2008–09 Leinster Rugby season

July 2023 July 2023 Leinster Rugby 2008–09 AUS Michael Cheika IRE rugby union Leo Cullen Celtic League 3rd Heineken Cup Champions British and Irish Cup Quarter-finals Luke Fitzgerald (9) Felipe Contepomi (225) 18,500 vs Munster 28 September 2008 10,910 vs Glasgow Warriors 25 April 2009 15,466 _collarwhite 000040 000040 000040 000040 000040 _collarwhite 00CCFF 00CCFF 00CCFF FFFFFF 00CCFF _collarwhite FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF 000040 000040 2007–08 2009–10 The 2008–09 Leinster Rugby season was Leinster's eighth competing in the Celtic League alongside which they competed in the 2008–09 Heineken Cup. Though Leinster lost their Celtic League crown to rivals Munster, they won their first Heineken Cup title. They topped their European Cup pool despite away losses to French side Castres and English side Wasps.http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/heineken-cup/2008/1212/242362-leinster_castres/ RTÉ News Castres 18–15 Leinster 12 December 2008 Victory over Harlequins in the quarter-finals followed, despite the Bloodgate Scandal. Leinster overcame Munster 25–6 in a semi-final in Dublin's Croke Park that broke the world record attendance for a club rugby union game with a crowd of over 82,200.http://www.irishtimes.com/leinster-rugby/leinster-bring-all-the-emotion-the-intelligence-and-the-rugby/ Leinster bring all the emotion, the intelligence and the rugby 2 May 2009 The Irish Times 2 May 2009 Gerry Thornley Leinster won the 2009 European Cup Final in Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, beating Leicester Tigers 19–16 to claim their first European crown.http://www.irishtimes.com/leinster-rugby/leinster-soar-highest-in-bluest-of-blue-days/ Leinster soar highest in bluest of blue days 23 May 2009 European Club Rugby 23 May 2009 Gerry Thornley Rocky Elsom was player of the year. Felipe Contepomi was the Celtic League's joint top scorer, level with the Ospreys' James Hook on 161 points, and was voted the supporters' club's Leinster Legend. Squad Ireland rugby union HK John Fogarty Ireland rugby union HK Bernard Jackman Ireland rugby union PR Cian Healy Ireland rugby union PR Ronan McCormack RSA PR CJ van der Linde Cook Islands PR Stan Wright Ireland rugby union LK Leo Cullen c Ireland rugby union LK Trevor Hogan Ireland rugby union LK Malcolm O'Kelly NZ LK Cameron Jowitt Ireland rugby union LK Devin Toner AUS FL Rocky Elsom Ireland rugby union FL Shane Jennings Ireland rugby union FL Kevin McLaughlin Ireland rugby union FL Seán O'Brien Ireland rugby union N8 Jamie Heaslip Ireland rugby union N8 Stephen Keogh Ireland rugby union SH Chris Keane Ireland rugby union SH Paul O'Donohoe AUS SH Chris Whitaker ARG FH Felipe Contepomi Ireland rugby union FH Johnny Sexton Ireland rugby union CE Gordon D'Arcy Ireland rugby union CE Fergus McFadden Ireland rugby union CE Brian O'Driscoll Ireland rugby union WG Luke Fitzgerald Ireland rugby union WG Shane Horgan Ireland rugby union WG Simon Keogh FIJ WG Isa Nacewa Ireland rugby union FB Girvan Dempsey Ireland rugby union FB Rob Kearney Ireland rugby union FB Felix Jones Match Attendance Leinster's average Celtic League attendance was 14,728, up 415 on the 2007-08 season.Magners League : Match Centre : Match Centre http://www.magnersleague.com/matchcentre/index.php?includeref=2270&season=2008-2009 https://web.archive.org/web/20101126175529/http://www.magnersleague.com/matchcentre/index.php?includeref=2270&season=2008-2009 2010-11-26 live 2009-06-23 Leinster's Heineken Cup semi final against Munster, held in Croke Park, set the record for the highest attendance in club rugby history at over 82,000.Rugby Union | Heineken Cup | Rugby Match Pack | Leinster stun Munster to book final berth | Scrum.com Graham Jenkins http://www.scrum.com/europeancup/rugby/story/96183.html https://web.archive.org/web/20090506101239/http://www.scrum.com/europeancup/rugby/story/96183.html 2009-05-06 live 2009-06-23 2008–09 Celtic League Fixtures Date Home team Score Away Team Score Venue 5 September 2008 WAL Cardiff Blues 16 Ireland rugby union Leinster 16 Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff 12 September 2008 Ireland rugby union Leinster 52 SCO Edinburgh Rugby 6 RDS Arena, Dublin 19 September 2008 Ireland rugby union Leinster 19 WAL Ospreys 13 RDS Arena, Dublin 28 September 2008 Ireland rugby union Leinster 0 Ireland rugby union Munster 18 RDS Arena, Dublin 5 October 2008 Ireland rugby union Connacht 19 Ireland rugby union Leinster 18 Sportsgrounds, Galway 24 October 2008 SCO Glasgow Warriors 15 Ireland rugby union Leinster 12 Firhill, Glasgow 29 November 2008 Ireland rugby union Leinster 29 WAL Newport Gwent Dragons 13 RDS Arena, Dublin 27 December 2008 Ireland rugby union Ulster 13 Ireland rugby union Leinster 21 Ravenhill, Belfast 2 January 2009 Ireland rugby union Leinster 26 Ireland rugby union Connacht 18 RDS Arena, Dublin 10 January 2009 Ireland rugby union Leinster 21 WAL Cardiff Blues 20 RDS Arena, Dublin 21 February 2009 WAL Scarlets 17 Ireland rugby union Leinster 31 Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli 6 March 2009 WAL Ospreys 8 Ireland rugby union Leinster 13 Liberty Stadium 29 March 2009 Ireland rugby union Leinster 32 Ireland rugby union Ulster 6 RDS Arena, Dublin 4 April 2009 Ireland rugby union Munster 22 Ireland rugby union Leinster 5 Thomond Park, Limerick 17 April 2009 SCO Edinburgh Rugby 27 Ireland rugby union Leinster 16 Murrayfield, Edinburgh 25 April 2009 Ireland rugby union Leinster 36 SCO Glasgow Warriors 13 RDS Arena, Dublin 8 May 2009 Ireland rugby union Leinster 45 WAL Scarlets 8 RDS Arena, Dublin 16 May 2009 WAL Newport Gwent Dragons 18 Ireland rugby union Leinster 9 Rodney Parade, Newport League table TeamPldWDLPFPAPDTFTATry bonus Losing bonusPts1Ireland rugby unionMunster181404405257+148492361632SCOEdinburgh181107416296+120403065553Ireland rugby unionLeinster181116401270+131382042524WALOspreys181107397319+78392835525WALScarlets 18909376395−19414631406WALCardiff Blues18819322361−39313622387SCOGlasgow Warriors187011349375−26364145378Ireland rugby unionUlster187011298331−33303326369WALNewport Gwent Dragons187011305429−1242639143310Ireland rugby unionConnacht184014224460−23620541320Correct as of 13 May 2009 MagnersLeague.com 2008/09 Heineken Cup Fixtures/Results Round Date Home team Score Away team Score Venue Round 1 11 October 2008 SCOEdinburgh 16 Ireland rugby unionLeinster 27 Murrayfield, Edinburgh Round 2 17 October 2008 Ireland rugby unionLeinster 41 ENGWasps 11 RDS Arena, Dublin Round 3 6 December 2008 Ireland rugby unionLeinster 33 FRACastres 3 RDS Arena, Dublin Round 4 12 December 2008 FRACastres 18 Ireland rugby unionLeinster 15 Stade Pierre-Antoine, Castres Round 5 17 January 2009 ENGWasps 19 Ireland rugby unionLeinster 12 Twickenham, London Round 6 25 January 2009 Ireland rugby unionLeinster 12 SCOEdinburgh 3 RDS Arena, Dublin Quarter-Final 12 April 2009 ENGHarlequins 5 Ireland rugby unionLeinster 6 The Stoop, London (Report) Semi-Final 2 May 2009 Ireland rugby unionMunster 6 Ireland rugby unionLeinster 25 Croke Park, Dublin (Report) Final 23 May 2009 ENGLeicester 16 Ireland rugby unionLeinster 19 Murrayfield, Edinburgh (Report) Pool Table TeamPldWDLTFPFPA+/−BPPts Ireland rugby union Leinster (6) 6 4 0 2 15 140 70 +70 4 20 ENG Wasps 6 4 0 2 9 114 112 +2 1 17 SCO Edinburgh 6 2 0 4 8 91 103 −12 1 9 FRA Castres 6 2 0 4 6 73 133 −60 1 9 Knock-out stages 11 April – Millennium Stadium WAL Cardiff Blues 9 FRA Toulouse 6 11 April – Walkers Stadium ENG Leicester Tigers 20 ENG Bath 15 12 April – Thomond Park Ireland rugby union Munster 43 WAL Ospreys 9 12 April – Twickenham Stoop ENG Harlequins 5 Ireland rugby union Leinster 6 3 May – Millennium Stadium WAL Cardiff Blues 26 (6) ENG Leicester Tigers (p) 26 (7) 2 May – Croke Park Ireland rugby union Munster 6 Ireland rugby union Leinster 25 23 May – Murrayfield ENG Leicester Tigers 16 Ireland rugby union Leinster 19 End-of-season awards The Leinster Rugby Awards ceremony was held at the Burlington Hotel on 9 May 2009. The honours went to:"https://www.irishrugby.ie/2009/05/10/elsom-scoops-leinster-player-of-the-year-award@, Irish Rugby, 10 May 2009 Player of the year: Rocky Elsom Hall of Fame: Bill Mulcahy Young player of the year: Cian Healy Supporters' club Leinster Legend: Felipe Contepomi Wagamama Noodler of the Year: Paul O'Donohoe Try of the year: Gordon D'Arcy (vs Munster, May) Tackle of the year: Jamie Heaslip (vs Glasgow Warriors, April) Junior club player of the year: Bernard Smyth, Meath Club of the year: Coolmine RFC Ladies' player of the year: Grace Davitt, Blackrock School of the year: Terenure College Club public relations officer of the year: Seamie Briscoe, Boyne See also 2008–09 Celtic League 2008–09 Heineken Cup 2009 Heineken Cup Final References 2008–09 Category:2008–09 Celtic League by team Category:2008–09 in Irish rugby union Category:2008–09 Heineken Cup by team