Inter-provincial tournament, 1980-1989
By Gary Watton
April 19 2013
Here are more delightful results from what was Ireland's premier rugby union tournament in the pre-professional bygone days of yore. Along with the annual trial match, entitled the Probables versus the Possibles, these inter-provincial skirmishes were perhaps the greatest indicators that the national selectors could use to determine form players for the international matches.
1979-1980
Leinster beat Ulster 18-12
Leinster beat Munster 4-3
Leinster beat Connacht 25-10
Munster beat Ulster 15-11
Connacht drew with Ulster 6-6 [This was Connacht's first point against Ulster since a 3-3 draw in 1965-1966.]
Connacht beat Munster 20-16 [This was Connacht's first win against Munster for 23 years.]
FINAL TABLE
Leinster 6 points [This was Leinster's first triple whammy for eight seasons.]
Connacht 3 points [Connacht recorded their first inter-provincial win since the 1964-1965 season.]
Munster 2 points
Ulster 1 point
1980-1981
Leinster beat Ulster 39-9
Leinster beat Munster 18-9
Leinster beat Connacht 18-9
Munster beat Ulster 21-10
Ulster beat Connacht 13-12
Munster beat Connacht 16-0
FINAL TABLE
Leinster 6 points [Leinster recorded back-to-back inter-provincial clean sweeps.]
Munster 4 points
Ulster 2 points
Connacht 0 points
1981-1982
Leinster beat Ulster 19-6
Leinster drew with Munster 15-15
Leinster beat Connacht 20-10
Ulster beat Munster 18-16
Ulster beat Connacht 6-3
Munster beat Connacht 21-18
FINAL TABLE
Leinster 5 points
Ulster 4 points
Munster 3 points
Connacht 0 points
1982-1983
Leinster beat Ulster 15-9
Munster beat Leinster 9-6 [This was Leinster's first defeat after three unbeaten campaigns.]
Leinster beat Connacht 13-7
Ulster beat Munster 19-10
Ulster beat Connacht 22-21
Munster beat Connacht 9-7
FINAL TABLE
Leinster and Munster and Ulster 4 points
Connacht 0 points
1983-1984
Leinster beat Ulster 20-16
Leinster beat Munster 22-13
Leinster beat Connacht 29-6
Ulster beat Munster 13-12
Connacht beat Ulster 9-4 [This was Connacht's first win against Ulster since the 1964-1965 season.]
Munster beat Connacht 29-7
FINAL TABLE
Leinster 6 points [This was Leinster's third 'triple crown' of the early 1980s.]
Connacht and Munster and Ulster 2 points
1984-1985
Ulster beat Leinster 16-3
Leinster beat Munster 15-9
Leinster beat Connacht 14-3
Ulster beat Munster 14-6
Ulster beat Connacht 28-6
Munster beat Connacht 15-9
FINAL TABLE
Ulster 6 points [This was Ulster's first inter-provincial clean sweep since the 1976-1977 season.]
Leinster 4 points
Munster 2 points
Connacht 0 points
1985-1986
Ulster beat Leinster 19-13
Leinster beat Munster 15-6
Connacht beat Leinster 9-6 [This was Connacht's first win since an 8-6 exactly thirty years previously.]
Ulster beat Munster 23-3
Ulster beat Connacht 12-6
Munster beat Connacht 16-9
FINAL TABLE
Ulster 6 points [The northern county achieved back-to-back inter-provincial 'triple crowns'.]
Connacht and Leinster and Munster 2 points
1986-1987
Ulster beat Leinster 14-12
Leinster beat Munster 15-3
Leinster beat Connacht 41-6
Ulster beat Munster 17-6
Ulster beat Connacht 37-6
Connacht beat Munster 11-9
FINAL TABLE
Ulster 6 points [The Ulstermen had now won a hat-trick of tournaments with a 100% record each time.]
Leinster 4 points
Connacht 2 points
Munster 0 points [This was Munster's second-ever whitewash in this competition. The other one was in 1956-7.]
1987-1988
Ulster beat Leinster 22-9
Munster beat Leinster 10-3
Leinster beat Connacht 20-19
Munster drew with Ulster 10-10
Ulster beat Connacht 20-3
Munster beat Connacht 17-12
FINAL TABLE
Munster and Ulster 5 points [Ulster were now unbeaten for the fourth successive tournament.]
Leinster 2 points
Connacht 0 points
1988-1989
Ulster beat Leinster 18-17
Leinster beat Munster 23-12
Connacht beat Leinster 11-10
Ulster beat Munster 12-9
Ulster beat Connacht 16-3
Munster beat Connacht 25-10
FINAL TABLE
Ulster 6 points [This was Ulster's fourth inter-provincial triple whammy in five unbeaten seasons.]
Connacht and Leinster and Munster 2 points