By Gary Watton
April 19 2013
This is a trip down memory lane to the Irish inter-provincial rugby contests of the 1990s and slightly beyond. With the advent of professional rugby during this decade, the Inter-Provincial championship gradually lost its appeal, as the provinces sought to ply their trade on a wider, European stage, as well as competing against each other in the newly-formed Celtic League from 2001. Meanwhile, The Exiles made an incursion into the Inter-Provincial tournament for four years, but they never once managed to beat the triumvirate of Leinster, Munster, and Ulster.
1989-1990
Ulster beat Leinster 14-6
Munster beat Leinster 10-3
Leinster beat Connacht 16-12
Ulster beat Munster 13-10
Ulster beat Connacht 38-3
Munster beat Connacht 14-10
FINAL TABLE
Ulster 6 points [Unstoppable Ulster claimed all three scalps again for the fifth time in six unbeaten years.]
Munster 4 points
Leinster 2 points
Connacht 0 points
1990-1991
Ulster beat Leinster 13-6
Munster beat Leinster 27-12
Leinster beat Connacht 20-18
Ulster beat Munster 19-15
Ulster beat Connacht 16-9
Munster beat Connacht 19-18
FINAL TABLE
Ulster 6 points [The white knights monopolised this tournament with another unblemished campaign.]
Munster 4 points
Leinster 2 points
Connacht 0 points
1991-1992
Ulster beat Leinster 22-21
Munster beat Leinster 20-3
Leinster beat Connacht 24-9
Ulster beat Munster 37-22
Connacht drew with Ulster 10-10
Munster beat Connacht 15-9
FINAL TABLE
Ulster 5 points [Unfancied Connacht stopped unbeaten Ulster completing yet another triple whammy.]
Munster 4 points
Leinster 2 points
Connacht 1 point
1992-1993
Ulster beat Leinster 12-8
Leinster beat Munster 21-20
Connacht beat Leinster 28-9
Ulster beat Munster 12-11
Ulster beat Connacht 19-6
Munster beat Connacht 20-10
Leinster beat The Exiles 16-14
Ulster beat The Exiles 16-13
The Exiles beat Munster 19-13
The Exiles beat Connacht 17-12
FINAL TABLE
Ulster 8 points [Remarkably, all-conquering Ulster were still too superior to the other protagonists.]
Leinster and The Exiles 4 points
Connacht and Munster 2 points
1993-1994
Leinster beat Ulster 25-0 [This was Ulster's first inter-provincial defeat since 1983-1984, ten years ago.]
Munster beat Leinster 21-19
Leinster beat Connacht 15-11
Ulster beat Munster 24-21
Ulster beat Connacht 39-10
Munster beat Connacht 15-9
Leinster beat The Exiles 13-8
Ulster beat The Exiles 21-3
Munster beat The Exiles 34-19
The Exiles beat Connacht 41-12
FINAL TABLE
Leinster and Munster and Ulster 6 points
The Exiles 2 points
Connacht 0 points
1994-1995
Leinster beat Ulster 12-6
Munster beat Leinster 36-14
Connacht beat Leinster 20-19
Munster beat Ulster 17-16 [This was Munster's first win against Ulster since the 1980-1981 season.]
Ulster beat Connacht 20-6
Munster beat Connacht 60-20
Leinster beat The Exiles 20-18
Ulster beat The Exiles 42-16
Munster beat The Exiles 46-8
The Exiles beat Connacht 35-9
FINAL TABLE
Munster 8 points [Munster achieved their first clean sweep since the late 1970s, with 159 total points.]
Leinster and Ulster 4 points
Connacht and The Exiles 2 points
1995-1996
The Exiles 28 Connacht 22; 25th November
Ulster 14 Munster 10; 25th November
[Try for Ulster from Mackey]
[Try for Munster from Walsh]
Connacht 9 Ulster 27; 2nd December
[Tries for Ulster from Field, Topping]
The Exiles 26 Leinster 42; 2nd December
[Tries for The Exiles from Corcoran, Henderson, Malone, Saverimutto]
[Tries for Leinster from McQuilkin (3), Costello, Gavin, O'Shea]
Leinster 41 Connacht 9; 9th December
[Tries for Leinster from O'Shea(2), Gavin, Hogan]
Munster 20 The Exiles 14; 9th December
[Tries for Munster from Toland (2); drop goal from Tuohy]
[Tries for The Exiles from Henderson, Malone]
Munster 15 Leinster 19; 16th December
[Tries for Munster from Wallace (2)]
[Try for Leinster from Rolland]
Ulster 29 The Exiles 3; 16th December
[Tries for Ulster from Cunningham, Harbinson, Tweed]
Connacht 11 Munster 46; 23rd December
[Try for Connacht from Heaslip]
[Tries for Munster from Clohessy.D, Clohessy.P, Crotty, McIvor, Toland, Walsh]
Leinster 31 Ulster 3; 23rd December
[Tries for Leinster from Gavin, Jameson, Wallace]
FINAL TABLE
Leinster 8 points [It was belatedly Leinster's turn to emulate their previous 100% success of 1983-1984.]
Ulster 6 points
Munster 4 points
The Exiles 2 points
Connacht 0 points
1996-1997
Munster 45 Connacht 28; 21st September
[Tries for Munster from Lacey (2), Foley, McCahill, Walsh; drop goal from O'Halloran]
[Tries for Connacht from Devine (2), Reddan]
Ulster 25 Leinster 35; 21st September
[Tries for Ulster from Duncan, Ritchie, Topping]
[Tries for Leinster from McKenna (2), Jameson, Spicer]
Leinster 40 Munster 45; 28th September
[Tries for Leinster from Coleman, Hickie, McQuilkin, Ridge]
[Tries for Munster from Galwey (2), Halvey; drop goal from Keane]
Ulster 32 Connacht 27; 28th September
[Tries for Ulster from Duncan, Laing, Topping. Laing also kicked seventeen points]
[Tries for Connacht from Carey, Elwood. Elwood also kicked seventeen points.]
Connacht 22 Leinster 13; 5th October
[Tries for Connacht from Elwood, Leahy]
[Try for Leinster from Francis]
Munster 27 Ulster 24; 5th October
[Tries for Munster from Dinneen, Galwey; drop goals from Keane, McIvor]
[Tries for Ulster from Coulter, Duncan]
FINAL TABLE
Munster 6 points [Munster revisited their form of two seasons ago with a high-scoring triple whammy.]
Connacht and Leinster and Ulster 2 points
1997-1998
Connacht 9 Munster 29; 16th August
[Tries for Munster from Galwey, Halvey, O'Gara; drop goal from O'Gara]
Leinster 26 Ulster 25; 16th August
[Tries for Leinster from Hickie, O'Mahony, Rolland]
[Try for Ulster from Laing who also kicked six penalties and a conversion]
Connacht 27 Ulster 17; 23rd August
[Tries for Connacht from Charlie, McEntee, Murphy]
[Tries for Ulster from McDowell (2)]
Munster 15 Leinster 12; 23rd August
[Drop goal for Munster from O'Gara. There were no tries from either team.]
Leinster 23 Connacht 6; 30th August
[Tries for Leinster from Nowlan, Ridge]
Ulster 22 Munster 12; 30th August
[Try for Ulster from Park; drop goal from Laing]
FINAL TABLE
Leinster and Munster 4 points
Connacht and Ulster 2 points
1998-1999
Leinster 14 Ulster 34; 14th August
[Tries for Leinster from Horgan, Nowlan]
[Tries for Ulster from Ward (2), McDowell, McWhirter]
Connacht 13 Munster 18; 15th August
[Try for Connacht from Ruane]
[Tries for Munster from Keane, Lacey]
Munster 18 Leinster 24; 21st August
[Tries for Munster from Horgan, Walsh]
[Tries for Leinster from Dempsey, Nowlan]
Connacht 21 Ulster 18; 22nd August
[Tries for Connacht from Duignan (2), Murphy]
[Tries for Ulster from Cunningham, Ward]
Leinster 29 Connacht 24; 28th August
[Tries for Leinster from Costello, Dempsey]
[Tries for Connacht from Duignan, Gavin, Murphy, Screene]
Ulster 29 Munster 12; 4th September
[Tries for Ulster from Cunningham, Rea]
Ulster 11 Leinster 35; 11th September
[Try for Ulster from Rea]
[Tries for Leinster from Nowlan (2), Hegarty, Hickie, Holden]
Munster 21 Connacht 7; 12th September
[Tries for Munster from Lacey, Quinlan]
[Try for Connacht from Heaslip]
Connacht 24 Leinster 23; 3rd October
[Tries for Connacht from Allnutt, Mulcahy, Reddan]
[Tries for Leinster from Dempsey, Nowlan]
Munster 31 Ulster 9; 3rd October
[Tries for Munster from Foley, Galwey, Horgan, Lacey]
[Drop goal for Ulster from Humphreys]
Leinster 10 Munster 25; 23rd October
[Try for Leinster from McGowan]
[Try for Munster from Kelly; drop goals from Everitt (2)]
Ulster 36 Connacht 6; 23rd October
[Tries for Ulster from Clarke, Mason, McKinty, Topping, Ward]
FINAL TABLE
Munster 8 points
Leinster and Ulster 6 points
Connacht 4 points
1999-2000
Connacht 9 Ulster 50; 7th August
[Tries for Ulster from Clarke, Cunningham, Howe, McWhirter, O'Cuinneagain, Topping; Mason kicked 20 points.]
Munster 31 Leinster 20; 7th August
[Tries for Munster from Foley, Kelly, Langford, O'Neill]
[Tries for Leinster from Hickie (2)]
Leinster 15 Ulster 26; 13th August
[Tries for Ulster from Howe, Mason; drop goal from Humphreys]
Connacht 17 Munster 67; 14th August
[Tries for Connacht from Duignan, Murphy]
[Tries for Munster from Crotty (3), Kelly (2), Corkery, Lynch, O'Gara, Sheahan, Wallace; O'Gara also kicked seventeen points.]
Leinster 22 Connacht 19; 3rd September
[Tries for Leinster from Byrne, O'Driscoll]
[Try for Connacht from Deane]
Ulster 24 Munster 25; 4th September
[Tries for Ulster from Bromley, Fredricks; drop goal from Humphreys]
[Tries for Munster from Mullins (2), Corkery]
Munster 36 Ulster 19; 29th October
[Tries for Munster from Mullins, O'Neill; O'Gara kicked 26 points.]
[Try for Ulster from Topping]
Connacht 8 Leinster 53; 30th October
[Try for Connacht from Deane]
[Tries for Leinster from Costello (2), D'Arcy (2), McWeeney (2), Farrell, Hickie, Horgan]
Leinster 13 Munster 30; 5th November
[Try for Leinster from Horgan; drop goal from Everitt]
[Tries for Munster from O'Neill (2), Foley, Wood]
Ulster 44 Connacht 22; 5th November
[Tries for Ulster from Bromley (2), Blair, Cunningham, McWhirter, Ward]
[Tries for Connacht from Mostyn, Steffert]
Munster 53 Connacht 10; 12th November
[Tries for Munster from Staunton (2), Foley, Horan, Horgan, Mullins]
[Try for Connacht from Allnutt]
Ulster 22 Leinster 23; 12th November
[Try for Ulster from Bromley]
[Try for Leinster from Hickie]
FINAL TABLE
Munster 12 points [Munster completed a highly impressive six wins out of six in this tournament.]
Leinster and Ulster 6 points
Connacht 0 points
2000-2001
Leinster 21 Connacht 15; 1st September
[Tries for Leinster from Costello, Hickie, Smyth]
Ulster 16 Munster 21; 1st September
[Try for Ulster from Ward]
[Drop goals for Munster from O'Gara (2) who also kicked five penalties]
Connacht 15 Ulster 39; 8th September
[Tries for Connacht from Elwood, Lee]
[Tries for Ulster from Bell, Johns, Nelson, Stewart, Topping]
Munster 26 Leinster 20; 8th September
[Tries for Munster from Kelly, Wallace]
[Tries for Leinster from D'Arcy, Smyth]
Leinster 19 Ulster 6; 15th September
[Try for Leinster from Hickie; drop goal from O'Meara]
Munster 36 Connacht 13; 15th September
[Tries for Munster from Crotty, Foley, McMahon, Mullins, Wallace]
[Try for Connacht from Charlie]
Ulster 26 Leinster 13; 22nd September
[Tries for Ulster from Topping, Ward]
[Try for Leinster from McHugh; drop goal from O'Driscoll]
Connacht 13 Munster 23; 23rd September
[Try for Connacht from Elwood]
[Try for Munster from Holland]
Munster 29 Ulster 21; 29th September
[Tries for Munster from Crotty, Horgan]
[Tries for Ulster from Free, Topping]
Connacht 22 Leinster 20; 30th September
[Tries for Connacht from Browne, Duignan]
[Try for Leinster from Cullen; drop goal from Dunne]
Leinster 16 Munster 16; 3rd November [This draw prevented Munster from another six out of six campaign.]
[Try for Leinster from D'Arcy]
[Try for Munster from Langford]
Ulster 36 Connacht 22; 3rd November
[Tries for Ulster from Blair (2), Humphreys, Topping, Ward]
[Tries for Connacht from Munn, O'Connor, Shoeman]
FINAL TABLE
Munster 11 points
Ulster 6 points
Leinster 5 points
Connacht 2 points
2001-2002
Connacht 17 Ulster 18; 19th April
[Try for Connacht from Uijs]
[Tries for Ulster from Constable, Cunningham}
Munster 6 Leinster 6; 19th April
[There were no tries from either team.]
Connacht 20 Leinster 49; 8th May
[Tries for Connacht from Keane, McHugh]
[Tries for Leinster from O'Driscoll (2), Corrigan, Keogh, McCullen, McKenna]
Ulster 23 Munster 18; 10th May
[Tries for Ulster from Doak, Wallace; drop goal from Wallace]
[Tries for Munster from O'Connell, Stringer]