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