History of rugby union matches between Leinster and Munster
Leinster versus Munster is one of the largest Provincial rivalries in world rugby,[1] which dates back to 1879, the year of founding of the provinces, although games between the two have only occurred on an annual basis since the inception of the Irish inter-provincial championship in 1946. Since the beginning of the inter-pros in 1946, Leinster hold a 46-41 advantage in overall wins, with five draws. Additionally, since the inception of the Celtic League in the 2001-02 season, Leinster hold an 19-14 advantage in overall wins, with one draw in that time.
The fierce rivalry has grown exponentially since the turn of professionalism as both teams battled for domestic and European dominance, and has sometimes become a heated and bitter affair, on and off the pitch.[2]
The birth of the modern era rivalry could be attributed to the Heineken Cup semi-final in 2006, when Munster defeated Leinster 30 - 6 in Lansdowne Road en route to winning their first European Championship. Munster then went on to enjoy a period of success by again winning the European trophy in 2008. A shift in fortunes occurred in 2009 however, when Leinster defeated Munster 25 - 6 at the same stage of the competition in front of 82,208 spectators at Croke Park, which was a world record attendance for a club game,[3] before going on to claim the first of three European titles in a four-year period.
Overall Summary of Games Since 1946
| Details | Played | Won by Leinster | Won by Munster | Drawn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leinster Home | 47 | 28 | 18 | 1 |
| Munster Home | 45 | 18 | 23 | 4 |
| Overall | 92 | 46 | 41 | 5 |
Statistics
Biggest wins
Leinster: 32-0 (1958/59), 30-0 (2009/10)
Munster: 6-30 (2005/06), 33-9 (2005/06)
Highest scoring match
Leinster 40 - Munster 45 (85 points, 1996/97)
Lowest scoring match
Munster 0 - Leinster 0 (0 points, 1953/54)
Most consecutive wins
Leinster: 5 (2008/09 - 2010/11) 4 (1983/84 - 1986/87) 4 (2011/12 - 2012/13)
Munster: 3 (1989/90 - 1991/92) 3 (1996/97 - 1998/99) 3 (2004/05 - 2005/06)
Highest attendance
82,208 (HC semi-final, Croke Park, May 2009)
List of Honours
Leinster:
- European Rugby Champions Cup[note 1]
- European Rugby Challenge Cup[note 2]
- Winners: 1 (2013)
- Pro12[note 3]
- British & Irish Cup
- Irish Inter-Provincial Championship[note 4][4]
- Winners: 22 (1949, 1950*, 1955*, 1957*, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1964, 1965*, 1972, 1973*, 1976*, 1978*, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983*, 1984, 1994*, 1996, 1998*, 2002)
Munster:
- European Rugby Champions Cup[note 5]
- Pro12[note 6]
- Celtic Cup:
- Winners: 1 (2005)[5]
- British and Irish Cup
- Irish Inter-Provincial Championship:
- Winners: 22
Results
| Season | Home | Away | Winner | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946/47 | Leinster 15 | Munster 11 | Leinster (1) | |
| 1947/48 | Munster 14 | Leinster 11 | Munster (1) | |
| 1948/49 | Leinster 6 | Munster 0 | Leinster (2) | |
| 1949/50 | Munster 3 | Leinster 3 | Draw (1) | |
| 1950/51 | Leinster 8 | Munster 6 | Leinster (3) | |
| 1951/52 | Munster 9 | Leinster 12 | Leinster (4) | |
| 1952/53 | Leinster 0 | Munster 3 | Munster (2) | |
| 1953/54 | Munster 0 | Leinster 0 | Draw (2) | Lowest scoring game in history of fixture |
| 1954/55 | Leinster 8 | Munster 9 | Munster (3) | |
| 1955/56 | Munster 9 | Leinster 12 | Leinster (5) | |
| 1956/57 | Leinster 19 | Munster 9 | Leinster (6) | |
| 1957/58 | Munster 19 | Leinster 12 | Munster (4) | |
| 1958/59 | Leinster 32 | Munster 0 | Leinster (7) | Largest winning margin in history of fixture |
| 1959/60 | Munster 18 | Leinster 14 | Munster (5) | |
| 1960/61 | Leinster 14 | Munster 9 | Leinster (8) | |
| 1961/62 | Munster 3 | Leinster 6 | Leinster (9) | |
| 1962/63 | Leinster 6 | Munster 14 | Munster (6) | |
| 1963/64 | Munster 6 | Leinster 10 | Leinster (10) | |
| 1964/65 | Leinster 14 | Munster 3 | Leinster (11) | |
| 1965/66 | Munster 6 | Leinster 3 | Munster (7) | |
| 1966/67 | Leinster 5 | Munster 9 | Munster (8) | |
| 1967/68 | Munster 5 | Leinster 8 | Leinster (12) | |
| 1968/69 | Leinster 8 | Munster 12 | Munster (9) | |
| 1969/70 | Munster 6 | Leinster 12 | Leinster (13) | |
| 1970/71 | Leinster 10 | Munster 0 | Leinster (14) | |
| 1971/72 | Munster 0 | Leinster 9 | Leinster (15) | |
| 1972/73 | Leinster 9 | Munster 17 | Munster (10) | |
| 1973/74 | Munster 13 | Leinster 3 | Munster (11) | |
| 1974/75 | Leinster 9 | Munster 6 | Leinster (16) | |
| 1975/76 | Munster 9 | Leinster 0 | Munster (12) | |
| 1976/77 | Leinster 12 | Munster 6 | Leinster (17) | |
| 1977/78 | Munster 15 | Leinster 10 | Munster (13) | |
| 1978/79 | Leinster 3 | Munster 12 | Munster (14) | |
| 1979/80 | Munster 3 | Leinster 4 | Leinster (18) | |
| 1980/81 | Leinster 18 | Munster 9 | Leinster (19) | |
| 1981/82 | Munster 15 | Leinster 15 | Draw (3) | |
| 1982/83 | Leinster 6 | Munster 9 | Munster (15) | |
| 1983/84 | Munster 13 | Leinster 22 | Leinster (20) | |
| 1984/85 | Leinster 15 | Munster 9 | Leinster (21) | |
| 1985/86 | Munster 6 | Leinster 15 | Leinster (22) | |
| 1986/87 | Leinster 15 | Munster 3 | Leinster (23) | |
| 1987/88 | Munster 10 | Leinster 3 | Munster (16) | |
| 1988/89 | Leinster 23 | Munster 12 | Leinster (24) | |
| 1989/90 | Munster 10 | Leinster 3 | Munster (17) | |
| 1990/91 | Leinster 12 | Munster 27 | Munster (18) | |
| 1991/92 | Munster 20 | Leinster 3 | Munster (19) | |
| 1992/93 | Leinster 21 | Munster 20 | Leinster (25) | |
| 1993/94 | Munster 21 | Leinster 19 | Munster (20) | |
| 1994/95 | Leinster 14 | Munster 36 | Munster (21) | |
| 1995/96 | Munster 15 | Leinster 19 | Leinster (26) | |
| 1996/97 | Leinster 40 | Munster 45 | Munster (22) | Highest scoring match in history of fixture |
| 1997/98 | Munster 15 | Leinster 12 | Munster (23) | |
| 1998/99 | Leinster 10 | Munster 25 | Munster (24) | |
| 1998/99 | Munster 18 | Leinster 24 | Leinster (27) | |
| 1999/00 | Leinster 13 | Munster 30 | Munster (25) | |
| 1999/00 | Munster 31 | Leinster 20 | Munster (26) | |
| 2000/01 | Leinster 16 | Munster 16 | Draw (4) | |
| 2000/01 | Munster 26 | Leinster 20 | Munster (27) | |
| 2001/02 | Leinster 24 | Munster 20 | Leinster (28) | Celtic League Final |
| 2001/02 | Munster 6 | Leinster 6 | Draw (5) | |
| 2002/03 | N/A | N/A | N/A | No Fixture |
| 2003/04 | Leinster 8 | Munster 15 | Munster (28) | |
| 2003/04 | Munster 24 | Leinster 13 | Munster (29) | |
| 2004/05 | Leinster 17 | Munster 15 | Leinster (29) | |
| 2004/05 | Munster 19 | Leinster 13 | Munster (30) | |
| 2004/05 | Leinster 17 | Munster 23 | Munster (31) | Celtic Cup Semi-Final |
| 2005/06 | Munster 33 | Leinster 9 | Munster (32) | |
| 2005/06 | Leinster 35 | Munster 23 | Leinster (30) | |
| 2005/06 | Leinster 6 | Munster 30 | Munster (33) | Heineken Cup Semi-Final |
| 2006/07 | Leinster 27 | Munster 20 | Leinster (31) | |
| 2006/07 | Munster 25 | Leinster 11 | Munster (34) | |
| 2007/08 | Munster 3 | Leinster 10 | Leinster (32) | |
| 2007/08 | Leinster 21 | Munster 12 | Leinster (33) | |
| 2008/09 | Leinster 0 | Munster 18 | Munster (35) | |
| 2008/09 | Munster 22 | Leinster 5 | Munster (36) | |
| 2008/09 | Munster 6 | Leinster 25 | Leinster (34) | Heineken Cup Semi-Final |
| 2009/10 | Leinster 30 | Munster 0 | Leinster (35) | |
| 2009/10 | Munster 15 | Leinster 16 | Leinster (36) | |
| 2009/10 | Leinster 16 | Munster 6 | Leinster (37) | Magners League Semi-Final |
| 2010/11 | Leinster 13 | Munster 9 | Leinster (38) | Most consecutive wins in history of fixture |
| 2010/11 | Munster 24 | Leinster 23 | Munster (37) | |
| 2010/11 | Munster 19 | Leinster 9 | Munster (38) | Magners League Final |
| 2011/12 | Leinster 24 | Munster 19 | Leinster (39) | |
| 2011/12 | Munster 9 | Leinster 18 | Leinster (40) | |
| 2012/13 | Leinster 30 | Munster 21 | Leinster (41) | |
| 2012/13 | Munster 16 | Leinster 22 | Leinster (42) | |
| 2013/14 | Munster 19 | Leinster 15 | Munster (39) | |
| 2013/14 | Leinster 22 | Munster 18 | Leinster (43) | |
| 2014/15 | Leinster 23 | Munster 34 | Munster (40) | |
| 2014/15 | Munster 28 | Leinster 13 | Munster (41) | |
| 2015/16 | Munster 7 | Leinster 24 | Leinster (44) | |
| 2015/16 | Leinster 16 | Munster 13 | Leinster (45) | |
| 2016/17 | Leinster 25 | Munster 14 | Leinster (46) |
Notes
- ↑ Formerly known as Heineken European Cup
- ↑ Formerly known as European Challenge Cup
- ↑ Formerly known as Celtic League / Magners League
- ↑ Contested from 1946 to 2002 – Bold indicates Grand Slam; * indicates shared title
- ↑ Formerly known as Heineken European Cup
- ↑ Formerly known as Celtic League / Magners League
References
- ↑ http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/leinster-munster-rivalry-is-vital-to-irish-rugby-in-general-and-two-clubs-in-particular-1.1945909
- ↑ http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/champions-cup/myopic-munster-fans-a-blight-on-old-rivalry-26529558.html
- ↑ http://www.pro12rugby.com/news/4179.php#.VFabpRba6kg
- ↑ The Ireland Rugby Miscellany (2007): Ciaran Cronin
- ↑ "Celtic Cup Glory". munsterrugby.ie. 14 May 2005. Retrieved 23 January 2012.