Numbers, numbers: We love our stats at Planet Rugby
Stats are like Aussie commentators - you either love them or hate them! And once again, we couldn't resist hauling out the calculators and punching through some interesting figures from 2011.
Thanks for the support this year, and have a safe and prosperous 2012!
51 - Number of tries scored in this year's Six Nations (three more than last year - 48)
25 - Number of career tries scored in the Championship by Ireland centre Brian O'Driscoll, breaking the record held by Scotland's Ian Smith since 1933.
10 - The number of years since all of the teams had the same head coach as in the previous year's tournament.
9 - Number of times Italy have picked up the wooden spoon since joining the Six Nations in 2000.
559 - Number of tries scored in Super Rugby this season (4.51 per match)
0 - Number of points scored by Super Rugby newbies the Melbourne Rebels in their opening game against the Waratahs.
43 - Number of points conceded by Super Rugby newbies the Melbourne Rebels in their opening game against the Waratahs.
228 - Number of points scored by Reds pivot Quade Cooper in Super Rugby this season (leading points scorer).
16 - Number of years it took for the Reds to win another Super Rugby title after beating the Crusaders 18-13 in the final.
696 300 - Financial loss suffered by the homeless Crusaders, who were affected drastically by the earthquake that shook Christchurch earlier this year.
8 - Number of games Northampton Saints went unbeaten on their way to the Heineken Cup final.
27 - Number of unanswered points scored by Leinster in the second half of the Heineken Cup final (after trailing by 16 points at half-time) to pick up their second European Cup title.
72,456 - Attendance figure at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff for the Heineken Cup Final between Northampton and Leinster.
18 - Number of times Toulouse have won the Bouclier de Brennus after beating Montpellier 15-10 in the Top 14 final.
15 - Number of tries scored by Toulouse speedster Maxime Médard (leading try-scorer in the 2010/2011 Top 14)
12 - Number of years it took for the Lions to be crowned Currie Cup champions again.
61 - Number of years it took for the Lions to win the Currie Cup at their home ground again.
1 - Number of matches won by South Africa in this year's Tri-Nations.
26 - Number of tries scored in the 2011 Tri-Nations (4.33 per match)
10 - Number of years it took for Australia to end their Tri-Nations title drought.
9 - Number of times the New Zealand Sevens team have won the World Sevens Series title.
40 - Number of tries scored by Springbok Sevens flyer Cecil Afrika last season (World Sevens Series leading try-scorer for 2010/2011)
2,245 - Points scored at the 2011 Rugby World Cup (The average of 46.8 points per match was the second-lowest behind only the 37.4 set at the 1991 RWC).
301 - Points scored by New Zealand at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, 73 more than second-best Wales.
262 - Tries scored at the 2011 Rugby World Cup (The average of 5.46 per match was the second lowest behind only the 4.6 scored at the 1991 event).
171 - Penalties scored at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The average of 3.56 per match was the lowest ever.
92 - Points scored by Italy in their four pool matches, the most by a team that failed to make the quarter-finals.
18 - Matches in Japan's record RWC winless streak.
1,250 - Dan Carter's career Test points world record after he scored 21 points in his two matches at the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
62 - Points scored by Morné Steyn at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, more than any other player (The fewest points scored by a tournament top-scorer in RWC history).
21 - Players to have played 100 Test matches after All Blacks Richie McCaw and Mils Muliaina and Wallaby Nathan Sharpe reached that milestone during the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
19 - Wales wing George North, at 19 years and 166 days old, became the youngest RWC try-scorer when he touched down against Namibia.
836 - Caps in the South Africa starting line-up for their RWC quarter-final against Australia - the most capped line-up in Test history.
3 - Three of the four pool winners were knocked out of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in the quarter-finals, the most to lose at that stage in a RWC.
5 - Fewest first-half points in a RWC Final. New Zealand led France 5-0 at half-time.
8 - New Zealand's score in the 2011 World Cup Final was the lowest winning score in any RWC match.
8,891 - Days between the first RWC Final in 1987 when New Zealand beat France at Eden Park, and the 2011 RWC Final - which ended with the same result.
1342 - Days left until the start of the 2015 Rugby World Cup!
Compiled by Dave Morris
Comments
Rosbif says...
@RuckingKiwi. Agree with your sentiments on the final. If Weepu had kicked those early chances, NZ would have had clear daylight. Totally different game from then on. Also, agree with your view on CJ. And on how both teams smartened up to it.
Interesting to note, though, Fra missed the same number of kicks as NZ during the 80 mins. If both sides kicked 100%, the score would have been 16-16. So in the end, the difference is that while both teams kicked just 1 from 4, the AB kick was worth 3 pts, whereas Fra's was worth 2pts.
Doesn't get much closer than that!
Posted 16:10 06th January 2012
Carpelone says...
@ 7ton
Completely agreed on your post. The new interpretations were deemed to better the game, but now the situation is worse than after 2007. In some way, we all know that there could be some difference in the outcomes of a game, depending upon where the ref is from (NH, SA or NZ).
Posted 14:57 06th January 2012
7ton says...
Carpelone
Further in regards to the WC final I think the AB's had more experiance at playing under CJ's whistle and interpretations and therefore played to the whistle better than France.
It is a shame that in rugby that players have to constantly figure out the refs interpretations and this highlights your points about the confusion at the breakdown and scrum which needs to be sorted out
Posted 17:19 05th January 2012
7ton says...
carpelone
Yeah likewise South Africa were worthy champs in 2007 and as you say there were a lot of similarities between 07 and 11.
Just don't think CJ's reffing was as bad as you make out but we're all entitled to our opinion.
I agree it's now time to look forward to the S15
cheers
Posted 13:12 05th January 2012
Carpelone says...
7ton
Just for your information, in spite of how the final went, I do think that New Zealand are worthy champions, but, for some obscure reasons, I am unable to write it down ;).
All the best, looking forward to Super Rugby ahead.
Posted 08:57 05th January 2012
7ton says...
Loosen up it was just a fun comment
Besides you have made many more takes then just the few you qoute here even spilling over to the heiniken cup "We still have in mind the farce which was sold as the RWC 2011 final".
Posted 20:11 04th January 2012
Carpelone says...
@ 7ton
I do not know what you are referring to.
Here my takes from the RWC, just to be clear.
New Zealand were the best team in the RWC, but they won the final thanks to a poor refereeing from Joubert and some cynical tactics. With DC on the pitch, France would have been possibly despatched well before. I have no pb with the ABs being World Champs as I normally enjoyed the brand of rugby they play.
In some way, SA 2007 campaign was very similar to NZ 2011 campaign. Even the final was similar (a very close contest with teams thrashed in the pool stage), although AR's refereeing was not as controversial as CJ's one (nobody can honestly says that Cueto did score that try, quite unfortunate but that was the way it went). To be honest, I was not extremely proud the way we won the final in 2007 (this might apply to you).
SA were quite robbed of the privilege to meet the ABs, as also our friend Trinats admitted. I don't blame entirely Bryce Lawrence, my personal opinion is that we should not have been in that position (9 to 8 with few minutes to go) and that PdV conservative (dull) gameplan ruined Boks' chances, if any. It is six of one and half dozen of the other. Based on previous quite poor performances, SA can not claim much more than the right to play our respected arch-rivals in the semi.
A very happy new year to all.
Posted 09:31 04th January 2012
Carpelone says...
@ Rosbif
Thanks for you opinion.
I would proceed incrementally, leaving your suggestion as the final resort (any contamination with American football drives me nuts and would imply a major impact on current laws and procedures for officiating). Allowing 5 seconds to resume the ball from the break down and to use it should suffice, in order to prevent professional neutralisation of the game, like the ABs did in the last 4 minutes of the final or like Munster normally do when they lead (they are just examples, I do not mean to stir discussions here)
Scrums and line-outs are not necessarily bad for the game, if we provide some specific time to carry out them. Scrum reset should be minimised, free kicks or penalties must be given at the very first opportunities.
Posted 09:07 04th January 2012
eejbm says...
why are tries per game mentioned for both the 3N and S15 but not the 6N?
Posted 06:02 04th January 2012
Rosbif says...
@carpelone, nakedirishman. agree re the scrums and the breakdown. my other pet hate is deliberately unproductive use of ball to keep possession and run the clock down at end of games. It beefs up the passes completed and ball in play stats (as do re-set scrums!) so seems to slip below the radar. I've often wondered if a variation of the american football style rule could work. If attacking team don't make decent yardage (say 10 yards?) after 3 attempts, they have to spin out to the backs (presumably for kick ahead) or give up possession to other side. I realise it would be a nightmare to officiate, and there's probably a smarter way of achieving the same result, but it would be a start. Nerve-tingling as it was to watch the ABs keep ball for 5 minutes at the end of the final, it's not a great spectacle of running rugby for the neutrals out there (if there is even such a thing as neutrals?).
Re stats, I noticed the official RWC stats came out from IRB back in December. Didn't see a PR article on it - Editor?
Comparing 95 and 2011, IRB made the following comparisons (average per match):
33% increase in ball in play
50% increase in number of passes
rucks and mauls increased from 69 to 162
kicks decreased from 75 to 41
scrums down from 27 to 17 (but no mention of how long each scrum actually takes these days!)
line-outs down from 37 to 24
Also lots of stats re how much closer games were between so-called Tier 1 and Tier 2 nations (although that very notion intrinsically drives me mad). Something for IslandPower and others who know much more than me, to comment on perhaps.
Posted 19:03 03rd January 2012
7ton says...
carpelone
Don't worry it was just the end of the "silly season" so I thought I may as well write a load of nonsense to counter that of BVD and in a smaller way some of yours in regard to WC 2011.
Certainly agree re the scrums and breakdown stats.
Posted 16:49 03rd January 2012
Carpelone says...
@ NakedIrishMan
Good point. I see two crucial aspects of the game. One is the scrum (always reset, with no decisions taken), the other one is the breakdown, particularly the amount of time which is allowed for ball presentation. Statistics about those would probably reveal how to improve the game.
Posted 10:02 03rd January 2012
carpelone says...
@ 7ton
Do not insult yourself with such non-sense mate. You can do better than this.
Posted 21:34 02nd January 2012
thegeneral says...
18 - Number of times Toulouse have won the Bouclier de Brennus after beating Montpellier 15-10 in the Top 14 final.
Wouldn't you think that Montpellier would have worked it out after 18 attempts with the same score!!
Posted 17:23 02nd January 2012
7ton says...
bok van dam
I don't know how you can have the gall to talk about biased refereeing against SA considering it is exactly that which has handed the world cup to them both in 95 and 07.
France clearly should have knocked SA out in the semi if not for some clear biased refereeing. Never mind the food poisening NZ would have won the final if when Lomu was in the clear and about to score a try was not pulled back by the ref for a forward pass which clearly wasn't. Gold watch presented to the ref aye!
As for 2007 the path was made clear for SA to have the easiest path to victory ever.
Wales were deliberately prevented from reaching the quarter final by shocking predujice. NZ removed by forward passes and the lowest ever penalty count against France ever. Clear and obvious prejudice. Australia removed by biased reffing at the scrum against England.
England though were clearly the better team in the final and should have won except for the ref allowing SA to get away with blatant cynical play and prevent England from scoring tries.
just shocking mate shocking!
Happy New Year to all
Posted 13:29 02nd January 2012
Carpelone says...
I think that referees have some chip on the shoulder, but also SA's discipline must be improved.
Posted 09:58 02nd January 2012
Dingdong says...
@BVD
exactly what are these "sins" of the past that you think the Springboks are being punished for? Apartheid? You're either taking the p-word or are a complete and utter moron... to suggest that the IRB are out to "punish" the Sprinboks for 40 odd years of racial segregation is absurd. Absurd.
Posted 08:52 02nd January 2012
BokVanDam says...
Island_Power - fair point, probably is a small price to pay. But you assume that it is only white Saffas who are being punished by the biased refereeing. Although the game in SA is white dominated, it is increasingly becoming a sport that appeals to all demographics and is a major contributor towards nation building in SA (eg. 95 WC and the Bulls playing in Soweto). Even if you disregard all that, two wrongs don't make a right and international referees have absolutely NO RIGHT to discriminate against SA based on their prejudices against Afrikaners or the country in general. If that is the logic that you use to defend biased refereeing then I could just as easily use the past sins of England, Aus and several others to justify biased refereeing against their teams.Should Irish referees be biased against England for the potato famine or Saffa refs punish English teams for the boer war? Should referees penalise Australia because of past crimes against the Aborigines? Should we penalise the NZ maoris because of what happened to Mori Ori? It's patently ridiculous so I don't see why SA should be singled out.
Posted 11:53 31st December 2011
Rosbif says...
@golden_statenba. We've spoken about this in the past, and you know I'm firmly in the anti-whingeing camp. I'm not at all saying SA (or Fra) were cheated by refs. Never have. Was just pointing out that SAffers seem to be in a minority on this site (taking as evidence the 2015 prediction poll - perhaps unfairly assuming this represents a nationality proxy). And something about me (maybe it's Xmas?) feels provoked to defend minorities if I see them being oppressed (however odd-ball or out-there their views are). In this particular thread BVD hasn't said anything sinister, insulting, or off-piste, as far as I can tell. He's voicing a rugby opinion and others seem to have laid into him for his past indiscretions (which admittedly may be real - and for which many may feel rightly annoyed - and for which BVD has developed a reputation). Just seemed a bit mean to me, that's all. Maybe I'm wrong. But I sense from your post, and the fun you have had ranting with BVD in the past, that you may not totally disagree with that emotion.
Beyond that, speaking as a Fra supporter (the only team I prefer to the ABs), I'm not asking for pity or sympathy, and I don't think I'll be rubbing any future victories in with brasso. Not my style. Just looking forward to every game. Hoping my beloved team plays to its potential. Excited about the contest. And will respect the outcome over a handshake, a beer and a lively discussion of the finer points of refereeing!! Peace :-)
@Phil_Moore. Good point. Fra joined in 1910, dropped out from 1932 to 1939, then re-joined in 1947 but didn't win until 1954, so head the league table of "longest wait for a win" at 43 years (or 29 tournaments). Not sure how many wooden spoons in that run, but Italy have nothing to fear!
Posted 10:53 31st December 2011
golden_statenba says...
@BVD
My comments are meant to stir you up to get something new.
I actually enjoy my rants with you and I think you actually have a passion about the game that if you could move pass this "World against South Africa" I believe you could give allot to this forum.
Fact is Rosbif and BVD nobody is going to have pity on you if your team is losing be it referee's call or not. It has happened to every team in every sport . Next year if the ABs(And im guessing will)get a beating in there matches I don't think you guys will be dropping lines of sympathy to their fans you will be rubbing it in like brasso on your mums favourite serving trays.
I can see the French and South African teams doing well down the track but until then if your an AB fan you are enjoying your rugby right now.
I will be the first to congratulate you both if you beat them
Posted 22:38 30th December 2011