2012 end-of-year rugby union internationals

The 2012 autumn internationals, also known as the autumn tests, November tests and, in the Southern Hemisphere, the end of year tests, were international rugby union matches. They were predominantly played between visiting Southern Hemisphere countries and European nations.

The IRB introduced an International Rugby Series, to improve competitiveness ahead of the next World Cup, that included Tier 2 nations Tonga, Canada, Russia, Samoa and the United States. The first tournament was held at Colwyn Bay's Eirias Stadium in North Wales.

The tournament was in addition to those tests played between Tier 1 and Tier 2 nations. Wales and France hosted Samoa, England and Ireland hosted Fiji and Scotland and Italy hosted Tonga.

Both Georgia and Romania hosted Japan, while Portugal travelled to South America to play a two test tour, where they earn victories over Uruguay and Chile. Namibia hosted a tournament including Spain and Zimbabwe, with Spain winning both tests to clinch the tournament.

Matches

[edit]

October

[edit]
20 October 2012
20:00 AEST (UTC+10)
Australia 18–18 New Zealand
Pen: Harris (5/5) 2', 27', 31', 40', 74'
Beale (1/2) 50'
Report[1]Pen: Carter (6/8) 6', 10', 52', 54', 66', 70'
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Attendance: 51,888
Referee: Craig Joubert (South Africa)

Notes:

  • James Hanson made his international debut for Australia in this match.
  • Keven Mealamu won his 100th cap for the All Blacks, he became the 22nd international player and 3rd All Black to reach the landmark.
  • Piri Weepu equalled the record held by Ollie le Roux for most international caps from the bench with his 43rd substitute appearance from his 66 caps.
  • Tony Woodcock equalled the All Black record held by Kees Meeuws for most yellow cards in a career with his third yellow card.
  • The draw ended New Zealand's 16-match winning streak, also ending their chances of surpassing Lithuania's record streak of 18 wins.
  • This match ended New Zealand's sequence of 105 consecutive matches of scoring a try in a match, it was the first match the All Blacks didn't score a try since 2004. The run of 105 consecutive matches of scoring a try in a match remains an international rugby record.

4 November

[edit]
4 November 2012
14:00 WET/GMT+0 (UTC+0)
Oxford University England15–29 Russia
Try: Hudson
Lamont
Con: Marr (1/2)
Pen: Marr (1/4)
Report[2]Try: Tsnobiladze
Garbuzov
Temnov
Simplikevich (2)
Con: Klyuchnikov (2/5)
Oxford University Sports Centre, Oxford
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth (England)

10/11 November

[edit]
10 November 2012
16:00 EET/GMT+02 (UTC+02)
Romania 23–34 Japan
Try: Lemnaru 60' c
Penalty try 73' c
Con: Florea (2/2) 61', 73'
Pen: Filip (3/5) 3', 17', 36'
Report
(In Romanian)
Try: Kikutani 42' m
Penalty try 70' c
Onozawa 71' c
Con: Goromaru (2/3) 71', 72'
Pen: Goromaru (5/5) 7', 12', 22', 39', 80'
Stadionul Naţional de Rugby, Bucharest
Referee: Jaco Peyper (South Africa)

10 November 2012
15:00 CET/GMT+01 (UTC+01)
Italy 28–23 Tonga
Try: Cittadini 6' m
Ghiraldini 39' c
Penalty Try 63' c
Con: Burton (2/3) 40', 64'
Pen: Burton (3/3) 13', 27', 52'
ReportTry: Taumalolo 33' c
Vainikolo 67' c
Con: 'Apikotoa (2/2) 34', 68'
Pen: 'Apikotoa (3/3) 3', 10', 24'
Stadio Mario Rigamonti, Brescia[3]
Attendance: 18,756
Referee: Greg Garner (England)

10 November 2012
14:30 WET/GMT+0 (UTC+0)
England 54–12 Fiji
Try: Sharples 21' c, 57' c
Penalty Try 35' c
Monye 40' m
Johnson 47 c
Tuilagi 68' m, 75' c
Con: Flood (4/6) 22', 35', 49', 58'
Farrell (1/1) 76'
Pen: Flood (3/3) 18', 25', 42'
ReportTry: Matawalu 55' m
Kalou 79' c
Con: Matavesi (1/2) 80'
Twickenham Stadium, London
Attendance: 82,000
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)

10 November 2012
14:30 WET/GMT+0 (UTC+0)
Wales 12–26 Argentina
Pen: Halfpenny (4/4) 5', 13', 26', 47'ReportTry: Imhoff 54' c
Camacho 59' c
Con: Sánchez (2/2) 55', 59'
Pen: Contepomi (1/2) 3'
Sánchez (1/3) 71'
Drop: Sánchez 9' 51'
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Attendance: 51,442
Referee: Romain Poite (France)

Notes:

  • Argentina's victory came exactly 11 years after their last win over Wales at the Millennium Stadium.

10 November 2012
17:30 WET/GMT+0 (UTC+0)
Ireland 12–16 South Africa
Pen: Sexton (4/6) 6', 10', 20', 30'ReportTry: Pienaar 44' c
Con: Lambie (1/1) 44'
Pen: Lambie (3/6) 17', 51', 69'
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Attendance: 49,781
Referee: Wayne Barnes (England)

Notes:


10 November 2012
20:45 CET/GMT+01 (UTC+01)
France 33–6 Australia
Try: Picamoles 12' c
Fofana 54' c
Penalty try 63' c
Con: Michalak (3/3) 13', 55', 64'
Pen: Michalak (2/2) 4', 36'
Parra (1/1) 75'
Drop: Michalak 39'
ReportPen: Harris (2/2) 8', 21'
Stade de France, Saint-Denis
Attendance: 65,000
Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)

Notes:

  • Yannick Forestier, Jocelino Suta, Sébastien Vahaamahina (all France) and Paddy Ryan (Australia) made their international debuts.
  • This match ended Australia's seven-year winning streak against France, France's previous victory against Australia dating back to 5 November 2005 (26–16).
  • The French came within one point of their largest ever victory against Australia (34–6 in 1976).

11 November 2012
14:30 WET/GMT+0 (UTC+0)
Scotland 22–51 New Zealand
Try: Visser 12' c, 50' m
Cross 40' c
Con: Laidlaw (2/3) 13', 40'
Pen: Laidlaw (1/1) 24'
ReportTry: Dagg 18' c
Savea 29' c, 62' c
Jane 33' c
Hore 37' c
Smith 75' c
Con: Carter (6/6) 19', 31', 34', 39', 64', 77'
Pen: Carter (3/4) 1', 28', 53'
Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Attendance: 67,144
Referee: Jérôme Garcès (France)

Notes:

  • Henry Pyrgos (Scotland), Dane Coles and Tawera Kerr-Barlow (both New Zealand) made their international debuts.
  • Scotland became the first team to score three tries against New Zealand since New Zealand's loss to Australia in August 2011.

11 November 2012[4]
17:30 UYST (UTC-3)
Uruguay 25–32 Portugal
Try: Martínez 7 m
Penalty Try 25' c
Mieres 61' c
Con: Etcheverry (2/3) 26', 62'
Pen: Etcheverry (2/4) 42', 48'
ReportTry: Aguilar 14' m
Uva 38' c
Le Roux 65' c
Gonçalo Foro 70' c
Con: Leal (3/4) 39', 66', 71'
Pen: Leal (2/2) 10', 28'
Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo
Referee: Juan Sylvestre (Argentina)

13 November

[edit]
13 November 2012
19:30 WET/GMT+0 (UTC+0)
Leicester Tigers England32–24 Māori All Blacks
Try: Morris 17' c
Thompstone 29' c
Con: Ford (2/2) 18', 30'
Pen: Ford (6/7) 2', 8', 12', 22', 43', 66'
Report[5]Try: Wilson 5' c
Bateman 39' c
Ngatai 63' c
Con: Ripia (3/3) 6', 40', 64'
Pen: Ripia (1/3) 33'
Welford Road, Leicester
Attendance: 17,206
Referee: Andrew Small (England)

Notes:

  • The Tigers returned to using their traditional lettered-flocked jerseys for this non-test match.[6] They last used this system when they hosted Australia in 2010.[7]

13 November 2012
19:45 WET/GMT+0 (UTC+0)
Gloucester England31–29 Fiji
Try: Cox 35' c
Penalty try 55' c, 62' c
Britton 74' c
Con: Robson (4/4) 36', 56', 63', 75
Pen: Robson (1/3) 67'
Report[8]Try: Tuapati 19' m
Matanavou 32' c
Votu 44' m
Con: Ralulu (1/3) 33'
Pen: Ralulu (4/6) 6', 23', 58', 66'
Kingsholm, Gloucester[9]
Attendance: 8,147
Referee: JP Doyle (England)

13 November 2012
19:45 WET/GMT+0 (UTC+0)
Newcastle Falcons England24–13 Tonga
Try: MacLeod 27' c
Penalty try 57' c
Wilson 65' c
Con: Hodgson (3/3) 28', 58', 66'
Pen: Hodgson (1/2) 78'
Report[10]Try: Fono 6' m
Helu 77' m
Con: Paea (0/2)
Pen: Paea (1/1) 43'
Kingston Park, Newcastle[11]
Attendance: 3,389
Referee: Sean Davey (England)

16/17 November

[edit]
16 November 2012
19:30 WET/GMT+0 (UTC+0)
Wales 19–26 Samoa
Try: Beck 32' c
Con: Halfpenny (1/1) 33'
Pen: Halfpenny (4/5) 15', 28', 49', 61
ReportTry: Autagavaia 1' c
G. Pisi 46' m
Leota 77' m
Con: T. Pisi (1/3) 2'
Pen: T. Pisi (3/6) 40', 56', 65'
Millennium Stadium, Cardiff
Attendance: 44,329
Referee: Pascal Gaüzère (France)

17 November 2012
15:00 GET (UTC+4)
Georgia 22–25 Japan
Try: Kvirikashvili 52' c
Con: Kvirikashvili (1/1) 52'
Pen: Kvirikashvili (5/6) 5', 7', 13', 43', 50'
ReportTry: Onozowa 40' c
Con: Goromaru (1/1) 40'
Pen: Goromaru (5/5) 25', 35', 56', 66', 72'
Drop: Ono 80'
Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, Tbilisi
Attendance: 15,000
Referee: Glen Jackson (New Zealand)

17 November 2012
12:05 WET/GMT+0 (UTC+0)
RFU Championship XV England21–52 Māori All Blacks
Try: Mama 22' m
Crane 78' c
Con: Roberts (0/1)
Sharp (1/1) 79'
Pen: Roberts (3/5) 4', 11', 42'
Report[12]Try: O'Donnell 14' c
Baker 28' c
Elliot 33' c
Renata 53' c
Dixon 56' m
Wilson 63' c
Graham 72' c
Willison 75' m
Con: Ripia (5/7) 15', 29', 34', 64', 73'
Renata (1/1) 54'
Castle Park, Doncaster
Attendance: 4,956
Referee: David Rose (England)

17 November 2012
15:00 CET/GMT+01 (UTC+1)
Italy 10–42 New Zealand
Try: Sgarbi 25' c
Con: Orquera (1/1) 26'
Drop: Orquera 52'
ReportTry: Read 16' c
Nonu 49' c
Jane 67' c
Savea 73' m, 75' c
Con: Cruden (4/5) 16', 50', 68', 76'
Pen: Cruden (3/3) 12', 19', 44'
Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Attendance: 73,000
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)

17 November 2012
14:30 WET/GMT+0 (UTC+0)
England 14–20 Australia
Try: Tuilagi 38' m
Pen: Floos (3/3) 2', 23', 33'
ReportTry: Cummins 34' m
Pen: Barnes (4/5) 30', 43', 49', 52'
Drop: Barnes 12'
Twickenham Stadium, London
Attendance: 81,361
Referee: Romain Poite (France)

17 November 2012
14:30 WET/GMT+0 (UTC+0)
Scotland