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Ladies & Gents, please forgive me for posting something from Fox Sports, I promise not to do it again (until Greg Martin gives me the shits!)
Numbers from Fox Sports Stats show this year's John Eales Medal will be most open contest in years. This week's John Eales Medal is shaping as the most open contest in the award's history, with up to 10 players seemingly in contention for Australian rugby's highest individual honour.
Statistics compiled by Fox Sports Stats illustrate why, with no single player dominating the numbers across the board for the Tests played by the Wallabies since September 2011 - including the Rugby World Cup.
The Medal is judged by the players themselves, with each Wallaby awarding points on a 3-2-1 basis after every match.
Utility back Adam Ashley-Cooper is likely to be right in the mix, if for no other reason than the sheer number of minutes he played over the past year.
With an injury toll that saw Robbie Deans field a virtual Second XV for much of The Rugby Championship, Ashley-Cooper’s reliability was a real positive for the Wallabies, and his 1316 minutes played over the past 12 months is over two hours more than the next man on that list, Digby Ioane.
Ashley-Cooper also played more Tests than anyone else, racking up 17, one ahead of props James Slipper and Ben Alexander, veteran lock Nathan Sharpe, hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau and centre Anthony Faingaa - most of whom earned many of those caps off the bench.
But Ashley-Cooper has more than just time on his side, with the New South Wales Waratahs star also topping the try-scoring list with five, and making the second-most metres.
The man he trails in that category, Ioane, was arguably Australia’s best player at the Rugby World Cup. Even though he didn’t always replicate that form this year, Ioane’s stellar 2011 season sees him well ahead of the pack in total runs (143) and running metres (1177m).
Most Minutes
1: Adam Ashley-Cooper (1316)
2: Digby Ioane (1180)
3: Nathan Sharpe (1110)
Most Tackles
1: Nathan Sharpe (148)
2: David Pocock (144)
3: Scott Higginbotham (113)
Ioane’s most impressive stat comes in the tackle busts category, having racked up a staggering 53 of those, ahead of Ashley-Cooper (28) and Berrick Barnes (27).
While Ashley-Cooper was Mr Consistent for the backs, Nathan Sharpe filled that role in the forwards, putting in plenty of inspirational performances in what we can only assume is his final season of rugby.
The current Wallabies captain made the most tackles for the Wallabies (148) and continued to be a mainstay at the set piece, winning more the double the number of lineouts than anyone else.
A John Eales Medal would be the ultimate parting gift for Sharpe, who will finally retire at the end of the Wallabies’ Spring Tour, but he’s not the only forward in contention for the gong, with backrowers David Pocock and Scott Higginbotham sure to earn a fair amount of votes for their performances over the past 12 months.Despite missing the majority of The Rugby Championship due to injury, Pocock was way ahead of any of his teammates when it came to forcing penalties (Pocock had 13, the next hightest was three) and pilfers (Pocock had eight, the next highest was one).
Pocock and Higginbotham were second and third respectively in the tackle count, with Berrick Barnes the only back to make the top six of that list.
Barnes, who played fly half, inside centre and fullback at various stages this season, managed to score four tries, set up three and make six linebreaks.
Another man that played at No.10 for the Wallabies this year, a certain Quade Cooper, didn’t endear himself to factions of the Australian rugby establishment with his recent comments about the "toxic environment" in the national squad, but even he could be in line for a surprise appearance at the awards podium.
Cooper tops the stats for offloads, try assists and linebreak assists, showing why many think he’s still Australia’s best option at fly half - although if he does win the medal it would make for one of the more awkward award presentations in recent memory.
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Originally Posted by WFDS
