The Rugby World Cup is the biggest event in the sport and teams spend years working toward the global showpiece making every point count that much more.
With that in mind, there is added focus on the goal kickers for each team for how they can handle the pressure and the scoreboard over from the tee. Planet Rugby takes a closer look at who is on form from the tee.
Sharpshooters
Several players began their campaign with a flawless outing from the tee but no one managed as many successful kicks as Italian Tomasso Allan who nailed all eight kicks in his side’s dominant win over Namibia.
England’s hero against Argentina, George Ford, enjoyed a faultless day from the tee as he nailed six kicks at goal in addition to his three drop-goals. Brave Blossoms pivot Rikiya Matsuda matched his performance from the tee with 6/6 against Chile.
🏴 The Englishman leads the way after his outstanding performance against Argentina. #RWC2023
🗞️ All the individual stats leaders: https://t.co/Bg6g54A1ow pic.twitter.com/hQfEs1STVC
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) September 12, 2023
Three other players managed 100% off the tee but with notably fewer attempts, with Fijian Frank Lomani going 2/2 whilst Scot Finn Russell and Georgian Tedo Abzhandadze nailed their only kicks.
Near perfect
This group of players all kicked 70% or better at the opening weekend of the World Cup. Ireland’s Johnny Sexton was near perfect, managing 87.5%, which is 7/8 all of which were conversions as his team ran riot against Romania.
It was a dream first start at full-back for Wallabies star Ben Donaldson who was near faultless from the tee, missing only one of his seven attempts at an impressive 85.7% to add to his brace of tries.
Rounding out this category is Welshman Dan Biggar, who managed 71.4% of his kicks at goal, which equats to 5/7 in what turned out to be important points in keeping Fiji just out of striking distance.
🔢 Top points scorer.
🏉 Leading try scorer.
😤 Most tackles.📋 Check out all the individual stats leaders from the opening weekend of #RWC2023.https://t.co/9QmqzjsxE9
— Planet Rugby (@PlanetRugby) September 12, 2023
Chasing pack
The remainder of the goalkickers fall into the same category, headlined by a duo one would expect to be at the top of the pile. France full-back Thomas Ramos was uncharacteristically cold off the tee for his lofty standards, as he kicked 6/9 at 67%. Similarly was the typically brilliant Argentine Emiliano Boffelli, who kicked the same percentage but at 2/3.
Springboks scrum-half Faf de Klerk is next in line after he took over the kicking duties from Manie Libbok. The livewire managed 50%, making 1/2; the same stats were shared by three other players in Romanian Gabriel Rupanu, Georgian Luka Matkava and Chilean Santiago Videla.
Despite lighting the attack up with a no-look cross kick, Libbok struggled from the tee, making 2/5 at 40%. All Black Richie Mo’unga was surprisingly inaccurate against France, only getting one of his three attempts at 33%, with Namibia’s Tiaan Swanepoel and Fijian Teti Tela with the same output.
This. On. Repeat. 🤤
The kick from Manie Libbok. 😍#RWC2023
— Jared Wright (@jaredwright17) September 11, 2023
England’s Elliot Daly was the only star to fail to get a kick as he failed both of his attempts. However, it must be considered that the versatile star only attempted very long kicks.
READ MORE: The Rugby World Cup stat record Wales broke and where teams got an edge
Article courtesy of
Source link
