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!

Short and sweet bro

Quade Cooper was never too far from the headlines this year with this bizarre and brief press conference ahead of his return to Wallabies colours back in August returning him to centre stage. Some suggested he was feeling the pressure - and he wasn't the only one with New Zealand claiming a 22-0 win on game day.

Quote Unquote

"This was an unfortunate case of human error"
- IRB match official selection committee chairman John Jeffrey admits referee Alain Rolland and his team got it wrong when they prevented Australia from making a substitution in the closing moments of their Rugby Championship clash with South Africa in October.

Trivia Time

Which player has captained his country the most times? 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.

Lancaster in awe of 'Olympic fitness'
"How do you get someone to be the best that they can be?"
Graham Jenkins talks Olympic success and influences with England coach Stuart Lancaster.

Picture Perfect

We've also trawled the archives for some of the best shots of year for your visual pleasure - here we re-live the moments some actors played rugby during the opening ceremony for the 2012 Olympic Games.