Bulls wing Kurt-Lee Arendse against the Dragons URC

Bulls speedster Kurt-Lee Arendse against the Dragons. Photo: Gallo Images.

Dragons vs Bulls: URC stats, facts and key history

Everything you need to know ahead of Friday’s United Rugby Championship match between the Dragons and Bulls at Rodney Parade in Newport.

Bulls wing Kurt-Lee Arendse against the Dragons URC

Bulls speedster Kurt-Lee Arendse against the Dragons. Photo: Gallo Images.

Here is everything you need to know ahead of Friday’s United Rugby Championship match between the Dragons and Bulls at Rodney Parade in Newport.

WIN | A VIP Trip to the URC Grand Final, 27 May 2023

Overall United Rugby Championship head-to-head record: Played 1, Bulls won 1.

STATS AND FACTS:

– The Dragons and the Bulls have only met once, with the latter beating the Welsh region 55-20 in Pretoria.

– The Dragons’ home form has improved this season, during which they have won three of their five matches in Newport.

– The Bulls have had a reversal of fortunes in the last couple of rounds. They have lost two on the bounce, both to South African franchises, after a four-match winning streak.

– Props Chris Coleman and Aki Seiuli are the two most heavily penalised players in the league, with penalty counts of 16 and 14 respectively. The Dragons have the lowest scrum success in the league (79%) and have conceded a league-high 12 scrum penalties on their own feed.

– The Dragons have scored two tries which originated from lineout steals – more than any other team. However, they have scored the joint-fewest tries in the league (27, along with Munster, the Emirates Lions, and Zebre Parma).

– Looking for alternative methods to keep the scoreboard ticking, the Dragons have scored the most penalties in the URC (27). Their goal-kicking success rate is 81%.

– Wing Canan Moodie is the first player this season – and only the second player since the inception of the URC – to concede both a yellow and red card in a match. He also conceded three penalties.

– Linking the forwards and backs with his ball-handling, Ruan Nortje has made more passes than any other forward in the URC (46) – seven of these have been offloads. Marcell Coetzee has also made the most try assists for a forward (three).

– Aggressive in the scrum, the Bulls have won more penalties from opposition scrums than any other team (nine). Their opposition has averaged just an 86% success rate at the scrum, lower than any team bar the Sharks.

ALSO READ: Bulls boss Jake White suffers health scare

HISTORIC OVERVIEW: DRAGONS VS BULLS

Still a young rivalry, the Dragons and the Bulls have met just once before, with the South African franchise earning a comfortable 55-20 victory.

However, the Dragons’ home form has improved this season compared to last: they have won three of their five matches in Newport so far. On the other hand, the Bulls have had a slight reversal of fortunes in the last couple of rounds, having lost two on the bounce after stringing together a four-match winning streak.

So far this season, the Dragons have perhaps lacked flair but shown good pragmatism. They have scored the joint-fewest tries in the league – just 27 – but have slotted the most penalty goals (27), looking to keep the scoreboard ticking over.

ALSO READ: Bulls reshuffle backline as Simelane takes centre stage

They have also been opportunistic when such moments have arrived, scoring a league-high two tries from lineout steals. However, a major area of concern for the Newport-based side is the scrum.

Their scrum success on their own ball is just 79% and they have conceded more scrum penalties than any other team (12). Indicative of their weakness at set-piece and ill-diiscipline, props Chris Colemand and Aki Seiuli are the most heavily penalised players in the league, having conceded 16 and 14 respectively.

Last weekend, the Bulls also had their issues with discipline. Wing Canan Moodie is the first player this season – and only the second since the inception of the URC – to conceded both a yellow and red card in a match; he also conceded three penalties.

ALSO READ: URC preview (round 12) — Several teams under acute pressure

However, their fortunes at the scrum have been drastically difference. The Bulls have won more penalties on the opposition feed than any other team, benefitting from the referee’s whistle nine times so far. Their opposition have also averaged just an 86% success rate on their own feed – the second-lowest opposition scrum success rate.

Skilful as well as powerful, the Bulls pack also boasts a number of distributors. Ruan Nortje has made more passes than any other forward in the URC (46) – seven of which have been offloads – and Marcell Coetzee has made the most try assists for a forward (three).

Dragons vs Bulls in Pretoria Photo
The Dragons in action against the Bulls in Pretoria. Photo: Gallo Images.