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2010–11 Celtic League
Connacht vs. Munster, 27 December 2010
Countries	Ireland  Italy  Scotland  Wales
Date	3 September 2010 – 28 May 2011
Champions	Munster (3rd title)
Runners-up	Leinster
Matches played	135
Attendance	1,019,634 (average 7,553 per match)
Tries scored	489 (average 3.6 per match)
Top point scorer	Dan Biggar (Ospreys) (248 points)
Top try scorer	Tim Visser (Edinburgh) (14 tries)
Official website
www.rabodirectpro12.com
← 2009–102011–12 Pro12 →

The 2010–11 Magners League was the tenth Celtic League season and the fifth with Magners as title sponsor. The regular season began on 3 September 2010 and finished on the weekend of 6–8 May 2011. During these stages, each team played every other team both home and away and were awarded points according to the standard bonus point system. This was the second season to follow the play-off structure to determine the Magners League champion, with the top four teams qualifying for the semi-finals. The winner of each semi final advanced to the Grand Final, which took place 28 May and was hosted by the team that finished highest in the table following the regular season. The title was won by Munster who defeated Leinster by 19–9 at Thomond Park.

This was the final season of the Celtic League sponsored by Magners. The following season would see RaboDirect, the Irish subsidiary of Dutch financial company Rabobank, take over the sponsorship. At the same time, the league rebranded itself as Pro12.

The twelve teams competing were the four Irish provinces, Munster, Leinster, Connacht and Ulster; two Scottish regions, Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors; four Welsh regions, Cardiff Blues, Newport Gwent Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets; and two new Italian entries Aironi and Benetton Treviso

In May 2010, the Ospreys were fined £100,000 and docked 4 points from the 2010–11 season following their postponement of the away fixture at Ulster in the 2009–10 season. However, in September 2010, following an appeal by the Ospreys, the four point deduction for the 2010–11 season was overturned, although the £100,000 fine was upheld. Instead, the four point deduction was suspended for two years.

A new broadcast deal saw games broadcast live on terrestrial television channels in Scotland and Ireland in addition to the established terrestrial coverage in Wales. The deal will be in place until the 2013–14 season.

Teams

ConnachtLeinsterMunsterUlsterEdinburghGlasgow WarriorsBluesDragonsOspreysScarletsclass=notpageimage| Location of 2010–11 Celtic League teams in Great Britain and Ireland.	BenettonAironiclass=notpageimage| Location of 2010–11 Celtic League teams in Italy
Winners; 2nd–4th place; Other teams.

Team	Coach	Captain	Stadium	Capacity
Aironi	Franco Bernini	Quintin Geldenhuys	Stadio Luigi Zaffanella	5,000
Benetton Treviso	Franco Smith	Antonio Pavanello	Stadio Comunale di Monigo	6,700
Cardiff Blues	Dai Young	Paul Tito	Cardiff City Stadium	26,828
Connacht	Eric Elwood	John Muldoon	Galway Sportsgrounds	7,000
Edinburgh	Rob Moffat	Roddy Grant	Murrayfield Stadium	67,144
Glasgow Warriors	Sean Lineen	Alastair Kellock	Firhill Stadium	10,887
Leinster	Josef Schmidt	Leo Cullen	RDS Arena Aviva Stadium	18,500 51,700
Munster	Tony McGahan	Paul O'Connell	Thomond Park Musgrave Park	26,500 8,300
Newport Gwent Dragons	Paul Turner	Tom Willis	Rodney Parade	11,676
Ospreys	Scott Johnson	Alun Wyn Jones	Liberty Stadium	20,532
Scarlets	Nigel Davies	Matthew Rees	Parc y Scarlets	14,870
Ulster	Brian McLaughlin	Rory Best	Ravenhill	12,300

Table

	Team	Pld	W	D	L	PF	PA	PD	TF	TA	Try bonus	Losing bonus	Pts
1	Munster	22	19	0	3	496	327	+169	44	22	5	2	83
2	Leinster	22	15	1	6	495	336	+159	50	25	5	3	70
3	Ulster	22	15	1	6	480	418	+62	44	35	3	2	67
4	Ospreys	22	12	1	9	553	418	+135	56	29	6	7	63
5	Scarlets	22	12	1	9	503	453	+50	49	43	5	7	62
6	Cardiff Blues	22	13	1	8	479	392	+87	37	33	3	3	60
7	Newport Gwent Dragons	22	10	1	11	444	462	−18	47	49	3	4	49
8	Edinburgh	22	9	0	13	421	460	−39	39	44	2	5	43
9	Connacht	22	7	1	14	394	459	−65	32	44	3	6	39
10	Benetton Treviso	22	9	0	13	374	502	−128	29	58	0	2	38
11	Glasgow Warriors	22	6	1	15	401	543	−142	33	48	1	6	33
12	Aironi	22	1	0	21	247	517	−270	21	52	0	8	12
Under the standard bonus point system, points are awarded as follows: 4 points for a win 2 points for a draw 1 bonus point for scoring 4 tries (or more) (Try bonus) 1 bonus point for losing by 7 points (or fewer) (Losing bonus)
Green background (rows 1 to 4) are play-off places. Correct as of 7 May 2011. Source: RaboDirect PRO12 Archived 2014-01-17 at the Wayback Machine

Fixtures

All times are local.

Round 1

Glasgow Warriors	22 – 19	Leinster (1 BP)
	Report

Ulster	27 – 26	Ospreys (1 BP)
	Report

(1 BP) Connacht	40 – 17	Newport Gwent Dragons
	Report

(1 BP) Cardiff Blues	34 – 23	Edinburgh
	Report

Benetton Treviso	34 – 28	Scarlets (1 BP)
	Report

(1 BP) Munster	33 – 17	Aironi
	Report

Round 2

(1 BP) Edinburgh	13 – 16	Munster
	Report

(1 BP) Ospreys	32 – 16	Benetton Treviso
	Report

(1 BP) Scarlets	35 – 33	Connacht (1 BP)
	Report

(1 BP) Leinster	34 – 23	Cardiff Blues
	Report

(1 BP) Aironi	15 – 22	Ulster
	Report

Newport Gwent Dragons	23 – 11	Glasgow Warriors
	Report

Round 3

(1 BP) Glasgow Warriors	17 – 19	Connacht
	Report

(1 BP) Scarlets	49 – 10	Aironi
	Report

Ulster	29 – 21	Edinburgh
	Report

(1 BP) Cardiff Blues	43 – 21	Newport Gwent Dragons
	Report

Benetton Treviso	29 – 13	Leinster
	Report

Munster	22 – 10	Ospreys
	Report

Round 4

Benetton Treviso	7 – 19	Cardiff Blues
	Report

(1 BP) Edinburgh	32 – 24	Leinster
	Report

Newport Gwent Dragons	14 – 27	Scarlets
	Report

Glasgow Warriors	29 – 43	Munster (1 BP)
	Report

(1 BP) Ospreys	38 – 6	Aironi
	Report

Connacht	15 – 15	Ulster
	Report

Round 5

Cardiff Blues	22 – 6	Connacht
	Report

Benetton Treviso	20 – 13	Newport Gwent Dragons (1 BP)
	Report

Ulster	19 – 17	Glasgow Warriors (1 BP)
	Report

(1 BP) Aironi	9 – 10	Edinburgh
	Report

Leinster	13 – 9	Munster (1 BP)
	Report

(1 BP) Scarlets	18 – 21	Ospreys
	Report

Round 6

Edinburgh	21 – 16	Ulster (1 BP)
	Report

(1 BP) Munster	39 – 13	Benetton Treviso
	Report

(1 BP) Cardiff Blues	10 – 16	Scarlets
	Report

Connacht	6 – 18	Leinster
	Report

Newport Gwent Dragons	36 – 5	Aironi
	Report

Glasgow Warriors	31 – 23	Ospreys
	Report

Round 7

Aironi	3 – 20	Cardiff Blues
	Report

Ulster	6 – 16	Munster
	Report

Scarlets	18 – 14	Glasgow Warriors (1 BP)
	Report

Leinster	19 – 18	Edinburgh (1 BP)
	Report

(1 BP) Ospreys	16 – 21	Newport Gwent Dragons
	Report

Benetton Treviso	24 – 17	Connacht
	Report

Round 8

Edinburgh	21 – 9	Benetton Treviso
	Report

Glasgow Warriors	33 – 8	Aironi
	Report

Connacht	15 – 16	Ospreys
	Report

Leinster	27 – 6	Newport Gwent Dragons
	Report

Cardiff Blues	15 – 37	Ulster
	Report

Munster	27 – 26	Scarlets
	Report

Round 9

Benetton Treviso	9 – 19	Ulster
	Report

Edinburgh	24 – 19	Connacht (1 BP)
	Report

Newport Gwent Dragons	20 – 6	Munster
	Report

(1 BP) Cardiff Blues	38 – 6	Glasgow Warriors
	Report

Aironi	17 – 34	Scarlets (1 BP)
	Report

Ospreys	19 – 15	Leinster (1 BP)
	Report

Round 10

Connacht	P – P	Aironi

Scarlets	17 – 17	Leinster
	Report

Ulster	P – P	Newport Gwent Dragons

Glasgow Warriors	P – P	Benetton Treviso

Munster	16 – 9	Cardiff Blues
	Report

Ospreys	33 – 16	Edinburgh
	Report

Round 11

Benetton Treviso	15 – 10	Aironi
	Report

Newport Gwent Dragons	P – P	Cardiff Blues

Ulster	13 – 30	Leinster
	Report

Ospreys	60 – 17	Scarlets
	Report

Connacht	12 – 16	Munster
	Report

1872 Cup 1st round

Glasgow Warriors	30 – 18	Edinburgh
	Report

Round 12

Cardiff Blues	27 – 25	Ospreys
	Report

Aironi	15 – 16	Benetton Treviso
	Report

Leinster	30 – 8	Connacht
	Report

Scarlets	21 – 15	Newport Gwent Dragons
	Report

Munster	35 – 10	Ulster
	Report

1872 Cup 2nd round

Edinburgh	28 – 17	Glasgow Warriors
	Report

Round 13

Newport Gwent Dragons	17 – 16	Connacht (1 BP)
	Report

(1 BP) Ulster	32 – 13	Benetton Treviso
	Report

Cardiff Blues	24 – 13	Aironi
	Report

Leinster	15 – 10	Ospreys (1 BP)
	Report

(1 BP) Edinburgh	16 – 21	Scarlets
	Report

Munster	22 – 20	Glasgow Warriors (1 BP)
	Report

Round 14

Leinster	21 – 16	Aironi
	Report

Glasgow Warriors	15 – 26	Cardiff Blues
	Report

Newport Gwent Dragons	30 – 22	Edinburgh
	Report

Connacht	17 – 13	Scarlets
	Report

Benetton Treviso	19 – 18	Munster
	Report

Ospreys	23 – 22	Ulster
	Report

Round 15

(1 BP) Connacht	37 – 8	Glasgow Warriors
	Report

(1 BP) Scarlets	16 – 18	Ulster
	Report

Munster	23 – 13	Edinburgh
	Report

Benetton Treviso	18 – 34	Ospreys (1 BP)
	Report

Cardiff Blues	11 – 3	Leinster
	Report

Aironi	3 – 18	Newport Gwent Dragons
	Report

Round 16

Scarlets	11 – 3	Edinburgh
	Report

Ulster	32 – 13	Cardiff Blues
	Report

Leinster	30 – 5	Benetton Treviso
	Report

Glasgow Warriors	16 – 16	Newport Gwent Dragons
	Report

Aironi	10 – 20	Munster
	Report

Ospreys	33 – 18	Connacht
	Report

Round 17

Connacht	31 – 25	Benetton Treviso
	Report

Ulster	23 – 10	Aironi
	Report

Edinburgh	11 – 16	Cardiff Blues
	Report

Leinster	26 – 15	Scarlets
	Report

Ospreys	37 – 6	Glasgow Warriors
	Report

Munster	38 – 17	Newport Gwent Dragons
	Report

Rearranged fixtures

Connacht	11 – 6	Aironi (1 BP)
	Report

Ulster	25 – 23	Newport Gwent Dragons (1 BP)
	Report

Glasgow Warriors	25 – 17	Benetton Treviso
	Report

Round 18

(1 BP) Cardiff Blues	15 – 16	Munster
	Report

(1 BP) Glasgow Warriors	19 – 22	Ulster
	Report

Aironi	25 – 13	Connacht
	Report

Edinburgh	23 – 16	Ospreys (1 BP)
	Report

Newport Gwent Dragons	16 – 26	Leinster
	Report

Scarlets	22 – 16	Benetton Treviso (1 BP)
	Report

Round 19

Ulster	20 – 18	Scarlets (1 BP)
	Report

Connacht	27 – 23	Edinburgh (1 BP)
	Report

(1 BP) Aironi	16 – 17	Glasgow Warriors
	Report

Ospreys	21 – 21	Cardiff Blues
	Report

Munster	24 – 23	Leinster (1 BP)
	Report

(1 BP) Newport Gwent Dragons	33 – 10	Benetton Treviso
	Report

Round 20

Newport Gwent Dragons	32 – 28	Ospreys
	Report

Connacht	12 – 26	Cardiff Blues
	Report

Edinburgh	32 – 15	Aironi
	Report

Benetton Treviso	19 – 16	Glasgow Warriors
	Report

Scarlets	6 – 13	Munster
	Report

Leinster	34 – 26	Ulster
	Report

Round 21

Cardiff Blues	29 – 9	Benetton Treviso
	Report

Ulster	27 – 16	Connacht
	Report

Edinburgh	27 – 15	Newport Gwent Dragons
	Report

Glasgow Warriors	29 – 37	Scarlets
	Report

Aironi	8 – 20	Leinster
	Report

Ospreys	20 – 22	Munster
	Report

Rearranged fixture

Newport Gwent Dragons	28 – 15	Cardiff Blues
	Report

Round 22

Leinster	38 – 3	Glasgow Warriors
	Report

Munster	22 – 6	Connacht
	Report

Newport Gwent Dragons	13 – 20	Ulster
	Report

Scarlets	38 – 23	Cardiff Blues
	Report

Aironi	10 – 12	Ospreys
	Report

Benetton Treviso	31 – 6	Edinburgh
	Report

Playoffs

Semi-finals

Leinster	18 – 3	Ulster
Try: McFadden 25' m Fitzgerald 72' c Con: McFadden (1/1) Pen: Sexton (2/3) 5', 40'	Report	Pen: Pienaar (1/1) 62'

Munster	18 – 11	Ospreys
Try: Barnes (2) 32' m, 57' c Con: O'Gara (1/2) Pen: O'Gara (2/4) 14', 49'	Report	Try: Fussell 78' m Pen: Biggar (2/2) 38', 55'

Grand Final

Munster	19 – 9	Leinster
Try: Howlett 12' c Earls 66' m Penalty try 79' c Con: O'Gara (2/3)	Report	Pen: Sexton (3/4) 29', 46', 60'

Individual statistics

Note: Flags to the left of player names indicate national team as has been defined under IRB eligibility rules, or primary nationality for players who have not yet earned international caps. Players may hold one or more non-IRB nationalities.

Top points scorers Rank Player Team Points 1 Dan Biggar Ospreys 248 2 Ian Keatley Connacht 224 3 Ronan O'Gara Munster 183 4 Dan Parks Cardiff Blues 158 Rhys Priestland Scarlets 6 Jason Tovey Newport Gwent Dragons 142 7 Isa Nacewa Leinster 140 8 Chris Paterson Edinburgh 133

Top try scorers Rank Player Team Tries 1 Tim Visser Edinburgh 14 2 Aled Brew Newport Gwent Dragons 12 3 Jonathan Davies Scarlets 9 D. T. H. van der Merwe Glasgow Warriors 5 Simon Danielli Ulster 8 Richard Fussell Ospreys Craig Gilroy Ulster Shane Horgan Leinster Doug Howlett Munster

Notes

1. Although Murrayfield's full capacity is 67,144, only the lower section of the West Stand, with a capacity of 12,464, is generally opened for Edinburgh fixtures.
2. Tim Visser did not qualify for Scotland until June 2012.

Television coverage

Coverage moved back to free to air television. Ulster's matches were televised only in Northern Ireland on BBC Two Northern Ireland apart from their away matches in Aironi, Cardiff Blues, Ospreys and Newport Gwent Dragons. They also televised the Round 10 match between Scarlets vs Leinster as a replacement for the scheduled Ulster vs Newport Gwent Dragons match which was postponed.

References

1. ^ "Points". itsrugby.co.uk. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
2. ^ "Tries". itsrugby.co.uk. Retrieved 30 December 2010.
3. "Leinster coach eyes Welsh revival". BBC Sport. 19 May 2009. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
4. "Magners set to bring in play-offs". BBC Sport. 11 April 2008. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
5. "Munster win Magners League final to lay ghost of Leinster double". Guardian. 30 May 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
6. "Munster 19-9 Leinster". BBC Sport. 30 May 2011. Archived from the original on 29 May 2011. Retrieved 30 May 2011.
7. "Magners to end six-year Celtic League backing". BBC Sport. 19 April 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
8. "Ospreys punished for Ulster postponement". BBC Sport. 13 May 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
9. "Ospreys welcome four-point reinstatement". BBC Sport. 11 September 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
10. "New TV deal makes Magners League more accessible". RaboDirect PRO12. 9 June 2010. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
11. "2010–2011 RaboDirect PRO12 Fixtures & Results". RaboDirect PRO12. Retrieved 24 October 2013.
12. Hannan, Martin (10 July 2011). "Scottish cap is in Tim Visser's sights". Scotland on Sunday. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2011.

• 2010–11 Celtic League
• 2010–11 in European rugby union leagues
• United Rugby Championship seasons
• 2010–11 in Irish rugby union
• 2010–11 in Welsh rugby union
• 2010–11 in Scottish rugby union
• 2010–11 in Italian rugby union