The 2010–11 Magners League was the tenth Celtic League season and the fifth with Magners as title sponsor. The regular season began on 3 September 2010 and finished on the weekend of 6–8 May 2011. During these stages, each team played every other team both home and away and were awarded points according to the standard bonus point system. This was the second season to follow the play-off structure to determine the Magners League champion, with the top four teams qualifying for the semi-finals. The winner of each semi final advanced to the Grand Final, which took place 28 May and was hosted by the team that finished highest in the table following the regular season.[3][4] The title was won by Munster who defeated Leinster by 19–9 at Thomond Park.[5][6]
| 2010–11 Celtic League | |
|---|---|
 Connacht vs. Munster, 27 December 2010 | |
| Countries |  Ireland Italy Scotland Wales |
| Date | 3 September 2010 – 28 May 2011 |
| Champions | Munster (3rd title) |
| Runners-up | Leinster |
| Matches played | 135 |
| Attendance | 1,019,634 (average 7,553 per match) |
| Tries scored | 489 (average 3.6 per match) |
| Top point scorer | Dan Biggar (Ospreys) (248 points)[1] |
| Top try scorer | Tim Visser (Edinburgh) (14 tries)[2] |
| Official website | |
| www | |
This was the final season of the Celtic League sponsored by Magners.[7] The following season would see RaboDirect, the Irish subsidiary of Dutch financial company Rabobank, take over the sponsorship. At the same time, the league rebranded itself as Pro12.
The twelve teams competing were the four Irish provinces, Munster, Leinster, Connacht and Ulster; two Scottish regions, Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors; four Welsh regions, Cardiff Blues, Newport Gwent Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets; and two new Italian entries Aironi and Benetton Treviso
In May 2010, the Ospreys were fined £100,000 and docked 4 points from the 2010–11 season following their postponement of the away fixture at Ulster in the 2009–10 season.[8] However, in September 2010, following an appeal by the Ospreys, the four point deduction for the 2010–11 season was overturned, although the £100,000 fine was upheld. Instead, the four point deduction was suspended for two years.[9]
A new broadcast deal saw games broadcast live on terrestrial television channels in Scotland and Ireland in addition to the established terrestrial coverage in Wales. The deal will be in place until the 2013–14 season.[10]
Teams
edit|
Location of 2010–11 Celtic League teams in Italy | |
| Team | Coach | Captain | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stadio Luigi Zaffanella | 5,000 | |||
| Stadio Comunale di Monigo | 6,700 | |||
| Cardiff City Stadium | 26,828 | |||
| Galway Sportsgrounds | 7,000 | |||
| Murrayfield Stadium | 67,144[a] | |||
| Firhill Stadium | 10,887 | |||
| RDS Arena Aviva Stadium |
18,500 51,700 | |||
| Thomond Park Musgrave Park |
26,500 8,300 | |||
| Rodney Parade | 11,676 | |||
| Liberty Stadium | 20,532 | |||
| Parc y Scarlets | 14,870 | |||
| Ravenhill | 12,300 |
Table
edit| Team | Pld | W | D | L | PF | PA | PD | TF | TA | Try bonus | Losing bonus | Pts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22 | 19 | 0 | 3 | 496 | 327 | +169 | 44 | 22 | 5 | 2 | 83 | |
| 2 | 22 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 495 | 336 | +159 | 50 | 25 | 5 | 3 | 70 | |
| 3 | 22 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 480 | 418 | +62 | 44 | 35 | 3 | 2 | 67 | |
| 4 | 22 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 553 | 418 | +135 | 56 | 29 | 6 | 7 | 63 | |
| 5 | 22 | 12 | 1 | 9 | 503 | 453 | +50 | 49 | 43 | 5 | 7 | 62 | |
| 6 | 22 | 13 | 1 | 8 | 479 | 392 | +87 | 37 | 33 | 3 | 3 | 60 | |
| 7 | 22 | 10 | 1 | 11 | 444 | 462 | −18 | 47 | 49 | 3 | 4 | 49 | |
| 8 | 22 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 421 | 460 | −39 | 39 | 44 | 2 | 5 | 43 | |
| 9 | 22 | 7 | 1 | 14 | 394 | 459 | −65 | 32 | 44 | 3 | 6 | 39 | |
| 10 | 22 | 9 | 0 | 13 | 374 | 502 | −128 | 29 | 58 | 0 | 2 | 38 | |
| 11 | 22 | 6 | 1 | 15 | 401 | 543 | −142 | 33 | 48 | 1 | 6 | 33 | |
| 12 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 247 | 517 | −270 | 21 | 52 | 0 | 8 | 12 | |
|
Under the standard bonus point system, points are awarded as follows:
| |||||||||||||
| Green background (rows 1 to 4) are play-off places. Correct as of 7 May 2011. Source: RaboDirect PRO12 Archived 2014-01-17 at the Wayback Machine | |||||||||||||
Fixtures
editAll times are local.[11]
Round 1
edit| 3 September 2010 19:05 |
| Glasgow Warriors | 22 – 19 | |
| Report |
| Firhill Stadium Attendance: 2,879 Referee: Tim Hayes |
| 3 September 2010 19:05 |
| Ulster | 27 – 26 | |
| Report |
| Ravenhill Attendance: 7,500 Referee: Peter Allan |
| 4 September 2010 17:30 |
| (1 BP) Connacht | 40 – 17 | |
| Report |
| Sportsground Attendance: 1,371 Referee: James Jones |
| 4 September 2010 18:30 |
| (1 BP) Cardiff Blues | 34 – 23 | |
| Report |
| Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 6,542 Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon |
| 4 September 2010 19:05 |
| Benetton Treviso | 34 – 28 | |
| Report |
| Stadio Comunale di Monigo Attendance: 5,000 Referee: David Wilkinson |
| 4 September 2010 19:30 |
| (1 BP) Munster | 33 – 17 | |
| Report |
| Musgrave Park Attendance: 8,426 Referee: Graham Knox |
Round 2
edit| 10 September 2010 19:05 |
| (1 BP) Edinburgh | 13 – 16 | |
| Report |
| Murrayfield Attendance: 3,419 Referee: James Jones |
| 10 September 2010 19:05 |
| (1 BP) Ospreys | 32 – 16 | |
| Report |
| Liberty Stadium Attendance: 6,724 Referee: Dudley Phillips |
| 11 September 2010 15:00 |
| (1 BP) Scarlets | 35 – 33 | |
| Report |
| Parc y Scarlets Attendance: 6,436 Referee: Neil Paterson |
| 11 September 2010 18:30 |
| (1 BP) Leinster | 34 – 23 | |
| Report |
| RDS Arena Attendance: 15,890 Referee: Andy Macpherson |
| 11 September 2010 19:05 |
| (1 BP) Aironi | 15 – 22 | |
| Report |
| Stadio Luigi Zaffanella Attendance: 4,453 Referee: Stefano Penne |
| 12 September 2010 16:10 |
| Newport Gwent Dragons | 23 – 11 | |
| Report |
| Rodney Parade Attendance: 5,028 Referee: Carlo Damasco |
Round 3
edit| 17 September 2010 19:30 |
| (1 BP) Glasgow Warriors | 17 – 19 | |
| Report |
| Firhill Stadium Attendance: 3,049 Referee: Leighton Hodges |
| 17 September 2010 20:05 |
| (1 BP) Scarlets | 49 – 10 | |
| Report |
| Parc y Scarlets Attendance: 6,123 Referee: John Lacey |
| 18 September 2010 18:30 |
| (1 BP) Cardiff Blues | 43 – 21 | |
| Report |
| Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 11,194 Referee: Nigel Owens |
| 18 September 2010 19:05 |
| Benetton Treviso | 29 – 13 | |
| Report |
| Stadio di Monigo Attendance: 5,000 Referee: Peter Allan |
| 18 September 2010 20:00 |
| Munster | 22 – 10 | |
| Report |
| Thomond Park Attendance: 18,400 Referee: Neil Paterson |
Round 4
edit| 24 September 2010 19:05 |
| Benetton Treviso | 7 – 19 | |
| Report |
| Stadio di Monigo Attendance: 5,000 Referee: Andrew McMenemy |
| 24 September 2010 19:05 |
| (1 BP) Edinburgh | 32 – 24 | |
| Report |
| Murrayfield Attendance: 2,923 Referee: Tim Hayes |
| 24 September 2010 19:05 |
| Newport Gwent Dragons | 14 – 27 | |
| Report |
| Rodney Parade Attendance: 6,118 Referee: James Jones |
| 24 September 2010 19:30 |
| Glasgow Warriors | 29 – 43 | |
| Report |
| Firhill Stadium Attendance: 3,432 Referee: Carlo Damasco |
| 25 September 2010 18:30 |
| (1 BP) Ospreys | 38 – 6 | |
| Report |
| Liberty Stadium Attendance: 7,289 Referee: Andy Macpherson |
| 25 September 2010 19:30 |
| Connacht | 15 – 15 | |
| Report |
| Sportsground Attendance: 3,761 Referee: Alain Rolland |
Round 5
edit| 30 September 2010 19:05 |
| Cardiff Blues | 22 – 6 | |
| Report |
| Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 11,058 Referee: Andy Macpherson |
| 1 October 2010 19:05 |
| Benetton Treviso | 20 – 13 | |
| Report |
| Stadio di Monigo Attendance: 4,800 |
| 2 October 2010 19:30 |
| Leinster | 13 – 9 | |
| Report |
| Aviva Stadium Attendance: 50,645 Referee: Jérôme Garces |
| 2 October 2010 20:10 |
| (1 BP) Scarlets | 18 – 21 | |
| Report |
| Parc y Scarlets Attendance: 13,707 Referee: Nigel Owens |
Round 6
edit| 22 October 2010 19:05 |
| Edinburgh | 21 – 16 | |
| Report |
| Murrayfield Attendance: 3,195 Referee: James Jones |
| 22 October 2010 19:45 |
| (1 BP) Munster | 39 – 13 | |
| Report |
| Thomond Park Attendance: 17,104 Referee: David Jones |
| 22 October 2010 20:05 |
| (1 BP) Cardiff Blues | 10 – 16 | |
| Report |
| Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 14,026 Referee: Tim Hayes |
| 23 October 2010 18:05 |
| Connacht | 6 – 18 | |
| Report |
| Sportsground Attendance: 4,582 Referee: George Clancy |
| 23 October 2010 18:30 |
| Newport Gwent Dragons | 36 – 5 | |
| Report |
| Rodney Parade Attendance: 5,033 Referee: Andrew McMenemy |
| 24 October 2010 16:10 |
| Glasgow Warriors | 31 – 23 | |
| Report |
| Firhill Stadium Attendance: 2,554 Referee: David Wilkinson |
Round 7
edit| 29 October 2010 19:05 |
| Aironi | 3 – 20 | |
| Report |
| Stadio Zaffanella Attendance: 2,900 Referee: Graham Knox |
| 29 October 2010 20:05 |
| Scarlets | 18 – 14 | |
| Report |
| Parc y Scarlets Attendance: 7,149 Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon |
| 30 October 2010 18:05 |
| Leinster | 19 – 18 | |
| Report |
| RDS Arena Attendance: 16,786 Referee: Carlo Damasco |
| 30 October 2010 18:30 |
| (1 BP) Ospreys | 16 – 21 | |
| Report |
| Liberty Stadium Attendance: 8,123 Referee: Dave Pearson |
| 30 October 2010 19:05 |
| Benetton Treviso | 24 – 17 | |
| Report |
| Stadio di Monigo Attendance: 5,000 Referee: Tim Hayes |
Round 8
edit| 19 November 2010 19:05 |
| Leinster | 27 – 6 | |
| Report |
| RDS Arena Attendance: 10,390 Referee: Stefano Penne |
| 21 November 2010 17:35 |
| Munster | 27 – 26 | |
| Report |
| Musgrave Park Attendance: 5,324 Referee: James Jones |
Round 9
edit| 26 November 2010 19:05 |
| Newport Gwent Dragons | 20 – 6 | |
| Report |
| Rodney Parade Attendance: 5,079 Referee: Alan Falzone |
| 27 November 2010 13:30 |
| (1 BP) Cardiff Blues | 38 – 6 | |
| Report |
| Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 3,760 Referee: Dudley Phillips |
| 27 November 2010 19:05 |
| Aironi | 17 – 34 | |
| Report |
| Stadio Zaffanella Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Andy MacPherson |
| 28 November 2010 17:00 |
| Ospreys | 19 – 15 | |
| Report |
| Liberty Stadium Attendance: 4,122 Referee: David Wilkinson |
Round 10
edit| 3 December 2010 19:05 |
| Scarlets | 17 – 17 | |
| Report |
| Parc y Scarlets Attendance: 5,142 Referee: Nigel Owens |
| 4 December 2010 17:00 |
| Munster | 16 – 9 | |
| Report |
| Thomond Park Attendance: 18,000 Referee: Alain Rolland |
| 4 December 2010 18:30 |
| Ospreys | 33 – 16 | |
| Report |
| Liberty Stadium Attendance: 5,158 Referee: James Jones |
Round 11
edit| 24 December 2010 14:30 |
| Benetton Treviso | 15 – 10 | |
| Report |
| Stadio di Monigo Attendance: 3,500 Referee: Carlo Damasco |
1872 Cup 1st round
edit| 27 December 2010 17:35 |
| Glasgow Warriors | 30 – 18 | |
| Report |
| Firhill Stadium Attendance: 7,062 Referee: Andy Macpherson (SRU) |
Round 12
edit1872 Cup 2nd round
editRound 13
edit| 6 January 2011 19:35 |
| Newport Gwent Dragons | 17 – 16 | |
| Report |
| Rodney Parade Attendance: 5,117 Referee: Alan Lewis |
| 7 January 2011 19:05 |
| (1 BP) Ulster | 32 – 13 | |
| Report |
| Ravenhill Attendance: 6,651 Referee: Leighton Hodges |
| 7 January 2011 19:30 |
| Cardiff Blues | 24 – 13 | |
| Report |
| Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 6,523 Referee: Peter Allan |
| 7 January 2011 19:35 |
| Leinster | 15 – 10 | |
| Report |
| RDS Arena Attendance: 14,876 Referee: Nigel Owens |
| 8 January 2011 18:30 |
| (1 BP) Edinburgh | 16 – 21 | |
| Report |
| Murrayfield Attendance: 1,673 Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon |
Round 14
edit| 11 February 2011 19:35 |
| Glasgow Warriors | 15 – 26 | |
| Report |
| Firhill Stadium Attendance: 1,917 Referee: Dudley Phillips |
| 12 February 2011 14:00 |
| Newport Gwent Dragons | 30 – 22 | |
| Report |
| Rodney Parade Attendance: 4,277 Referee: Alan Falzone |
| 12 February 2011 19:35 |
| Connacht | 17 – 13 | |
| Report |
| Sportsground Attendance: 1,135 Referee: Andrew McMenemy |
| 13 February 2011 17:10 |
| Ospreys | 23 – 22 | |
| Report |
| Liberty Stadium Attendance: 5,802 Referee: Neil Patterson |
Round 15
edit| 18 February 2011 19:05 |
| (1 BP) Scarlets | 16 – 18 | |
| Report |
| Parc y Scarlets Attendance: 5,463 Referee: Andy Macpherson |
| 18 February 2011 19:50 |
| Munster | 23 – 13 | |
| Report |
| Thomond Park Stadium Attendance: 20,000 Referee: Nigel Owens |
| 19 February 2011 17:30 |
| Benetton Treviso | 18 – 34 | |
| Report |
| Stadio di Monigo Attendance: 4,200 Referee: John Lacey |
| 19 February 2011 18:30 |
| Cardiff Blues | 11 – 3 | |
| Report |
| Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 10,741 Referee: Carlo Damasco |
| 20 February 2011 17:30 |
| Aironi | 3 – 18 | |
| Report |
| Stadio Zaffanella Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Neil Paterson |
Round 16
edit| 24 February 2011 19:35 |
| Scarlets | 11 – 3 | |
| Report |
| Parc y Scarlets Attendance: 5,857 Referee: Dudley Phillips |
| 25 February 2011 19:05 |
| Ulster | 32 – 13 | |
| Report |
| Ravenhill Attendance: 8,383 Referee: James Jones |
| 25 February 2011 19:10 |
| Leinster | 30 – 5 | |
| Report |
| RDS Arena Attendance: 10,236 Referee: Neil Hennessy |
| 25 February 2011 19:50 |
| Glasgow Warriors | 16 – 16 | |
| Report |
| Firhill Stadium Attendance: 1,709 Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon |
| 27 February 2011 14:30 |
| Ospreys | 33 – 18 | |
| Report |
| Liberty Stadium Attendance: 5,851 Referee: Stefano Penne |
Round 17
editRearranged fixtures
edit
| 11 March 2011 18:30 |
| Connacht | 11 – 6 | |
| Report |
| Sportsground Attendance: 1,015 Referee: James Jones |
| 18 March 2010 19:05 |
| Ulster | 25 – 23 | |
| Report |
| Ravenhill Attendance: 7,661 Referee: James Jones |
Round 18
edit| 25 March 2011 19:05 |
| (1 BP) Cardiff Blues | 15 – 16 | |
| Report |
| Cardiff City Stadium Attendance: 11,112 Referee: Alan Lewis |
| 25 March 2011 20:05 |
| (1 BP) Glasgow Warriors | 19 – 22 | |
| Report |
| Firhill Stadium Attendance: 2,715 Referee: David Jones |
| 26 March 2011 18:30 |
| Edinburgh | 23 – 16 | |
| Report |
| Murrayfield Attendance: 1,982 Referee: Dudley Phillips |
| 27 March 2011 14:30 |
| Newport Gwent Dragons | 16 – 26 | |
| Report |
| Rodney Parade Attendance: 4,028 Referee: Andy MacPherson |
| 27 March 2011 17:35 |
| Scarlets | 22 – 16 | |
| Report |
| Parc y Scarlets Attendance: 5,943 Referee: John Lacey |
Round 19
edit| 2 April 2011 18:30 |
| Ospreys | 21 – 21 | |
| Report |
| Liberty Stadium Attendance: 11,619 Referee: Christophe Berdos |
| 2 April 2011 19:30 |
| Munster | 24 – 23 | |
| Report |
| Thomond Park Attendance: 25,923 Referee: Andrew Small |
| 3 April 2011 14:45 |
| (1 BP) Newport Gwent Dragons | 33 – 10 | |
| Report |
| Rodney Parade Attendance: 4,051 Referee: Peter Fitzgibbon |
Round 20
editRound 21
editRearranged fixture
edit
Round 22
edit| 6 May 2011 19:05 |
| Leinster | 38 – 3 | |
| Report |
| RDS Arena Attendance: 12,318 Referee: James Jones |
Playoffs
editSemi-finals
edit| 13 May 2011 19:05 |
| Leinster | 18 – 3 | |
| Try: McFadden 25' m Fitzgerald 72' c Con: McFadden (1/1) Pen: Sexton (2/3) 5', 40' | Report | Pen: Pienaar (1/1) 62' |
| RDS Arena Attendance: 14,476 Referee: George Clancy |
| 14 May 2011 18:30 |
| Munster | 18 – 11 | |
| Try: Barnes (2) 32' m, 57' c Con: O'Gara (1/2) Pen: O'Gara (2/4) 14', 49' | Report | Try: Fussell 78' m Pen: Biggar (2/2) 38', 55' |
| Thomond Park Attendance: 13,147 Referee: Nigel Owens |
Grand Final
editIndividual statistics
editNote: Flags to the left of player names indicate national team as has been defined under IRB eligibility rules, or primary nationality for players who have not yet earned international caps. Players may hold one or more non-IRB nationalities.
Top points scorersedit
|
Top try scorersedit
|
Notes
edit- ^ Although Murrayfield's full capacity is 67,144, only the lower section of the West Stand, with a capacity of 12,464, is generally opened for Edinburgh fixtures.
- ^ Tim Visser did not qualify for Scotland until June 2012.[12]
Television coverage
editCoverage moved back to free to air television. Ulster's matches were televised only in Northern Ireland on BBC Two Northern Ireland apart from their away matches in Aironi, Cardiff Blues, Ospreys and Newport Gwent Dragons. They also televised the Round 10 match between Scarlets vs Leinster as a replacement for the scheduled Ulster vs Newport Gwent Dragons match which was postponed.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ a b "Points". itsrugby.co.uk. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
- ^ a b "Tries". itsrugby.co.uk. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
- ^ "Leinster coach eyes Welsh revival". BBC Sport. 19 May 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
- ^ "Magners set to bring in play-offs". BBC Sport. 11 April 2008. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
- ^ "Munster win Magners League final to lay ghost of Leinster double". Guardian. 30 May 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
- ^ "Munster 19-9 Leinster". BBC Sport. 30 May 2011. Archived from the original on 29 May 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
- ^ "Magners to end six-year Celtic League backing". BBC Sport. 19 April 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
- ^ "Ospreys punished for Ulster postponement". BBC Sport. 13 May 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
- ^ "Ospreys welcome four-point reinstatement". BBC Sport. 11 September 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
- ^ "New TV deal makes Magners League more accessible". RaboDirect PRO12. 9 June 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
- ^ "2010–2011 RaboDirect PRO12 Fixtures & Results". RaboDirect PRO12. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
- ^ Hannan, Martin (10 July 2011). "Scottish cap is in Tim Visser's sights". Scotland on Sunday. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2011.