The Rugby News Service stats team have been doing their sums during the Pool phase of Rugby World Cup 2015 and have come up some intriguing and illuminating figures.
8 741 – Days between Japan’s 1st World Cup victory and their 2nd, against South Africa in Pool B on the opening weekend. They waited only 14 days to achieve their 3rd against Samoa.
2 020 – Points scored in the Pool phase at Rugby World Cup 2015, the lowest since the Rugby World Cup’s Pool phase was extended to 40 matches in 2003, an indication of the improving competitiveness of the 20 teams at the Rugby World Cup.
1 013 – Caps in the starting 15 of New Zealand’s team against Argentina, a world record for a test.
231 – Tries scored so far at Rugby World Cup 2015 in England, the fewest since the Rugby World Cup’s Pool phase was extended to 40 matches in 2003.
227 – The combined number of caps between Matias Aguero (36), Leonardo Ghiraldini and Martin Castrogiovanni (113), Italy’s front row in their opening match against France. It was the most-capped starting front-row in Rugby World Cup history.
176 – Penalties scored during the Pool phase, breaking the record of 163 set during the Pool matches at Rugby World Cup 2003.
136 – Points have now been scored by Frédéric Michalak at Rugby World Cups, breaking the France record of 124 set by Thierry Lacroix 20 years ago. Michalak is now 8th on the all-time list of Rugby World Cup points-scorers.
100 – New Zealand’s Ma’a Nonu, in the 47 / 9 win over Tonga, made his 100th appearance. Scotland’s Sean Lamont also hit his century for Scotland, in the 36 / 33 win over Samoa.
64 – Points is the biggest winning margin at this tournament, achieved by South Africa when they beat USA 64 / 0. At least 1 team has won by 87 or more points in the Pool phase at each of the last 5 previous Rugby World Cups so this year’s winning margin is 26% lower than at any time over the last 20 years.
60 – Points scored by tournament top scorer Greig Laidlaw, the most by a Scotland player in the Pool phase for 12 years, since Chris Paterson managed the same total in 2003. Only Gavin Hastings – 89 at Rugby World Cup 1995 – has scored more for Scotland during a Pool phase.
33 – Points scored by Samoa in their losing cause in Pool B against Scotland, the most by a losing team since Wales lost 38 / 34 to Fiji at Rugby World Cup 2007.
31 – Average age of the Samoa team which beat USA and the Tonga team which lost to Argentina, the 2 oldest starting 15s in Rugby World Cup history. Tonga’s team averaged 31 years and 28 days, beating Samoa’s record from 16 days earlier by 23 days.
30 – Tests that Ireland’s front row of Cian Healy, Rory Best and Mike Ross have started together. They are the 1st northern hemisphere front row to start 30 tests.
18 – Age of Georgia scrumhalf Vasil Lobzhanidze , the 1st player born in rugby’s professional era to compete at a Rugby World Cup. He played a part in all 4 of his country’s matches and started 3 of them.
15 – Points that Romania were behind Canada before winning 17 /15 to record the greatest comeback in Rugby World Cup history.
14 – Georgia scored 5 tries at Rugby World Cup 2015 to take their all-time total to 14. They have converted every one, for a 100% success rate.
8 – Tries now scored by Keith Earls at Rugby World Cups, breaking Brian O’Driscoll’s Ireland record in 9 fewer games.
7 – Starting 15s with an average age of over 30 at this Rugby World Cup, more than at any other previous staging.
5 – Rugby World Cups at which Italy’s Mauro Bergamasco has now appeared, equalling Samoan Brian Lima’s record.
5 – Also the number of tries scored by the top try-scorers in the Pool phase at Rugby World Cup 2015 in England, New Zealand’s Julian Savea and Bryan Habana of South Africa. This is the joint-lowest total for a top Pool-phase try-scorer, equalling the number scored in the 1991 and 1999 tournaments.
4 – Number of matches in which DTH Van Der Merwe scored a try, becoming the 2nd player after Wales’ Shane Williams in 2007 to record a 100% record of touching down in Pool matches at a Rugby World Cup.
3 – Victories achieved by Japan, the 1st team to win this many Pool matches and not progress through to the knockout stages.
3 – Also the number of times that Scotland recovered to win after being behind in their 4 pool matches. Georgia and Wales were the next best, coming back twice.