WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) When governing body SANZAAR sought to defend Super Rugby against critics who saw a competition in decline, it cited the tournament's record of high-scoring matches as a point in its favor.
Chief executive Andy Marinos observed that the average number of points per match in Super Rugby had increased from 45.3 in 2015 to 52 in 2016, while the number of tries per game had risen from 5.1 to 6.4 per match.
So far this season there have been more than 1,850 points scored at an average of 54 per game, and 219 tries at an average of 6.4 per match.
Tournament pace-setters the Hurricanes alone have scored 213 points in four matches at an average of more than 50, and 33 tries at a rate of 8.2 per match, accentuated by an 83-13, 13-try win over the Sunwolves and a 71-6, 11-try win over the Melbourne Rebels.
In citing such statistics, Marinos was trying to fortify his argument that Super Rugby is the world's best professional rugby competition, played with great skill and pace, and attracting more than 50 million viewers globally each weekend.
But he might inadvertently have put his finger on one of the tournament's weaknesses, rather than a strength. The main factor contributing to the increase in the number of points and tries scored per-match appears to be an increase in the number of mis-matches the tournament is producing, rather than any trend towards close but high-scoring games.
The Sunwolves have already conceded 192 points this season at 48 per game and the Rebels 154 at 51. The average score for the Hurricanes over four matches is 53-16.
Several games in this weekend's fifth round may add to that roll call of mis-matches. Last year's finalists the Lions, averaging 37 points per match this year, take on the Southern Kings, who are leaking 30 per game.
The Sunwolves take on the Stormers who, in first place in their African conference, have scored 36 points per game so far.
The opening round of the match between the Crusaders and Western Force has the potential to be a blow-out. The average score in games between the teams over 10 years is 29-19 in favor of the Crusaders, who have won six, lost two and drawn two.
But the Crusaders have named an almost test-strength forward pack, featuring seven All Blacks, and a backline which contains former Wallabies winger Digby Ioane.
''They are fresh from a bye which generally gives a team a bit of an edge and our games against the Force have traditionally been really tight,'' Crusaders coach Scott Robertson said. ''We know we will need to be on form on Friday night but we are up for the challenge.''
There are several matches likely to be close but not necessarily high-scoring. The New South Wales Waratahs, scarred by recent losses in South Africa and to the ACT Brumbies, are unlikely to over-run the Melbourne Rebels, who have been able to lick their own wounds during a fourth-round bye.
There is not a great deal to separate the Brumbies and the injury-hit Highlanders or between the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs and Durban-based Sharks.
The Auckland-based Blues have the potential to heavily beat the Pretoria-based Bulls if they can harness their considerable talent. The Blues' average winning margin over 17 matches against the Bulls has been 18 points.
