1991 Rugby World Cup

This article is about the men's Rugby World Cup held in 1991. For information about the Women's Rugby World Cup also held in 1991, see 1991 Women's Rugby World Cup.

1991 Rugby World Cup
Tournament details
Host nations	England France Ireland Scotland Wales
Dates	3 October – 2 November 1991
No. of nations	16 (33 qualifying)
Final positions
Champions	Australia
Runner-up	England
Third-place	New Zealand
Tournament statistics
Matches played	32
Top scorer(s)	Ralph Keyes (68)
Most tries	Jean-Baptiste Lafond (6) David Campese (6)
← 1987 1995 →

The 1991 Rugby World Cup was the second edition of the Rugby World Cup, and was jointly hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and France; at that time, the five European countries that participated in the Five Nations Championship making it the first Rugby World Cup to be staged in the northern hemisphere, with England as the host of the championship game. Following on from the success of the inaugural 1987 Rugby World Cup, the 1991 World Cup received increased attention and was seen as a major global sporting event for the first time. Also for the first time qualifying competitions were introduced as the number of entrants had increased from sixteen nations four years before to a total of thirty-three countries, the eight quarter-finalists from 1987 qualified automatically with the remaining twenty-five countries having to qualify for the remaining eight spots. The same sixteen team pool/knock-out format was used with just minor changes to the points system.

The Pool stage of the tournament was nothing like four years earlier, with fewer one-sided matches and the early stages produced a major shock when Western Samoa, who were making their debut in the tournament, defeated 1987 semifinalist Wales 16-13 in Cardiff, resulting in the elimination of Wales, who finished third in Pool 3. Also notable in pool play was that Canada finished second in their group to qualify for the quarterfinals in what remains Canada's best performance in the Rugby World Cup. Fiji, as quarter-finalists four years ago, had expected to occupy that position, but after the upset loss to Canada and a hammering by France, they were to lose even their final match against the unfancied Romanian team. Earlier, the opening match had pitted the holders New Zealand against the hosts England: New Zealand overturned a narrow half-time deficit to win the match and the group; both teams qualifying for the quarter-finals with easy victories in their other matches. Scotland beat Ireland to top their group, again both teams qualifying.

In the quarter-finals, neither Canada nor Western Samoa proved a match for New Zealand or Scotland, respectively. Meanwhile, England knocked out 1987 finalist France in a bruising encounter. Australia, in what was seen as the match of the tournament, pipped Ireland 19-18 in a thrilling match at Lansdowne Road, with a last-gasp try from fly-half Michael Lynagh coming after the Irish took an unexpected 18-15 lead when loose-forward Hamilton sensationally outpaced speedy winger David Campese over half the length of the pitch for a try. The semi-finals produced two tight matches: England overcame their Scottish rivals 6-9, a late drop-goal deciding a tryless match in a torrential downpour at Murrayfield Stadium, and Australia defeated the defending world champions New Zealand 16-6 at Lansdowne Road.

The World Cup Final was played at Twickenham Stadium in London, and saw Australia triumph 12–6 against England, thanks to a first-half try from prop Tony Daly.

Qualification

Main article: 1991 Rugby World Cup qualifying

The following 16 teams, shown by region, qualified for the 1991 Rugby World Cup. Of the 16 teams, eight of those places were automatically filled by quarterfinalists from the 1987 World Cup and did not have to play any qualification matches. 25 nations competed in a qualification process designed to fill the remaining eight spots, bringing the total participation to 33 nations. In the event, there was only one change from the 1987 tournament, with Western Samoa appearing in place of Tonga.

Africa	Americas	Europe	Oceania/Asia
Zimbabwe (Africa)	Argentina (Americas 2) Canada (Americas 1) United States (Americas 3)	England France Ireland Italy (Europe 1) Romania (Europe 2) Scotland Wales	Australia Fiji New Zealand (1987 Champions) Western Samoa (Oceania/Asia 1) Japan (Oceania/Asia 2)

Stadium

City	Stadium	Capacity
London	Twickenham Stadium	75,000
Edinburgh	Murrayfield Stadium	67,800
Cardiff	National Stadium (Cardiff Arms Park)	53,000
Paris	Parc des Princes	48,712
Dublin	Lansdowne Road	49,250
Toulouse	Stade Ernest-Wallon	19,000
Villeneuve d'Ascq	Stadium Lille-Metropole	18,185
Béziers	Stade de la Méditerranée	18,000
Leicester	Welford Road	16,815
Brive	Parc Municipal des Sports	16,000
Grenoble	Stade Lesdiguières	14,000
Agen	Stade Armandie	14,000
Bayonne	Stade Jean Dauger	13,500
Gloucester	Kingsholm	12,500
Belfast	Ravenhill	12,300
Llanelli	Stradey Park	10,800
Pontypool	Pontypool Park	8,800
Pontypridd	Sardis Road	7,200
Otley	Cross Green	5,000

Squads

Main article: 1991 Rugby World Cup squads

Pools & Format

Pool 1	Pool 2	Pool 3	Pool 4
New Zealand England Italy United States	Scotland Ireland Japan Zimbabwe	Australia Wales Western Samoa Argentina	France Fiji Canada Romania

As in the 1987 Rugby World Cup the 16 nations were divided into four pools of four nations, with each nation playing their other pool opponents once, every nation playing three times during the group stages. Nations were awarded 2 points for a win, 1 for a draw and zero for a loss, the top two nations of every pool advanced to the quarter finals. The runners-up of each pool faced the winners of a different pool in the quarter finals. The winners moved on to the semi finals, with the winners then moving onto the final, and the losers of the semi finals contesting a third/fourth place play off.

Pool 1 was played in England
Pool 2 was played in both Scotland & Ireland with matches played in both Republic of Ireland & Northern Ireland
Pool 3 was played in Wales
Pool 4 was played in France

Points System

The points system that was used in the pool stage was which was changed from 1987 was as follows:

3 points for a win
2 points for a draw
1 point for playing

A total of 32 matches (24 Pool Stage & 8 Knock-out) were played throughout the tournament over 30 days from Thursday 3 October 1991 to Saturday 2 November 1991.

Pool stage

Pool 1

Team	P	W	L	PF	PA	Pts
New Zealand	3	3	0	95	39	9
England	3	2	1	85	33	7
Italy	3	1	2	57	76	5
United States	3	0	3	24	113	3

3 October 1991

England	12–18	New Zealand
Pen: Webb (3) Drop: Andrew		Tries: Jones Con: Fox Pen: Fox (4)

Twickenham Stadium, London
Referee: Jim Fleming (Scotland)

5 October 1991

Italy	30–9	United States
Tries: Barba, Francescato, Vaccari, Gaetaniello Con: Dominguez (4) Pen: Dominguez (2)		Tries: Swords Con: Williams Pen: Williams

Cross Green, Otley
Referee: Owen Doyle (Ireland)

8 October 1991

New Zealand	46–6	United States
Tries: Wright (3), Earl, Purvis, Timu, Tuigamala, Innes Con: Preston (4) Pen: Preston (2)		Pen: Williams (2)

Kingsholm, Gloucester
Referee: Efraim Sklar (Argentina)

8 October 1991

England	36–6	Italy
Tries: Guscott (2), Underwood, Webb Con: Webb (4) Pen: Webb (4)		Tries: Cuttitta Con: Dominguez

Twickenham Stadium, London
Referee: Brian Anderson (Scotland)

11 October 1991

England	37–9	United States
Tries: Underwood (2), Carling, Skinner, Heslop Con: Hodgkinson (4) Pen: Hodgkinson (3)		Tries: Nelson Con: Williams Pen: Williams

Twickenham Stadium, London
Referee: Les Peard (Wales)

13 October 1991

Italy	21–31	New Zealand
Tries: Cuttitta, Bonomi Con: Dominguez (2) Pen: Dominguez (3)		Tries: Brooke, Innes, Tuigamala, Hewett Con: Fox (3) Pen: Fox (3)

Welford Road, Leicester
Referee: Kerry Fitzgerald (Australia)

Pool 2

Team	P	W	L	PF	PA	Pts
Scotland	3	3	0	122	36	9
Ireland	3	2	1	102	51	7
Japan	3	1	2	77	87	5
Zimbabwe	3	0	3	31	158	3

5 October 1991

Scotland	47–9	Japan
Tries: S. Hastings, Stanger, Chalmers, White, Penalty Try, Tukalo, G. Hastings Con: G. Hastings (5) Pen: G. Hastings (2), Chalmers		Tries: Hosokawa Con: Hosokawa Drop: Hosokawa

Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Referee: Ed Morrison (England)

6 October 1991

Ireland	55–11	Zimbabwe
Tries: Robinson (4), Popplewell (2), Geoghegan, Curtis Con: Keyes (4) Pen: Keyes (5)	Report	Tries: Dawson, Schultz Pen: Ferreira

Lansdowne Road, Dublin
Referee: Keith Lawrence (New Zealand)

9 October 1991

Ireland	32–16	Japan
Tries: Mannion (2), O’Hara, Staples Con: Keyes (2) Pen: Keyes (4)	Report	Tries: Hayashi, Kajihara, Yoshida Con: Hosokawa (2)

Lansdowne Road, Dublin
Referee: Laikini Colati (Fiji)

9 October 1991

Scotland	51–12	Zimbabwe
Tries: Tukalo (3), Turnbull, S. Hastings, Stanger, Weir, White Con: Dods (5) Pen: Dods (2) Drop: Wylie		Tries: Garvey (2) Con: Currin (2)

Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Referee: Don Reordan (United States)

12 October 1991

Scotland	24–15	Ireland
Tries: Shiel, Armstrong Con: G. Hastings (2) Pen: G. Hastings (3) Drop: Chalmers	Report	Pen: Keyes (4) Drop: Keyes

Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Referee: Fred Howard (England)

14 October 1991

Japan	52–8	Zimbabwe
Tries: Yoshida (2), Mashuho (2), Kutsuki (2), Horikoshi, Luaiufi, Matsuo Con: Hosokawa (2) Pen: Hosokawa (4)		Tries: Tsimba, Nguruve

Ravenhill, Belfast
Referee: René Hourquet (France)

Pool 3

Team	P	W	L	PF	PA	Pts
Australia	3	3	0	79	25	9
Western Samoa	3	2	1	54	34	7
Wales	3	1	2	32	61	5
Argentina	3	0	3	38	83	3

4 October 1991

Argentina	19–32	Australia
Tries: Terán (2) Con: del Castillo Pen: del Castillo Drop: Arbizu (2)		Tries: Campese (2), Horan (2), Kearns Con: Lynagh (3) Pen: Lynagh (2)

Stradey Park, Llanelli
Referee: David Bishop (New Zealand)

6 October 1991

Wales	13–16	Western Samoa
Tries: Emyr, Evans Con: Ring Pen: Ring	Report	Tries: Vaega, Vaifale Con: Vaea Pen: Vaea (2)

National Stadium (Cardiff Arms Park), Cardiff
Referee: Patrick Robin (France)

9 October 1991

Australia	9–3	Western Samoa
Pen: Lynagh (3)		Pen: Vaea

Pontypool Park, Pontypool
Referee: Ed Morrison (England)

9 October 1991

Wales	16–7	Argentina
Tries: Arnold Pen: Ring (3), Rayer		Tries: Simon Pen: del Castillo

National Stadium (Cardiff Arms Park), Cardiff
Referee: René Hourquet (France)

12 October 1991

Wales	3–38	Australia
Pen: Ring		Tries: Roebuck (2), Slattery, Campese, Horan, Lynagh Con: Lynagh (4) Pen: Lynagh (2)

National Stadium (Cardiff Arms Park), Cardiff
Referee: Keith Lawrence (New Zealand)

13 October 1991

Argentina	12–35	Western Samoa
Tries: Terán Con: Arbizu Pen: Laborde, Arbizu		Tries: Tagaola (2), Lima (2), Bunce, Bachop Con: Vaea (4) Pen: Vaea

Sardis Road, Pontypridd
Referee: Brian Anderson (Scotland)
Replaced by Jim Fleming (Scotland)

Pool 4

Team	P	W	L	PF	PA	Pts
France	3	3	0	82	25	9
Canada	3	2	1	45	33	7
Romania	3	1	2	31	64	5
Fiji	3	0	3	27	63	3

4 October 1991

France	30–3	Romania
Tries: Roumat, Lafond, Penalty Try, Saint-André Con: Camberabero Pen: Camberabero (4)		Pen: Nichitean

Stade de la Méditerranée, Béziers
Referee: Les Peard (Wales)

5 October 1991

Canada	13–3	Fiji
Tries: Stewart Pen: Rees (3)		Drop: Serevi

Stade Jean Dauger, Bayonne
Referee: Kerry Fitzgerald (Australia)

8 October 1991

France	33–9	Fiji
Tries: Lafond (3), Sella (2), Camberabero Con: Camberabero (3) Pen: Camberabero		Tries: Naruma Con: Koroduadua Pen: Koroduadua

Stade Lesdiguières, Grenoble
Referee: Derek Bevan (Wales)

9 October 1991

Canada	19–11	Romania
Tries: McKinnon, Ennis Con: Mark Wyatt Pen: Wyatt (2) Drop: Rees		Tries: Lungu, Sasu Pen: Nichitean

Stade Ernest-Wallon, Toulouse
Referee: Sandy MacNeill (Australia)

12 October 1991

Fiji	15–17	Romania
Pen: Turuva (2) Drop: Rabaka (2), Turuva		Tries: Ion, Dumitras, Sasu Con: Racean Pen: Nichitean

Parc Municipal des Sports, Brive
Referee: Owen Doyle (Ireland)

13 October 1991

France	19–13	Canada
Tries: Lafond, Saint-André Con: Camberabero Pen: Lacroix (2), Camberabero		Tries: Wyatt Pen: Wyatt, Rees Drop: Rees

Stade Armandie, Agen
Referee: Stephen Hilditch (Ireland)

Knock-out stage

Quarter-finals		Semi-finals		Final

19 October – Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh

Scotland	28
		26 October – Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Western Samoa	6
		Scotland	6
19 October – Parc des Princes, Paris
		England	9
France	10
				2 November – Twickenham Stadium, London
England	19
				England	6
20 October – Stadium Lille-Metropole, Villeneuve d'Ascq
				Australia	12
New Zealand	29
		27 October – Lansdowne Road, Dublin
Canada	13
		New Zealand	6	Third place
20 October – Lansdowne Road, Dublin
		Australia	16	30 October – National Stadium (Cardiff Arms Park), Cardiff
Australia	19
				Scotland	6
Ireland	18
				New Zealand	13

Quarter-finals

19 October 1991

France	10–19	England
Tries: Lafond Pen: Lacroix (2)	Report	Tries: Underwood, Carling Con: Webb Pen: Webb (3)

Parc des Princes, Paris
Referee: David Bishop (New Zealand)

19 October 1991

Scotland	28–6	Western Samoa
Tries: Jeffrey (2), Stanger Con: Hastings (2) Pen: Hastings (4)		Pen: Vaea Drop goals: Bachop

Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Referee: Derek Bevan (Wales)

20 October 1991

Ireland	18–19	Australia
Tries: Hamilton Con: Keyes Pen: Keyes (3) Drop: Keyes	Report	Tries: Campese (2), Lynagh Con: Lynagh (2) Pen: Lynagh

Lansdowne Road, Dublin
Referee: Jim Fleming (Scotland)

20 October 1991

Canada	13–29	New Zealand
Tries: Tynan, Charron Con: Rees Pen: Wyatt		Tries: Timu (2), McCahill, Brooke, Kirwan Con: Fox (3) Pen: Fox

Stadium Lille-Metropole, Villeneuve d'Ascq
Referee: Fred Howard (England)

Semi-finals

26 October 1991

Scotland	6–9	England
Pen: G. Hastings (2)		Pen: Webb (2) Drop: Andrew

Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
Referee: Kerry Fitzgerald (Australia)

27 October 1991

Australia	16–6	New Zealand
Tries: Campese, Horan Con: Lynagh Pen: Lynagh (2)		Pen: Fox (2)

Lansdowne Road, Dublin
Referee: Jim Fleming (Scotland)

Third-place play-off

30 October 1991

New Zealand	13–6	Scotland
Tries: Little Pen: Preston (3)		Pen: G. Hastings (2)

National Stadium (Cardiff Arms Park), Cardiff
Referee: Stephen Hilditch (Ireland)

Final

Main article: 1991 Rugby World Cup Final

2 November 1991

Australia	12–6	England
Tries: Daly Con: Lynagh Pen: Lynagh (2)	Report	Pen: Webb (2)

Twickenham Stadium, London
Referee: Derek Bevan (Wales)

Broadcasters

The event was broadcast in the United Kingdom by ITV who took over the rights from the BBC.

References

External links

Preceded by 1987 Rugby World Cup	Rugby World Cup 1991 Australia	Succeeded by 1995 Rugby World Cup

Rugby World Cup

Tournaments	1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023

Qualifying	1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015

Finals	1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011

Squads	1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011

Overview	History Hosts Qualification Trophy Final

Statistics	Records and statistics Hat-tricks Try scorers Red cards Team appearances

Nations who have competed in the Rugby World Cup by tier

Tier 1 teams	Argentina Australia England France Ireland Italy New Zealand Scotland South Africa Wales

Tier 2 teams	Canada Fiji Georgia Japan Romania Samoa Tonga USA

Tier 3 teams	Ivory Coast Namibia Portugal Russia Spain Uruguay Zimbabwe