OptaJonny
@OptaJonny
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36K
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118
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10K
1 - The official Twitter page for Stats Perform's rugby coverage, brought to you by OptaJonny. Illuminating.
London
Joined March 2013
25 - This year marks 25 years since the beginning of the Men's Six Nations - you can find our team previews, players to watch and much more below. Championship. @OptaAnalyst | @sageuk | @SixNationsRugby .
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1 - New Zealand, Australia and South Africa have all lost at home on the same day for the first time in men's Test rugby history; in fact, it's just the third time overall that they've lost on the same day (also 09/11/2002 & 20/11/2021). Toppled.
23
264
2K
1269 - @JoeMarler played more minutes (1,269) than any other prop in @premrugby this season; he also averaged the 2nd most carries (9.4) per 80 minutes of any of the 34 props to play 500+ mins in the campaign. Indefatigable.
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2K
39 - @hamishwatson7 has made more tackles (39) than any other player on this @lionsofficial tour, he is also yet to miss a hit on tour; in fact he has not missed a tackle in his last 20 matches for either @Scotlandteam or the Lions, completing 261/261 hits in that time. Finisher.
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1K
31 - Duhan van der Merwe beat 31 defenders in this year’s Six Nations, surpassing Brian O’Driscoll’s record for the most in a single edition of the Six Nations (30), which he set in 2000. Unstoppable.
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1K
148 - Alun Wyn Jones is set to make his 148th Test appearance when he faces Scotland this weekend, moving level with Richie McCaw as the joint most capped men's player in Test history. Legend.
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1K
13 - Hamish Watson won 13 turnovers for @Scotlandteam in 2020, more than any other player in Test rugby in the last 12 months, while he also made 117/117 tackles - no one else attempted 40+ without missing at least one. Rock.
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989
163 - @Scotlandteam's Hamish Watson made 14/14 tackles against England and has now made 163 tackles in a row in the #GuinnessSixNations without missing, surpassing Lionel Nallet (154) for the longest run of tackles made without a miss in Six Nations history. Complete.
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96.9% - Justin Tipuric is 31 today; he has a 96.9% tackle success rate in Test rugby since his debut in 2011, the best rate of any Tier 1 back row in that time, only Jonny (97.4%) & Richie Gray (97.1%) boast better rates of any Tier 1 players in that period (100+ tackles). Glue.
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122
996
219 - @hamishwatson7 made 70/70 tackles in this year's #GuinnessSixNations and has now made 219 successful tackles since his last miss in the Championship; in Test rugby overall he's made 353 tackles for @Scotlandteam and the @lionsofficial since last missing one. Unbelievable.
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0 - No forward made more tackles (76), metres (173), breaks (4) or beat more defenders (14) than @taulupe on the 2017 Lions tour. Busy.
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946
5 - Dan Sheehan was the only hooker to make any line breaks in the #GuinnessSixNations this year - he made five in total; Sheehan also beat as many defenders as every other hooker combined (11), despite playing just 183 minutes. Outlier .
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950
43 - @GlasgowWarriors' Jonny Gray made 43 tackles against Leinster without missing any, no one else in the @PRO14Official, @premrugby, @top14rugby or @SuperRugby has ever made more than 34 in a match since Opta have recorded this data. Superhuman.
13
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917
42% - Kwagga Smith turned over or disrupted 41% of the defensive rucks he hit in the 2023 #RWC (13/31), the best rate of any player to hit 20+ defensive rucks – Smith won 10 turnovers in total (including three in the final), at least three more than any other player. Nuisance.
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941
27 - @Mako_Vunipola & @Mark_wils610 both made 27 tackles for @EnglandRugby against @IrishRugby, more than any other England player has ever made in a @SixNationsRugby match. Blockade.
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10 - Despite playing just 22 minutes against Wales, @hamishwatson7 beat 10 defenders, the most ever by a @Scotlandteam player in a #GuinnessSixNations match and the sixth most by any player overall in the tournament. Rampaging.
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853
41.2 - Tomas Francis has averaged 41.2 ruck arrivals per 80 minutes in this year's Six Nations, the best rate of any player to feature for 200+ minutes; he was also one of just four players to have an effective impact at 100+ rucks (108, also Beirne, Itoje and Tipuric). Unsung.
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28 – Pieter-Steph du Toit made 28 tackles v New Zealand in the #RWC2023 final, the most by any player in a single match at this year’s tournament and the most by any player in a men’s final, overtaking the 18 made by Richie McCaw v France in 2011. Warrior.
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XV - Based on our unique scoring system here is @OptaJonny's 'Team of the Tournament' for #RWC2019, the scores are based on a per 80 mins rate with a minimum of 320 mins required to make the cut (240 mins for props); @beaudenbarrett had the highest score of any player. Selected.
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10 - Finn Russell has provided 10 try assists in 9 Test matches for @Scotlandteam since the start of 2022, more than any other player from a Tier 1 nation in that time; he is also the first Scotland player to register a hat-trick of assists in a @SixNationsRugby game. Playmaker.
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96% - @EnglandRugby's @George_Fordy has the best tackle success rate of any international fly-half in 2019 (53/55). Underrated. #RWC2019
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2 - @IrishRugby have become the first nation to win a Grand Slam in both @SixNationsRugby and @SixNationsU20 in the same year - the under-20s have also become the first ever side to win back-to-back Grand Slams in the competition. Undefeated.
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4 - There have been just four instances of a Tier 1 prop beating 5+ defenders in a Test match in the last 10 years:. Tadhg Furlong - 5 v Argentina, Nov 2017.Tadhg Furlong- 6 v Australia, June 2018.Dave Kilcoyne - 5 v Italy, Feb 2019.Dave Kilcoyne - 5 v Wales, Aug 2019. Rampage.
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8 - @StuartWHOGG_ beat eight defenders in today's Calcutta Cup clash, as many as the entire England team combinded. Weaver.
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1 - Calvin Nash is the first @Munsterrugby player to score a try on their #GuinnessM6N debut for @IrishRugby since Simon Zebo crossed the line against Wales exactly 11 years ago. Introduction.
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14 - Wales have gone 14 @SixNationsRugby games without being shown either a red or yellow card, every other side has been shown at least three in that period; in that time Wales' opponents have been shown 7 cards (inc. three reds), the most of any side. Behaviour.
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7 - @LouisReesZammit beat seven defenders for the @lionsofficial tonight, more than any other player on the pitch and more than the entire South Africa ‘A’ team combined (5). Lightning.
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26 - @WelshRugbyUnion's Taulupe Faletau made 26 tackles and 15 carries against New Zealand, no player made more in either category during the weekend's Autumn Nations Series fixtures. Tireless.
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99% - Of players to make 100+ tackles in the @PRO14Official in the 2010s Jonny Gray recorded the best tackle success rate (99%), missing just 13 of 1006 attempted tackles, including 170 tackles without a single miss in 2019. Chief.
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17 – Frans Steyn played in 17 @rugbyworldcup matches without losing a single one, the most of any player to maintain a 100% record and is also one of just two @Springboks players to have lifted the Webb Ellis Cup on multiple occasions (also Os du Randt). Legend.
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153
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58 - Justin Tipuric has made more tackles than any other player on this @lionsofficial tour and has not missed a single one (58/58). Solid.
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23 - Finn Russell scored 23 points v Brive at the weekend, a career match-high; in the T14 this season he has slotted 91% of his kicks at goal (39/43), 17 percentage points higher than his expected rate (74%) - the biggest overperformance of any player (10+ attempts). Form.
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596
31.5 - Japan's players had a combined 1606 touches of the ball at this year's @rugbyworldcup, more than any other side, and made just 51 handling errors in the process; their average of 31.5 touches per handling error is the best rate of any side at #RWC2019. Skilled.
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615
142 - David Pocock won 142 turnovers in Test rugby since making his debut in 2008, more than any other tier one player in that period:. 142 - David Pocock 🇦🇺.114 - Richie McCaw 🇳🇿.99 - Michael Hooper 🇦🇺.91 - Kieran Read 🇳🇿.90 - Sam Warburton 🏴. Specialist.
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600
7 - Ellis Genge beat seven defenders in @BristolBears' victory against Bath at the weekend, only the 7th time a prop has beaten 7+ defenders in a @premrugby match since Opta have recorded this data (2009) - five of those seven instances have been recorded by Genge. Homecoming.
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591
12 - Antoine Dupont was directly involved in 12 tries in his first two SVNS events with @FranceRugby (6 tries, 6 assists), the most of any men's player across the Vancouver and LA legs; he also had the best tackle evasion % of the 26 players to face 25+ tackles (61%). Transition.
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1 - Finn Russell during his spell in @top14rugby:. Try assist passes: 31 (=1st).Break assist passes: 66 (1st). Lionel Messi during his spell in @Ligue1_ENG:. Assists: 30 (1st).Chances created in open play: 125 (1st). Similarities. #SixNationsFullContact
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34 - No player made more tackles during @EnglandRugby's clash with Wales on Saturday than @LewisLudlam (15), who has now made 34 tackles without missing any in his Test career. Bolter.
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571
28 - @Saracens' @bradbarritt made 28 tackles against Leinster, without missing a single hit, the most by a back in a European match since Opta have recorded this data (since 2009/10). Wall.
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1984 - @Scotlandteam have won back-to-back matches against England for the first time since 1984; they went on to win the Five Nations that year. Pressure?
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6 - Marcus Smith beat six defenders against Italy, the most by any player in the match and the most by an @EnglandRugby fly half in the #GuinnessSixNations since Jonny Wilkinson beat eight against Ireland in 2002. Footsteps.
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50 - Hamish Watson won his 50th cap for @Scotlandteam against Argentina; he missed one tackle against the Pumas, his first in a Test for Scotland since his 25th cap (v England, 2019) - he had made 332 tackles without missing in the 24 matches between those two fixtures. Magnetic.
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7 - Josh Adams has scored 7 tries at #RWC2019, the most by a @WelshRugbyUnion player in an edition of the tournament, surpassing @ShaneWilliams11's tally of 6 in 2007; only three players from any nation have scored more at a @rugbyworldcup (Lomu, Habana, Savea). Heaven. #NZLvWAL
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40 - @SmithKwagga has won both the most turnovers overall (40) & the most jackals (27) of any men's player in 2023 across all major club & international comps; he also tops the charts for both those categories on a per 80 mins basis (2.8 TW, 1.9 J). Specialist. #AskOptaJonny
@OptaJonny Most turnovers globally in a calendar year 23.
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99 - Jonny Gray completed 18/18 tackles in @ExeterChiefs’ victory over Northampton, no other player made as many without missing in the Champions Cup quarter-finals; in the competition overall this season, Jonny Gray has made 99 tackles and missed just one. Problems.
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2 - Ken Owens is the first hooker to score 2+ tries in a Six Nations game since Ireland’s Shane Byrne in February 2004 against Wales. Retraining.
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482
103 - @Federugby's Michele Lamaro made 103 tackles in the #GuinnessM6N this year, the most by any player in an edition of the Championship, surpassing Jonny Gray’s tally of 100 in 2018. Colossus.
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23 - Doddie Weir turns 50 today; the former @Scotlandteam second row stole 23 lineouts in his @rugbyworldcup career, more than any other player in the history of the tournament. Soaring.
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30 - Since his Glasgow debut, Jonny Gray has missed just 3⃣0⃣ of 1433 attempted tackles for club and country in all competitions. Warrior.
15
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41% - @EnglandRugby's Tom Curry has either won a turnover or penalty, or slowed down 15 of the 37 defensive rucks he's hit in the #GuinnessSixNations this year, his 41% ruck effectiveness rate in defence is the best of any player (min. 20 rucks hit). Nuisance.
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2000 - @Harlequins' Tyrone Green gained exactly 2000 metres in @premrugby in 2021, over 300 metres more than any other player, while he also beat the joint most defenders this calendar year (92, level with Tom O'Flaherty). Joker.
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29 - Justin Tipuric made 29 tackles for @WelshRugbyUnion against Ireland, only two players have made more in a @SixNationsRugby match - Luke Charteris and Guilhem Guirado, who both made 31 tackles against Ireland, in 2015 and 2018 respectively. Theme.
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462
22 - @1_Dickie has landed each of his 22 lineout throws in the 2021 Six Nations, no other hooker has attempted 10+ throws without missing the target; in fact no player has completed a 6N campaign having attempted 20+ throws without missing one (Ken Owens 19/19 in 2016). Flawless.
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450
157 - In 157 appearances for @Saracens since his @premrugby debut in 2009/10, @SchalkBrits tops the charts for hookers for tries, carries, metres, breaks, defenders beaten, offloads, assists, tackles, throws and throw %. Swansong.
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43 – No players beat more defenders in Tier 1 Test rugby in 2022 than @Scotlandteam wingers Darcy Graham (43) and Duhan van der Merwe (36), while Graham also made the most line breaks (13) and the third-most metres (713m) of any player this year. Lightning.
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93% - Scotland’s tackle success rate of 93% is the best of any side in the 2021 Six Nations. Wall.
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15 - Duhan van der Merwe beat 15 defenders against Italy, the joint most by any player in a @SixNationsRugby game alongside France’s Thomas Castaignede against Italy in 2000. Bouncing.
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432
97% - Of the 169 players to make 500+ tackles in @premrugby in the last decade @Tommy2Taylor recorded the best tackle success rate, missing just 29 of his 900 attempted hits (97%). Buzzing. #Opta2010s
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98% - @jonnygray14 has a tackle success rate of 98% (439/449) in the @SixNationsRugby, the best rate of any of the 243 players to make 100+ tackles in the Championship’s history; his brother Richie ranks 7th. Shades.
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133 - @hamishwatson7 has completed 133 tackles in a row in @SixNationsRugby (last 16 in 2019, 73/73 in 2020, 44/44 in 2021), his last miss came against England in 2019, only Lionel Nallet (154) has made more consecutive tackles without missing in Six Nations history. Bull.
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432
308 - No player has made more breaks (8) or metres (308) in @premrugby than @StuartWHOGG_ since his @ExeterChiefs debut; in fact @CPiutau (305) is the only other player to gain 200+ metres in that time. Settling.
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💯 - @Scotlandteam's @jonnygray14 is the first player to make 💯 tackles in a @SixNationsRugby campaign, he completed exactly 100 of his 103 hits in the 2018 edition, breaking @joe_launch's record from 2017 (85) Trademark.
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149 - England's Maro Itoje hit 149 rucks in total during the November Tests, more than any other Tier 1 player, while teammate Mark Wilson was the first man to the ruck on 83 occasions, no other player reached the breakdown first as often. Tireless. 🌹
12
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426
11 - @jameshaskell's @EnglandRugby career began on 17th March 2007 and ended exactly 11 years later on 17th March 2018; he played at least once for England in each of the 12 calendar years in between, the only player to do so in this time period. Stalwart.
5
28
415
83 - @taulupe Faletau made 83 tackles at the 2011 @rugbyworldcup - without missing a single one - the most by any player in a single campaign; he surpassed the previous best tally of 80 which was set by fellow @WelshRugbyUnion player @colincharvis in 2003. Dragons.
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5 - Duhan van der Merwe became the first Scotland player to end a Six Nations campaign as the outright top try scorer (excluding joint top-scorers). Lion?
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97% - Malcolm Marx found a teammate from 36 of 37 lineout throws in 2023, his 97% success rate was the best of any player in men's Test rugby this year (min. 25 throws):. 🇿🇦 Malcolm Marx 97%.🏴 Elliot Dee 94%.🇦🇷 Julian Montoya 93%.🇫🇷 Peato Mauvaka 93%.☘️ Dan Sheehan 93%. Darts.
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4 - @Harlequins' Louis Lynagh scored 4 @premrugby in June 2021, a tally only Max Malins could match. Crucial.
8
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406
8 - There have been eight instances of a Tier 1 team making 235+ tackles in a Test since Opta have recorded this data:. 253 🇫🇷 (v 🇮🇪 2018).252 🇦🇺 (v 🇿🇦 2014).250 🏴 (v 🇮🇪 2015).245 🇮🇹 (v 🇮🇪 2014).245 🏴 (v 🇮🇪 2021).242 🏴 (v 🇮🇪 2017).235 🇿🇦 (v 🇳🇿 2018).235 🇳🇿 (v 🇮🇪 2021). Theme.
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463 - Duhan van der Merwe has gained 463 metres so far on the 2021 @lionsofficial tour, almost 200 more than any other player (Josh Adams 266); he also tops the charts for defenders beaten (29), post-contact metres (206) and clean breaks (11). Warrior.
7
44
399
515 - Duhan van der Merwe gained 515 metres for the @lionsofficial in 2021, 205 more than 2nd placed Josh Adams (310); he also topped the charts for defenders beaten (36), clean breaks (12), post-contact metres (267) and came in second for tries (5). Trusted.
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29 - Hamish Watson won a turnover every 2⃣9⃣ minutes on average for @Scotlandteam during the Autumn Internationals (6 turnovers in 172 minutes), the best rate of any Tier One player in November. Thief.
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395
100% - Bongi Mbonambi is the only hooker with a 100% lineout success rate in #TRC2024, finding a teammate with 19/19 throws, while fellow @Springboks Ruan Nortje (18) and Eben Etzebeth (16) rank first and second respectively for lineout takes this campaign. Drilled.
6
83
404
86 - Michele Lamaro made 86 tackles in the Six Nations this year, only Jonny Gray has made more in an edition of the tournament:. 100 - Jonny Gray 2018.86 - Michele Lamaro 2022.86 - Tom Curry 2019.85 - Joe Launchbury 2017.84 - Jonny Gray 2015.84 - Justin Tipuric 2017. Gladiator.
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368
16 - @SanjayWills played 1,386 minutes in @premrugby for @Saracens and scored 16 tries, his rate of a try every 86 minutes is the best of any player to play 500+ minutes since his debut in September 2017. Lethal.
3
27
378
6 - @Harlequins' Will Evans won six jackal turnovers against Exeter, the most by any player in a @premrugby match since Opta have recorded this data. Specialist.
4
19
365
172 - @Scotlandteam have gone 172 minutes since conceding a point at #RWC2019, keeping their opponents scoreless in back-to-back Test matches for the first time since 1964 in the process. Nilled.
2
45
362
120 - Alfie Barbeary gained 120 metres v Gloucester, the most by any player in @premrugby Round 2; it was also the most by a forward in the league since September 2017 (Paul Grant 140 for Bath v Newcastle) and the most by a Wasps forward since Opta have recorded this data. Sting.
9
13
369
6 - Six first-half tries have been scored in #FRAvRSA, the most ever in the first half of a men's @RugbyWorldCup knockout match; it is also the first time South Africa have conceded more than two tries in the first half of any #RWC match. Unprecedented.
2
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356
2.3 - Siya Kolisi made the most dominant tackles per 80 mins of any player in men's Test rugby in 2023; teammate Damian de Allende made the most of any back (400+ mins played):. 🇿🇦 S Kolisi 2.3.🇫🇯 L Tagitagivalu 2.1.🇵🇹 N Martins 2.0.🇿🇦 D de Allende 2.0.🇮🇹 D Fischetti 2.0. Boom.
4
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362
21 - @Federugby's Monty Ioane beat 21 defenders in the #GuinnessSixNations this year, more than anyone else, while he also made the most dominant tackles of any player (7). Physical.
4
25
353
2007 - @hookjameshook is one of just two players in the professional era to record a full-house (try, conversion, penalty goal, drop-goal) in a match against England, doing so in the 2007 @SixNationsRugby (also C Lamaison in 1997). Folklore.
3
32
353
146 - @Scotlandteam's Jonny and Richie Gray set the two longest runs without missing a tackle by any Tier 1 players in Test rugby in the last decade – Jonny made 146 tackles from Oct 2015 - Feb 2017, while Richie Gray made 128 from Feb 2016 - March 2018. Locked.
5
52
349
25 - Gavin Coombes made 25 tackles against Northampton, the most by any player in a match in this season's @ChampionsCup and the most by a @Munsterrugby player in the competition since CJ Stander made 25 against Exeter in January 2019. Succeeding.
5
15
348
85 - @Jason15Robinson celebrates his birthday today; he beat 85 defenders in his @SixNationsRugby career, more than any other @EnglandRugby player, while he also beat the most defenders (48) and gained the most metres (999) of any England player at the @rugbyworldcup. Whizz.
7
32
345
22 - @samsimmonds_ has scored 22 tries in the league and Europe in 2020, 10 more than any other player from a Premiership, PRO14 or TOP 14 club this calendar year. Gap.
11
44
354
9 - @AlunWynJones has made nine Test appearances for the @lionsofficial, more than any other player in the professional era. Captain. 🦁
2
22
351
21 - @Scotlandteam's Matt Fagerson hit 21 attacking rucks against England and made an effective impact at each of them, no other player hit as many attacking rucks with a 100% effectiveness rate. Cleanout.
0
19
338
32 - Gloucester's @LewisLudlow94 made 32 tackles against Exeter, only two other players have made 32+ tackles in a @premrugby match since Opta have recorded this data (2008/09) - Jacques Burger (34 v Exeter, Nov 2013) and Teimana Harrison (33 v Newcastle, Dec 2018). Shedload.
7
26
348
92 - @ChrisRobshaw has captained @Harlequins a record 92 times in @premrugby, whilst @mikebrown_15 (222) is the only other player to make 200+ Premiership appearances for the club (203). Stalwart.
3
22
342
91% - Of the 32 hookers to take 75+ lineout throws in @SixNationsRugby history, only @jerryflannery (92%) has a better success rate than @J_George2 (91%). Finisher.
13
14
341
3091 - @Scotlandteam captain @StuartWHOGG_ gained 88 metres with ball in hand against England, taking him past @sergioparisse (3,088) as the player to gain the most in @SixNationsRugby history (3,091). Pole.
1
32
330
1 - @LouisReesZammit scored the most tries (6), made the most breaks (14) and recorded the highest average gain (10.6m, minimum 25 carries) of any Premiership, PRO14 or TOP 14 player in all competitions in December. Lightning. ⚡️
6
29
347
3 - Despite playing just 114 minutes in the #GuinnessSixNations, @Federugby's Ange Capuozzo has been directly involved in 3 of the 5 tries scored by the Azzurri in the Championship in 2022, scoring twice against Scotland, before assisting the decisive try against Wales. Flying.
3
23
325
19 - After his hat-trick last night, Sam Simmonds has now scored 19 tries in the league this season, a new record for a player in a single @premrugby campaign; overall, he has now scored 50 in just 66 league games for @ExeterChiefs, averaging a try every 85 minutes. Unstoppable.
2
26
330
24 – There have been just three instances of a player making 23+ carries in a single @URCOfficial game so far this season, two of which have been recorded by Gavin Coombes in his last two games for @MunsterRugby, including 24 against Ulster on New Year’s Day. Talismanic.
7
16
323
48 - @leinsterrugby's Josh van der Flier hit 48 rucks v Toulouse (32 in attack, 16 in defence), only van der Flier himself has hit more in a @ChampionsCup game this season (50 v Racing 92); he also made the most tackles of any player in the European semi-finals (21). Energetic.
8
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323
1.6 - Wales' average gain of 1.6 metres per carry against the @Springboks yesterday was the lowest any side has ever recorded in a Rugby World Cup fixture (182 metres from 114 carries). Denied. #RWC2019
16
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321
2 - New @OfficialPDC World Champion @Gezzyprice made 2 @PRO14Official appearances for @GlasgowWarriors in 2013, landing 8/10 lineout throws, making 9/9 tackles and winning both games. Arrows. 🎯🏉💥
3
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0 - The @Springboks didn't concede a single line break against England in their semi-final clash, the first team to manage that in a match at #RWC2023. Halted. Read more on the @OptaAnalyst ⬇️⬇️⬇️.
31
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