List of Ireland national rugby union team records
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in international rugby union and plays in the Six Nations Championship and Rugby World Cup.
Thomas Gisborne Gordon, who played for Ireland between 1877–78, is the only one handed player to have competed in international rugby of either code.[1]
Career[]
Most caps[]
Seven current or retired members of the Ireland team have earned 100 or more test caps. Ireland's all-time caps leader is Brian O'Driscoll with 133. The active player with the most caps is Cian Healy with 112 caps, followed by Jonathan Sexton with 101 caps.[2]
These figures do not include caps for the Lions. When those are included, O'Driscoll has 140 international caps. O'Gara has 130, O'Connell has 113, and Hayes and Sexton both have 107.[3]
# | Player | Career Span | Caps | Tries | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Brian O'Driscoll | 1999–2014 | 133 | 46 | 245 |
2 | Ronan O'Gara | 2000–2013 | 128 | 16 | 1083 |
3 | Rory Best | 2005–2019 | 124 | 12 | 60 |
4 | Cian Healy | 2009– | 112 | 10 | 50 |
5 | Paul O'Connell | 2002–2015 | 108 | 8 | 40 |
6 | John Hayes | 2000–2011 | 105 | 2 | 10 |
7 | Jonathan Sexton | 2009– | 101 | 15 | 946 |
8 | Peter Stringer | 2000–2011 | 98 | 6 | 30 |
9 | Keith Earls | 2008– | 96 | 34 | 170 |
10 | Jamie Heaslip | 2006–2017 | 95 | 13 | 65 |
Rob Kearney | 2007–2019 | 95 | 16 | 82 |
Last updated: Ireland vs Argentina, 21 November 2021. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[2]
Most tries[]
Ireland's record try scorer is Brian O'Driscoll, who notched 46 career tries,[4] which ranks him eighth in international tries.
# | Player | Career Span | Tries | Caps | Ave. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Brian O'Driscoll | 1999–2014 | 46 | 133 | 0.35 |
2 | Keith Earls | 2008– | 34 | 96 | 0.35 |
3 | Tommy Bowe | 2004–2017 | 30 | 69 | 0.43 |
4 | Denis Hickie | 1997–2007 | 29 | 62 | 0.47 |
5 | Shane Horgan | 2000–2009 | 21 | 65 | 0.32 |
6 | Girvan Dempsey | 1998–2008 | 19 | 82 | 0.23 |
Jacob Stockdale | 2017– | 19 | 35 | 0.54 | |
7 | Geordan Murphy | 2000–2011 | 18 | 72 | 0.25 |
9 | Brendan Mullin | 1984–1995 | 17 | 55 | 0.31 |
Andrew Trimble | 2005–2017 | 17 | 69 | 0.25 |
Last updated: Ireland vs Argentina, 21 November 2021. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[2]
Most points[]
Ronan O'Gara holds the Ireland record for test points with 1,083,[5] placing him fourth all-time in international rugby union. O'Gara is also the highest points scorer in the Six Nations with 557 points, ahead of Jonny Wilkinson with 546, and Stephen Jones with 467.[6]
# | Player | Career span | Points | Caps | Tries | Con. | Pen. | DG | Ave. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ronan O'Gara | 2000–2013 | 1083 | 128 | 16 | 176 | 202 | 15 | 8.46 |
2 | Jonathan Sexton | 2009– | 946 | 101 | 15 | 137 | 195 | 4 | 9.37 |
3 | David Humphreys | 1996–2005 | 560 | 72 | 6 | 88 | 110 | 8 | 7.78 |
4 | Michael Kiernan | 1982–1991 | 308 | 43 | 6 | 40 | 62 | 6 | 7.16 |
5 | Eric Elwood | 1993–1999 | 296 | 35 | 0 | 43 | 68 | 2 | 8.46 |
6 | Brian O'Driscoll | 1999–2014 | 245 | 133 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1.84 |
7 | Ollie Campbell | 1976–1984 | 217 | 22 | 1 | 15 | 54 | 7 | 9.86 |
8 | Paddy Jackson | 2013–2017 | 195 | 25 | 2 | 46 | 30 | 1 | 7.8 |
9 | Keith Earls | 2008– | 170 | 96 | 34 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.77 |
10 | Tom Kiernan | 1960–1973 | 158 | 54 | 2 | 26 | 31 | 2 | 2.93 |
Last updated: Ireland vs Argentina, 21 November 2021. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[2]
Most matches as captain[]
Brian O'Driscoll is second on the all-time list for test matches as captain. He has captained Ireland 83 times and the Lions once.[7]
# | Player | Span | Captaincies | Caps | Win % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Brian O'Driscoll | 2002–2012 | 83 | 133 | 63% |
2 | Rory Best | 2009–2019 | 38 | 124 | 64% |
3 | Keith Wood | 1996–2003 | 36 | 58 | 43% |
4 | Paul O'Connell | 2004–2015 | 28 | 108 | 63% |
5 | Tom Kiernan | 1963–1973 | 24 | 54 | 67% |
6 | Ciarán Fitzgerald | 1982–1986 | 19 | 25 | 50% |
7 | Dónal Lenihan | 1986–1990 | 17 | 52 | 47% |
Fergus Slattery | 1979–1981 | 17 | 61 | 35% | |
9 | Michael Bradley | 1992–1995 | 15 | 40 | 37% |
William Crawford | 1924–1927 | 15 | 30 | 70% | |
Karl Mullen | 1947–1952 | 15 | 25 | 73% |
Last updated: Ireland vs Argentina, 21 November 2021. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[2]
Single match[]
Most points in a match[]
# | Player | Pos | Pts | Tries | Con | Pen | DG | Result | Opposition | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Ronan O'Gara | Fly-half | 32 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 40–14 | Samoa | 20 June 2003 |
2 | Ronan O'Gara | Fly-half | 30 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 60–13 | Italy | 4 March 2000 |
3 | David Humphreys | Fly-half | 26 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 36–6 | Scotland | 16 February 2003 |
David Humphreys | Fly-half | 26 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 61–6 | Italy | 30 August 2003 | |
Paddy Wallace | Fly-half | 26 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 61–17 | Pacific Islanders | 26 November 2006 | |
6 | Paul Burke | Fly-half | 24 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 29–37 | Italy | 4 January 1997 |
David Humphreys | Fly-half | 24 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 24–28 | Argentina | 20 October 1999 | |
8 | Ralph Keyes | Fly-half | 23 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 55–11 | Zimbabwe | 6 October 1991 |
Ronan O'Gara | Fly-half | 23 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 78–9 | Japan | 11 November 2000 | |
10 | David Humphreys | Fly-half | 22 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 54–10 | Wales | 3 February 2002 |
Jonathan Sexton | Fly-half | 22 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 32–18 | England | 20 March 2021 |
Last updated: Ireland vs Argentina, 21 November 2021. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[2]
Most tries in a match[]
Tries | Player | Position | Result | Opposition | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 | Brian Robinson | Number 8 | 55–11 | Zimbabwe | 6 October 1991 |
Keith Wood | Hooker | 53–8 | United States | 2 October 1999 | |
Denis Hickie | Wing | 61–6 | Italy | 30 August 2003 | |
Rónan Kelleher | Hooker | 71–10 | United States | 10 July 2021 | |
3 | (Several players tied) |
Last updated: Ireland vs Argentina, 21 November 2021. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[2]
Player age[]
Youngest players[]
# | Player | Age | DOB | Debut | Opposition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 17 years 157 days | 3 October 1906 | 8 March 1924 | Wales | |
2. | 17 years 229 days | 26 June 1944 | 10 February 1962 | England | |
3. | 18 years 13 days | 2 February 1878 | 15 February 1896 | Scotland | |
4. | 18 years 57 days | 5 October 1870 | 1 December 1888 | N.Z. Natives | |
5. | 18 years 68 days | 1 January 1916 | 10 March 1934 | Wales | |
6. | George Stephenson | 18 years 103 days | 22 December 1901 | 3 April 1920 | France |
7. | 18 years 131 days | 9 September 1939 | 18 January 1958 | Australia | |
8. | 18 years 189 days | 1 September 1888 | 9 March 1907 | Wales | |
9. | Dickie Lloyd | 18 years 192 days | 4 August 1891 | 12 February 1910 | England |
10. | Jasper Brett | 18 years 218 days | 8 August 1895 | 14 March 1914 | Wales |
Last updated: Ireland vs Argentina, 21 November 2021. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[2]
Oldest players[]
# | Player | Age | DOB | Last Match | Opposition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | John Hayes | 37 years 277 days | 2 November 1973 | 6 August 2011 | Scotland |
2. | Rory Best | 37 years 65 days | 15 August 1982 | 19 October 2019 | New Zealand |
3. | Mike Gibson | 36 years 195 days | 3 December 1942 | 16 June 1979 | Australia |
4. | Mike Ross | 36 years 187 days | 21 December 1979 | 25 June 2016 | South Africa |
5. | Phil Orr | 36 years 175 days | 14 December 1950 | 7 June 1987 | Australia |
6. | Jonathan Sexton | 36 years 125 days | 11 July 1985 | 13 November 2021 | New Zealand |
7. | Peter Clohessy | 36 years 15 days | 22 March 1966 | 6 April 2002 | France |
8. | Paul O'Connell | 35 years 356 days | 20 October 1979 | 12 October 2015 | France |
9. | Ronan O'Gara | 35 years 354 days | 7 March 1977 | 24 February 2013 | Scotland |
10. | Syd Millar | 35 years 295 days | 23 May 1934 | 14 March 1970 | Wales |
Last updated: Ireland vs Argentina, 21 November 2021. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[2]
Team margins[]
Biggest winning margin[]
Margin | Date | Game | Ground |
---|---|---|---|
80 | 10 June 2000 | United States 3–83 Ireland | Singer Family Park, Manchester, New Hampshire, US |
70 | 14 November 1998 | Ireland 70–0 Georgia | Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland |
69 | 11 November 2000 | Ireland 78–9 Japan | Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland |
61 | 10 July 2021 | Ireland 71–10 United States | Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Republic of Ireland |
60 | 1 November 1986 | Ireland 60–0 Romania | Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland |
57 | 19 October 2003 | Ireland 64–7 Namibia | Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney, Australia |
55 | 6 November 2021 | Ireland 60–5 Japan | Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Republic of Ireland |
8 November 2008 | Ireland 55–0 Canada | Thomond Park, Limerick, Republic of Ireland | |
30 August 2003 | Ireland 61–6 Italy | Thomond Park, Limerick, Republic of Ireland | |
53 | 11 February 2017 | Ireland 63–10 Italy | Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy |
50 | 25 September 2011 | Ireland 62–12 Russia | Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua, New Zealand |
49 | 20 November 2004 | Ireland 55–6 United States | Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland |
Last updated: Ireland vs Argentina, 21 November 2021. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[2]
Biggest losing margin[]
Margin | Date | Game | Ground |
---|---|---|---|
60 | 23 June 2012 | New Zealand 60–0 Ireland | Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, New Zealand |
53 | 6 June 1992 | New Zealand 59–6 Ireland | Athletic Park, Wellington, New Zealand |
48 | 15 November 1997 | Ireland 15–63 New Zealand | Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland |
42 | 24 August 2019 | England 57–15 Ireland | Twickenham, London, England |
40 | 15 February 1997 | Ireland 6–46 England | Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland |
39 | 6 April 2002 | France 44–5 Ireland | Stade de France, Paris, France |
38 | 12 June 2010 | New Zealand 66–28 Ireland | Yarrow Stadium, New Plymouth, New Zealand |
38 | 12 November 2005 | Ireland 7–45 New Zealand | Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland |
38 | 30 November 1912 | Ireland 0–38 South Africa | Lansdowne Road, Dublin, Republic of Ireland |
Last updated: Ireland vs Argentina, 21 November 2021. Statistics include officially capped matches only.[2]
References[]
- ^ "Thomas Gordon Profile". espnscrum.com. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Statistics". Irish Rugby. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
- ^ "International Matches Record List". stats.espnscrum.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2012. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
- ^ "Ireland Squad | Profiles : Irish Rugby". Irishrugby.ie. Archived from the original on 12 November 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
- ^ "ESPNScrum Stasguru Overall Points Record". espnscrum.com. 23 September 2019. Archived from the original on 11 August 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
- ^ "Six Nations: Total Points Scored". stats.espnscrum.com. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 23 September 2019.
- ^ "Statsguru / Player analysis / Brian O'Driscoll / Test matches (filter: as captain)". Scrum.com. Retrieved 30 September 2019.
- Rugby union records and statistics
- Ireland national rugby union team lists