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
107
84
19
4
Statistics
Record
Connacht
Leinster
Longest winning streak
2 (2015–2016)
20 (1965–1985)
Largest points for
Home
47 (2017–18)
56 (2021–22)
Away
35 (2020–21)
53 (1999–00)
Largest winning margin
Home
37 (47–10; 2017–18)
47 (54–7; 2019–20)
Away
11 (24–35; 2020–21)
45 (8–53; 1999–00)
Largest aggregate score
76 (Leinster 56 Connacht 20; 2021–22)
Lowest aggregate score
0 (Leinster 0 Connacht 0; 1960–61)
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]
2023–24
Leinster 33
Connacht 7
Leinster (82)
[ 14]
2024–25
Connacht 12
Leinster 33
Leinster (83)
[ 15]
2024–25
Leinster 20
Connacht 12
Leinster (84)
[ 16]
See also
References
Staff Stadia Competitions Seasons Matches
Staff Stadium Competitions Seasons Matches
See also