Facts and Statistics: England v South Africa

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A selection of facts and statistics ahead of the Rugby World Cup semi-final between England and South Africa Stade de France on Saturday.

* England have won three of their last five Test matches against South Africa (L2) after winning just one of their previous 15 meetings (D1 L13). Two of their last four encounters have been decided by single-point margins.

* England and South Africa have faced each other five times previously at the men’s Rugby World Cup (1999, 2003, 2007 x2, 2019), with the Springboks winning four of those meetings (L1); South Africa have won on each of the three previous occasions they’ve faced England in the knockout stages of the tournament with their last two meetings both coming in finals (2007 & 2019).

* England have scored just one try across their five meetings with South Africa in the men’s Rugby World Cup, it came during their sole win against the Boks in the competition (25-6 in the pool stage in 2003); in fact, none of the previous five ties between these two sides have seen both teams cross the line.

* England have won all five of their games in this year’s Rugby World Cup, as many wins as in their previous 14 Test matches combined (D1 L8) but have not won more games in a row since 2020 (8); they are the only unbeaten team in the tournament and the only one of the four semi-finalists to have topped their pool.

* South Africa have won 11 of their last 13 Test matches (L2), averaging 4.8 tries per game during that run, the Springboks have won their last five Rugby World Cup knockout stage games, their longest such run in the competition, while they’ve never lost a knockout match against European opposition (W7).

* South Africa (25.4) and England (25.8) are two of three teams, alongside Japan (25.6) to have gained fewer than 26 metres per kick in play during this year’s Rugby World Cup, however, England are also the only team to have averaged 30+ kicks in play per game (33.0) and have retained possession from 20% of their kicks, the highest such rate of any side.

* Only New Zealand (4.3) have scored more points per 22 entries than South Africa (3.3) in this year’s Rugby World Cup, the Springboks have also conceded just 1.2 points per opposition 22 entry, the second-best rate of any nation (NZ 1.18).

* South Africa (8.0) and England (8.6) have conceded fewer penalties per game than any other sides to have reached the semi-finals of this year’s Rugby World Cup, with only France and Japan (7 each) averaging fewer overall.

* England’s Ben Earl has made the joint-most line breaks (5, also Peato Mauvaka) and the beaten the second-most defenders (17) of any forward in this year’s Rugby World Cup, Earl has also completed at least 16 more tackles than any of his teammates (60, 8th most overall).

* South Africa’s Cheslin Kolbe has averaged 16.7 metres per carry from his 19 carries at this year’s Rugby World Cup, more than any other player to have run with the ball on 15+ occasions; fellow Springboks wing Kurt-Lee Arendse has scored 13 tries in 13 Tests since making his debut in July 2022, only Damian Penaud (17) has scored more for a Tier 1 nation in that period.