2006 mid-year rugby test series

During June of 2006, several rugby union test sides played fixtures that were mainly contested in southern nations. It acted as end of year tours of the Northern Hemisphere nations, and pre season matches for the Tri Nations Series and Pacific 5 Nations.

Fixtures

aturday, 10 June

rugbybox
date = 2006-06-10
19:35
home = ru-rt|NZL | score = 34 – 23
away = ru|IRE | homescore = Tries: Doug Howlett, Mils Muliaina, Troy Flavell
Con: Luke McAlister (2)
Pen: Luke McAlister (5) | awayscore = Tries: Brian O'Driscoll, Andrew Trimble
Con: Ronan O'Gara (2)
Pen: Ronan O'Gara (3) | stadium = Waikato Stadium, Hamilton
attendance = 29,850
referee = Stuart Dickinson flagicon|AUS
*The scoreline belied the closeness of the contest, as Ireland were 20 minutes away from a first-ever win over the All Blacks, holding a 23-15 lead at three-quarter time.

rugbybox
date = 2006-06-10
15:00
home = ru-rt|RSA | score = 36 – 16
away = ru|SCO | homescore = Tries: Andre Snyman, Breyton Paulse, Percy Montgomery, Schalk Burger
Con: Percy Montgomery (2)
Pen: Percy Montgomery (4) | awayscore = Try: Simon Webster
Con: Chris Paterson
Pen: Chris Paterson (3) | stadium = ABSA Stadium, Durban
attendance = 32,500
referee = Donal Courtney flagicon|IRE|rugby

* This is Scotland's largest-ever defeat in South Africa.

unday, 11 June

rugbybox
date = 2006-06-11
14:45
home = ru-rt|ARG | score = 27 – 25
away = ru|WAL | homescore = Tries: Juan Manuel Leguizamón, José María Núñez Piossek, Francisco Leonelli
Con: Federico Todeschini (3)
Pen: Federico Todeschini (2) | awayscore = Tries: Mark Jones, Ian Evans, James Hook
Con: Nicky Robinson (2)
Pen: Nicky Robinson (2) | stadium = Raul Conti Stadium, Puerto Madryn
attendance = 15,000
referee = Alain Rolland flagicon|IRE|rugby
* This was Argentina's first-ever Test in Patagonia. The choice of Wales as the opponent was especially significant, as Puerto Madryn is at the heart of an area settled by Welsh in the 1860s where Welsh is still frequently spoken.----rugbybox
date = 2006-06-11
20:00
home = ru-rt|AUS | score = 34 – 3
away = ru|ENG | homescore = Tries: Chris Latham, Mark Gerrard, Rodney Blake
Con: Stirling Mortlock (2)
Pen: Stirling Mortlock (5) | awayscore = Pen: Olly Barkley | stadium = Telstra Stadium, Sydney
attendance = 62,124
referee = Alan Lewis flagicon|Ireland----rugbybox
date = 2006-06-11
home = ru-rt|JPN | score = 6 – 52
away = ru|ITA | homescore = Pen: Shotaro Onishi (2) | awayscore = Tries: Josh Sole, David Bortolussi, Manuel Dallan, Mirco Bergamasco (2), Santiago Delappè, de Jager
Con: Ramiro Pez (4), Marcato (3)
Pen: Ramiro Pez | stadium = Tokyo
attendance =
referee =

aturday, 17 June

rugbybox
date = 2006-06-17 19:35
home = ru-rt|NZL | score = 27 – 17
away = ru|IRE | homescore = Tries: Clarke Dermody, Byron Kelleher, Luke McAlister
Con: Luke McAlister (3)
Pen: Luke McAlister (2) | awayscore = Tries: Jerry Flannery, Paul O'Connell
Con: Ronan O'Gara (2)
Pen: Ronan O'Gara | stadium = Eden Park, Auckland
attendance = 45,000
referee = Jonathan Kaplan flagicon|RSA ----rugbybox
date = 2006-06-17
14:45
home = ru-rt|ARG | score = 45 – 27
away = ru|WAL | homescore = Tries: Gonzalo Tiesi (2), Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe
Con: Federico Todeschini (3)
Pen: Federico Todeschini (8) | awayscore = Tries: Gareth Delve, Shane Williams, Lee Byrne
Con: Nicky Robinson, James Hook (2)
Pen: James Hook (2)
stadium = Vélez Sársfield, Buenos Aires
attendance = 18,102
referee = Dave Pearson flagicon|ENG
* Argentina win a Test series against Wales for the first time ever.

rugbybox
date = 2006-06-17
20:00
home = ru-rt|AUS | score = 43 – 18
away = ru|ENG | homescore = Tries: George Smith, Mark Gerrard (2), Lote Tuqiri, Mark Chisholm, Chris Latham
Con: Stirling Mortlock (5)
Pen: Stirling Mortlock | awayscore = Tries: George Chuter, Tom Varndell
Con: Andy Goode
Pen: Andy Goode
Drop: Andy Goode | stadium = Telstra Dome, Melbourne
attendance = 41,278
referee = Steve Walsh flagicon|NZL
* This was England's fifth consecutive Test defeat, their worst streak since 1984. Australia's George Gregan made his 120th international appearance, setting an all-time record for the sport. [cite web|url=http://www.rugby.com.au/players/wallabies/2007_squad/2007_rwc_squad/gregan_george,62575.html |title=Squad Profiles: George Gregan |publisher=Australian Rugby Union |accessdate=2008-02-05]

rugbybox
date = 2006-06-17
20:00
home = ru-rt|FIJ | score = 29 – 18
away = ru|ITA | homescore = Tries: Norman Ligairi, Rupeni Caucaunibuca, Jacob Rauluni, Kiniviliame Salabog
Con: Seremaia Bai (3)
Pen: Seremaia Bai | awayscore = Tries: Josh Sole, Andrea Lo Cicero
Con: Ramiro Pez
Pen: Ramiro Pez (2) | stadium = Churchill Park, Lautoka
attendance = 10,000
referee = Marius Jonker flagicon|RSA
* Fiji claim a Six Nations scalp for the first time since 2000, when they defeated Italy (then newly admitted to the Six Nations) the last time the "Azzurri" visited Churchill Park.

rugbybox
date = 2006-06-17
15:00
home = ru-rt|RSA | score = 29 – 15
away = ru|SCO | homescore = Try: Fourie du Preez
Pen: Percy Montgomery (7), Jaco van der Westhuyzen | awayscore = Tries: Donnie McFayden, Simon Webster
Con: Chris Paterson
Pen: Chris Paterson | stadium = EPRFU Stadium, Port Elizabeth
attendance = 35,000
referee = Tony Spreadbury flagicon|ENG
* Fullback Percy Montgomery becomes the first Bok to score 600 Test points, but flanker Schalk Burger, the 2004 World Player of the Year, suffers a career-threatening neck injury. (He ultimately recovered.)

rugbybox
date = 2006-06-17
18:00
home = ru-rt|ROU | score = 14 – 62
away = ru|FRA | homescore = Try: Cătălin Fercu
Pen: Florin Vlaicu (3) | awayscore = Tries: Yannick Jauzion, Rémy Martin, Thierry Dusautoir, Damien Traille, Sylvain Marconnet, Thomas Castaignède, Dimitri Szarzewski, Julien Laharrague, David Marty
Con: Damien Traille (6), Thomas Castaignède
Pen: Damien Traille | stadium = Cotroceni Stadium, Bucharest
attendance = 8,000
referee = Bryce Lawrence flagicon|NZL

aturday, 24 June

rugbybox
date = 2006-06-24
18:00
home = ru-rt|AUS | score = 37 – 15
away = ru|IRE | homescore = Tries: Chris Latham, Mark Gerrard, Greg Holmes, George Gregan, Cameron Shepherd
Con: Stirling Mortlock (3)
Pen: Stirling Mortlock (2) | awayscore = Tries: Ronan O'Gara, Neil Best
Con: Ronan O'Gara
Pen: Ronan O'Gara | stadium = Subiaco Oval, Perth
attendance = 38,200
referee = Kelvin Deaker flagicon|NZL ----rugbybox
date = 2006-06-24
15:00
home = ru-rt|RSA | score = 26 – 36
away = ru|FRA | homescore = Try: Brent Russell
Pen: Percy Montgomery (7) | awayscore = Tries: Cédric Heymans, Vincent Clerc (2), Damien Traille
Con: Dimitri Yachvili (2)
Pen: Dimitri Yachvili (2)
Drop: Florian Fritz, Damien Traille | stadium = Newlands Stadium, Cape Town
attendance = 52,000
referee = Stuart Dickinson flagicon|AUS
* South Africa suffer their first defeat at home since 2003. The result means that the teams will switch places in the world rankings, with France overtaking South Africa for second. Two French back-rowers, Thierry Dusautoir and Imanol Harinordoquy, are injured in the match. As for the Boks, the already injury-riddled side sees star backs Jean de Villiers and Bryan Habana suffer rib injuries. It turned out, de Villiers missed at least two Boks matches in the 2006 Tri Nations, while Habana recovered in time for South Africa's opener.

rugbybox
date = 2006-06-24
20:40
home = ru-rt|ARG | score = 19 – 25
away = ru|NZL | homescore = Try: Martín Durand
Con: Federico Todeschini
Pen: Federico Todeschini (4) | awayscore = Tries: Daniel Carter, Leon MacDonald, Scott Hamilton
Con: Daniel Carter (2)
Pen: Daniel Carter (2) | stadium = Vélez Sársfield, Buenos Aires
attendance = 37,000
referee = Nigel Whitehouse flagicon|Wales

ee also

*2006 Tri Nations Series

References

* [http://stats.allblacks.com/teamsheet.asp?MT_ID=2126 All Blacks vs Ireland June 10]
* [http://www.sarugby.net/includes/stats.asp?id=12855 South Africa vs Scotland June 10]
* [http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:28wPvRBqvdYJ:news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/5065598.stm+Australia+34+England+3+June+11+crowd&hl=en&gl=uk&ct=clnk&cd=1 Australia vs England June 11 (cache)]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/international/5063934.stm Argentina vs Wales June 11]
* [http://stats.allblacks.com/teamsheet.asp?MT_ID=2127 All Blacks vs Ireland June 17]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/international/5084264.stm Argentina vs Wales June 17]
* [http://www.planetrugby.com/Teams/Fiji/story_51919.shtml Fiji vs Italy June 17 (Planet Rugby)]
* [http://sport.guardian.co.uk/rugbyunion/story/0,,1800406,00.html Fiji vs Italy June 17 (Guardian Unlimited Sport)]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/international/5109644.stm Australia vs Ireland June 24]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/rugby_union/international/5101274.stm South Africa vs France June 24]
* [http://stats.allblacks.com/teamsheet.asp?MT_ID=2128 Argentina vs New Zealand June 24 (allblacks.com)]
* [http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/765485 Argentina vs New Zealand June 24 (TVNZ)]

External links

* [http://rugby.com.au/fixtures_results/bundaberg_rum_rugby_series/bundaberg_rum_series_calendar,1292.html 2006 Bundaberg Rum Rugby Series] at Rugby.com.au
* [http://www.allblacks.com/fixtures/ 2006 All Blacks fixtures] at AllBlacks.com
* [http://www.sarugby.co.za/fixtures.asp?id=1000 2006 Springboks fixtures] at SARugby.co.za