2002 end-of-year rugby union internationals
The 2002 end-of-year tests, also known as the 2002 Autumn Internationals, are international rugby union matches that took place during November and December 2002. The matches were contested between touring teams from the southern hemisphere, namely Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, and South Africa and teams from the Six Nations Championship - England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. Some matches also featured second-tier European sides Romania, Russia and Georgia, and South Pacific nation Fiji.
The 2002 end-of-year tests featured one of the biggest results in rugby union history, as South Africa suffered their heaviest ever defeat, losing 53–3 to England on 23 November.[1] This result saw England record back-to-back wins against New Zealand, Australia and South Africa in consecutive weeks - the only occasion in rugby history that any nation has achieved this feat.
Fixtures
Week 1
| 1 November 2002 19:30 GMT |
Wales  | 40–3 |  Romania |
| Try: S. Quinnell M. Jones Gar. Thomas Penalty try Con: Jenkins (4) Pen: Jenkins (4) | Report[2] | Pen: Tofan |
| Racecourse Ground, Wrexham Attendance: 9,448 Referee: Joël Jutge (France) |
| 2 November 2002 20:10 New Zealand ) |
Week 2
| 9 November 2002 14:30 GMT |
England  | 31–28 |  New Zealand |
| Try: Cohen Moody Wilkinson Con: Wilkinson (2/3) Pen: Wilkinson (3) Drop: Wilkinson | Report[4] | Try: Howlett Lee Lomu (2) Con: Blair (2) Mehrtens (2) |
| Twickenham Stadium, London Attendance: 75,000 Referee: Jonathan Kaplan (South Africa) |
| 9 November 2002 14:30 New Zealand ) |
| 9 November 2002 16:30 GMT |
Scotland  | 37–10 | Romania |
| Report[6] |
| Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Attendance: 34,413 Referee: Andy Turner (South Africa) |
| 9 November 2002 16:30 Australia ) |
| 9 November 2002 20:45 ) |
Week 3
| 16 November 2002 15:15 Australia ) |
| 16 November 2002 14:30 New Zealand ) |
| 16 November 2002 14:30 GMT |
| Scotland | 21–6 |  South Africa |
| Try: Pountney Walker Con: Laney (1/2) Pen: Laney (3) | Report[11] | Pen: James (2) |
| Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Attendance: 58,225 Referee: Nigel Williams (Wales) |
| 16 November 2002 20:45 Australia ) |
| 16 November 2002 16:30 GMT |
| Wales | 32–21 |  Canada |
| Try: McBryde J. Robinson Con: S. Jones (2) Pen: S. Jones (6) | Report[13] | Pen: Barker Drop: Williams |
| Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 30,586 Referee: Giulio de Santis (Italy) |
| 17 November 2002 15:00 GMT |
Ireland  | 64–17 |  Fiji |
| Try: Murphy (2) Maggs (3) O'Driscoll Bishop Dawson Foley Con: Humphreys (4) Pen: Humphreys (3) | Report[14] | Try: Doviverata Narruhn Con: Little Serevi Pen: Little |
| Lansdowne Road, Dublin Attendance: 31,482 Referee: Nigel Whitehouse (Wales) |
Week 4
| 23 November 2002 14:00 UTC+1) |
France  | 35–3 | Canada |
| Report[15] |
| Stade de France, Saint-Denis Attendance: 48,000 Referee: David McHugh (Ireland) |
| 23 November 2002 15:15 UTC+1) |
Italy  | 3–34 |  Australia |
| Pen: Pez | Report[16] | Try: Harrison Kefu Mortlock Staniforth (2) Con: Burke (3/5) Pen: Burke |
| Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa Attendance: 20,000 Referee: Pablo Deluca (Argentina) |
| 23 November 2002 14:30 GMT |
| Wales | 17–43 | New Zealand |
| Try: Robinson 14' c Penalty try 79' c Con: S. Jones (1/1) 15' Harris (1/1) 79' Pen: S. Jones (1/1) 8' | Report[17] | Try: Howlett 19' c, 80+1' c Meeuws 80+5' c King 80+8' c Con: Mehrtens (4/4) 20', 80+2', 80+6', 80+9' Pen: Mehrtens (5/6) 11', 17', 40+1', 43', 63' |
| Millennium Stadium, Cardiff Attendance: 68,785 Referee: Tappe Henning (South Africa) |
| 23 November 2002 14:30 New Zealand ) |
- Jannes Labuschagne (South Africa) was shown a red card after 22 minutes.
- This was South Africa's biggest defeat in their history until a 57–0 defeat to New Zealand in September 2017.
| 23 November 2002 16:30 GMT |
| Ireland | 16–7 |  Argentina |
| Try: Dempsey 20' Con: O'Gara (1/1) 21' Pen: O'Gara (3/3) 33', 43', 65' | Report[19] | Try: Martín 23' Con: Contepomi (1/1) 25' |
| Lansdowne Road, Dublin Attendance: 40,000 Referee: Chris White (England) |
| 24 November 2002 15:00 GMT |
| Scotland | 36–22 | Fiji |
| Try: Craig (3) 9' c, 29' m, 73' m Laney 62' m Grimes 80+5' m Con: Laney (1/5) 10' Pen: Laney (3/3) 22', 25', 58' | Report[20] | Try: Naevo 50' m Ligairi 80' m Pen: Narruhn (4/4) 14', 19', 32', 36' |
| Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh Attendance: 37,351 Referee: Mark Lawrence (South Africa) |
See also
- End of year rugby union tests
- Mid-year rugby union tests
References
- ^ "England rout sorry Springboks". 23 November 2002. Retrieved 14 September 2017 – via news.bbc.co.uk.
- ^ "Wales v Romania". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "Argentina v Australia". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "England v New Zealand". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "Ireland v Australia". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "Scotland v Romania". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "Wales v Fiji". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "France v South Africa". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "Italy v Argentina". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "England v Australia". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "Scotland v South Africa". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "France v New Zealand". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "Wales v Canada". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "Ireland v Fiji". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "France v Canada". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "Italy v Australia". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "Wales v New Zealand". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "England v South Africa". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "Ireland v Argentina". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
- ^ "Scotland v Fiji". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 14 September 2017.