New Zealand scored a record 145 points against Japan at the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The All Blacks won 145–17 in Bloemfontein, South Africa, on 4 June 1995.
The match remains the highest team score in Rugby World Cup history. New Zealand’s 21 tries included six by wing Marc Ellis, who also set the tournament record for tries in a single match. Fly-half Simon Culhane contributed 45 points, another World Cup match record for an individual player.
New Zealand’s attack was led by a formidable backline that included Jonah Lomu, although Ellis was the six-try star of this particular game. Japan’s 17 points prevented a shutout, but the 128-point margin remains one of the tournament’s most lopsided results.
The fixture is often confused with New Zealand’s 142–0 victory over Namibia in 2003, which produced the largest winning margin. The 145-point total against Japan is the record for points scored by one team in a World Cup match.