The surprising Springboks star who DOMINATES worldwide stat

The surprising Springboks star who DOMINATES worldwide stat

Springboks back rower Kwagga Smith during the Rugby World Cup against France and New Zealand.

Based on the statistics, Springboks back-rower Kwagga Smith is the official 2023 Breakdown King.

The 30-year-old back-rower had a tremendously successful 2023, helping the Springboks win back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles by coming off the bench.

The former star of the Sevens is well-known for his work in the breakdown, and in 2023, data supplier Opta demonstrated just how productive he was there.

greatest during the breakdown

In terms of player totals for both club and country in 2023, Opta claims that no player surpassed the Springbok star in breakdown or jackal turnovers.

For the Springboks and Shizuoka Blue Revs of Japan Rugby League One, Smith amassed a total of 27 jackals and recorded an astounding 40 turnovers.

 

To be clear, a turnover can be anything from a player ripping the ball from the carrier to removing the ball from a player’s hands during a tackle when a jackal is at the breakdown.

Smith leads the major club and international competitions in both the number of turnovers won and the number of jackals.

At 2.8 turnovers won and 1.9 jackals per 80 minutes, he also has the top average in both categories.

Smith only started two Test matches for the Springboks this year, starting seven others instead, which adds even more credit to his accomplishments.

Hitting form at the Rugby World Cup

 

The dynamic back-rower turned in some of his best performances of the year during the Rugby World Cup knockout rounds, which was vital to the Springboks’ bench strategy in 2023.

In his 30-minute cameo against France in the quarterfinal, he forced two turnovers and earned a crucial penalty that gave South Africa the advantage they would need to win the game.

A week later, in the semi-finals against England, he would win another turnover off the bench and turn in what was perhaps his best performance in the final against New Zealand.

In the final, Smith scored three turnovers against the All Blacks, including a fantastic jab at Will Jordan that helped the Springboks win their fourth Rugby World Cup.

Smith was also the tournament’s best defensive ruck operator, according to Opta. He was able to force 13 turnovers or disrupt the opposition out of the 31 defensive rucks he hit, yielding a 41 defensive ruck efficiency %.

He was able to win three more turnovers than any other player, with a total of 10.

After winning rugby’s greatest award in France, Smith added the title of Breakdown King, making it all in all another unforgettable year.

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