count=0,
while ($html =~ [aug<\/td>]g) { $count++ }
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Please don't post code that won't work – or, in this case, even compile. (Or if the code is untested, please flag the fact prominently.) A beginning Perler, even one as reluctant as robertw to read basic documentation, deserves better of us.

>perl -wMstrict -le
"my $html = 'xxx aug</td> yyy aug</td> zzz';
 ;;
 my $count = 0;
 while ($html =~ m[aug</td>]g) { $count++ }
 print $count;
 ;;
 my $count2 =()= $html =~ m{ aug</td> }xmsg;
 print $count2;
"
2
2
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