2018–19 Celtic Cup

The 2018 Celtic Cup is the inaugural edition of the Celtic Cup rugby union competition, which features development regional and provincial teams from Ireland and Wales. It ran for six weeks from September 2018 until October 2018. Leinster A won the inaugural edition, beating Scarlets A in the final.

2018–19 Celtic Cup
CountriesIreland Ireland
Wales Wales
Date7 September 2018–21 October 2018
ChampionsLeinster A (1st title)
Runners-upScarlets A
Matches played25/25
Official website
www.irishrugby.ie

Formation

The Irish Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union created a new development competition, the Celtic Cup, for the emerging professional players from the four Irish provinces and four Welsh regions, announcing the tournament in August 2018.

The tournament, which features development squads from Pro14 teams Connacht, Leinster, Munster, Ulster, Cardiff Blues, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets, aims to provide a learning environment for development players, coaches and referees by recreating the week-to-week challenges presented by senior professional rugby.[1]

2018 season

The first season of the Celtic Cup ran over seven consecutive weeks in 2018. The eight teams were divided into two conferences of four Welsh regions and four Irish provinces. Each Irish province played each of the Welsh regions and against two Irish provinces. Similarly, the Welsh regions played each of the Irish provinces and two of their Welsh counterparts, giving each team three home and three away fixtures. Derby matches were held on the opening and closing weekends of the pools stage, with the four inter-conference rounds in a block from rounds 2 to 5. The top-ranked province from the Irish conference then played the top-ranked region from the Welsh conference in the Celtic Cup Final.[2]

Conferences
Ireland Conference
Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts
Ireland Leinster A (Q)6600263109+15438155029
Ireland Munster A6501208147+612594024
Ireland Ulster Ravens6402165141+2421203019
Ireland Connacht Eagles6006119214-951731213
(Q)= qualified for final
Updated: 19 September 2018
Source: Irish Rugby
Wales Conference
Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts
Wales Scarlets A (Q)6303213143+7029185219
Wales Cardiff Blues A6303150147+321204218
Wales Ospreys Development6204118244-12617362010
Wales Dragons U236105151242-912332206
(Q)= qualified for final
Updated: 21 October 2018
Source: Welsh Rugby

Pool Stage

Round 1
7 September 2018
17:30
Munster A24–16Connacht Eagles
Try: Coombes 17' m
Hart 40' c
Con: Johnston (1/2) 40'
Pen: Johnston (4/4) 50', 52', 68', 74'		Report[3]Try: de Buitléar 24' c
Con: Fitzgerald (1/1) 25'
Pen: Fitzgerald (3/3) 6', 39', 42'
Irish Independent Park
Referee: Jonny Erskine (IRFU)
7 September 2018
17:00
(1 BP) Ulster Ravens28–43Leinster A (1 BP)
Try: Hume (2) 15' c, 67' c
Rea ?' c
Sexton ?' c
Con: McPhillips (4/4) 16', ?', ?', 68'		Report[4]Try: Byrne 24' c
Penny 30' c
O'Brien 33' c
Kelleher 40' c
Silvester 51' m
Sheehan 76' c
Con: Byrne (5/6) 25', 31', 34', 40'+1,77'
Pen: Byrne (1/1) 61'
Gibson Park
Referee: Joy Neville (IRFU)
7 September 2018
19:00
(1 BP) Ospreys Development41–36Scarlets A (2 BP)
Report[5]
Brewery Field
7 September 2018
19:15
Dragons U2321–37Cardiff Blues A (1 BP)
Try: Lawrence 32' c
Basham 68' c
Rosser 74' c
Con: Botica (3/3) 32', 68', 74'		Report[6]Try: Fish (2) 10' c, 36' m
T. Williams (2) 24' m, 42' m
Summerhill 45' c
Con: Shingler (2/5) 10', 45'
Pen: Shingler (2/2) 3', 7'
Rodney Parade

Round 2
14 September 2018
19:00
Ulster Ravens15–45Scarlets A (1 BP)
Try: Luney 54' c
Hall 65' m
Con: Houston (1/2) 55'
Pen: Houston (1/1) 7'		Report[7]Try: Baldwin 25' c
Lewis 28' c
Williams 34' c
Hardy 43' c
Ellis-Jones 47' c
Conbeer 62' c
Con: O'Brien (6/6) 26', 29', 35', 44', 48', 63'
Pen: O'Brien (1/1) 10'
Shaw's Bridge
15 September 2018
13:00
(1 BP) Leinster A57–10Cardiff Blues A
Try: Patterson (2) 16' c, 33' c
Foley (2) 24' c, 42' c
Kelleher 29' c
A. Byrne 46' c
Dowling 71' c
Con: H. Byrne (5/5) 17', 25', 30', 43', 47'
Patterson (1/1) 34'
Hawkshaw (1/1) 72'
Pen: H. Byrne (1/1) 9'		Report[8]Try: Bennett 65' m
T. Williams 76' m
Energia Park
Referee: Rob O'Sullivan (IRFU)
15 September 2018
14:00
Ospreys Development7–52Munster A (1 BP)
Report[9]
St. Helen's
15 September 2018
14:30
Dragons U23 (1 BP)53–38Connacht Eagles (1 BP)
Report[10]
CCSE Ystrad Mynach

Round 3
21 September 2018
19:00
(1BP) Connacht Eagles22-27Ospreys Development
Report
Dubarry Park
21 September 2018
17:30
(1 BP) Munster A34-17Dragons U23
Report
Irish Independent Park
22 September 2018
14:30
(1BP) Scarlets A10-16Leinster A
Report
Parc y Scarlets
22 September 2018
14:30
(1BP) Cardiff Blues A3-7Ulster Ravens
Pen: JonesReport[11]Try: Sexton 20'
Con: Lowry 21'
Cardiff Arms Park

Round 4
28 September 2018
19:30
(1BP) Leinster A53-7Ospreys Development
Try: Penny 3
B Byrne 2
O'Brien
Foley
A Byrne
Con: Frawley 4
Hawkshaw
Pen: Frawley		Report[12]Try: Morgan-Williams
Con: J Thomas
Energia Park
Referee: Jonny Erskine Republic of Ireland
29 September 2018
14:00
(2BP) Cardiff Blues A32-33Munster A (1BP)
Report[13]
Cardiff Arms Park
29 September 2018
14:30
Ulster Ravens27-19Dragons U23
Try: Sexton (2)
Con: McPhillips
Pen: McPhillips (5)		Report[14]Try: Smith
Gasson
Benjamin
Con: Botica (2)
Eaton Park
29 September 2018
14:30
(1 BP) Scarlets A35–19Connacht Eagles
Report
Carmarthen Park

Round 5
5 October 2018
19:00
Ospreys Development19 – 39Ulster Ravens
Try: Morgan-Williams
Cross
Morris
Con: Evans
Thomas		Report[15]Try: Cooper
Stewart
Marcus Rea
Ah You
Sexton
Con: Houston (4)
Pen: Houston
Drop: Houston
St. Helen's
5 October 2018
19:30
Munster A40 – 29Scarlets A
Report
Irish Independent Park
6 October 2018
14:30
Dragons U2329 – 48Leinster A
Report
CCSE Ystrad Mynach
6 October 2018
TBC
Connacht Eagles12 – 26Cardiff Blues A
Report
Galway Sportsground

Round 6
12/13/14 October 2018
TBC
Leinster A (1 BP)46 – 25Munster A
Report
TBC
14 October 2018
TBC
Connacht Eagles12 – 49(1 BP) Ulster Ravens
Try: Kelly
Lane
Con: Mitchell		Report[16][17]Try: Sexton (2)
Baloucoune (2)
Cooper
O'Toole
Montgomer
Con: Houston (6)
Stewart
Galway Sportsgrounds
12/13/14 October 2018
TBC
Cardiff Blues A (1 BP)42 – 17Ospreys Development
Report
TBC
12/13/14 October 2018
TBC
Scarlets A (1 BP)58 – 12Dragons U23
Report
TBC

Grand Final
TBC
19:15
Ireland Leinster A
Irish champions		15 – 8Wales Scarlets A
Welsh champions
Try: R Kelleher (2)
Con: C Frawley
Pen: C Frawley		ReportTry: J Sebastian
Pen: J Wilson
Parc y Scarlets

References
  1. "Celtic Cup Announced".
  2. "New Celtic Cup format agreed".
  3. "Report | Munster A Beat Connacht In Celtic Cup". Munster Rugby. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  4. "ULSTER A 28 LEINSTER A 43". Ulster Rugby. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  5. "Ospreys Development 41 – 36 Scarlets A". Ospreys Rugby. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  6. "REPORT | DRAGONS A 21 CARDIFF BLUES A 37". Dragons Rugby. 7 September 2018. Archived from the original on 11 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  7. "ULSTER A 15 SCARLETS A 45". Ulster Rugby. 14 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  8. "REPORT: LEINSTER 'A' 57 CARDIFF BLUES 'A' 10". Leinster Rugby. 15 September 2018. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  9. "Munster A Win In Ospreys". Munster Rugby. 18 September 2018. Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  10. "Dragons U23 53 v 38 Connacht Eagles". Dragons Rugby. 15 September 2018. Archived from the original on 17 September 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
  11. "Ah You and Ulster hang on for win", Belfast Telegraph, 24 September 2018
  12. "REPORT: Leinster 'A' 53 Ospreys Development 7".
  13. "Munster a Edge Past Cardiff".
  14. "Dragons slayed by McPhillips", Irish Independent, 1 October 2018
  15. "Opsreys Development 19 - 39 Ulster Ravens", Ospreys Rugby, 5 October 2018
  16. John McMurtry, "Celtic Cup: Tournament Wrap", The Front Row Union, 18 October 2018
  17. [https://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/baloucoune-bags-hat-trick-to-pile-misery-on-eagles-37419237.html "Baloucoune bags hat-trick to pile misery on Eagles", Irish Independent, 15 October 2018
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