It's that time of year again and in what is now surely a tradition to rival the turkey, the tree and all the trimmings, we're delighted to herald the return the ESPNscrum Festive Countdown for your amusement.

Once again, we'll be counting down the days until the big one with an assortment of trivia and novelties to brighten your day - sadly, chocolate not included. Check out our latest offering below and be sure to check back tomorrow for your latest dose of festive fun!

Anything but the face

The Tuilagis have a reputation as some of rugby's most physical players. Manu Tuilagi tore the All Blacks apart on Saturday while Alesana Tuilagi has enjoyed running through defences the world over in the past. And then there's Henry Tuilagi who is playing at No.8 for Perpignan. Faced with one of the world's quickest men in the guise of Biarritz's Taku Ngwenya, Tuilagi opted to go over him, rather than around him. It was a quite spectacular hand-off and was quickly followed by another a second later.

Quote Unquote

"George Smith runs around like he's got spiders on him because no one wants to tackle him"
- Japan coach Eddie Jones slams the work-rate of the country's leading players citing former Wallaby flanker George Smith's ability to dominate the Top League

Trivia Time

Who is the only player in Test history to have received two red cards?Click here for the answer

And something you may have missed...

ESPNscrum endeavours to bring you an intoxicating mix of news, views and analysis and one or two of these gems may have passed you by over the last 12 months - but don't worry, we've dusted them off for your pleasure.

RFU medics tackle concussion head on
"Sport's leading medical minds are determined to tackle the issue of concussion head on in a bid to underline their commitment to player welfare."
Graham Jenkins looks at the changing attitude in rugby to the issue of concussion.

Picture Perfect

We've also trawled the archives for some of the best shots of year for your visual pleasure - here we take a look behind-the-scenes in the New Zealand changing room where inspirational skipper Richie McCaw shows off his latest spoils - the inaugural Rugby Championship trophy.