Mixed Fortunes For Home Nations At Rugby World Cup

On Friday night ITV1 viewers were treated to a very exciting match between host nation France and an Ireland team with it all to prove.

Although the game was relatively tight up to the break, the second half saw France take control and their superior kicking proved to be Ireland’s downfall.

The match, which France won by a convincing 25-3 scoreline, drew a peak audience of 1.4 million ABC1 men (a 33.8% share) to ITV1.

An average of one million ABC1 men (a 26.2% share) stuck with the channel for the duration of the coverage.

Following the previous week’s drubbing at the hands of South Africa, the England rugby team were clearly determined to show what they were made of against a determined Samoa on Saturday.

England won the match 44-22, although only after offering up a very disjointed second half performance that once again showed how much this current team has to do if it wants to make a mark at the tournament.

ITV1’s coverage of the match drew a peak audience of 1.2 million ABC1 men (a 47.8% share) and an average of 827,000 stuck with the show throughout its three hour running time.

Beginning at 2.30pm, the coverage had an average of 2.4 million adults glued to their screens.

On a pretty disappointing weekend, Scotland were absolutely taken to the cleaners by New Zealand, losing by 40 points without reply to the tournament favourites.

The result did not really come as a shock though with the All Blacks simply oozing class across the pitch.

A peak of 774,000 ABC1 men (a 28.4% share) watched the hard-hitting action.

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