https://rugbystatsnerd.comIndependent rugby. In perspective.en-nzTue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/france-kicking-and-runninghttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/france-kicking-and-runningOne of the busiest kicking games. The highest clean-break rate in this comparison. A team’s style needs more than one number.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/different-ways-to-rotatehttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/different-ways-to-rotateSouth Africa change the most starters. France use the biggest player pool. Those are different stories.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/all-blacks-depth-mappedhttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/all-blacks-depth-mappedSelection, experience and availability produce different pictures. Explore the refreshed player pool, position by position.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/springboks-depth-mappedhttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/springboks-depth-mappedSix tighthead options and 12 at lock in the mapped recent capped cohort. Availability and overlapping cover still matter.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/rugby-test-comebackshttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/rugby-test-comebacksSouth Korea overturned a 29-point deficit. The story of a comeback begins at the lowest point, not necessarily half-time.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/world-cup-number-onehttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/world-cup-number-oneThree titles and three quarter-final exits. Six World Cups offer a striking split, rather than a reliable prediction.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/six-nations-grand-slamshttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/six-nations-grand-slamsThirteen Grand Slams across 27 championships. No consecutive sweeps in the men’s Six Nations era through 2026.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/a-decade-at-number-onehttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/a-decade-at-number-oneSix teams held No.1. Three of them shared just four of the 522 weekly observations.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/world-cup-finals-one-kick-aparthttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/world-cup-finals-one-kick-apartFour of ten men’s World Cup finals were decided by three points or fewer. Two finished a single point apart.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/do-england-really-kick-morehttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/do-england-really-kick-moreYes, in this 2026 comparison. But their own recent history tells a different story.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/the-road-to-100https://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/the-road-to-100One milestone can take eight years or eighteen. The road to 100 tells us more than the final number.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/the-experience-of-championshttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/the-experience-of-championsTen World Cup champions. Ten opening-day squads. Experience matters, but history does not supply a single recipe.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/rugby-test-fortresseshttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/rugby-test-fortressesSix grounds, 272 Tests and very different visiting records. Home advantage deserves a closer look.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/the-series-behind-the-scorehttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/the-series-behind-the-scoreNew Zealand scored 17 tries to South Africa’s 14. The Springboks still won the 2026 Test series 3–1.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/the-clubs-behind-the-23https://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/the-clubs-behind-the-23Eleven Wallabies from the Reds. Seven All Blacks from the Hurricanes. The club footprint of the Sydney selections.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/beauden-barrett-in-perspectivehttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/beauden-barrett-in-perspective147 Tests, 48 tries and a career split between two starting positions. The numbers need room to breathe.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/eben-etzebeth-in-perspectivehttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/eben-etzebeth-in-perspectiveThe Springbok cap record is a landmark. A career view shows the steps that led there.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/rankings-home-weightinghttps://rugbystatsnerd.com/stories/rankings-home-weightingWorld Rugby removed the home weighting from its rankings from 1 July 2026. The model changed. The grounds did not.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 00:00:00 GMT