The Super Rugby Team of the Year has players from 12 of the teams and like the regular season is based on a comprehensive statistical index that monitors in detail every action of every match [see below]. Player of the year is Chiefs' play-maker Damian McKenzie.

McKenzie's statistics are pretty impressive and earned him the fly-half spot in the Team of the Year; including beating 74 defenders and amassing 177 points during the season.

Opta Index: How does it work

The Opta Index allows genuine opportunities to compare and contrast both player and team strengths and weaknesses across Super Rugby, providing real insights pre-game as follows:

After every match Opta completes a video analysis of every touch of the ball. Each action in the match is awarded a points value depending on the relative importance of the action. So for example, a try scores more points than a tackle, but a player loses points for a missed tackle.

The points are then weighted against the score at the time when the action took place (higher points if the score is closer), the time in the match (higher points at the start of the match) and the position on the pitch where it took place (higher points for actions closer to the goal line).

The player is then given a score for the match by adding up all his actions while he was on the field. The total match score is then weighted to take account of the strength of the opposition so that performances across many matches can be judged fairly.