Ireland v Canada – RWC Stat Attack
We take a look at some of the key facts and figures for the opening Rugby World Cup Pool D match between Ireland and Canada at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 2.30pm).
HEAD-TO-HEAD:
– This will be the seventh full Test meeting between these countries. Ireland have won five of the previous six with the remaining encounter finishing a draw
– Canada also lost a 1989 Test match against an Ireland XV 24-21 but Ireland awarded no caps in that match
– Their most recent meeting took place on June 15, 2013 in Toronto. Ireland won 40-14 and Fergus McFadden scored a hat-trick of tries. James Downey made his Test debut and Andrew Trimble played in his 50th Test for Ireland
– A May 23, 2009 encounter in Vancouver was won 25-6 by Ireland. Eight players made their Test debuts for Ireland: Darren Cave, Ian Whitten, Ian Dowling, Ian Keatley, John Muldoon, Niall Ronan, Mike Ross and Ryan Caldwell. Chauncey O’Toole, Doug Wooldridge and Phil Mack made their Test debuts for Canada
– Their last meeting in Ireland (Limerick) took place on November 8, 2008. Ireland won 55-0. Tommy Bowe and Rob Kearney each ran in a pair of tries, with debutant full-back Keith Earls scoring the opener
– The teams played out a 27-27 draw on June 17, 2000 in Markham, Canada
– Their first encounter was their only run-in at the World Cup so far. On May 30, 1987, Ireland emerged victorious by 46-19. Ireland’s Michael Kiernan (pictured below) scored as many points (19) as the opposition
IRELAND:
– Ireland are one of 12 ever-presents at the Rugby World Cup and will be making their eighth appearance
– Ireland’s best finish in the World Cup is the quarter-finals, which they have reached on five separate occasions, including four years ago
– Ireland are the current Six Nations champions. The only northern Hemisphere side that won the World Cup, England in 2003, also won the Six Nations Championship in the same year
– Ireland have lost their last two Test matches. During Joe Schmidt’s tenure as Ireland head coach, they have not had a three-match winless streak
– Ireland failed to make it out of their RWC pool once, in 2007
– Captain Paul O’Connell will equal Ireland’s team record by participating in a fourth World Cup, matching Brian O’Driscoll
– New Zealander Joe Schmidt is only the second foreign coach to lead Ireland in a World Cup campaign. In 1999, they were coached by Schmidt’s fellow Kiwi Warren Gatland
– Ireland need another four tries to reach 100 in Rugby World Cup history
– Jonathan Sexton has scored 499 career test points in 56 appearances for Ireland and the British & Irish Lions
CANADA:
– Canada are one of 12 ever-presents at the Rugby World Cup and will be making an eighth appearance
– Their track record at the World Cup is six pool phase exits and one quarter-final appearance
– Canada reached the quarter-finals in 1991, where they lost to New Zealand
– Head coach Kieran Crowley from New Zealand is the only one among the 20 coaches at the Rugby World Cup 2015 to have won the World Cup as a player. He managed that feat with New Zealand in 1987
– Canada are one of two teams that will face Tier I opposition in their first three matches at RWC 2015. The other team is Fiji
– Jamie Cudmore can match Al Charron, Rod Snow, Mike James and Gareth Rees by appearing in a fourth World Cup for Canada
– Canada’s next try will be their 50th in World Cup history
– Canada have won only one of their last nine Test matches, losing the other eight