Connacht Rugby and Leinster Rugby are two Irish rugby union provincial teams that possess a rivalry that dates back to their IRFU Interprovincial Championship clashes during the amateur era. That rivalry has continued and even intensified since the emergence of the professional era in the late 1990s. Connacht and Leinster comprise two of the four Irish provincial teams competing in the Pro14 (formerly known as the Celtic League). As such, the two sides regularly face each other during the regular season, and occasionally during the knock-out rounds.

The rivalry has been heightened on several occasions due to certain games or events. Connacht and Leinster met in the 2016 Pro12 Grand Final, with Connacht winning 20–10, to claim their first Pro12 championship.[1][2] Leinster has observed that the rivalry leads Connacht to raise their game when playing Leinster, leading to resentment among Leinster players when this causes them to lose matches they had expected to win.[3] Connacht defeated Leinster 47–10 in 2017, and were so comfortable in their victory that they had a forward kick a conversion.[4] Connacht and Leinster players have recognized the rivalry that exists between the two teams.[5]

Below are the historical results of the Irish Rugby Football Union teams, Leinster and Connacht, as part of the IRFU Interprovincial Championship, and later the Celtic League, Pro12 and Pro14.[6][7]

Overall Summary of Games Since 1946

Played Won by Leinster Won by Connacht Drawn
104 81 19 4

Statistics

Highest scoring match

2021–22: 76 points (Leinster 56 Connacht 20)

Lowest scoring match

1960–61: Leinster 0 Connacht 0

Highest margin of victory

Leinster: 47 points (54–7 at home in 2019–20)

Connacht: 37 points (47–10 at home in 2017–18)

Most consecutive wins

Leinster: 20 (1965–1985)

Connacht: 2 (2015–2016)

Results between 1946 and 1995

Season Winner Loser Winner Note(s)
1946–47 Leinster 5 Connacht 5 Draw (1)
1947–48 Leinster 15 Connacht 0 Leinster (1)
1948–49 Leinster 3 Connacht 0 Leinster (2)
1949–50 Leinster 31 Connacht 3 Leinster (3)
1950–51 Connacht 10 Leinster 6 Connacht (1)
1951–52 Leinster 39 Connacht 3 Leinster (4)
1952–53 Leinster 35 Connacht 0 Leinster (5)
1953–54 Leinster 34 Connacht 14 Leinster (6)
1954–55 Leinster 6 Connacht 3 Leinster (7)
1955–56 Connacht 8 Leinster 6 Connacht (2)
1956–57 Leinster 19 Connacht 3 Leinster (8)
1957–58 Leinster 9 Connacht 3 Leinster (9)
1958–59 Leinster 9 Connacht 3 Leinster (10)
1959–60 Leinster 3 Connacht 3 Draw (2)
1960–61 Leinster 0 Connacht 0 Draw (3) Lowest scoring match in the history of this fixture
1961–62 Leinster 13 Connacht 9 Leinster (11)
1962–63 Leinster 18 Connacht 17 Leinster (12)
1963–64 Leinster 11 Connacht 6 Leinster (13)
1964–65 Leinster 6 Connacht 6 Draw (4)
1965–66 Leinster 13 Connacht 6 Leinster (14)
1966–67 Leinster 26 Connacht 3 Leinster (15)
1967–68 Leinster 24 Connacht 11 Leinster (16)
1968–69 Leinster 15 Connacht 6 Leinster (17)
1969–70 Leinster 26 Connacht 6 Leinster (18)
1970–71 Leinster 11 Connacht 3 Leinster (19)
1971–72 Leinster 12 Connacht 6 Leinster (20)
1972–73 Leinster 13 Connacht 0 Leinster (21)
1973–74 Leinster 20 Connacht 13 Leinster (22)
1974–75 Leinster 12 Connacht 3 Leinster (23)
1975–76 Leinster 7 Connacht 0 Leinster (24)
1976–77 Leinster 21 Connacht 7 Leinster (25)
1977–78 Leinster 30 Connacht 9 Leinster (26)
1978–79 Leinster 13 Connacht 6 Leinster (27)
1979–80 Leinster 25 Connacht 10 Leinster (28)
1980–81 Leinster 18 Connacht 9 Leinster (29)
1981–82 Leinster 20 Connacht 10 Leinster (30)
1982–83 Leinster 13 Connacht 7 Leinster (31)
1983–84 Leinster 29 Connacht 6 Leinster (32)
1984–85 Leinster 14 Connacht 3 Leinster (33)
1985–86 Connacht 9 Leinster 6 Connacht (3)
1986–87 Leinster 41 Connacht 6 Leinster (34)
1987–88 Leinster 20 Connacht 19 Leinster (35)
1988–89 Connacht 11 Leinster 10 Connacht (4)
1989–90 Leinster 16 Connacht 12 Leinster (36)
1990–91 Leinster 20 Connacht 18 Leinster (37)
1991–92 Leinster 24 Connacht 9 Leinster (38)
1992–93 Connacht 28 Leinster 9 Connacht (5)
1993–94 Leinster 15 Connacht 11 Leinster (39)
1994–95 Connacht 20 Leinster 19 Connacht (6)

Results since 1995/96 season

Season Home Away Winner Note(s)
1995–96 Leinster 41 Connacht 9 Leinster (40)
1996–97 Connacht 22 Leinster 13 Connacht (7)
1997–98 Leinster 23 Connacht 6 Leinster (41)
1998–99 Leinster 29 Connacht 24 Leinster (42)
1998–99 Connacht 24 Leinster 23 Connacht (8)
1999–00 Leinster 22 Connacht 19 Leinster (43)
1999–00 Connacht 8 Leinster 53 Leinster (44)
2000–01 Leinster 21 Connacht 15 Leinster (45)
2000-01 Connacht 22 Leinster 20 Connacht (9)
2001–02 Connacht 20 Leinster 49 Leinster (46)
2002-03 Leinster 23 Connacht 26 Connacht (10)
2003–04 Leinster 21 Connacht 6 Leinster (47)
2003–04 Connacht 35 Leinster 24 Connacht (11)
2004–05 Leinster 18 Connacht 9 Leinster (48)
2004–05 Connacht 21 Leinster 26 Leinster (49)
2005–06 Connacht 9 Leinster 21 Leinster (50)
2005–06 Leinster 16 Connacht 13 Leinster (51)
2005–06 Connacht 16 Leinster 31 Leinster (52)
2005–06 Leinster 30 Connacht 21 Leinster (53)
2006–07 Leinster 29 Connacht 9 Leinster (54)
2006–07 Connacht 10 Leinster 16 Leinster (55)
2008–09 Connacht 19 Leinster 18 Connacht (12)
2008–09 Leinster 26 Connacht 18 Leinster (56)
2009–10 Leinster 17 Connacht 14 Leinster (57)
2009–10 Connacht 27 Leinster 13 Connacht (13)
2010–11 Connacht 6 Leinster 18 Leinster (58)
2010–11 Leinster 30 Connacht 8 Leinster (59)
2011–12 Leinster 30 Connacht 20 Leinster (60)
2011–12 Connacht 13 Leinster 15 Leinster (61)
2012–13 Connacht 34 Leinster 6 Connacht (14)
2012–13 Leinster 17 Connacht 0 Leinster (62)
2013–14 Leinster 16 Connacht 12 Leinster (63)
2013–14 Connacht 8 Leinster 16 Leinster (64)
2014–15 Connacht 10 Leinster 9 Connacht (15)
2014–15 Leinster 21 Connacht 11 Leinster (65)
2015–16 Leinster 13 Connacht 0 Leinster (66)
2015–16 Connacht 7 Leinster 6 Connacht (16)
2015–16 Connacht 20 Leinster 10 Connacht (17) 2016 Pro12 Grand Final
2016–17 Leinster 24 Connacht 13 Leinster (67)
2016–17 Connacht 24 Leinster 37 Leinster (68)
2017–18 Leinster 21 Connacht 18 Leinster (69)
2017–18 Connacht 47 Leinster 10 Connacht (18) Highest margin of victory for Connacht
2018–19 Connacht 3 Leinster 20 Leinster (70)
2018–19 Leinster 33 Connacht 29 Leinster (71)
2019–20 Connacht 11 Leinster 42 Leinster (72)
2019–20 Leinster 54 Connacht 7 Leinster (73) Highest margin of victory for Leinster
2020–21 Leinster 24 Connacht 35 Connacht (19)
2020–21 Connacht 21 Leinster 50 Leinster (74) Rainbow Cup fixture
2021–22 Leinster 47 Connacht 19 Leinster (75)
2021–22 Connacht 8 Leinster 45 Leinster (76) [8]
2021–22 Connacht 21 Leinster 26 Leinster (77) [9]
2021–22 Leinster 56 Connacht 20 Leinster (78) Highest scoring match between the two sides[10]
2022–23 Connacht 0 Leinster 10 Leinster (79) [11]
2022–23 Leinster 41 Connacht 12 Leinster (80) [12]
2023–24 Connacht 22 Leinster 24 Leinster (81) [13]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Connacht see off Leinster to win first Pro12 title at Murrayfield". Guardian. 28 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  2. ^ "Connacht make history with epic victory over Leinster in Pro 12 final". Irish Independent. 28 May 2016. Retrieved 31 May 2016.
  3. ^ "THE REASON BEHIND THE UNSPOKEN RIVALRY BETWEEN LEINSTER AND CONNACHT", OTB Sports, Ciaran Bradley, 19 December 2018.
  4. ^ "Connacht-Leinster needle was 'always there' - Sexton", RTE, Michael Glennon, 27 September 2018.
  5. ^ "Connacht-Leinster needle was 'always there' - Sexton", RTE, Michael Glennon, 27 September 2018.
  6. ^ "Team History Archive". Irishrugby.ie.
  7. ^ "Leinster Fixtures & Results". leinsterrugby.ie.
  8. ^ "Early red card hampers Connacht as Leinster score six tries in easy win". the42. 26 March 2022. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  9. ^ "Leinster take 5-point lead into second leg after thrilling encounter with Connacht". the42. 8 April 2022. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
  10. ^ "Lowe bags 4 as Leinster demolish Connacht to power into Champions Cup QFs". the42. 15 April 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  11. ^ "Leinster weather the storm to escape from Galway with yet another win". the42. 14 October 2022. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  12. ^ "Larmour lights up RDS but Leinster lose Sexton to injury in 7-try win over Connacht". the42. Retrieved 2 January 2022.
  13. ^ "MATCH REPORT: CONNACHT 22 LEINSTER 24". Leinster rugby. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
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