Week two of the Autumn Nations Series did not disappoint, with plenty of drama, tries and talking points in the second round of fixtures.
Ireland comfortably dispatched Japan 60-5 while New Zealand defeated Italy 47-9 in Rome in the early Saturday action.
England dismantled Tonga 69-3 while a late Malcolm Marx try saw the Springboks pull off a second-half 23-18 comeback win over Wales, their first in Cardiff since 2013.
Melvyn Jaminet was the star of the show for France in their 29-20 win over Argentina and Gregor Townsend’s Scotland beat Australia 15-13 in the final game of the round two action.
Here’s a look at the numbers from the weekend.
Ireland 60-5 Japan
100 – The number of Ireland caps won by Johnny Sexton, who reached the landmark achievement at the Aviva Stadium against Japan. The centurion racked up 16 points in Ireland’s impressive win, and even picked up a Samurai sword as a gesture of goodwill from Japan to celebrate his achievement.
40,000 – The attendance at the Aviva Stadium for Ireland’s Autumn Nations Series opener.
20 – The number of offloads Ireland made on their way to their 60-5 win.
New Zealand 47-9 Italy
93 – The number of tries scored by New Zealand this calendar year. Against Italy, All Black winger Sevu Reece’s score set a new record for Test tries in a calendar year. With New Zealand in such sublime form, you wouldn’t be against them reaching the 100 mark during the remainder of the Autumn Nations Series.
675 – The number of points scored by New Zealand this calendar year. The 47 points against Italy helped New Zealand to pass the previous record set by South Africa (658) in 2007. Impressive!
England 69-3 Tonga
5 – The number of tries hooker Jamie Blamire has scored for England now…in just three games. Not half bad, especially for a hooker who has only made three Premiership starts.
11 – The number of tries Eddie Jones’ side ran past Tonga in their rampant win.
81,000 – The attendance at Twickenham. It was the first time since March 2020 that HQ was back to full capacity.
South Africa 23-18 Wales
6 – The number of penalties Wales fly-half Dan Biggar kicked, which was all of Wales points.
54 – The distance in metres of Frans Steyn’s successful penalty kick…from his own half!
73 – The minute in which South Africa crossed for the game’s only try through Malcolm Marx. Marx’s try proved crucial as it ultimately helped them secure their first win in Cardiff since 2013.
France 29-20 Argentina
19 – The number of points French full-back Melvyn Jaminet scored with the boot. The France star was in impervious form for Les Bleus, helping to keep the scoreboard ticking over in their win over Argentina.
50 – The minute that French debutant Thibaud Flament crossed the whitewash at the Stade de France. Flament’s journey from Loughborough fifths to French international has been well documented, with the lock finishing his try with aplomb by running a superb line off fly-half Matthieu Jalibert.
Scotland 15-13 Australia
3 – The number of times Scotland have now beaten Australia in a row.
67,000 – The number of fans inside BT Murrayfield to cheer Scotland on to success.
68 – The minute that Finn Russell kicked the game-winning penalty. Russell’s penalty set up a nervy final 12 minutes but Scotland managed to come through in what was an impressive win.
