Ireland and Wales have played each other at rugby union since 1882. A total of 135 matches have been played, with Wales winning 70 matches, Ireland winning 58 matches and seven matches drawn. [1] [2] The two sides have met three times at the Rugby World Cup, with Wales winning two and Ireland winning one of those encounters. [3] Wales won 13–6 in their pool encounter at the inaugural World Cup in 1987. [3] Ireland eliminated Wales at the pool stage during the 1995 World Cup, with a 24–23 victory in 1995. [3] In their third World Cup matchup, Wales beat Ireland 22–10 in the quarterfinals of the 2011 World Cup. [3] In the Six Nations Championship the two sides have faced each other 24 times. [4]
Details | Played | Won by Ireland | Won by Wales | Drawn | Ireland points | Wales points |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
In Ireland | 67 | 34 | 28 | 5 | 896 | 691 |
In Wales | 63 | 22 | 39 | 2 | 676 | 874 |
Neutral venue | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 69 | 81 |
Overall | 135 | 58 | 70 | 7 | 1,641 | 1,646 |
RecordsNote: Date shown in brackets indicates when the record was or last set.
| AttendanceUp to date as of 24 February 2024
|
No. | Date | Venue | Score | Winner | Competition | Attendance | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 28 January 1882 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 0–2G | Wales | 1881–82 Home Nations International | — | [5] |
2 | 12 April 1884 | National Stadium, Cardiff | 1G–0 | Wales | 1884 Home Nations Championship | 5,000 | [6] |
3 | 12 March 1887 | Birkenhead Park, Birkenhead (England) | 0–1G | Wales | 1887 Home Nations Championship | 5,000 | [7] |
4 | 3 March 1888 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 2G–0 | Ireland | 1888 Home Nations Championship | 4,000 | [8] |
5 | 2 March 1889 | St Helens, Swansea | 0–0G (2T) | Ireland | 1889 Home Nations Championship | 4,000 | [9] |
6 | 1 March 1890 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 3–3 | draw | 1890 Home Nations Championship | 7,000 | [10] |
7 | 7 March 1891 | Stradey Park, Llanelli | 6–4 | Wales | 1891 Home Nations Championship | 10,000 | [11] |
8 | 5 March 1892 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 9–0 | Ireland | 1892 Home Nations Championship | 5,000 | [12] |
9 | 11 March 1893 | Stradey Park, Llanelli | 2–0 | Wales | 1893 Home Nations Championship | 20,000 | [13] |
10 | 10 March 1894 | Ulster Cricket Ground, Belfast | 3–0 | Ireland | 1894 Home Nations Championship | 5,000 | [14] |
11 | 16 March 1895 | National Stadium, Cardiff | 5–3 | Wales | 1895 Home Nations Championship | — | [15] |
12 | 17 March 1896 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 8–4 | Ireland | 1896 Home Nations Championship | — | [16] |
13 | 19 March 1898 | Thomond Park, Limerick | 3–11 | Wales | 1898 Home Nations Championship | 10–15,000 | [17] [18] |
14 | 18 March 1899 | National Stadium, Cardiff | 0–3 | Ireland | 1899 Home Nations Championship | 40,000 | [19] |
15 | 17 March 1900 | Balmoral Showgrounds, Balmoral | 0–3 | Wales | 1900 Home Nations Championship | — | [20] |
16 | 16 March 1901 | St Helen's, Swansea | 10–9 | Wales | 1901 Home Nations Championship | — | [21] |
17 | 6 March 1902 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 0–15 | Wales | 1902 Home Nations Championship | 12,000 | [22] |
18 | 14 March 1903 | National Stadium, Cardiff | 18–0 | Wales | 1903 Home Nations Championship | — | [23] |
19 | 12 March 1904 | Balmoral Showgrounds, Balmoral | 14–12 | Ireland | 1904 Home Nations Championship | — | [24] |
20 | 11 March 1905 | St Helen's, Swansea | 10–3 | Wales | 1905 Home Nations Championship | — | [25] |
21 | 10 March 1906 | Balmoral Showgrounds, Balmoral | 11–6 | Ireland | 1906 Home Nations Championship | — | [26] |
22 | 9 March 1907 | National Stadium, Cardiff | 29–0 | Wales | 1907 Home Nations Championship | — | [27] |
23 | 14 March 1908 | Balmoral Showgrounds, Balmoral | 5–11 | Wales | 1908 Home Nations Championship | 15,000 | [28] |
24 | 13 March 1909 | St Helen's, Swansea | 18–5 | Wales | 1909 Home Nations Championship | 25,000 | [29] |
25 | 12 March 1910 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 3–19 | Wales | 1910 Five Nations Championship | — | [30] |
26 | 11 March 1911 | National Stadium, Cardiff | 16–0 | Wales | 1911 Five Nations Championship | — | [31] |
27 | 9 March 1912 | Balmoral Showgrounds, Balmoral | 12–5 | Ireland | 1912 Five Nations Championship | — | [32] |
28 | 8 March 1913 | St Helen's, Swansea | 16–13 | Wales | 1913 Five Nations Championship | — | [33] |
29 | 14 March 1914 | Balmoral Showgrounds, Balmoral | 3–11 | Wales | 1914 Five Nations Championship | — | [34] |
30 | 13 March 1920 | National Stadium, Cardiff | 28–4 | Wales | 1920 Five Nations Championship | 35,000 | [35] |
31 | 12 March 1921 | Balmoral Showgrounds, Balmoral | 0–6 | Wales | 1921 Five Nations Championship | — | [36] |
32 | 11 March 1922 | St Helen's, Swansea | 11–5 | Wales | 1922 Five Nations Championship | 40,000 | [37] |
33 | 10 March 1923 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 5–4 | Ireland | 1923 Five Nations Championship | — | [38] |
34 | 8 March 1924 | National Stadium, Cardiff | 10–13 | Ireland | 1924 Five Nations Championship | 35,000 | [39] |
35 | 14 March 1925 | Ravenhill, Belfast | 19–3 | Ireland | 1925 Five Nations Championship | — | [40] |
36 | 13 March 1926 | St Helen's, Swansea | 11–8 | Wales | 1926 Five Nations Championship | — | [41] |
37 | 12 March 1927 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 19–9 | Ireland | 1927 Five Nations Championship | — | [42] |
38 | 10 March 1928 | National Stadium, Cardiff | 10–13 | Ireland | 1928 Five Nations Championship | 42,000 | [43] |
39 | 9 March 1929 | Ravenhill, Belfast | 5–5 | draw | 1929 Five Nations Championship | — | [44] |
40 | 8 March 1930 | St Helen's, Swansea | 12–7 | Wales | 1930 Five Nations Championship | 50,000 | [45] |
41 | 14 March 1931 | Ravenhill, Belfast | 3–15 | Wales | 1931 Five Nations Championship | 30,000 | [46] |
42 | 12 March 1932 | National Stadium, Cardiff | 10–12 | Ireland | 1932 Home Nations Championship | — | [47] |
43 | 11 March 1933 | Ravenhill, Belfast | 10–5 | Ireland | 1933 Home Nations Championship | — | [48] |
44 | 10 March 1934 | St Helen's, Swansea | 13–0 | Wales | 1934 Home Nations Championship | — | [49] |
45 | 9 March 1935 | Ravenhill, Belfast | 9–3 | Ireland | 1935 Home Nations Championship | 35,000 | [50] |
46 | 14 March 1936 | National Stadium, Cardiff | 3–0 | Wales | 1936 Home Nations Championship | 70,000 | [51] |
47 | 3 April 1937 | Ravenhill, Belfast | 5–3 | Ireland | 1937 Home Nations Championship | 20,000 | [52] |
48 | 12 March 1938 | St Helen's, Swansea | 11–5 | Wales | 1938 Home Nations Championship | 40,000 | [53] |
49 | 11 March 1939 | Ravenhill, Belfast | 0–7 | Wales | 1939 Home Nations Championship | — | [54] |
50 | 29 March 1947 | St Helen's, Swansea | 6–0 | Wales | 1947 Five Nations Championship | 36,000 | [55] |
51 | 13 March 1948 | Ravenhill, Belfast | 6–3 | Ireland | 1948 Five Nations Championship | 32,000 | [56] |
52 | 12 March 1949 | St Helen's, Swansea | 0–5 | Ireland | 1949 Five Nations Championship | 40,000 | [57] |
53 | 11 March 1950 | Ravenhill, Belfast | 3–6 | Wales | 1950 Five Nations Championship | — | [58] |
54 | 10 March 1951 | National Stadium, Cardiff | 3–3 | draw | 1951 Five Nations Championship | — | [59] |
55 | 8 March 1952 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 3–14 | Wales | 1952 Five Nations Championship | 42,000 | [60] |
56 | 14 March 1953 | St Helen's, Swansea | 5–3 | Wales | 1953 Five Nations Championship | 50,000 | [61] |
57 | 13 March 1954 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 9–12 | Wales | 1954 Five Nations Championship | 45,000 | [62] |
58 | 12 March 1955 | National Stadium, Cardiff | 21–3 | Wales | 1955 Five Nations Championship | — | [63] |
59 | 10 March 1956 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 11–3 | Ireland | 1956 Five Nations Championship | 50,573 | [64] |
60 | 9 March 1957 | National Stadium, Cardiff | 6–5 | Wales | 1957 Five Nations Championship | — | [65] |
61 | 15 March 1958 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 6–9 | Wales | 1958 Five Nations Championship | — | [66] |
62 | 14 March 1959 | National Stadium, Cardiff | 8–6 | Wales | 1959 Five Nations Championship | — | [67] |
63 | 12 March 1960 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 9–10 | Wales | 1960 Five Nations Championship | — | [68] |
64 | 11 March 1961 | National Stadium, Cardiff | 9–0 | Wales | 1961 Five Nations Championship | — | [69] |
65 | 17 November 1962 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 3–3 | draw | 1962 Five Nations Championship | — | [70] |
66 | 9 March 1963 | National Stadium, Cardiff | 6–14 | Ireland | 1963 Five Nations Championship | — | [71] |
67 | 7 March 1964 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 6–15 | Wales | 1964 Five Nations Championship | — | [72] |
68 | 13 March 1965 | National Stadium, Cardiff | 14–8 | Wales | 1965 Five Nations Championship | 58,500 | [73] |
69 | 12 March 1966 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 9–6 | Ireland | 1966 Five Nations Championship | — | [74] |
70 | 11 March 1967 | National Stadium, Cardiff | 0–3 | Ireland | 1967 Five Nations Championship | — | [75] |
71 | 9 March 1968 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 9–6 | Ireland | 1968 Five Nations Championship | — | [76] |
72 | 8 March 1969 | National Stadium, Cardiff | 24–11 | Wales | 1969 Five Nations Championship | 29,000 | [77] |
73 | 14 March 1970 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 14–0 | Ireland | 1970 Five Nations Championship | — | [78] |
74 | 13 March 1971 | National Stadium, Cardiff | 23–9 | Wales | 1971 Five Nations Championship | — | [79] |
75 | 10 March 1973 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff | 16–12 | Wales | 1973 Five Nations Championship | — | [80] |
76 | 2 February 1974 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 9–9 | draw | 1974 Five Nations Championship | — | [81] |
77 | 15 March 1975 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff | 32–4 | Wales | 1975 Five Nations Championship | — | [82] |
78 | 21 February 1976 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 9–34 | Wales | 1976 Five Nations Championship | — | [83] |
79 | 15 January 1977 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff | 25–9 | Wales | 1977 Five Nations Championship | — | [84] |
80 | 4 March 1978 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 16–20 | Wales | 1978 Five Nations Championship | — | [85] |
81 | 3 February 1979 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff | 24–21 | Wales | 1979 Five Nations Championship | — | [86] |
82 | 15 March 1980 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 21–7 | Ireland | 1980 Five Nations Championship | — | [87] |
83 | 21 February 1981 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff | 9–8 | Wales | 1981 Five Nations Championship | — | [88] |
84 | 23 January 1982 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 20–12 | Ireland | 1982 Five Nations Championship | — | [89] |
85 | 5 March 1983 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff | 23–9 | Wales | 1983 Five Nations Championship | — | [90] |
86 | 4 February 1984 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 9–18 | Wales | 1984 Five Nations Championship | — | [91] |
87 | 16 March 1985 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff | 9–21 | Ireland | 1985 Five Nations Championship | — | [92] |
88 | 15 February 1986 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 12–19 | Wales | 1986 Five Nations Championship | — | [93] |
89 | 4 April 1987 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff | 11–15 | Ireland | 1987 Five Nations Championship | — | [94] |
90 | 25 May 1987 | Athletic Park, Wellington (New Zealand) | 6–13 | Wales | 1987 Rugby World Cup | 17,500 | [95] |
91 | 5 March 1988 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 9–12 | Wales | 1988 Five Nations Championship | — | [96] |
92 | 4 February 1989 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff | 13–19 | Ireland | 1989 Five Nations Championship | — | [97] |
93 | 24 March 1990 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 14–8 | Ireland | 1990 Five Nations Championship | — | [98] |
94 | 16 February 1991 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff | 21–21 | draw | 1991 Five Nations Championship | — | [99] |
95 | 18 January 1992 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 15–16 | Wales | 1992 Five Nations Championship | — | [100] |
96 | 6 March 1993 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff | 14–19 | Ireland | 1993 Five Nations Championship | — | [101] |
97 | 5 February 1994 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 15–17 | Wales | 1994 Five Nations Championship | — | [102] |
98 | 18 March 1995 | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff | 12–16 | Ireland | 1995 Five Nations Championship | — | [103] |
99 | 4 June 1995 | Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg (South Africa) | 24–23 | Ireland | 1995 Rugby World Cup | 35,000 | [104] |
100 | 2 March 1996 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 30–17 | Ireland | 1996 Five Nations Championship | 45,000 | [105] |
101 | 1 February 1997 | National Stadium, Cardiff | 25–26 | Ireland | 1997 Five Nations Championship | 53,000 | [106] |
102 | 21 March 1998 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 21–30 | Wales | 1998 Five Nations Championship | 55,000 | [107] |
103 | 20 February 1999 | Wembley Stadium, London (England) | 23–29 | Ireland | 1999 Five Nations Championship | 76,000 | [108] |
104 | 1 April 2000 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 19–23 | Wales | 2000 Six Nations Championship | 40,000 | [109] |
105 | 13 October 2001 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | 6–36 | Ireland | 2001 Six Nations Championship | 72,500 | [110] |
106 | 3 February 2002 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 54–10 | Ireland | 2002 Six Nations Championship | 49,000 | [111] |
107 | 22 March 2003 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | 24–25 | Ireland | 2003 Six Nations Championship | 72,500 | [112] |
108 | 16 August 2003 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 35–12 | Ireland | 2003 Rugby World Cup warm-up match | 20,000 | [113] |
109 | 22 February 2004 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 36–15 | Ireland | 2004 Six Nations Championship | 49,000 | [114] |
110 | 19 March 2005 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | 32–20 | Wales | 2005 Six Nations Championship | 74,500 | [115] |
111 | 26 February 2006 | Lansdowne Road, Dublin | 31–5 | Ireland | 2006 Six Nations Championship | 49,500 | [116] |
112 | 4 February 2007 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | 9–19 | Ireland | 2007 Six Nations Championship | 74,239 | [117] |
113 | 8 March 2008 | Croke Park, Dublin | 12–16 | Wales | 2008 Six Nations Championship | 75,000 | [118] |
114 | 21 March 2009 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | 15–17 | Ireland | 2009 Six Nations Championship | 74,645 | [119] |
115 | 13 March 2010 | Croke Park, Dublin | 27–12 | Ireland | 2010 Six Nations Championship | 81,314 | [120] |
116 | 12 March 2011 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | 19–13 | Wales | 2011 Six Nations Championship | 74,233 | [121] |
117 | 8 October 2011 | Regional Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand | 22–10 | Wales | 2011 Rugby World Cup | 35,787 | [122] |
118 | 5 February 2012 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin | 21–23 | Wales | 2012 Six Nations Championship | 51,000 | [123] |
119 | 2 February 2013 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | 22–30 | Ireland | 2013 Six Nations Championship | 73,230 | [124] |
120 | 8 February 2014 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin | 26–3 | Ireland | 2014 Six Nations Championship | 51,045 | [125] |
121 | 14 March 2015 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | 23–16 | Wales | 2015 Six Nations Championship | 73,950 | [126] |
122 | 8 August 2015 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | 21–35 | Ireland | 2015 Rugby World Cup warm-up match | 73,500 | [127] |
123 | 29 August 2015 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin | 10–16 | Wales | 47,430 | [128] | |
124 | 7 February 2016 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin | 16–16 | draw | 2016 Six Nations Championship | 51,700 | [129] |
125 | 10 March 2017 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | 22–9 | Wales | 2017 Six Nations Championship | 74,159 | [130] |
126 | 24 February 2018 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin | 37–27 | Ireland | 2018 Six Nations Championship | 51,700 | [131] |
127 | 16 March 2019 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | 25–7 | Wales | 2019 Six Nations Championship | 74,500 | [132] |
128 | 31 August 2019 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | 17–22 | Ireland | 2019 Rugby World Cup warm-up match | 62,905 | [133] |
129 | 7 September 2019 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin | 19–10 | Ireland | 50,000 | [134] | |
130 | 8 February 2020 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin | 24–14 | Ireland | 2020 Six Nations Championship | 51,700 | [135] |
131 | 13 November 2020 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin | 32–9 | Ireland | Autumn Nations Cup | 0* | [136] |
132 | 7 February 2021 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | 21–16 | Wales | 2021 Six Nations Championship | 0* | [137] |
133 | 5 February 2022 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin | 29–7 | Ireland | 2022 Six Nations Championship | 51,700 | [138] |
134 | 4 February 2023 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | 10–34 | Ireland | 2023 Six Nations Championship | 74,500 | [139] |
135 | 24 February 2024 | Aviva Stadium, Dublin | 31–7 | Ireland | 2024 Six Nations Championship | 51,700 | [140] |
136 | 22 February 2025 | Millennium Stadium, Cardiff | 2025 Six Nations Championship |
Decade | Ireland | Wales | Drawn | Series winner |
---|---|---|---|---|
1880s | 2 | 3 | 0 | Wales |
1890s | 4 | 4 | 1 | Drawn |
1900s | 2 | 8 | 0 | Wales |
1910s | 1 | 4 | 0 | Wales |
1920s | 5 | 4 | 1 | Ireland |
1930s | 4 | 6 | 0 | Wales |
1940s | 2 | 1 | 0 | Ireland |
1950s | 1 | 8 | 1 | Wales |
1960s | 4 | 5 | 1 | Wales |
1970s | 1 | 7 | 1 | Wales |
1980s | 5 | 6 | 0 | Wales |
1990s | 7 | 3 | 1 | Ireland |
2000s | 8 | 3 | 0 | Ireland |
2010s | 7 | 7 | 1 | Drawn |
2020s | 5 | 1 | 0 | Ireland |
The Ireland national rugby union team is the men's representative national team for the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team represents both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Ireland competes in the annual Six Nations Championship and in the Rugby World Cup. Ireland is one of the four unions that make up the British & Irish Lions – players eligible to play for Ireland are also eligible for the Lions.
Stephen Paul Ford was a Welsh international rugby union winger. After being banned from rugby union for an act of professionalism, he was eventually allowed back into the sport and went on to represent the Wales national team. He played club rugby for Cardiff.
The Centenary Quaich is an international rugby union award contested annually by Ireland and Scotland as part of the Six Nations Championship.
The 1884 Home Nations Championship was the second series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 5 January and 12 April 1884. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.
The 1885 Home Nations Championship was the third series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, but the tournament was not completed.
The 1886 Home Nations Championship was the fourth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Five matches were played between 2 January and 13 March 1886. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. The 1886 Championship was shared by England and Scotland who both won two matches each.
The 1887 Home Nations Championship was the fifth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 8 January and 12 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The 1889 Home Nations Championship was the seventh series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Three matches were played between 2 February and 2 March. It was contested by Ireland, Scotland and Wales. England were excluded from the Championship due to their refusal to join the International Rugby Board.
The 1893 Home Nations Championship was the eleventh series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 17 January and 11 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. In winning all three matches, Wales won the Championship for the first time and also took the Triple Crown.
The 1898 Home Nations Championship was the sixteenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Five matches were played between 5 February and 2 April 1898. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The 1899 Home Nations Championship was the seventeenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 5 January and 18 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The 1900 Home Nations Championship was the eighteenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 6 January and 17 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The 1901 Home Nations Championship was the nineteenth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 5 January and 16 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
The 1902 Home Nations Championship was the twentieth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 11 January and 15 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Aviva Stadium, also known as Lansdowne Road or Dublin Arena, is a sports stadium located in Dublin, Ireland, with a capacity for 51,711 spectators. It is built on the site of the former Lansdowne Road Stadium, which was demolished in 2007, and replaced it as home to its chief tenants: the Irish rugby union team and the Republic of Ireland football team. The decision to redevelop the stadium came after plans for both Stadium Ireland and Eircom Park fell through. Aviva Group Ireland signed a 10-year deal for the naming rights in 2009, and subsequently extended the arrangement until 2025.
England and Ireland have played rugby union internationals against each other since 1875, with England winning the first match at The Oval, London by two goals to nil. The two teams have played a total of 142 Test matches with England winning 81 of them, Ireland 53, and 8 resulting in a draw. However, since rugby union went professional in 1995, the head-to-head is a lot closer. The teams have met 34 times since then with England winning 19 test matches to Ireland's 15.
The History of rugby union matches between Ireland and Italy dates back to New Year's Eve 1988 when Ireland defeated Italy in a tour test match, 31–15. Ireland have dominated the meetings, with the Italians having achieved only four victories. The teams' most recent meeting was in the 2024 Six Nations Championship in Dublin, where Ireland won 36–0.
Since 1909, France and Ireland have played each other in a total of 103 test matches, with France winning 59 times, Ireland winning 37 times and seven matches drawn.
Ireland and Scotland have played each other at rugby union in 142 matches, with Ireland winning 71 times, Scotland winning 66 times and five matches drawn. Since 1989, the teams have competed for the Centenary Quaich during the Six Nations Championship.
The history of the Ireland national rugby union team began in 1875, when Ireland played its first international match, a 0–7 loss against England. Ireland has competed in the Six Nations rugby tournament since 1883. Ireland has also competed at the Rugby World Cup every four years since its inception.