and 10% more territory. Giving Richmond the opportunity to build pressure and points.
Both sides carried a similar amount of times with Scottish passing the ball a little more frequently but Richmond were much more proficient at getting across the gainline. This led the more metres made despite similar tackle percentages.
Both sides’ line outs faltered on the weekend, perhaps a symptom of having only played each other a fortnight ago and strong preparation from the back room teams. Richmond won 80% of their ball whilst Scottish just 75%.
At the scrum both sides were able to win everything on their own ball giving both sides a platform. However, Richmond were able to milk two scrum penalties whilst Scottish gained none, giving them a slight advantage.
Scottish’s discipline let them down at the weekend, giving away 15 penalties to Richmond’s 7. A huge differential that gave the home side territory and possession at key moments.
Outside of this, it was a tale of physicality and being able to get on the front foot that won Richmond the day. Throughout the eighty minutes Richmond made 132 post contact metres whilst Scottish made just 57.
Additionally, the home side beat 35 defenders compared to Scottish’s 24 meaning that the Exiles were always on the back foot.
A big step up is needed on Saturday as Scottish require a physical but accurate performance. One with strong discipline but also with that hard edge.
