Wed 2 Jan 2019 | 01:10

New Zealand's Top 10 tries of 2018 and fascinating year end stats

Despite a loss in Dublin and a home loss to the Springboks, the All Blacks are still the number one side in the world and very much favourites to claim yet another Rugby World Cup title in Japan later this year. They scored some incredible tries and notched up some fascinating stats in 2018.

Scoring a grand total of 78 tries in the year, they fell short of their best ever by just three tries. Back in 2003, they tallied up 81 tries for the year, averaging 5.78 per Test.

MOST TRIES IN A CALENDAR YEAR:

Argentina - 92 (2003)

All Blacks - 81 (2003)

South Africa - 81 (2007)

Japan - 80 (2002)

All Blacks - 80 (2007)

All Blacks - 80 (2016)

All Blacks - 78 (2018)

With just two losses (36-34 to South Africa and 16-9 to Ireland) and twelve wins, it's not all doom and gloom and while the rest of the rugby world might fancy their chances against them in the next ten months or so, we can all agree that they've scored some outstanding five-pointers.

You can watch the top ten below (as chosen by their official youtube channel), and if you fancy watching all 78, you can see that lower down.

OTHER ALL BLACKS STATS:

• Despite losing just twice, the All Blacks did not have the best winning percentage for the third year running. That honour in 2018 went to Ireland with a 91.66% winning record. England had the best winning percentage in 2016 and 2017.
• However, New Zealand had more wins (12), tries (78) and points (549) than any other team in 2018.
• Their record over the three year period is also best at 86.90% ahead of England's 80% and Ireland's 75.71%.
• Rieko Ioane was the leading try scorer in 2018 with 11 tries in 11 matches, taking his overall record to a very impressive 20 tries in 24 Tests. And he's still just 21-years-old.
• Beauden Barrett is now the highest international scorer in the history of the flyhalf position. He's scored 27 tries in 57 appearances,  surpassing Dan Carter's 25 tries in 100 matches.
• Prop Owen Franks though, still hasn't scored a try in Test rugby, despite playing 106 Tests for his country. He became the first scoreless Test centurion when he faced Australia.
• The leading Test points scorer for the second year running was Barrett, picking up 130 points while closely followed by Handre Pollard (121) and Owen Farrell (113).

SUPERFANS:

Watch every try (78) that New Zealand scored in 2018

credit: all blacks/stats via scrum.com

If you're heading to the Rugby World Cup in Japan: