2000–01 Ulster Rugby season

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
2000–01 Ulster Rugby season
Ground(s)Ravenhill Stadium (Capacity: 12,500)
Coach(es)Harry Williams
Captain(s)David Humphreys
Most appearancesJustin Fitzpatrick, Gary Longwell, Andy Ward, Tony McWhirter, Brad Free, David Humphreys, Ryan Constable, James Topping (12 each)
Top scorerDavid Humphreys (148)
Most triesJames Topping (6)
League(s)Heineken Cup (4th in pool)
IRFU Interprovincial Championship (2nd)
← 1999–2000 2001–02 →

The 2000–01 season was Ulster Rugby's sixth since the advent of professionalism, and their third under coach Harry Williams. They competed in the Heineken Cup and the IRFU Interprovincial Championship. Williams announced in August 2000 that he would leave at the end of the season.[1]

The IRFU rejected a proposal for a Celtic League involving three of the Irish provinces, two Scottish super-districts and seven Welsh clubs, each playing 22 matches. The IRFU argued that the structure proposed would add too many games and leave provincial players unable to play for their clubs, and made a counter-proposal of an eleven-game season, which the Welsh and Scottish unions rejected.[2] Discussions continued,[3] and a format was finally agreed for the following season.[4]

They were bottom of their pool in the Heineken Cup, failing to qualify for the knockout stage. They finished second in the Interprovincial Championship, qualifying for next season's Heineken Cup. Tyrone Howe was Ulster's Player of the Year, and was selected for the 2001 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia.

Player transfers[]

Squad[]

Ulster Rugby squad

Props

Hookers

Locks

Back row

Scrum-halves

Fly-halves

Centres

Wings

Fullbacks

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

2000–01 Heineken Cup[]

Main article: 2000–01 Heineken Cup
Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts
Wales Cardiff 6 4 0 2 18 13 5 182 146 36 8
England Saracens 6 4 0 2 14 13 1 174 140 34 8
France Toulouse 6 2 1 3 19 15 4 171 182 −11 5
Ireland Ulster 6 1 1 4 11 21 −10 146 205 −59 3
6 October 2000
19:15
Ulster Ireland 32 – 23 Wales Cardiff
Try: , Howe
Con: Humphreys (2)
Pen: Humphreys (5)
Drop: Humphreys
 Report[11] Try: Jenkins, Morgan
Con: Jenkins (2)
Pen: Jenkins (3)
Ravenhill
Attendance: 12,000
Ulster lineup


15 October 2000
15:00
Saracens England 55 – 25 Ireland Ulster
Try: Hill (2), McRae, Luger (3)
Con: Castaignede (5)
Pen: Castaignede (5)
 Report[12][13] Try:
Con: Humphreys
Pen: Humphreys (6)
Vicarage Road
Attendance: 11,258
Ulster lineup


22 October 2000
15:00
Toulouse France 35 – 35 Ireland Ulster
Try: Pelous, Labit, Fillol, Desbrosse
Con: (3)
Pen: (3)
 Report[14] Try: , Howe. J. Bell, J. Topping
Con: Humphreys (3)
Pen: Humphreys (3)
Stadium Municipal
Attendance: 14,000
Ulster lineup


27 October 2000
19:30
Ulster Ireland 25 – 29 France Toulouse
Try: Ward
Con: Humphreys
Pen: Humphreys (6)
 Report[15] Try: Desbrosse, Servat
Con: Delaigue,
Pen: Delaigue (5)
Ravenhill
Attendance: 12,000
Ulster lineup


12 January 2001
19:05
Cardiff Wales 42 – 16 Ireland Ulster
Try: Robinson (2), Jenkins, Quinnell
Con: Jenkins (2)
Pen: Jenkins (5)
Drop: Jenkins
 Report[16] Try: J. Topping (2)
Pen: Humphreys (2)
Cardiff Arms Park
Attendance: 10,500
Ulster lineup


19 January 2001
19:30
Ulster Ireland 13 – 21 England Saracens
Try: Humphreys
Con: Humphreys
Pen: Humphreys (2)
 Report[17] Try: Shanklin, McRae, Hill
Con: McRae (3)
Ravenhill
Attendance: 13,500
Ulster lineup

2000-01 IRFU Interprovincial Championship[]

Main article: IRFU Interprovincial Championship
Team P W D L F A BP Pts Status
6 5 1 0 151 99 1 23 Champions; qualified for next season's Heineken Cup
6 3 0 3 144 119 3 15 Qualified for next season's Heineken Cup
6 2 1 3 109 111 2 12 Qualified for next season's Heineken Cup
6 1 0 5 100 175 1 5

Top three teams qualify for next season's Heineken Cup.

1 September 2000
Ulster Ulster 16-21 Munster Munster
Try: Ward
Con: Humphreys
Pen: Humphreys (3)
 Report[18] Pen: O'Gara (5)
Drop: O'Gara (2)
Ulster lineup


9 September 2000
Connacht Connacht 15-39 Ulster Ulster
Try: , Elwood
Con: Elwood
Pen: Elwood
 Report[19] Try: , Johns, J. Bell, J. Topping,
Con: Humphreys (4)
Pen: Humphreys (3)
Ulster lineup


15 September 2000
Leinster Leinster 19-6 Ulster Ulster
Try: Hickie
Con: McHugh
Pen: McHugh (2), Dempsey
 Report[20] Pen: Humphreys (2)
Ulster lineup
22 September 2000
Ulster Ulster 26-13 Leinster Leinster
Try: J. Bell, Ward
Con: Humphreys (2)
Pen: Humphreys (4)
 Report[21] Try: McHugh
Con: McHugh
Drop: O'Driscoll
Ulster lineup


29 September 2000
Munster Munster 29-21 Ulster Ulster
Try: Crotty, Horgan
Con: O'Gara (2)
Pen: O'Gara (5)
 Report[22] Try: , J. Topping
Con: Humphreys
Pen: Humphreys (3)
Ulster lineup


3 November 2000
Ulster Ulster 36-22 Connacht Connacht
Try: J. Topping, (2), Humphreys, Ward
Con: Humphreys (4)
Pen: Humphreys
 Report[23] Try: O'Connor, ,
Con: (2)
Pen:
Ulster lineup

Ulster Rugby Awards[]

The Ulster Rugby Awards ceremony was held on 24 May 2001. Winners were:[24]

References[]

  1. ^ "Williams to quit as Ulster coach", BBC Sport, 31 August 2000
  2. ^ Tony Ward, "IRFU says no to plans for new Celtic League", Irish Independent, 14 March 2000
  3. ^ Kieran Rooney, "Celtic League looming large in rugby horizon", Irish Independent, 18 August 2000
  4. ^ "Celtic League gets green light to kick off in August", Evening Herald, 31 May 2001
  5. ^ "Prop Boyd forced to retire", BBC Sport, 4 November 2003
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h Jonathan McConnell, "Ulster recruit South Africans", ESPN Scrum, 23 June 2000
  7. ^ Gavin Mairs, "Retiring Ulster ace gets a big vote of thanks", Belfast Telegraph, 4 July 2008
  8. ^ "The joy of being free of injury", Irish Times, 26 October 2000
  9. ^ "Brad Free to play for Ireland", Irish Independent, 29 October 1997
  10. ^ Gavin Mortimer, "The ten biggest flops in the Top 14", Rugby World, 18 December 2013
  11. ^ Jim Stokes, "Rugby: Super Ulster right back in business", Belfast Telegraph, 5 July 2008
  12. ^ Ian Malin, "Gallic genius triggers Luger", The Guardian, 16 October 2000
  13. ^ "Saracens too strong for Ulster", BBC Sport, 15 October 2000
  14. ^ "Ulster earn remarkable draw", BBC Sport, 22 October 2000
  15. ^ EPCR Stats
  16. ^ "RUGBY UNION: POOR ULSTER KEPT AT AN ARMS LENGTH; Cardiff 42 Ulster 16: Champions of 1999 are European flops in Cardiff.." The Free Library. 2001 MGN LTD 26 Feb. 2022
  17. ^ Jim Stokes, "Plenty of heart but it's a Sarri send-off", Belfast Telegraph, 20 January 2001
  18. ^ Jim Stokes, "O'Gara steals the show", Belfast Telegraph, 2 September 2000
  19. ^ Kieran Rooney, "Ulster leave Connacht stranded", Sunday Independent, 10 September 2000
  20. ^ "Ace predator Hickie strikes for Leinster", Irish Independent, 16 September 2000
  21. ^ Tony Ward, "Humphreys leads Ulster to victory", Irish Independent, 23 September 2000
  22. ^ Barry Coughlan, "Munster dig deep for great victory", Irish Examiner, 30 September 2000
  23. ^ Jim Stokes, "Classy Ulster sink brave Connacht", Irish Independent, 4 November 2000
  24. ^ "Honours for Howe and Longwell", BBC Sport, 25 May 2001
Retrieved from ""