Luciano Orquera of Aironi set a new kicking standard in the RaboDirect PRO12 competition with nine successful penalty kicks in the 27-13 win over Treviso in the Italian derby. The fly-half gave some of the credit for his success to the new Rhino Vortex rugby ball.

"I was delighted to score 9 out of 9 penalty kicks during the derby game against Treviso before Christmas because it meant achieving an important win,” Orquera said after the match. “I only found out the day after the game that I had made a new kicking record in the RaboDirect PRO12. The new Rhino Vortex allowed me to be at my best, even in poor weather conditions. It is a pleasure to kick."

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The feat puts Orquera in rare company of players - Stade Francais’ Diego Dominguez, Thierry Lacroix for Perpignan, Simon Mannix of Gloucester while Andrew Mehrtens has done this twice - that have hit 9 penalty kicks in a match.

The success of Orquera and the accuracy of the Rhino Vortex rugby ball was not an isolated event. The top kickers in the RaboDirect PRO12 are all showing good success rates, Leinster’s Fergus McFadden at 95.24% and teammate Jonathan Sexton hitting for 86.96% while Ronan O’Gara of Munster hits with 84.21%, followed by Rhys Priestland of Scarlets with 83.33% , Duncan Weir of Glasgow with 82.46% and Greig Laidlaw of Edinburgh with 80.36%.

Orquera is not too far behind the pack in seventh place with 79.17% in the Rhino Golden Boot Award table.