Kickers worth their weight in gold at Rugby World Cup

MARSEILLE, France : Every Rugby World Cup has been won by a nation with a strong goal-kicker who can turn pressure into points and it is likely to be the case again in France with the teams who have come through tight contests so far all having one thing in common.

The history of the knockout rounds suggests it will be fine margins that win games, and a kicker operating at 80 per cent plus could be the difference between victory and a bitter defeat.

There have been 14 tries scored in the previous eight World Cup finals, less than two per match, with 73 per cent of the points in those deciding games coming from kicks at poles.

The tournament in France has already shown that when two heavyweights collide it is the boot that makes the difference.

That was no more starkly illustrated then in Saturday’s epic in Paris as Ireland beat South Africa 13-8, with the latter throwing away 11 points from the kicking tee. It was not the only reason for the Springboks’ defeat, but a major one.

France fullback Thomas Ramos proved the match-winner when the hosts beat New Zealand 27-13 in the opening game, booting 17 points as the All Blacks’ Richie Mo’unga had a 33 per cent success rate off the tee.

Fiji scrumhalf Simione Kuruvoli is not known for his kicking, but landed five from five shots at goal against Australia in the historic 22-15 victory for the Pacific Islanders.

The Wallabies scored two tries to one in that match but it was kicks at poles that took Fiji to the win.

George Ford landed three drop goals and six penalties to score all of England's points in the 27-10 win over Argentina, while the boot was on the other foot when the latter beat Samoa 19-10 and wing Emiliano Boffelli, in the side as a specialist kicker, was accurate off