1997–98 Leinster Rugby season

Last updated
1997–98 Leinster Rugby season
Ground(s) Donnybrook, Dublin
Coach(es) Mike Ruddock
Top scorer Alan McGowan (90)
Most tries John McWeeney (4)
League(s) Heineken Cup
IRFU Interprovincial Championship
← 1996–97 1998–99 →

The 1997-98 season was Leinster's third season under professionalism. Mike Ruddock was director of rugby. The previous coaching team of team manager Jim Glennon, forwards coach Ciaran Callan and backs coach Paul Dean, remained in place under him. [1] They competed in the Heineken Cup, finishing third in their pool, and the IRFU Interprovincial Championship, finishing as champions.

Contents

The IRFU offered new contracts for provincial players for this season. Full-time players would receive a retainer of £25,000, plus a win bonus of £500 for Heineken Cup matches. Part-time players would be paid a retainer of £7,500, plus a match fee of £400 for Interprovincial matches and £800 for the Heineken Cup, and a win bonus of £450 for both competitions. [2] Each province could have a maximum of 30 contracted players. [3]

Players selected

Leinster Rugby squad

Props

Hookers

Locks

  • IRFU flag.svg Aaron Freeman (Lansdowne)
  • IRFU flag.svg Steve Jameson (St Mary's)
  • IRFU flag.svg Hubi Kos (Balckrock)

Back row

  • IRFU flag.svg Trevor Brennan (St Mary's)
  • IRFU flag.svg Victor Costello (St Mary's)
  • IRFU flag.svg Tony Goldfinch (Blackrock)
  • IRFU flag.svg Colin McEntee (Lansdowne)
  • IRFU flag.svg Declan O'Brien (DLSP)
  • IRFU flag.svg David O'Sullivan (Skerries)
  • IRFU flag.svg Stephen Rooney (Lansdowne)

Scrum-halves

Fly-halves

Centres

Wings

Fullbacks

(c) denotes the team captain, Bold denotes internationally capped players.
* denotes players qualified to play for Ireland on residency or dual nationality.

    IRFU Interprovincial Championship

    TeamPWDLFABPPtsStatus
    32016146-4Champions; qualified for 1998–99 Heineken Cup
    32015643-4Qualified for 1998–99 Heineken Cup
    31025965-2Qualified for 1998–99 Heineken Cup
    31024264-2Qualified for 1998–99 European Challenge Cup
    16 August 1997 Leinster Flag of Leinster.svg 26-25 Flag of Ulster.svg Ulster Donnybrook  
    Try: Rolland
    Hickie
    O'Mahony
    Con: Rolland
    Pen: Governey (3)
    		Report [4] Try: Laing
    Con: Laing
    Pen: Laing (6)
    		Referee: David McHugh
    Leinster lineup:

    1. Henry Hurley, 2. Shane Byrne, 3. Angus McKeen,
    4. Declan O'Brien, 5. Aaron Freeman,
    6. Trevor Brennan, 7. Victor Costello, 8. Stephen Rooney,
    9. Alain Rolland, 10. Richard McGoverney,
    11. Darragh O'Mahony, 12. Kurt McQuilkin, 13. Martin Ridge, 14. Denis Hickie,
    15. Ciran Clarke.
    Replacements: Reggie Corrigan (for McKeen 45'), Steve Jameson for O'Brien 72'), C. McEntee (for Brennan 72').

    23 August 1997 Munster Flag of Munster.svg 15–12 Flag of Leinster.svg Leinster Mardyke  
    Pen: O'Gara
    Mahoney (3)
    Drop: O'Gara
    		Report [5] Pen: McGowan (4)
    Leinster lineup:

    1. Henry Hurley, 2. Shane Byrne, 3. Angus McKeen,
    4. Steve Jameson, 5. Aaron Freeman,
    6. Colin McEntee, 7. Trevor Brennan, 8. Victor Costello,
    9. David O'Mahony, 10. Alan McGowan,
    11. Darragh O'Mahony, 12. Kurt McQuilkin, 13. Martin Ridge, 14. Denis Hickie,
    15. Ciran Clarke.
    Replacements: Declan O'Brien (for Freeman 66')

    30 August 1997 Leinster Flag of Leinster.svg 23-6 Flag of Connacht.svg Connacht Donnybrook Stadium  
    Try: Ridge
    Con: McGowan
    Pen: McGowan (3)
    		Report [6] Pen: Elwood (2)
    		Referee: D. McHugh
    Leinster lineup:

    1. Reggie Corrigan, 2. Shane Byrne, 3. Angus McKeen,
    4. Steve Jameson, 5. Aaron Freeman,
    6. Trevor Brennan, 7. Tony Goldfinch, 8. Victor Costello,
    9. David O'Mahony, 10. Alan McGowan,
    11. John McWeeney, 12. Kurt McQuilkin (c), 13. Martin Ridge, 14. Denis Hickie,
    15. Kevin Nowlan.
    Replacements: Declan O'Brien (for Jameson 70')

    Heineken Cup

    Pool 1

    TeamPWDLTries forTries againstTry diffPoints forPoints againstPoints diffPts
    Flag of France.svg Toulouse 65012512132001217910
    Flag of England.svg Leicester 640216142163117468
    IRFU flag.svg Leinster 62041519−4137167−304
    Flag of Italy.svg Milan 61051526−11111206−952
    6 September 1997
    15:00    		Leinster IRFU flag.svg 25–34 Flag of France.svg Toulouse Donnybrook  
    Try: McGowan
    O'Brien
    Penalty try
    Con: McGowan (2)
    Pen: McGowan (2)
    		Report [7] Try: Marfaing
    Begue
    Garbajosa
    Bondouy
    Con: Ougier (4)
    Pen: Ougier (2)
    		Attendance: 6,300
    Leinster lineup:

    1. Reggie Corrigan, 2. Shane Byrne, 3. Angus McKeen,
    4. Steve Jameson, 5. Aaron Freeman,
    6. Trevor Brennan, 7. Tony Goldfinch, 8. Victor Costello,
    9. David O'Mahony, 10. Alan McGowan,
    11. John McWeeney, 12. Kurt McQuilkin, 13. Martin Ridge, 14. Denis Hickie,
    15. Kevin Nowlan.
    Replacements: Peter Brice, David O'Sullivan, Declan O'Brien.

    12 September 1997
    17:30    		Leinster IRFU flag.svg 16–9 Flag of England.svg Leicester Tigers Donnybrook  
    Try: Nowlan
    Con: McGowan
    Pen: McGowan (3)
    		Report [8] Pen: Stransky (3)
    		Attendance: 7,000
    Leinster lineup:

    1. Reggie Corrigan, 2. Shane Byrne, 3. Peter Bruce,
    4. Steve Jameson, 5. Aaron Freeman,
    6. Trevor Brennan, 7. David O'Sullivan, 8. Victor Costello,
    9. David O'Mahony, 10. Alan McGowan,
    11. John McWeeney, 12. Kurt McQuilkin, 13. Martin Ridge, 14. Denis Hickie,
    15. Kevin Nowlan.
    Replacements: Paul Flavin.

    20 September 1997
    16:00    		Milan Flag of Italy.svg 33–32 IRFU flag.svg Leinster Stadio Comunale Giuriati  
    Try: Properzi
    Turner
    Vaccari
    Gómez
    Cuttitta
    Con: Platania
    Pen: Platania (2)
    		Report [9] Try: McWeeney (2)
    D. O'Mahony
    McGowan
    Con: McGowan (3)
    Pen: McGowan (2)
    		Attendance: 1,100
    Leinster lineup:

    1. Paul Flavin, 2. Shane Byrne, 3. Reggie Corrigan,
    4. Steve Jameson, 5. Aaron Freeman,
    6. Trevor Brennan, 7. David O'Sullivan, 8. Victor Costello,
    9. David O'Mahony, 10. Alan McGowan,
    11. John McWeeney, 12. Kurt McQuilkin, 13. Martin Ridge, 14. Denis Hickie,
    15. Kevin Nowlan.
    Replacements: Emmett Byrne.

    27 September 1997
    15:00    		Leicester Tigers Flag of England.svg 47–22 IRFU flag.svg Leinster Welford Road  
    Try: Barlow
    Healey
    Malone
    Rowntree
    Greenwood
    Con: Serevi (2)
    Pen: Stransky (3)
    Serevi (2)
    Drop: Stransky
    		Report [10] Try: McWeeney
    Hickie (2)
    Con: McGowan (2)
    Pen: McGowan
    		Attendance: 10,392
    Leinster lineup:

    1. Reggie Corrigan, 2. Shane Byrne, 3. Angus McKeen,
    4. Steve Jameson, 5. Aaron Freeman,
    6. Trevor Brennan, 7. David O'Sullivan, 8. Victor Costello,
    9. David O'Mahony, 10. Alan McGowan,
    11. John McWeeney, 12. Kurt McQuilkin, 13. Martin Ridge, 14. Denis Hickie,
    15. Kevin Nowlan.
    Replacements: Ciaran Clarke, James Blaney, Declan O'Brien.

    4 October 1997
    15:00    		Leinster IRFU flag.svg 23–6 Flag of Italy.svg Milan Donnybrook  
    Try: Ridge (2)
    O'Mahony
    Con: McGowan
    Pen: McGowan (2)
    		Report [11] Pen: Filizzola (2)
    		Attendance: 5,500
    Leinster lineup:

    1. Reggie Corrigan, 2. Shane Byrne, 3. Emmett Byrne,
    4. Steve Jameson, 5. Hubi Kos,
    6. Declan O'Brien, 7. Stephen Rooney, 8. Victor Costello,
    9. David O'Mahony, 10. Alan McGowan,
    11. John McWeeney, 12. Kurt McQuilkin, 13. Martin Ridge, 14. Denis Hickie,
    15. Kevin Nowlan.
    Replacements: Ciaran Clarke, James Blaney.

    11 October 1997
    15:20    		Toulouse Flag of France.svg 38–19 IRFU flag.svg Leinster Les Sept Deniers  
    Try: Garbajosa (2)
    Bondouy (2)
    Martin
    Con: Delaigue (2)
    		Report [12] Try: McWeeney
    Con: McGowan
    Pen: McGowan (4)
    		Attendance: 7,000
    Leinster lineup:

    1. Reggie Corrigan, 2. Shane Byrne, 3. Angus McKeen,
    4. Steve Jameson, 5. Hubi Kos,
    6. Trevor Brennan, 7. Stephen Rooney, 8. Victor Costello,
    9. David O'Mahony, 10. Alan McGowan,
    11. John McWeeney, 12. Kurt McQuilkin, 13. Martin Ridge, 14. Denis Hickie,
    15. Kevin Nowlan.
    Replacements: Richard Governey, Emmett Byrne.

    References

    1. ↑ "Full steam ahead for Ruddock", Irish Independent, 14 April 1997
    2. ↑ "Seventy six players win IRFU contracts", Irish Independent, 17 July 1997
    3. ↑ Barry Coughlan, "IRFU brings home the message with provincial contracts", Irish Examiner, 1 May 1998
    4. ↑ Michael McGeary, "Adding Insult to Injury", Sunday Life, 17 August 1997
    5. ↑ "Munster 15-12 Leinster". Munster Rugby. Retrieved 7 June 2019.
    6. ↑ John O'Sullivan, "Leinster snatch it", Sunday Independent, 31 August 1997
    7. ↑ Brendan Fanning, "Leinster pay price for soft approach", Sunday Independent, 7 September 1997
    8. ↑ Kieran Rooney, "Leinster stun Tigers", Irish Independent, 13 September 1997
    9. ↑ "Leinster pipped at the death", Irish Examiner, 22 September 1997
    10. ↑ John O'Sullivan, "Leicester take their revenge as Leinster disappoint", Sunday Independent, 28 September 1997
    11. ↑ "Poor Leinster avenge Cup loss in Italy", Irish Examiner, 6 October 1997
    12. ↑ "Lion-hearted Leinster refuse to cave in", Sunday Independent, 12 October 1997
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