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Magners League: Season Review

Magners League: Season Review

Who finished as the top points and try scorers? Who had the most accurate boot? Find out in our recap of another memorable season of Magners League rugby.

All that was good in the 2010/11 Magners League was on show for the grand final at Thomond Park in Limerick last Saturday.

The team that finished top of the table after the regular 22-match league phase hosted the side that secured second spot, but this season, unlike last, the result went to form.

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Top seeds Munster, who were table toppers since round 2 and unbeaten at home during their entire campaign, recorded their second successive victory over Leinster and in doing so claimed the Magners League trophy.

Leinster, for the second season in succession, came away with runners-up medals, and missed the opportunity of becoming the first Celtic team to hold a domestic and European double.

The exuberant supporters led to the sense of occasion with blue and red flags adorning Thomond Park, and a pulsating game was a fitting finale for the league’s title sponsors, Magners Irish Cider.

MAGNERS LEAGUE GRAND FINAL –
May 28, 2011

MUNSTER 19 LEINSTER 9, Thomond Park (Att: 26,100)

Scorers: Munster: Tries: Doug Howlett, Keith Earls, Penalty try; Cons: Ronan O’Gara 2
Leinster: Pens: Jonathan Sexton 3

MUNSTER: Felix Jones; Doug Howlett, Danny Barnes, Lifeimi Mafi, Keith Earls; Ronan O’Gara, Conor Murray; Marcus Horan, Damien Varley, John Hayes, Donncha O’Callaghan (sin-bin, 48-58), Paul O’Connell (capt), Donnacha Ryan, David Wallace, James Coughlan.

Replacements used: Wian du Preez for Horan (53 mins), Mike Sherry for Varley (59), Denis Leamy for O’Callaghan (68), Paul Warwick for Jones (75). Not used: Stephen Archer, Niall Ronan, Peter Stringer.

LEINSTER: Isa Nacewa; Shane Horgan, Brian O’Driscoll, Fergus McFadden, Luke Fitzgerald; Jonathan Sexton, Eoin Reddan; Heinke van der Merwe, Richardt Strauss, Mike Ross, Leo Cullen (capt), Nathan Hines, Sean O’Brien, Shane Jennings, Jamie Heaslip.

Replacements used: Cian Healy for van der Merwe, Kevin McLaughlin for O’Brien (both 59 mins), Stan Wright for Ross (69), Aaron Dundon for Jennings (70), Paul O’Donohoe for Reddan (77). Not used: Devin Toner, Ian Madigan, Eoin O’Malley.

Scoring Sequence: 12′ Howlett (T) 5-0, O’Gara (C) 7-0, 29′ Sexton (PG) 7-3, 49′ Sexton (PG) 7-6, 60′ Sexton (PG) 7-9, 66′ Earls (T) 12-9, 79′ Penalty Try (T) 17-9, O’Gara (C) 19-9.

Referee: Nigel Owens (Wales)

2010/11 MAGNERS LEAGUE – AFTER GRAND FINAL:

TOP TRY SCORERS –

14 – Tim Visser (Edinburgh)

12 – Aled Brew (Newport Gwent Dragons)

9 – Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), DTH van der Merwe (Glasgow Warriors)

8 – Craig Gilroy (Ulster), Richard Fussell (Ospreys), Shane Horgan (Leinster), Doug Howlett (Munster), Nikki Walker (Ospreys)

7- Fionn Carr (Connacht)

6 – Adam Hughes (Newport Gwent Dragons)

5 – Tommy Bowe (Ospreys), Gareth Maule (Scarlets), George North (Scarlets), Chris Paterson (Edinburgh), Morgan Stoddart (Scarlets), Brian Tuohy (Connacht)

TOP POINTS SCORERS –

248 – Dan Biggar (Ospreys) (4 tries, 27 conversions, 53 penalty goals and 5 drop goals)

224 – Ian Keatley (Connacht) (2 tries, 20 conversions, 57 penalty goals and 1 drop goal)

183 – Ronan O’Gara (Munster) (21 conversions, 46 penalty goals and 1 drop goal)

158 – Dan Parks (Cardiff Blues) (16 conversions, 33 penalty goals and 9 drop goals), Rhys Priestland (Scarlets) (3 tries, 13 conversions, 37 penalty goals and 2 drop goals)

142 – Isa Nacewa (Leinster) (4 tries, 19 conversions and 28 penalty goals), Jason Tovey (Newport Gwent Dragons) (2 tries, 18 conversions, 30 penalty goals and 2 drop goals)

127 – Tobie Botes (Benetton Treviso) (4 tries, 10 conversions and 29 penalty goals)

122 – Ruan Pienaar (Ulster) (4 tries, 9 conversions, 27 penalty goals and 1 drop goal)

116 – Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors) (1 try, 12 conversions, 28 penalty goals and 1 drop goal)

111 – Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors) (9 conversions, 30 penalty goals and 1 drop goal)

110 – Paul Warwick (Munster) (1 try, 15 conversions, 24 penalty goals and 1 drop goal)

101 – Stephen Jones (Scarlets) (19 conversions and 21 penalty goals)

99 – Jonathan Sexton (Leinster) (9 conversions and 27 penalty goals)

97 – Ceri Sweeney (Cardiff Blues) (2 tries, 9 conversions, 22 penalty goals and 1 drop goal)

87 – Ian Humphreys (Ulster) (2 tries, 16 conversions and 15 penalty goals)

80 – David Blair (Edinburgh) (1 try, 6 conversions, 20 penalty goals and 1 drop goal)

78 – Willem de Waal (Benetton Treviso) (9 conversions, 19 penalty goals and 1 drop goal)

BEST PLACE-KICKERS –

80% – Stephen Jones (Scarlets), (40 successful kicks from 50 attempts), Willem de Waal (Benetton Treviso) (28/35)

78.85% – Chris Paterson (Edinburgh) (41/52)

77.78% – Dan Parks (Cardiff Blues) (49/63)

77.50% – Ceri Sweeney (Cardiff Blues) (31/40)

77.01% – Ronan O’Gara (Munster) (67/87)

73.47% – Jonathan Sexton (Leinster) (36/49)

72% – Ruan Pienaar (Ulster) (36/50)

71.21% – Isa Nacewa (Leinster) (47/66)

70.91% – Tobie Botes (Benetton Treviso), (39/55), Paul Warwick (Munster) (39/55)

69.37% – Ian Keatley (Connacht) (77/111)

68.97% – Duncan Weir (Glasgow Warriors) (40/58)

68.89% – Ian Humphreys (Ulster) (31/45)

68.42% – David Blair (Edinburgh) (26/38)

68.18% – Fergus McFadden (Leinster) (15/22)

65.79% – Rhys Priestland (Scarlets) (50/76)

65.57% – Dan Biggar (Ospreys) (80/122)

64.86% – Matthew Jones (Newport Gwent Dragons) (24/37)

64.52% – Niall O’Connor (Ulster) (20/31)

63.64% – Ludovico Mercier (Aironi Rugby) (14/22)

60.76% – Jason Tovey (Newport Gwent Dragons) (48/79)

58.21% – Ruaridh Jackson (Glasgow Warriors) (39/67)

54.05% – Tito Tebaldi (Aironi Rugby) (20/37)

Qual: 20 place-kicks at goal

– Ronan O’Gara was awarded the Gilbert Golden Boot after emerging as the Magners League’s most consistent place-kicker during the regular season. He successfully kicked 62 out of 77 attempts at goal giving him a success rate of 80.52% over the 22-match league phase of the competition

2010/11 MAGNERS LEAGUE RECORDS –

INDIVIDUAL:

Most Points In A Match: 26, Dan Biggar (Ospreys v Scarlets, December 27, 2010)

Most Tries In A Match: 3, Fionn Carr (Connacht v Scarlets, September 11, 2010); Jonathan Davies (Scarlets v Aironi Rugby, September 17, 2010); Nikki Walker (Ospreys v Glasgow Warriors, October 24, 2010); Nikki Walker (Ospreys v Benetton Treviso, February 19, 2011)

Most Conversions In A Match: 5, Stephen Jones (Scarlets v Aironi Rugby, September 17, 2010)

Most Penalty Goals In A Match: 7, Ceri Sweeney (Cardiff Blues v Glasgow Warriors, February 11, 2011); Ronan O’Gara (Munster v Leinster, April 2, 2011)

Most Drop Goals In A Match: 2, Kris Burton (Benetton Treviso v Leinster, September 18, 2010); Dan Parks (Cardiff Blues v Benetton Treviso, September 24, 2010); Dan Parks (Cardiff Blues v Ospreys, December 31, 2010); Dan Parks (Cardiff Blues v Ospreys, April 2, 2011)

Fastest Try In A Match: 32 seconds, Fionn Carr (Connacht v Edinburgh, April 1, 2011)

Quickest Bonus Point Try In A Match: 36 minutes, Heinke van der Merwe (Leinster v Ulster, April 16, 2011)

TEAM:

Most Points In A Home Match: 60-17, Ospreys v Scarlets (Liberty Stadium, December 27, 2010)

Most Points In An Away Match: 43-29, Munster v Glasgow Warriors (Firhill Stadium, September 24, 2010)

Highest Aggregate Of Points In A Match: 77 points, Ospreys 60 Scarlets 17 (Liberty Stadium, December 27, 2010)

Biggest Home Win: 43 points, Ospreys 60 Scarlets 17 (Liberty Stadium, December 27, 2010)

Biggest Away Win: 22 points, Cardiff Blues 15 Ulster 37 (Cardiff City Stadium, November 21, 2010)

Biggest Attendance: 50,645, Leinster v Munster (Aviva Stadium, October 2, 2010)

MAGNERS LEAGUE PLAYER RECORDS –

MOST APPEARANCES:

133 – Deiniol Jones
127 – Michael Swift
123 – Andrew Kelly
122 – Allan Jacobsen, Alastair Kellock, Adam Jones
121 – Paul Warwick
119 – Scott Macleod, Dan Parks

MOST POINTS:

1263 – Dan Parks
877 – Felipe Contepomi
800 – Chris Paterson
790 – Ronan O’Gara
786 – David Humphreys
693 – Stephen Jones
664 – Paul Warwick
645 – Gavin Henson
595 – Ceri Sweeney
585 – Nick Robinson

MOST TRIES:

44 – Tommy Bowe
39 – Shane Horgan
36 – Nikki Walker
31 – Shane Williams
30 – Matthew Watkins, Simon Danielli
29 – Simon Webster
28 – Denis Hickie
27 – Aled Brew
25 – Gareth Wyatt