Bulls and Stormers have great URC statistics but can they make it count in the quarter-finals?

American author Mark Twain famously liked to quote former British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli on the limitations of using numbers to forecast the future: “There are lies, damned lies, and statistics.”

Leinster fans won’t be holding their breath — they’ve been let down by statistics before.

Still, a look at the data following the final league round of the URC illustrates why the Bulls are South Africa’s best bet for the title; why the Stormers should not be dismissed simply because they travel to Glasgow for their quarter-final; and why the Sharks may be living on borrowed time.

The Bulls, riding a six-match winning

streak in the URC, have racked up a remarkable 70 tries while conceding 44 — by far the best tries-for/tries-against ratio among the South African sides. Across the entire 16-team tournament, only Glasgow and Leinster boast a better ratio.

One stat that should concern Sean Everitt’s Edinburgh is that, over their last three matches at Loftus Versfeld, the Bulls have averaged eight tries per game — with their backs cashing in on the dominance of their forward pack. To be fair to Wilco Louw and company, the forwards often finish the job themselves