By Gary Watton
April 18 2013
Here are the results of Irish rugby's Inter-Provincial championship, which I have pilfered from that pioneering fellow Irish rugby historian, Edmund van Esbeck. As you will discover, Connacht were the perennial punchbag. However, in mitigation, this western province of Ireland has a smaller [rugby] population and contains a mere five counties.
1969-1970
Ulster beat Leinster 8-3
Leinster beat Munster 12-6
Leinster beat Connacht 26-6
Munster and Ulster drew 3-3
Ulster beat Connacht 20-0
Munster beat Connacht 22-0
FINAL TABLE
Ulster 5 points
Leinster 4 points
Munster 3 points
Connacht 0 points
1970-1971
Ulster beat Leinster 6-3
Leinster beat Munster 10-0
Leinster beat Connacht 11-3
Ulster beat Munster 8-3
Ulster beat Connacht 42-0
Munster beat Connacht 9-0
FINAL TABLE
Ulster 6 points [Ulster emulated their success of three seasons ago by achieving a clean sweep of victories.]
Leinster 4 points
Munster 2 points
Connacht 0 points
1971-1972
Leinster beat Ulster 12-10 [This ended a sequence of five successive wins by Ulster against Leinster.]
Leinster beat Munster 9-0
Leinster beat Connacht 12-6
Ulster beat Munster 13-6
Ulster beat Connacht 13-0
Munster beat Connacht 10-0
FINAL TABLE
Leinster 6 points [This was Leinster's first inter-provincial 'triple crown' since the 1963-1964 season.]
Ulster 4 points
Munster 2 points
Connacht 0 points
1972-1973
Leinster beat Ulster 11-6
Munster beat Leinster 17-9
Leinster beat Connacht 13-0
Ulster beat Munster 4-3
Ulster beat Connacht 37-6
Munster beat Connacht 12-3
FINAL TABLE
Leinster and Munster and Ulster 4 points
Connacht 0 points
1973-1974
Leinster beat Ulster 20-13
Munster beat Leinster 13-3
Leinster beat Connacht 20-13
Munster drew with Ulster 6-6
Ulster beat Connacht 17-14
Munster beat Connacht 29-7
FINAL TABLE
Munster 5 points
Leinster 4 points
Ulster 3 points
Connacht 0 points
1974-1975
Ulster beat Leinster 22-9
Leinster beat Munster 9-6
Leinster beat Connacht 12-3
Munster drew with Ulster 6-6
Ulster beat Connacht 29-6
Connacht drew with Munster 6-6 [This was Connacht's first point against anyone since a 3-3 draw in 1965-6]
FINAL TABLE
Ulster 5 points
Leinster 4 points
Munster 2 points
Connacht 1 point
1975-1976
Leinster beat Ulster 16-9
Munster beat Leinster 9-0
Leinster beat Connacht 7-0
Ulster beat Munster 9-7
Ulster beat Connacht 6-3
Munster beat Connacht 16-6
FINAL TABLE
Leinster and Munster and Ulster 4 points
Connacht 0 points
1976-1977
Ulster beat Leinster 36-21
Leinster beat Munster 12-6
Leinster beat Connacht 21-7
Ulster beat Munster 27-24
Ulster beat Connacht 13-3
Munster beat Connacht 13-6
FINAL TABLE
Ulster 6 points [This was Ulster's second inter-provincial triple whammy of the 1970s.]
Leinster 4 points
Munster 2 points
Connacht 0 points
1977-1978
Leinster beat Ulster 29-18
Munster beat Leinster 15-10
Leinster beat Connacht 30-9
Ulster beat Munster 9-6
Ulster beat Connacht 18-3
Munster beat Connacht 10-6
FINAL TABLE
Leinster and Munster and Ulster 4 points
Connacht 0 points
1978-1979
Leinster beat Ulster 9-3
Munster beat Leinster 12-3
Leinster beat Connacht 13-6
Munster beat Ulster 11-6 [This was Munster's first win against Ulster after nine failed attempts.]
Ulster beat Connacht 11-4
Munster beat Connacht 19-3
FINAL TABLE
Munster 6 points [This was Munster's first inter-provincial clean sweep since the 1968-1969 season.]
Leinster 4 points
Ulster 2 points
Connacht 0 points