The Stats-Based Champions Cup Team of the Season
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EPCR have released the Champions Cup Player and Team of the Season based on stats provided by Stats Perform.
Antoine Dupont has been named the Champions Cup player of the season, adding to his EPCR European Player of the Year award. The Toulouse halfback gained the most metres (356) and beat the most defenders (24) of any player in the Champions Cup this season; he was also the joint top try-scorer (4) and ranked second for both carries (56) and offloads (9).
Two fellow Champions Cup winners join Dupont in the team with props Cyril Baille and Charlie Faumuina featuring in the team. As for fellow finalists, La Rochelle, the likes of Gregory Alldritt, Victor Vito, Will Skelton and Geoffrey Doumayrou, all make the side.
Breaking down the season with the @OptaJonny stats, here's your #HeinekenChampionsCup Team of the Season 💪
No surprises that #EPOTY2021 winner and @StadeToulousain superstar @Dupont9A came top of the rankings 😎
Who else impressed you most this season? pic.twitter.com/FXDc3SzJc2
— Heineken Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) May 26, 2021
Leinster contribute two players in hooker Ronan Kelleher and flanker Josh van der Flier while former Champions Exeter also have two representatives in Tom O'Flaherty and Jonny Gray.
Matthieu Jalibert and Santiago Cordero feature from beaten semi-finalists Bordeaux while Racing 92 and Clermont have a squad member each in Kurtley Beale and George Moala respectively.
The Team:
15 Kurtley Beale (Racing 92)
Averaged 2.8 clean breaks per game in the Heineken Champions Cup this season, the most of any player to feature more than twice in 2020/21.
14 Santiago Cordero (Bordeaux-Begles)
Scored a joint high four tries in this season’s competition and was one of just two players to average more than one try per game (1.3, also Xavier Mignot).
13 Geoffrey Doumayrou (La Rochelle)
Made 41 tackles in the Heineken Champions Cup this season, more than any other back in the competition.
12 George Moala (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
Made 17 dominant carries in the Heineken Champions Cup this season, three more than any other player.
11 Tom O’Flaherty (Exeter Chiefs)
Gained the most metres (97.7) and beat the most defenders (6.3) per game of any player to feature more than twice in the competition this season.
10 Matthieu Jalibert (Bordeaux-Begles)
Was the top point scorer in the competition this season (72) and was the only player to reach double figures for offloads (12); he also gained the second most metres (317).
9 Antoine Dupont (Toulouse)
The diminutive France international gained the most metres (356) and beat the most defenders (24) of any player in the Heineken Champions Cup this season; he was also the joint top try scorer (4) and ranked second for both carries (56) and offloads (9).
1 Cyril Baille (Toulouse)
Beat 12 defenders in the competition this season, more than any other forward, while no forward made more offloads than him (5).
2 Ronan Kelleher (Leinster Rugby)
Had an 81% gainline success rate, the best of any player (min. 20 carries) and had the best lineout success rate of the 17 hookers to attempt more than 20 lineout throws (97%, 30/31).
3 Charlie Faumuina (Toulouse)
Was the only prop to make 30+ carries (32) and 30+ tackles (35) in the Heineken Champions Cup this season.
4 Jonny Gray (Exeter Chiefs)
Was one of just two players to average 12+ carries (13.0) and 12+ tackles (13.4) per 80 minutes, of players to feature more than twice in the competition this season (also Rhys Ruddock).
5 Will Skelton (La Rochelle)
Made the joint-most offloads (5) of any forward in the Heineken Champions Cup this season, as well as the second most carries of any forward (48).
6 Gregory Alldritt (La Rochelle)
Made 76 carries in the competition this season, 20 more than the next best player, and ranked second for metres gained (178) and defenders beaten (11) amongst forwards.
7 Josh van der Flier (Leinster Rugby)
Made 65 tackles in the Heineken Champions Cup this season, more than any other player, including five dominant tackles (2nd most of any player); only Sam Simmonds (6) won more turnovers than the Leinster flanker (5).
8 Victor Vito (La Rochelle)
Was one of just three forwards to make 25+ carries and average at least five metres per carry (5.1, also Bill Mata and Kevin Gourdon); he also made the joint most offloads of any forward (5).
Stats via Stats Perform.
