|
The 2012 end of year rugby tests, also known as the 2012 Autumn internationals in the Northern Hemisphere, is a series of international rugby union matches predominantly played between the visiting Southern Hemisphere countries, Argentina, Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Samoa, South Africa, Tonga, and the European sides, England, France, Italy, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. During this year's end-of-year International season, the IRB set up a new scheme to improve competitiveness ahead of the next World Cup. They introduced an International Rugby Series that included Tier 2 nations Tonga, Canada, Russia, Samoa and the United States. The first tournament was held at Colwyn Bay's Eirias Park in North Wales. The tournament matches are in addition to those tests played between Tier 1 and Tier 2 nations which are an opportunity for emerging rugby nations to play the world's best teams in June and November. Several matches were played between Tier 1 and Tier 2 teams in 2012. Wales and France hosted Samoa, England and Ireland hosted Fiji and Scotland and Italy hosted Tonga. The IRB also applied non-test matches to the end-of year season to help increase competitiveness in Tier 2 nations.〔() IRB New Scheme for competitiveness matches in Tier 2 nations ahead of 2015 Rugby World Cup〕 English Domestic clubs hosted international sides to help towards the new scheme, with Gloucester hosting Fiji, and the Newcastle Falcons hosting Tonga. The scheme also helped Japan, by including fixtures against a Basque select side, and the French Barbarians for the third time in 2012. Touring representative side Māori All Blacks also faced an English domestic club, Leicester Tigers which was their first international match since Australia in 2010. The Māori All Blacks also faced an RFU Championship XV as well as the Canadian National side.〔() Background round IRB competitiveness Scheme〕〔() Full Fixture list given by IRB〕 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. As in recent seasons, New Zealand and Australia played the final Bledisloe Cup match. New Zealand entered the match with a winning streak of 16 tests, 1 win away from the current Tier 1 world record of 17 consecutive wins, which they hold jointly with South Africa, but the absolute record is 18 which is held by Lithuania which is in Tier 3. New Zealand drew the match 18–18 with Australia and therefore ended their consecutive winning streak. This is the same scenario as in 2010, when New Zealand entered the final Bledisloe Cup match with a winning streak of 15 but lost to Australia 26–24.〔(O'Connor heroics stun All Blacks )〕 ==End-of-year test matches== 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「2012 end-of-year rugby union internationals」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|