OLYMPICS - With the 2012 Olympic Games in London getting closer by the day, we are in full-on Olympic stats mode here and @Infostrada2012. Every day from 100 days to go until the day of the London 2012 opening ceremony, we will post a statistic related to the number of days left until the Games. Click ‘Read More’ to see today’s 79-stat and all the other ones that we have posted so far.
RUGBY UNION - Today, John Smit is 34 years old. The Springboks front row forward captained South Africa to the 2007 Rugby World Cup, returning the Webb Ellis Cup to the Rainbow Nation for the first time in eight years (South Africa relinquished the Cup in 1999). At the time of publication, Smit is his country’s leading cap taker with 111 international appearances for the Springboks.
Shares birthday with: Doris Day, Marlon Brando, Eddie Murphy
RUGBY UNION - We presume that by now, even in Cardiff, the party will have subsided. Wales are proud winners of the 2012 Six Nations and have done so in Grand Slam fashion. It was their 11th Grand Slam and the third in the Six Nations era (2000-present). Their first: 19 March 2005. We once again congratulate them. 2012 has been established as ‘The Year Of The Dragon’.
RUGBY UNION - Wales defeated France to make it five wins from five matches in the 2012 Six Nations. It is their third Grand Slam in the history of the Six Nations and their 11th overall Slam in the competition, following 2005 and 2008.
RUGBY UNION - Scotland’s defeat in Italy means that they have lost all of their five matches in the 2012 Six Nations. It is their third Six Nations Wooden Spoon (2004,2007) and the second time in a 6N campaign they lose all five matches (2004).
RUGBY UNION - On Saturday, 17 March, the grand finale of the 2012 Six Nations season will take place in stadiums across Europe. In the feature match Wales host France in a bid to clinch their third Grand Slam in the Six Nations era. Click below for previews on all three matches.
RUGBY UNION - Last week, France had a drop goal attempt which would have put them 25-24 up in the dying seconds against England in Rugby’s Six Nations Championship. A week earlier, France and Ireland drew 17-17 with each other and England were denied a last minute try which would have given them a draw against Wales in the third weekend of the competition. The question is whether the Six Nations Championship is getting tighter.
RUGBY UNION - According to Chinese astrology, 2012 is The Year Of The Dragon. This weekend, the national rugby team of Wales, nicknamed “The Red Dragons”, will aim to collect their 25th Home Nations/Five Nations/Six Nations overall win and their 11th Grand Slam. Click below to see which teams won the competition when the year was ‘The Year Of The Dragon’.
RUGBY UNION - Since Italy joined the Five Nations in 2000, to make it the Six Nations, the Azzurri have been challenged to emerge from their traditional role as minnows. Having caused the odd upset, 12 March 2011 brought arguably their biggest win ever: the 22-21 triumph against France in the Six Nations, after trailing 18-6 in that match. Click here to see Mirco Bergamasco’s penalty goal complete the comeback.
RUGBY UNION - Five years ago, England beat France 26-18 at Twickenham to end French hopes of a Grand Slam. The week after France recovered to win the Six Nations in what would be the 40th and last Six Nations match of Bernard Laporte in charge of ‘Les Bleus’.
RUGBY UNION - Undefeated Wales start off by taking on a revamped Italy side in Cardiff on Saturday, followed by Tommy Bowe’s attempt at a 6N try scoring record in the “Battle Of The Hookers”. On Sunday, England will try to find their own try scoring spark as France will attempt to beat England with a pair of unproven halfbacks. Click below to find out more key statistics.
RUGBY UNION - When little Dan Carter started kicking practice, his initial aim was to kick the ball over his parental house. A few shattered windows later, his father decided to build him a proper practice pitch. And the rest is more or less (All Blacks) history. Carter’s 1,250 points in Test matches are an all-time record in international rugby. Since Carter is still active you will not find him on the Infostrada Sports Wall Of Fame, but you will certainly find him among future candidates to be enshrined.
Shares birthday with: Zhou Enlai, Rex Harrison, Eva Mendes
RUGBY UNION - On Saturday, 11 February, France v Ireland was called off at the very last moment due to a frozen pitch. It has been rearranged for Sunday 4 March and this is where we preview this match.
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