Rugby World Cup 2015: Jonny Wilkinson, Grant Fox and the top scorers to come before

Morne Steyn of the Springboks kicks during a South Africa Test against New Zealand in 2011. Phil Walter / Getty Images / August 20, 2011

Springboks players carry Percy Montgomery on their shoulders at the close of the Tri-Nations match between South Africa and Australia in 2008. Lee Warren / Gallo Images / Getty Images / August 30, 2008

With the 2015 Rugby World Cup just weeks away, Steve Luckings looks back on the players who topped the scoring charts in each of the previous seven tournaments.

1987

Grant Fox (New Zealand)

The inaugural tournament was held in New Zealand and it was All Blacks stand-off Grant Fox who top-scored as the hosts beat all before them before sweeping France 29-9 in the final, in which Fox successfully converted Michael Jones’s try and sent home a drop goal and four penalties. Fox’s 126 points is still a record for a single tournament. The fly-half pioneered goal kicking, most notably the art of leaning the ball forwards to help with flight trajectory.

1991

Ralph Keyes (Ireland)

The Irish fly-half won only eight caps but amassed 68 points in four games at the tournament held in England as Ireland reached the quarter-finals where they lost a thrilling match 19-18 to eventual champions Australia. Keyes scored 14 of Ireland’s points in that game as the Wallabies needed a last-ditch Michael Lynagh try to seal their place in the semi-finals.

1995

Thierry Lacroix (France)

Lacroix’s eight penalties in the quarter-final against Ireland is a joint-record for a single Rugby World Cup match (Matt Burke v South Africa [1999], Gonzalo Quesada v Samoa [1999] and Gavin Hastings v Tonga [1995] are the others). The French No 10’s nine points against England to secure third-place in South Africa saw him finish with 112 points.

1999

Gonzalo Quesada (Argentina)

The Argentine was dubbed “Speedy Gonzalo” by the British media for the extraordinary length of time he took to prepare his kicks at goal. They say you can’t rush perfection, and Quesada’s 31 successful penalties in the 1999 tournament is still a record.

2003

Jonny Wilkinson (England)

England’s kicking metronome is the executer of the most memorable kick in rugby history. Wilkinson’s precision with the boot had already kicked France out of the semi-finals before his four penalties in the final against Australia took the game to extra time. Having already missed with a couple of drop-goal attempts on his stronger foot, Wilkinson sent over the winning three-pointer off his right foot as England became the first team from the Northern Hemisphere to win the Webb Ellis trophy thanks largely to the England pivot’s 113 points in the tournament.

2007

Percy Montgomery (South Africa)

The stylish midfielder was part of a losing Sprongboks side that were schooled in the importance of fielding a world-class goal kicker when Neil Jenkins broke South Africa hearts on the British & Irish Lions tour of 1997. From that moment, Montgomery dedicated himself to developing into one of the best strikers of a dead ball in world rugby. South Africa beat England in the final in Paris as Montgomery finished top scorer with 105 points.

2011

Morne Steyn (South Africa)

A largely underwhelming tournament for the Springboks ended at the last-eight stage with an 11-9 defeat to Australia. The Sprinboks finished top of their pool with the Bulls fly-half eventually finishing with 62 points from five games, the lowest tally of any tournament top scorer.

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