Rugby World Cup 2021: Semi-finals in numbers
We now know that either New Zealand or England will finish Rugby World Cup 2021 as champions.
The Black Ferns booked their place in the showpiece match with a slender 25-24 win against France at Eden Park on Saturday, hours after England had edged past Canada 26-19.
But how did they do it? Following two enthralling semi-finals in Auckland, we highlight some of the most important statistics.
11 – points scored by Emily Scarratt to help England beat Canada at Eden Park. The Red Roses centre has scored a tournament-high 38 points at RWC 2021.
13 – opposition 22 entries made by Canada against England, more than any other team on Saturday. However, they were only able to score 1.46 points per entry, the lowest of the four semi-finalists.
18 – carries by Sophie de Goede in Canada’s defeat to England, more than any other player on Saturday. The Canadian captain has made 90 carries in the tournament, 19 more than the next best player, Australia’s Grace Hamilton (71).
22 – tackles made each by France team-mates Agathe Sochat and Madoussou Fall in Les Bleues’ semi-final loss against the Black Ferns.
24.2 – attacking minutes for Canada against England, more than any of the other semi-finalists.
39 – ruck arrivals made by both Abbie Ward and Alex Matthews in England’s win against Canada, more than any other player in the semi-finals.
43 – minutes and 28 seconds, the ball in play time for England’s win against Canada.
67 – England got quick ball from 67 per cent of the attacking rucks they had against Canada. That was the highest percentage of the semi-finals, but only England’s third best behind their matches against Australia (68 per cent) and South Africa (80 per cent).
70 – per cent of England’s 115 carries took play over the gain line. By contrast only 55 per cent of Canada’s 165 carries gained any metres.
91 – per cent of the 119 tackles the Black Ferns attempted against France were successful. That was a higher rate than any other team in the semi-finals.
143 – ball carry metres made by England full-back Helena Rowland in her 44 minutes on the pitch against Canada. Team-mate Abby Dow (109) was the only other player to register more than 100 metres on Saturday.
212 – tackles made by England against Canada, more than any of the three semi-finalists.
906 – metres carried by New Zealand, for a gain of 515m, in their nail-biting defeat of France.
