History of rugby union matches between Leinster and Munster
Leinster versus Munster is, according to some Irish commentators, one of the biggest provincial rivalries in world rugby,[1] which dates back to 1879, the year of founding of the provincial sides. Games between the two have occurred on an annual basis since the inception of the Irish inter-provincial championship in 1946. Since the beginning of the inter-provincials in 1946, Leinster hold a 52–43 advantage in overall wins, with five draws. Additionally, since the inception of the Celtic League in the 2001–02 season, Leinster hold a 25–16 advantage in overall wins, with one draw in that time.
![](../I/m/Leinster30Munster0.jpg)
The fierce rivalry has grown 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 four European titles to Munster's two.
Summary of Games Since 1946
Details | Played | Won by Leinster | Won by Munster | Drawn |
---|---|---|---|---|
Leinster Home | 51 | 32 | 18 | 1 |
Munster Home | 49 | 20 | 25 | 4 |
Overall | 100 | 52 | 43 | 5 |
Statistics
Biggest win
Leinster: 32–0 (1958–59)
Munster: 30–6 (2005–06)
Highest scoring match
Leinster 40–45 Munster (85 points, 1996–97)
Lowest scoring match
Munster 0–0 Leinster (0 points, 1953–54)
Most consecutive wins
Leinster: 5 (2008–09 – 2010–11)
Munster: 3 (1989–90 – 1991–92, 1996–97 – 1998–99, 2004–05 – 2005–06)
Highest attendance
82,208 (Heineken Cup semi-final, Croke Park, May 2009)
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) | 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) | European 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) | European Cup Semi-Final |
2009/10 | Leinster 30 | Munster 0 | Leinster (35) | Largest winning margin in professional era |
2009/10 | Munster 15 | Leinster 16 | Leinster (36) | |
2009/10 | Leinster 16 | Munster 6 | Leinster (37) | 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) | 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) | |
2016/17 | Munster 29 | Leinster 17 | Munster (42) | |
2017/18 | Leinster 23 | Munster 17 | Leinster (47) | |
2017/18 | Munster 24 | Leinster 34 | Leinster (48) | |
2017/18 | Leinster 16 | Munster 15 | Leinster (49) | League Semi-Final |
2018/19 | Leinster 30 | Munster 22 | Leinster (50) | |
2018/19 | Munster 26 | Leinster 17 | Munster (43) | |
2018/19 | Leinster 24 | Munster 9 | Leinster (51) | League Semi-Final |
2019/20 | Munster 6 | Leinster 13 | Leinster (52) | |
See also
References
- https://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 Archived 2014-12-21 at the Wayback Machine