There were 52 tries in the Heineken Champions Cup Round of 16 - 3.3 per team per match, which is the second-highest average in the tournament so far.

There were also 19.4 defenders beaten per team per match, a record this season. What happened at the weekend to cause such anguish for the defence coaches of Europe?

DHL Stormers’ score inside the first minute against Harlequins came from the kick-off – a great example of aggressive knockout rugby. Notice how DHL Stormers set up to box kick. This pushes Quins back into their kick return formation, which the hosts exploit with a cross-field kick to Seabelo Senatla.

A well struck cross-field kick is like a pace filter. Defending players race over to defend the kick, leaving their slower compatriots on the other side of the pitch. If you can switch play quickly, you can then exploit those defenders. When DHL Stormers make the break for the try, they have their outside centre and wing against the two Quins props.

The kick proved a valuable weapon in the Round of 16, with teams kicking an average of 26.6 times per match and carrying 113.5 times per match, both records for the tournament. The generally good weather and quick surfaces allowed teams to keep the ball in play time high – a key factor in the high scoring nature of the round.

Cell C Sharks scored three tries from turnovers last weekend. Eight of the 52 tries scored in the Round of 16 came from turnover while 25 originated from the lineout – typically the most common try source in elite rugby. The try above – scored against Munster Rugby – follows a similar set-up to the try we saw DHL Stormers score earlier, with both relying on fluid movement of the ball across the pitch. Here, again, we see the influence of good weather and teams willing to take risks despite the stage of the competition.

However, the desire to play ambitious rugby wasn’t without consequences. On average last weekend, teams lost the ball every 7.6 carries. More expansive game plans came at the expense of ball security. However, these turnovers did present opportunities for the opposition, creating the ‘end-to-end’ style which is a trademark of some of rugby’s most thrilling contests.

In this example, Cell C Sharks move the ball away from the site of the turnover quickly. Coaches often talk about moving the ball at least two passes after a turnover; the idea is that finding width early will make it more likely that you will find a fault in the defensive line.

Stade Toulousain scored a similar try after a turnover here. Again, they move the ball quickly – at least two passes – away from where the defence is strongest. Then on the second phase, they look up and see a vulnerability against the run of play, where a cluster of Vodacom Bulls forwards are parked.

In order to generate the kind of try scoring returns we saw in the Round of 16, teams need to be efficient. So far this season, teams have scored a try after an average of 2.72 entries to the opposition 22. Last weekend this dropped to 2.42 – the second-highest rate of efficiency in the tournament so far.

This 18% improvement in efficiency when attacking the red zone will be a major concern for the remaining defence coaches in the tournament, with only the premier attacks left to counter.

As the tournament progresses, there are two way to stifle this: limit entries to your 22 or be even more ruthless in taking your opportunities than your opposition.

Based on the performances of the qualifying teams last weekend, fans can be optimistic of the latter, more aggressive style taking precedence in the quarter-finals.

In the Heineken Champions Cup this season, it’s who dares wins!

Think knockout rugby and you probably think about cagey matches where nerves and conservative play overtake skill and ambition. Not last weekend though.