The HtA stats are equally bogus.
You can assess the ruck taps very very easily, like counting cards, and ignoring what happen next;
Tap Win = +1
Tap Loss = -1
Nil = 0 (The most frequent event)
Do this and you find ruck tap work is highly over-rated.
If you want to include what happens next you stumble into a quandary, because often the Tap Loss becomes a Clearance Win and a Tap Win becomes a Clearance Loss. This is fundamentally why the HtA is bogus.
On the flipside, the Tap to Clearance Win conversion rate is often heavily dependant on the follow up actions of the ruck after a tap, whether the tap was a win or loss.
The real skill of ruck work isn't simply to win or lose a tap, it's controlling the zone the ball falls in regardless of whether you win or lose. That's why the dance around the ruck zone exists, whether they jump with left or right leg leading, which side of the opponent's body they contact. All these things affect where the ball can go, or sometimes more importantly, where the ball won't go.
You can assess the ruck taps very very easily, like counting cards, and ignoring what happen next;
Tap Win = +1
Tap Loss = -1
Nil = 0 (The most frequent event)
Do this and you find ruck tap work is highly over-rated.
If you want to include what happens next you stumble into a quandary, because often the Tap Loss becomes a Clearance Win and a Tap Win becomes a Clearance Loss. This is fundamentally why the HtA is bogus.
On the flipside, the Tap to Clearance Win conversion rate is often heavily dependant on the follow up actions of the ruck after a tap, whether the tap was a win or loss.
The real skill of ruck work isn't simply to win or lose a tap, it's controlling the zone the ball falls in regardless of whether you win or lose. That's why the dance around the ruck zone exists, whether they jump with left or right leg leading, which side of the opponent's body they contact. All these things affect where the ball can go, or sometimes more importantly, where the ball won't go.
"Ruck, ruck, ruck, ruck ....... Ruck, ruck, ruck, ruck"