2012 end-of-year rugby union internationals

Matches

• Argentina's victory came exactly 11 years after their last win over Wales at the Millennium Stadium.

• Michael Bent, Iain Henderson, Dave Kilcoyne and Richardt Strauss made their full international debuts.
• The starting hookers, Adriaan and Richardt Strauss, are cousins, the latter qualifying on residency grounds.
• Ronan O'Gara earned his 127th international cap and overtook Brian O'Driscoll as the sole second most-capped player in rugby union history behind Australia's George Gregan.

• Yannick Forestier, Jocelino Suta, Sébastien Vahaamahina and Paddy Ryan made their international debuts.
• This match ended Australia's seven-year winning streak against France, France's previous victory against Australia dating back to 5 November 2005.
• The French came within one point of their largest ever victory against Australia.

• Henry Pyrgos, Dane Coles and Tawera Kerr-Barlow made their international debuts.
• Scotland became the first team to score three tries against New Zealand since New Zealand's loss to Australia in August 2011.

• This was a non-capped match for Ireland, but was a fully capped match for Fiji. The IRB gave this match a no-test status, which means rankings would not change regardless of the outcome but will be part of the new scheme to increase competitiveness in Tier 2 teams ahead of the next World Cup.

• This result was Tonga's first ever win over Scotland.
• This defeat was Scotland's first at Aberdeen's Pittodrie Stadium.

• Freddie Burns made his international debut.
• England claimed the Hillary Shield for the first time.
• This was England's biggest win over New Zealand, the most points they have ever scored against them, and their first win against them in 10 years.
• This was also New Zealand's joint second-largest defeat; at the time only Australia had beaten them by more.
• This was New Zealand's first defeat since they became world champions, and their first in 22 matches.

• Australia captain Nathan Sharpe kicked for the conversion to end his career in the Australian squad.
• No replacement was made when Halfpenny was taken off due to injury.

  2012 International Rugby Series

Effect on 2015 Rugby World Cup seeding

• Band 1 will be made up of the top 4 automatic qualifiers
• Band 2 will be made up of the next 4 automatic qualifiers
• Band 3 will be made up of the next 4 automatic qualifiers
• Band 4 will be made up of the remaining due to qualify places
• Band 5 will include the remaining possible nations

• Americas 1
• Asia 1
• Europe 1
• Oceania 1
• Africa 1
• Americas 2
• Europe 2
• Repechage Winner