Ireland Wolfhounds

The Ireland Wolfhounds (formerly Ireland A) are the second national rugby union team of Ireland, behind the Ireland national team. They have previously competed in the Churchill Cup together with the England Saxons and the full national teams of Canada and the United States, as well as with a selection of other nations' 1st, 2nd and 3rd representative sides (including Scotland A and the New Zealand Maori). They also play against other 6 Nations countries' A sides during the RBS 6 Nations. Now and again they will also play touring sides. For example, they played South Africa in 2000, the All Blacks in 2001 and Australia in 2006. On the 21 June 2009, Ireland A won their first Churchill Cup, beating the England Saxons 49–22 in the final. They also won the Churchill Plate three times in 2006, 2007 and 2008. They were renamed Ireland Wolfhounds in January 2010.[1] They have not competed in a competition since the IRFU declined to compete in the 2016 Tibilisi Cup.[2]

Ireland Wolfhounds
UnionIrish Rugby Football Union
Emblem(s)the Shamrock
Ground(s)Donnybrook Stadium
Ravenhill Stadium
Galway Sportsgrounds
Coach(es)Dan McFarland
Richie Murphy
Captain(s)Felix Jones
1st kit
2nd kit
First match
Ireland XV  3–4  France
(26 January 1946)
Largest win
Ireland XV  60–3  Scotland A
(01 March 2002)
Largest defeat
Ireland XV  7–67  Scotland A
(22 February 2008)

Current squad

Ireland Wolfhounds 23-man match day squad to play England Saxons on 30 January 2015.[3]

Results

1990s

  • 28 December 1992: Scotland A 22-13 Ireland A
  • 5 March 1993: Wales A 28-29 Ireland A
  • 19 March 1993: England A 22-18 Ireland A
  • 28 December 1993: Scotland A 24-9 Ireland A
  • 4 February 1994: Ireland A 10-20 Wales A
  • 18 February 1994: England A 29-14 Ireland A
  • 20 January 1995: England A 21-20 Ireland A
  • 3 February 1995: Scotland A 24-18 Ireland A
  • 17 March 1995: Wales A 30-19 Ireland A
  • 19 January 1996: Ireland 26-19 Scotland A
  • 1 March 1996: Ireland A 25-11 Wales A
  • 15 March 1996: England A 56-26 Ireland A
  • 12 November 1996: Ireland A 28-25 South Africa A
  • 17 January 1997: Ireland A 23-44 France A
  • 31 January 1997: Ireland A 14-34 Wales A
  • 14 February 1997: England A 44-30 Ireland A
  • 28 February 1997: Scotland A 33-34 Ireland A
  • 22 May 1997: Northland 69-16 Ireland A
  • 26 May 1997: New Zealand 74-15 Ireland A
  • 29 May 1997: Bay of Plenty 52-39 Ireland A
  • 1 June 1997: Thames Valley 12-38 Ireland A
  • 6 June 1997: King Country 32-26 Ireland A
  • 10 June 1997: New Zealand Māori 41-10 Ireland A
  • 14 June 1997: Samoa 57-25 Ireland A
  • 26 November 1997: Canada 10-26 Ireland A
  • 6 February 1998: Ireland 9-11 Scotland A
  • 6 March 1998: Ireland A 30-30 France A
  • 20 March 1998: Ireland A 27-42 Wales A
  • 3 April 1998: England A 40-30 Ireland A
  • 1 December 1998: South Africa XV 19-19 Ireland A
  • 5 February 1999: France A 25-26 Ireland A
  • 19 February 1999: Ireland A 29-40 Wales A
  • 5 March 1999: England A 28-21 Ireland A
  • 19 March 1999: Scotland A 31-21 Ireland A
  • 9 April 1999: Italy A 17-73 Ireland A

2000s

2010s

Statistics

Overall

Against Played Won Drawn Lost For Against Diff % Won
Argentina Jaguars2200648+56100.00%
Australia A10011724–70%
Bay of Plenty (New Zealand)10013952–130%
 Canada22006530+35100%
Canada A11003019+11100%
England Saxons217014447569–12233.33%
 Fiji1100530+53100%
France A9216193270–7722.22%
 Georgia1100405+35100%
Italy A550025952+207100%
King Country (New Zealand)10012632–60%
 New Zealand10011574–590%
 Māori300338118–800%
New Zealand XV10013043–130%
Northland (New Zealand)10011669–530%
 Samoa21014875–2750%
Scotland A15717345359–1446.67%
South Africa A11002825+3100%
South Africa XV21104730+1750.00%
Thames Valley (New Zealand University)11003812+26100%
Tonga XV11004819+29100%
 United States22007422+52100%
Wales A9405236253–1744.44%
Total843934221962160+3646.43%

The above is a non-exhaustive list of the head-to-head record against opponents since only the early 1990s, and includes fixtures against non-national representative sides such as the New Zealand Maori, as well as some club teams. Given the irregularity of 'A' level fixtures (for example, the only annual fixture left for the Wolfhounds is the game a week before the RBS 6 Nations starts against England Saxons), it is difficult to track the progress of the 'A' teams. After a string of poor results, Wales A, for example, have not fielded a team in well over a decade, last taking to the field in 2002.

Some anomalies have occurred in match fixtures. One example is a hastily organised, more or less still amateur second-tier Irish Wolfhounds (then called "Ireland 'A'") taking the field against a near full-strength, fully professional, first tier New Zealand team in 1997, the same year that the latter went through the calendar year undefeated and achieved their first ever test series victory on world champions South Africa's soil. To compound matters, the fixture was also played in New Zealand territory, as part of a misguided Wolfhounds tour to the country. In the event, it was a miracle that the Wolfhounds only lost on a scoreline of 74-15. The Wolfhounds were soundly beaten on every match of this tour, including a 69-16 walloping at the hands of provincial side Northland (one level below Super Rugby).

Bizarrely, though, the Wolfhounds have a good record against traditionally stronger South African opponents. They have won their only match against their South African counterparts South Africa A by 3 points. Additionally, they have played two fixtures against South Africa XV ('XV' teams are above 'A' level but below full test level), drawing once and winning the other encounter by a surprisingly resounding 17 points.

Honours

See also

References

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