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Fast Facts

 
 

  • Englishman Jason Leonard has played the most Rugby World Cup matches, having made 23 appearances, with New Zealand duo Sean Fitzpatrick and Richard Loe and former England skipper Martin Johnson tied second on 18. That mark could be equalled by George Gregan if Australia reaches the final, the former Wallabies skipper and halfback having played 16 matches so far in his career.
  • Scot Gavan Hastings holds the record for most points scored at the Rugby World Cup, with 225 points to his name courtesy of nine tries, 39 conversions and 36 penalties in 14 matches. Australian Michael Lynagh is next best with 195 from 16 starts, while England's 2003 World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson lies third with 182 points from 11 games.
  • The most points in a single Rugby World Cup were scored by New Zealand captain Grant Fox in the 1987 tournament. Fox scored 126 points, while Wilkinson scored 113 four years ago in Australia and Frenchman Thierry Lacroix 112 in 1995. Hastings (104 in 1995), Argentina Gonzalo Quesada (102 in 1999) and Australian Matt Burke (101 in 1999) have also scored centuries in one tournament.
  • New Zealander Jonah Lomu is the leading try-scorer in Rugby World Cup history, having dotted down 15 times in 11 appearances, with Englishman Rory Underwood (11 from 16 games) second and Australian David Campese (15 matches) and Samoan Brian Lima (16 games) tied third with 10 five-pointers each.
  • Lomu also holds the record for most tries in one tournament, having scored eight as in 1999. He and team-mate Marc Ellis also scored seven tries in 1995, while All Blacks Mils Muliaina and Doug Howlett grabbed seven each four years ago in Australia.
  • Wilkinson has scored the most drop goals, with eight successful attempts including the most famous of them all in the dying seconds of extra time in the 2003 final to sink Australia at Telstra Stadium in Sydney.
  • New Zealander Simon Culhane narrowly holds the record for most points scored in a Rugby World Cup, the 45 he registered against Japan in 1995, with Hastings managing 44 points against the Ivory Coast in the same tournament and Mat Rogers 42 four years ago against Namibia.
  • The All Blacks' smashing of Japan 12 years ago also saw Mark Ellis score an amazing six tries of his own in the match, which is the most in a single game, just ahead of Wallaby Chris Latham's five against Namibia and Englishman Josh Lewsey's quintet against Uruguay, both in 2003.
  • New Zealand has played the most matches in Rugby World Cups, appearing 31 times in the showpiece tournament. Australia and France have both played 29 games and England has played 28.
  • The Kiwis also clearly sit atop the table for most points by a nation at the Rugby World Cup, with a staggering 1384 points at an average of 44.65 per game. Next best and well behind are Australia (987), France (968) and England (957), who will all register 1000 points in this year's tournament.
  • The tally for most number of tries is also well and truly owned by the All Blacks with 184, from Australia (122) and France (115). England's first try of the tournament this year will be its 100th at a Rugby World Cup and Scotland needs six for its own century.
  • Canada holds the dubious honour of most players red-carded at Rugby World

     
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