June Tests, Week 1 - Part 1
Stats
June is bursting out with Tests all over the place. We are going to look at four this weekend - New Zealand vs Ireland, South Africa vs Scotland, Australia vs Australia, and Argentina vs South Africa.
We shall dio it in two parts - this part with some simple statistics and then later with some laws to discuss.
We have already discussed Schalk Burger's try. If you wish to visit that, please click here.
Cards
Wales got into mist trouble with two yellow cards in one half - the first for Gavin Thomas, the second for Alix Popham. When the cards started, Wales led 12-7. When they ended Argentina led 20-12.
Argentina did not go unpunished as Rodrigo Roncero, who was intent on being a nuisance, was also given a yellow card. His absence cost his team three points. But his penalty count suggests a silly man.
The one with the serious yellow card was Jerry Flannery of Ireland, for a late, armless tackle.
There were no citings, though Marcus Horan may have been fortunate.
Penalties conceded
In this section we record the times a team was penalised. In (i), for example, South Africa were penalised 0 times, New Zealand 5 times.
• = points conceded
(i) New Zealand vs Ireland
Total number of penalties: 18
New Zealand: 7
Ireland: 11
The reasons for the penalties were as follows:
New Zealand:
Tackle/ruck: 5 (Rokocoko, McCaw*)
Off-side: 3 (Hayman, Flavell, So'oialo)
Scrum: 1 (Dermody*)
Discipline: 1 (McAlister* - high tackle)
Ireland:
Tackle/ruck: 5 (O'Callaghan, Wallace*, D'Arcy, Gleeson*, O'Connell*)
Off-side: 3 (D'Arcy, Best*, O'Callaghan)
Discipline: 3 (Wallace* - collapsed maul, Leamy - dissent, Flannery - late, shoulder tackle)
Each side missed a penalty kick at goal
(ii) South Africa vs Scotland
Total number of penalties: 19
South Africa: 9
Scotland: 10
The reasons for the penalties were as follows:
South Africa:
Tackle/ruck: 4 (Du Randt, Van Niekerk*, Sephaka, Montgomery)
Off-side: 1 (Matfield*)
Discipline: 4 (Van Niekerk* - early tackle, Van Niekerk - obstruction, Smit - early tackle, Matfield - air tackle)
Scotland:
Tackle/Ruck: 5 (Hines* 2, Macfadyen*, Murray, Pinder)
Scrum: 1 (Douglas*)
Discipline: 4 (Hines - air tackle, Kerr - high tackle, White - obstruction, Du Rollo* - high tackle)
South Africa missed a penalty kick at goal.
(iii) Australia vs England
Total number of penalties: 23
Australia: 9
England: 14
The reasons for the penalties were as follows:
Australia:
Tackle/ruck: 3 (Smith 2, Sharpe)
Scrum: 2 (Holmes 2)
Off-side: 2 (Larkham*, Sharpe)
Discipline: 2 (Smith - late tackle, Paul - not 10m)
England:
Tackle/ruck: 9 (Moody, Meares** 2, Voyce 2, Barkley, Richards, Sanderson, Tait)*
Off-side: 3 (Moody, Richards*, Brown)
Scrum: 1 (White)
Discipline: 1 (Moody - obstruction)
Australia missed two penalty kicks at goal, England one.
(iv) Argentina vs Wales
Total number of penalties: 25
Argentina: 13
Wales: 12
The reasons for the penalties were as follows:
Argentina:
Tackle/ruck: 9 (Piossek, Ledesma, Roncero** 3, Fernández Lobbe, Undetermined, Longo, Undetermined)
Off-side: 2 (Undetermined)
Discipline: 2 (Roncero - stamping, Late - undetermined)
Wales:
Tackle/ruck: 8 (Alun Jones, Mark Jones, Byrnes, Jamie Robertson 2, Shane Williams, Matthew Watkins*, Undetermined)
Discipline: 4 (Matthew Watkins - not back 10, Popham - early tackle, Popham - collapsing maul, Gavin Thomas* - not giving up ball)
Wales missed a penalty kick at goal.
Getting possession - line-outs, scrums, free-kicks, drop-outs, turn-overs
In this section the figures represent the number of times you get to play with the ball.
(i) New Zealand vs Ireland
New Zealand:
Line-outs: 18 (4 lost 3 quick)
Scrums: 9 (4 reset, 1 free kick)
Free-kicks: 3 (1 mark, 2 scrums)
Drop-outs: 1
Ireland:
Line-outs: 9 (2 lost)
Scrums: 9 (5 reset, 1 penalty, 2 free kicks)
Free-kicks: 1 (scrum)
Drop-outs: 1
(ii) South Africa vs Scotland
South Africa:
Line-outs: 20 (1 lost, 1 skew, 1 quick)
Scrums: 9 (3 reset)
Free-kicks: 0
Drop-outs: 0
Scotland:
Line-outs: 15 (4 lost, 1 penalty, 1 quick)
Scrums: 17 (3 reset, 1 lost, 1 penalty)
Free-kicks: 1 (mark)
Drop-outs: 3
(iii) Australia vs England
Australia:
Line-outs: 10 (2 free kicks, 1 skew, 1 penalty)
Scrums: 7 (4 reset, 1 free kick)
Free-kicks: 1 (line-out)
Drop-outs: 1
England:
Line-outs: 16 (4 lost, 1 penalty, 1 quick)
Scrums: 10 (5 reset, 3 penalties)
Free-kicks: 3 (scrum, line-out, mark)
Drop-outs: 2
(iv) Argentina vs Wales
Argentina:
Line-outs: 19 (1 lost, 2 free kicks)
Scrums: 10 (2 reset, 1 wheel)
Free-kicks: 3 (2 line-outs, 1 scrum)
Drop-outs: 3
Wales:
Line-outs: 17 (2 lost, 1 skew)
Scrums: 10 (3 reset, 1 lost, 2 free kicks)
Free-kicks: 2 (scrum, mark)
Drop-outs: 1
Stoppages (total of line-outs, scrums with resets, free kicks, penalties, drop-outs):
New Zealand vs Ireland: 73
South Africa vs Scotland: 83
Australia vs England: 82
Argentina vs Wales: 95
Tries scored:
New Zealand vs Ireland: 3 + 2 = 5
South Africa vs Scotland: 4 + 1 = 5
Australia vs England: 3 + 0 = 3
Argentina vs Wales: 3 + 3 = 6