Club rugby upsets

Thrashssacre

We hear lots about the top upsets at international level Wales vs fiji 2007 or South Africa vs Japan 2015 but what would be some of the biggest upsets in club rugby?

Dravokivich

Leinster v Trevisio last season. High scoring wins for Leinster either side of of it. But could never really get into that game.

The Lost Sheep

Club rugby Nenagh Ormond beating Lansdowne in AIL Cup in 08/09, Bective beating Terenure in same season
In professional rugby.
Krasny Yar beating Stade Francais in Challenge Cup

Buer

Wouldn't really consider the Treviso match a major upset. Leinster had nothing to play for in a low key game with all eyes on Europe and the league playoffs. Leinster had mathematically topped the table earlier that day due to the Scarlets result.

The one that would immediately spring to mind would be the Biarritz vs Northampton European quarter final in 2007. Biarritz had lost the 2006 HEC final and had won the T14 title in 2006, crushing Toulouse by almost 30 points in the decider.

They were drawn together in the simplest group in HEC history, possibly given the other two sides were the Borders (who were disbanded that season) and Parma (who were utterly out of their depth). So it was almost a given that both would qualify with Northampton gaining a best runner's up spot. But Northampton were pretty muck too at that point. They were relegated in 2007 from the Premiership, shortly after the quarter final.

Biarritz predictably topped the pool with 29 out of 30 points and Northampton finished on 20, securing them 8th seed.

When they met in the pool stage in Biarritz, the home side won with a BP. In the quarter final, Northampton put up the defensive walls and somehow won 7-6 by scoring an intercept try from their own half all in front of a full house in San Sebastien. They were promptly thumped by Wasps in the semi final and relegated soon after.

troyzer

Leinster battering Munster in that semi final in 2009 was a big upset.

sydthebeat

1998

Ebbw Vale beat Toulouse in Wales, 19-11, after having conceded 16 tries in a 108 point massacre earlier in the season.

On the same weekend, Bridgend beat Brive 20 -15 (Brive being the beaten finalist in the previous season Heineken Cup, and Bridgend was on the point of closure)

troyzer

troyzer wrote: »

Leinster battering Munster in that semi final in 2009 was a big upset.

It might be the biggest upset ever in club rugby. I'm not sure if I'm serious or trolling but the winner went on to win the title and Munster were outrageous favourites. It was in front of an absolutely massive, massive crowd. It was one of the biggest sporting events in the country that year and the underdogs (Leinster) were getting huge amounts of shade thrown their way by almost both sets of fans. The grand slam had really ramped up the interest in the sport and a lot of new fans got their first taste of interprovincial rugby that day.

But worse again - it reset the relationship between both clubs and reversed the power balance in provincial rugby for the next 10 years.

God I'd be pissed off reading this as a Munster fun.

troyzer

Deleted User wrote: »

It might be the biggest upset ever in club rugby. I'm not sure if I'm serious or trolling but the winner went on to win the title and Munster were outrageous favourites. It was in front of an absolutely massive, massive crowd. It was one of the biggest sporting events in the country that year and the underdogs (Leinster) were getting huge amounts of shade thrown their way by almost both sets of fans. The grand slam had really ramped up the interest in the sport and a lot of new fans got their first taste of interprovincial rugby that day.

But worse again - it reset the relationship between both clubs and reversed the power balance in provincial rugby for the next 10 years.

God I'd be pissed off reading this as a Munster fun.

According to Alan Quinlan, it was the end of the Munster/Leinster rivalry.

I love how he only sees it as a rivalry when Munster were constantly winning and as soon as Leinster started to dominante; "the rivalry has lost its heat".

stephen_n

Dare I say it, Munster beating the All Blacks, technically it’s a club game.

Squidgy Black

For a more recent one, Saracens losing to Exeter before Christmas, they were on a 22 game winning streak (having not lost since April when Leinster beat them) and Chiefs put them away 31-13 quite convincingly. Although Chiefs were at the time 2nd in the premiership, but nobody expected it at all.

arsebiscuits1

Connacht winning away to Toulouse in 2013 has to be up there.

Toulouse weren't the force they always were. But Connacht finished below the Dragons that season in the Pro12

Bridge93

Aironi beating Biarritz in the Heineken group stages in 2010 would be a big one

bilston

Ulster beating Toulouse and Stade Francais on their way to winning the European Cup in 1999.

Losty Dublin

Not so much an upset of a match but of a whole season. Back in the 1994/5 season, Northampton RFC were relegated from the Division 1 of the RFU League in what was described by many as a "fluke". In spite of playing in the second tier for a season, they still had players considered and selected at International level, including Tim Rodber, Martin Bayfield, Paul Grayson and Matt Dawson.

Digifriendly

Rainey OB (then a Junior club) beating NIFC (Mike Gibson's club) in Ulster Senior Cup in 1978.

troyzer

Digifriendly wrote: »

Rainey OB (then a Junior club) beating NIFC (Mike Gibson's club) in Ulster Senior Cup in 1978.

Jesus that's obscure.

jr86

arsebiscuits1 wrote: »

Connacht winning away to Toulouse in 2013 has to be up there.

Toulouse weren't the force they always were. But Connacht finished below the Dragons that season in the Pro12

Bridge93 wrote: »

Aironi beating Biarritz in the Heineken group stages in 2010 would be a big one

In terms of pre-match odds and stature of the competition these would have to be up there

When I see "upset" I personally immediately think of huge underdog beating a highly fancied side. I wouldn't put Munster beating leinster in a semi-final match in the same category as the above results, despite the nature of the victory being surprising

Similarly I wouldn't put England thumping Ireland two weeks ago in the same category as the miraculous Japan beating SA

ClanofLams

arsebiscuits1 wrote: »

Connacht winning away to Toulouse in 2013 has to be up there.

Toulouse weren't the force they always were. But Connacht finished below the Dragons that season in the Pro12

Toulouse were still strong enough, they hadn’t fallen as far as they would in years to come and hadn’t lost a home game in the European Cup in five years. Connacht were 20-1 to win.

Got a bit of a hiding at home the following week, whole squad had a bug, though no doubt Toulouse would have won in any case. First time I appreciated Marmions toughness, he vomited during warm up and still played.