Statistics: World Cup semifinals

The semifinals have come and gone and now the world gears itself for the final of the 2011 Rugby World Cup. We give some statistics of the semifinals.

The ball-in-play time in both matches is high but not so the number of tries scored.

Sadly, there was again controversy because of the sending off in the first of them with a coach going public in criticising a referee for doing what he had been told to do.

Results

France vs Wales, 9-8
New Zealand vs Australia, 20-6

Sanctions

Red Card

Sam Warburton (Wales) for a tip tackle on Morgan Parra of France

Cited and suspended

Sam Warburton (Wales) for the tip tackle. He was suspended for three weeks.

Yellow card

Sonny Bill Williams (New Zealand) - shoulder charge.

Possession

(i) France vs Wales

Penalties conceded: 13

France: 6
Wales: 7

Reasons for the penalties

France:
Tackle: 4 (Clerc, Dusautoir*, Parra, Mas)
Offside: 1 (Yachvili)
Scrums: 1 (Mas)

Wales:
Tackle: 3 (Roberts, Lydiate*, Faletau)
Scrum: 2 (Jenkins, James*)
Discipline: 2 (Warburton - tip tackle; James* - collapsing maul)

Wales missed three penalty kicks at goal. They also missed a conversion.

Free kicks conceded

France: 0
Wales: 1 (mark)

Line-outs

France: 12 (1 lost, 1 quick)
Wales: 20 (6 lost, 1 quick)

Scrums

France: 7 (2 collapses, 1 penalty)
Wales: 8 (6 resets, 8 collapses, 1 penalty)

Drop-outs

France: 5
Wales: 2

Stoppages: 68

(ii) New Zealand vs Australia

Penalties conceded: 18

New Zealand: 7
Australia: 11

Reasons for the penalties

New Zealand:
Tackle: 4 (McCaw*, Mealamu, Owen Franks 2)
Scrum: 2 (Woodcock, Ben Franks)
Discipline: 1 (Sonny Bill Williams - shoulder charge)

Australia:
Tackle: 7 (Pocock* 3, Faingaa, McCabe*, Ashley-Cooper, Moore)
Offside: 1 (Ashley-Cooper*)
Scrum: 3 (Kepu, Alexander* 2)

The New Zealand missed four penalty kicks at goal.

Free kicks conceded

New Zealand: 0
Australia: 0

Line-outs

New Zealand: 14 (3 quick)
Australia: 17 (1 lost, 1 quick)

Scrums

New Zealand: 9 (1 reset, 3 collapses, 1 penalty)
Australia: 6 (2 resets, 4 collapses, 3 penalties)

Drop-outs

New Zealand: 0
Australia: 3

Stoppages: 69

Tries per match

France vs Wales: 0 + 1 = 1
New Zealand vs Australia: 1 + 0 = 1

Penalties scored per match

France vs Wales: 3 + 1 = 4
New Zealand vs Australia: 4 + 1 = 5

Ratio of tries scored to penalties scored: 2/9

Ball-in-Play time

Jan Taljaard again provides these statistics.

The average for this kind of game is 33 minutes 29 seconds. 
 
Wales vs France (Rolland):
17 minutes 7 seconds + 21 minutes 50 = 38 minutes 57 seconds

New Zealand vs Australia (Joubert):
17 minutes 58 seconds + 19 minutes 2 = 37 minutes