All Blacks' clinical edge sets up Durban showdown with Sharks

The All Blacks head into Tuesday night's clash with the Sharks at Hollywoodbets Kings Park carrying a significant statistical edge in attacking efficiency, according to British sports data company Opta.

Data released ahead of the second instalment of Rugby's Greatest Rivalry shows that both sides have shown plenty going forward in 2026, but the numbers point to a gulf in how they convert opportunities.

New Zealand are averaging 39.8 points and six tries a game, well ahead of the Sharks' 28.8 points and 4.3 tries.

Crucially, the two teams are creating opportunities at an identical rate, both averaging 10 entries into the opposition 22 per match. The difference lies in what happens next, with the All Blacks converting those entries into an average of 4.0 points each, compared with 2.8 for the Sharks.

That efficiency is underpinned by a heavy attacking workload. New Zealand are producing more than a kilometre of carry metres a game - 1,020.8, more than 250 metres clear of the Sharks' 765 - from 168.5 carries, compared with the Sharks' 113.6.

They are also beating far more defenders, averaging 32 per game to the Sharks' 23.1, and creating almost double the line breaks, at 10 per game against 6.2.

The All Blacks favour width and ball-in-hand rugby over territory, averaging 237.8 passes a match compared with the Sharks' 139.2, while kicking from hand considerably less often - 24.3 times a game against the home side's 37.2.

The Sharks do hold one edge on the statistics, boasting a marginally better gainline success rate of 62% to the All Blacks' 60%.

Individually, All Blacks fullback Damian McKenzie leads his side's ball-carrying statistics in 2026, with 323 metres from 35 carries across 240 minutes, and has contributed 31 points.

Jordie Barrett, with 160 metres from 30 carries, and Caleb Clarke, with 174 metres from 23 carries, have also been prominent, while in the forwards Wallace Sititi, with 111 metres from 25 carries, and Luke Jacobson, with 138 metres from 23 carries, have carried the load.

For the Sharks, Phepsi Buthelezi has been a standout with 419 metres from 74 carries, while Nick Hatton has made 401 metres from 78 carries. Manu Tshituka has added 368 metres from 59 carries and two tries, while Jurenzo Julius has crossed for four tries from 36 carries.

New Zealand Rugby has also confirmed that Cam Roigard will miss the Sharks clash with a calf niggle. Kyle Preston will start at scrumhalf, with Cortez Ratima on the bench.

An intriguing element of the game will be the appearance of Ma'a Nonu, who has been named on the Sharks' bench against his former international side.

The 44-year-old two-time Rugby World Cup winner joined the Sharks in July as part of a high-performance mentorship programme aimed at accelerating the development of the club's next generation of players. Nonu is primarily working in a mentorship and leadership capacity alongside head coach JP Pietersen and the coaching staff, although he remains available as a player.

Nonu, who won 103 caps for New Zealand and was part of the All Blacks' 2011 and 2015 World Cup-winning sides, most recently played for French Top 14 club Toulon. He returned to the French club in 2025 and became the oldest player to feature in Top 14 history at the age of 44.

His appearance would add an unusual dimension to the contest, with the veteran centre potentially facing the country for which he played 103 Tests and won two World Cups.

Kick-off for Tuesday night's match at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in Durban is at 19:00.