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1995–96 Ulster Rugby season
Ground(s) Ravenhill Stadium (Capacity: 12,500)
Coach(es)Brian Bloomfield
Captain(s)Bill Harbinson
Top scorer Mark McCall (55)
League(s) Heineken Cup (3rd in pool)
IRFU Interprovincial Championship (2nd of 5)
Team kit
← 1994–95 1996–97 →

The 1995–96 season was Ulster Rugby's first season under professionalism. Brian Bloomfield was in his second season as coach. [1] 35-year-old Malone RFC centre Bill Harbinson, who first played for Ulster in 1986, was captain, [2] in his final season before retirement from the game. [3] They played six representative matches, defeating Griqualand West, New Zealand Federation U23 and New South Wales, and losing to a CΓ΄te Basque Select XV, the Combined Services and Edinburgh District.

Background

On 26 August, rugby union was declared open to professionalism. At this stage the Irish provinces were still representative teams, not professional clubs. [4] Many involved in the game were concerned that domestic clubs could not afford to pay players, who could be lost to professional teams in England. [5] In September, the IRFU confirmed that, for this season, only senior international players would be paid, [6] with a one-year moratorium on payment for club and provincial players. [7] Up to 35 Ireland players would be offered Β£26,000 contracts for the 1996 Five Nations Championship. [8] That squad included Ulster players Jonathan Bell, Allen Clarke, Jeremy Davidson, Maurice Field, David Humphreys, Paddy Johns, Denis McBride and Mark McCall. As the situation developed, match fees became available for Heineken Cup and Interprovincial matches, with players who appeared in all six matches in line to receive almost Β£3,000. [9]

The inaugural Heineken Cup was launched in the summer of 1995 on the initiative of the Five Nations Committee to provide a new level of cross border competition. [10] Twelve sides representing Ireland, Wales, Italy, Romania and France competed in four pools of three with the group winners going directly into the semi-finals. [11] English and Scottish teams did not take part in the inaugural competition. [12] The IRFU confirmed that Ireland would enter provincial teams, as their clubs were unlikely to be strong enough for the competition. [13] They were initially offered two places, but Tom Kiernan, Ireland's representative on the organising committee, was able to secure a third. The three places would go to the top three teams in the 1994 IRFU Interprovincial Championship, Munster, Ulster and Leinster. [14]

Events

Jonathan Bell, who had impressed with Ireland in the World Cup, was offered contracts to play rugby league by both Sheffield and Halifax, but turned them down to remain available for Ireland, with a long-term goal of selection for the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa in two years' time. The former Ballymena player, now studying at Loughborough University, had signed for Northampton but remained available for Ulster. [15] Other Ulster players who featured for Ireland at the World Cup were Paddy Johns, Denis McBride, Maurice Field and Davy Tweed. [16] [17] [18] [19]

Ulster's campaign started in August with a tour to Capbreton, France, to play a CΓ΄te Basque Select XV. The French side picked up Ulster's travel and accommodation expenses, in recompense for a scheduled game which was called off at the last minute the previous season when CΓ΄te Basque were unable to field a team. [20] Stephen Blake-Knox, the new chairman of selectors, had a limited panel of players to select from, with twelve regular players declaring themselves unavailable. [21] With Simon Booth on honeymoon, Richard Mackey was selected at tighthead prop, with Gary Leslie at loosehead in place of the injured Gary Bell, and Allen Clarke kept his place at hooker. Jeremy Davidson and Gary Longwell made up the second row. New Zealand-born flanker Bruce Cornelius replaced David Erskine, who missed the tour for a job interview, in the back row alongside Kevin McKee and Roger Wilson. Neil Doak, who had made his Ulster debut in February, was selected at scrum-half, with David Humphreys at out-half. Bill Harbinson captained the side, lining up in the centres with Jonathan Bell. Two new faces on the wings were Jan Cunningham, replacing the injured Tyrone Howe, and James Topping, with Stan McDowell playing fullback. [22] [23] [24] [25]

On 1 October Ulster played touring South African provincial side Griqualand West. Davy Tweed came in to the second row alongside Jeremy Davidson. Paddy Johns was named at number 8, with Stephen McKinty and Denis McBride on the flanks. With David Humphreys unavailable after moving to Oxford University, Mark McCall was selected at out-half. Jonathan Bell was unavailable with a hamstring injury, so Ireland international Maurice Field joined Bill Harbinson in the centres, and former international fullback Colin Wilkinson was drafted into the team, despite having retired from representative rugby two years previously, on the basis of his club form for Malone. [26] [27] James Topping scored three tries and Wilkinson scored two drop goals in a convincing 54-10 win. [28]

They next faced a touring New Zealand Federation under-23 side on 9 November. Although originally scheduled as an Ulster Development match, Ulster decided to field their senior team after their development side was badly beaten by Natal Emerging. [29] Stephen Ritchie came in for his provincial debut at hooker. Gary Longwell returned alongside Jeremy Davidson in the second row, and Bruce Cornelius and Kevin McKee came back into the back row with Stephen McKinty. Michael Rainey started alongside Maurice Field in the centres, with Graham McCluskey and debutant Andy Park on the wings. Park scored the opening try in a scrappy win. [30] [31]

For the match against the Combined Services on 14 November, Simon Booth was selected ahead of Richard Mackey at loosehead prop. Tweed and Longwell made up the second row with Conelius, McKee and McKinty making up the back row. Andrew Matchett came in for Neil Doak at scrum-half, Darryl Callaghan made his provincial debut at out-half, with Mark McCall moved to centre alongside Harbinson, and fellow debutant Robin Morrow came in for Wilkinson at fullback. [32] The Services team included former Ulster and Ireland lock Brian McCall, now a major in Britain's UN peacekeeping forces in Bosnia. [33] Ulster were well beaten, with only a late try by Stephen Ritchie making the scoreline look respectable. [34]

Ulster opened their Interprovincial campaign at home against defending champions Munster on 25 November. [35] Richard Mackey and Allen Clarke were restored to the front row. Jeremy Davidson returned to partner Davy Tweed in the second row after making his Ireland debut against Fiji. McBride and Stuart Duncan were on the flanks, with Paddy Johns at number 8. Mark McCall moved back to out-half, with Maurice Field returning to partner Harbinson in the centres, Jan Cunningham and James Topping back on the wings, and Jonathan Bell returning to the team at fullback. [36] [37] Ulster won 14–10 in an uninspiring encounter, [38] with Richard Mackey scoring the winning try 12 minutes from time. [39]

Sale loose forward David Erskine had been declared ineligible for Ulster by the IRFU, as he was not born in Ireland and was no longer resident there. [40] He won his appeal against the decision, [41] and was selected at number 8 for Ulster's opening Heineken Cup match away to Cardiff on 28 November, in place of Paddy Johns. Gary Longwell replaced Davy Tweed, who was unable to get time off from his job with Northern Ireland Railways, in the second row. [42] [43] [44] Ulster were beaten 46–6. Cardiff, in common with other Welsh sides, had adopted the relatively new tactic of lifting in the lineout; Irish teams had not, and Ulster players were unable to deal with it. [45]

The following weekend, they went to Galway to play Connacht in the Interprovincial Championship on 2 December. Paddy Johns returned at number 8, and Davy Tweed was back in the second row alongside Jeremy Davidson. [46] They won 27–9, based on the hard work of Johns, Duncan and McBride in the back row, [47] and Tweed's dominance in the lineout. [48]

On 9 December Ulster made nine changes to the side to play Edinburgh District at home. Stephen Ritchie came in for Allen Clarke at hooker, David Scott for Gary Leslie at tighhead prop, and Gary Longwell for Davy Tweed in the second row. The whole back row was rested, with Kevin McKee, Stephen McKinty and David Erskine replacing Denis McBride, Stuart Duncan and Paddy Johns. Andrew Matchett came in for Neil Doak at scrum-half, Andy Park for Jan Cunningham on the wing, and Colin Wilkinson returned at fullback in place of Jonathan Bell. [49] They lost 23-24, with all of Ulster's points being scored by Mark McCall. [50]

Clarke, Leslie, Davidson, Tweed, McBride, Duncan, Johns, Topping and Bell returned, and Matchett and Park retained their places, for Ulster's second and final match in the Heineken Cup, at home to BΓ¨gles-Bordeaux on 13 December. [51] The game was close until the final five minutes, when, at 16–22, McBride was stopped short of the try line. Soon after, BΓ¨gles-Bordeaux's Sebastien Loubsens intercepted an Ulster pass, leading to a try by Julien Berthe that put the French side too far ahead to catch. The match finished 16–29. [52] Ulster finished bottom of the pool, failing to make the semi-finals. Toulouse went on to become the first European cup winners, beating Cardiff in extra time in front of a crowd of 21,800 at Cardiff Arms Park. [11]

Jan Cunningham returned for the Interpro against the Irish Exiles on 16 December, [53] which Ulster dominated, winning 29–3, and setting up a championship decider against Leinster on 23 December. [54] Leinster won their first Interprovincial title for twelve years with a 31–3 win at Donnybrook. [55] The starting XV was unchanged. [56] Paul Wallace scored the opening try after fifteen seconds, and Leinster raced to a 22–0 lead in the first twenty minutes. Ulster had plenty of possession, with Paddy Johns coming close to scoring on two occasions before half-time, but Leinster defended strongly, and only conceded one Mark McCall penalty. [57]

Allen Clarke, Davy Tweed, Jeremy Davidson, Denis McBride, Paddy Johns, Jonathan Bell and Maurice Field were selected for Ireland's tour to the USA in January 1996. [58]

David Humphreys, who had now joined London Irish, was recalled for Ulster's home match against New South Wales on 6 February. Bill Harbinson had retired from representative rugby, so Mark McCall moved to centre alongside Maurice Field, Colin Wilkinson returned at fullback, and Davy Tweed came in to the second row in place of the injured Jeremy Davidson. [59] [60] Humphreys led Ulster to a 40-33 victory in front of the Ireland management team. [61]

David Humphreys and Allen Clarke made their Ireland debuts in the 1996 Five Nations Championship. Paddy Johns, Jeremy Davidson, Denis McBride, Jonathan Bell, Maurice Field and Mark McCall also appeared for Ireland in the tournament. [62] [63] [64] [65]

Players selected

Ulster Rugby squad

Props

Hookers

Locks

Back row

Scrum-halves

  • Ireland Stephen Bell, Malone
  • Ireland Neil Doak, NIFC
  • Ireland Andrew Matchett, Ballymena

Fly-halves

Centres

  • Ireland Maurice Field, Malone
  • Ireland Bill Harbinson, Malone ( c)
  • Ireland Michael Rainey, Ballymena

Wings

Fullbacks

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

Heineken Cup

Main article: 1995–96 Heineken Cup

Pool 2

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts Status
Wales Cardiff 2 1 1 0 7 1 6 60 20 40 3 Advanced to the semi-finals
France Bègles-Bordeaux 2 1 1 0 6 3 3 43 30 13 3 Eliminated
Ireland Ulster 2 0 0 2 2 11 βˆ’9 22 75 βˆ’53 0
28 November 1995 Cardiff Wales 46–6 Ireland Ulster Cardiff Arms Park  
19:15 Try: Hall
John
Davies
Moore (2)
Con: Davies (5)
Pen: Davies (2)
 Report [67] Pen: McCall (2)
 Attendance: 3,600
Referee: Gerald Borreani
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2. Allen Clarke, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Jeremy Davidson, 5. Gary Longwell,
6. Stuart Duncan, 7. Denis McBride, 8. David Erskine,
9. Neil Doak, 10. Mark McCall,
11. Jan Cunningham, 12. Bill Harbinson (c), 13. Maurice Field, 14. James Topping,
15. Jonny Bell.
Replacement: Roger Wilson (for McBride, 77 mins).

13 December 1995 Ulster Ireland 16–29 France BΓ¨gles-Bordeaux Ravenhill  
19:00 Try: Matchett
McBride
Pen: McCall (2)
 Report [68] Try: Fauthoux
Bernat-Salles
Loubsens
Berthe
Con: Fauthoux
Berthe
 Attendance: 2,500
Referee: Derek Bevan
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2. Allen Clarke, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Davy Tweed, 5. Gary Longwell,
6. Stuart Duncan, 7. Denis McBride, 8. Paddy Johns,
9. Andrew Matchett, 10. Mark McCall,
11. Andy Park, 12. Bill Harbinson (c), 13. Maurice Field, 14. James Topping,
15. Jonny Bell.

IRFU Interprovincial Championship

Main article: IRFU Interprovincial Championship
Team P W D L F A Pts Status
4 4 0 0 133 53 16 Champions; qualified for next season's Heineken Cup
4 3 0 1 73 53 12 Qualified for next season's Heineken Cup
4 2 0 2 91 58 8 Qualified for next season's Heineken Cup
4 1 0 3 71 113 4
4 0 0 4 51 142 0

Top three provincial teams qualify for next year's Heineken Cup.

25 November 1995 Ulster Ulster 14–10 Munster Munster Ravenhill  
Try: Mackey
Pen: McCall (3)
 Report [38] [69] Try: Walsh
Con: Smith
Pen: Smith
 Referee: A. Lewis
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2. Allen Clarke, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Jeremy Davidson, 5. Davy Tweed,
6. Stuart Duncan, 7. Denis McBride, 8. Paddy Johns,
9. Neil Doak, 10. Mark McCall,
11. Jan Cunningham, 12. Bill Harbinson (c), 13. Maurice Field, 14. James Topping,
15. Jonny Bell.

2 December 1995 Connacht Connacht 9–27 Ulster Ulster Galway Sportsgrounds  
Pen: Elwood (3)
 Report [47] Try: Topping
Field
Con: McCall
Pen: McCall (5)
 Referee: D. McHugh
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2. Allen Clarke, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Jeremy Davidson, 5. Davy Tweed,
6. Stuart Duncan, 7. Denis McBride, 8. Paddy Johns,
9. Neil Doak, 10. Mark McCall,
11. Jan Cunningham, 12. Bill Harbinson (c), 13. Maurice Field, 14. James Topping,
15. Jonny Bell.

16 December 1995 Ulster Ulster 29–3 Ireland Irish Exiles Ravenhill  
Try: Cunningham
Tweed
Harbinson
Con: McCall
Pen: McCall (4)
 Report [70] Pen: Corcoran
 Referee: R. McDowell
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2. Allen Clarke, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Jeremy Davidson, 5. Davy Tweed,
6. Stuart Duncan, 7. Denis McBride, 8. Paddy Johns,
9. Andrew Matchett, 10. Mark McCall,
11. Jan Cunningham, 12. Bill Harbinson (c), 13. Maurice Field, 14. James Topping,
15. Jonny Bell.
Replacements: Simon Booth (for Mackey, 59).

23 December 1995 Leinster Leinster 31–3 Ulster Ulster Donnybrook  
Try: Wallace
Jameson
Gavin
Con: McGowan (2)
Pen: McGowan (4)
 Report [57] Pen: McCall
 Referee: C. White
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2. Allen Clarke, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Jeremy Davidson, 5. Davy Tweed,
6. Stuart Duncan, 7. Denis McBride, 8. Paddy Johns,
9. Andrew Matchett, 10. Mark McCall,
11. Jan Cunningham, 12. Bill Harbinson (c), 13. Maurice Field, 14. James Topping,
15. Jonny Bell.

Representative matches

26 August 1995 CΓ΄te Basque Select XV France 28–26 Ireland Ulster  
Preview [71]
Report [72] 		Try: Topping
Doak
Con: Humphreys (2)
Pen: Humphreys (3)
Drop: Humphreys
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2. Allen Clarke, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Jeremy Davidson, 5. Gary Longwell,
6. Bruce Cornelius, 7. Kevin McKee, 8. Roger Wilson,
9. Neil Doak, 10. David Humphreys,
11. Jan Cunningham, 12. Bill Harbinson (c), 13. Jonny Bell, 14. James Topping,
15. Stan McDowell.

1 November 1995 Ulster Ireland 54–10 South Africa Griqualand West Ravenhill  
Try: Topping (3)
Wilkinson
McKinty
Cunningham
Penalty try
Con: McCall (5)
Pen: McCall
Drop: Wilkinson (2)
 Report [73] Try: Ross
Buys
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2. Allen Clarke, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Davy Tweed, 5. Jeremy Davidson,
6. Stephen McKinty, 7. Denis McBride, 8. Paddy Johns,
9. Neil Doak, 10. Mark McCall,
11. Jan Cunningham, 12. Bill Harbinson (c), 13. Maurice Field, 14. James Topping,
15. Colin Wilkinson.

9 November 1995 Ulster Ireland 25–8 New Zealand New Zealand Federation U23 Ravenhill  
Try: Park
Doak
Field
Mackey
Con: McCall
Pen: McCall
 Report [74] Try: McKearney
Pen: Mathie
 Referee: D. Henderson
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2. Stephen Ritchie, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Gary Longwell, 5. Jeremy Davidson,
6. Bruce Cornelius, 7. Kevin McKee, 8. Stephen McKinty,
9. Neil Doak, 10. Mark McCall,
11. Graeme McCluskey, 12. Michael Rainey, 13. Maurice Field, 14. Andy Park,
15. Colin Wilkinson.

14 November 1995 Ulster Ireland 20–30 United Kingdom Combined Services Ravenhill  
Try: Park
Ritchie
Con: McCall (2)
Pen: McCall (2)
 Report [75] [76] Try: Brammer
Glasgow
Moore
Cross
Con: Worral (2)
Pen: Worral (2)
 Referee: P. O'Brien
Ulster lineup:

1. Simon Booth, 2. Stephen Ritchie, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Gary Longwell, 5. Davy Tweed,
6. Bruce Cornelius, 7. Kevin McKee, 8. Roger Wilson,
9. Andrew Matchett, 10. Darryl Callaghan,
11. Graeme McCluskey, 12. Mark McCall, 13. Bill Harbinson (c), 14. Andy Park,
15. Robin Morrow.
Replacement: Stuart Duncan (for Wilson).

9 December 1995 Ulster Ireland 23–24 Scotland Edinburgh District Ravenhill  
Try: McCall
Pen: McCall (6)
 Report [50] [77] Try: Mather
Penalty try
Con: Donaldson
Pen: Donaldson (3)
Drop: Lang
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2. Stephen Ritchie, 3. David Scott,
4. Murtagh Rea, 5. Gary Longwell,
6. Stephen McKinty, 7. Kevin McKee, 8. David Erskine,
9. Andrew Matchett, 10. Mark McCall,
11. Andy Park, 12. Bill Harbinson (c), 13. Maurice Field, 14. Graeme McCluskey,
15. Colin Wilkinson.

6 February 1996 Ulster Ireland 40–33 [78] Australia New South Wales Ravenhill  
Try: Humphreys
McCall
Topping (2)
Cunningham
Con: Humphreys (3)
Pen: Humphreys
Drop: Humphreys
Wilkinson
 Try: Gavin
O'Kane
Bond
Harvey
Con: Wallace (2)
Pen: Wallace (3)
 Referee: A. Lewis
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2. Allen Clarke, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Davy Tweed, 5. Paddy Johns,
6. Stuart Duncan, 7. Kevin McKee, 8. Stephen McKinty,
9. Andrew Matchett, 10. David Humphreys,
11. Jan Cunningham, 12. Maurice Field, 13. Mark McCall, 14. James Topping,
15. Colin Wilkinson.
Replacement: Gary Longwell (for Duncan).

Friendlies

6 September 1995 Ballymena R.F.C. Ireland 11–27 Ireland Ulster Eaton Park  
Try: Matchett
Pen: McAleese (2)
 Report [79] [80] [81] [82] Try: Doak
Christie
Dobbin
Rea
Con: McCall (2)
Drop: McDowell
 Referee: B. Stirling
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2.Richard Weir, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Murtagh Rea, 5. Simon Crawford,
6. Bruce Cornelius, 7. Roger Wilson, 8. Stephen McKinty,
9. Neil Doak, 10. Mark McCall,
11. Colin Christie, 12. Bill Harbinson (c), 13. Maurice Field, 14. Stephen Smyth,
15. Stan McDowell.
Replacements: Stephen Bell (for Doak), Crawford Dobbin (for Christie).

Club rugby

Ulster Senior Cup

 
Round of 16Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
              
 
27 January 1996 [83]
 
 
CIYMS10
 
3 February 1996
 
 Instonians27
 
 Instonians7
 
27 January 1996
 
 Malone15
 
 Portadown6
 
4 May 1996 [87]
 
 Malone19
 
 Malone28
 
3 February 1996 [84]
 
 City of Derry18
 
 Bangor15
 
10 February 1996
 
 North9
 
 Bangor18
 
27 January 1996
 
 City of Derry31
 
 City of Derry29
 
11 May 1996 [88]
 
 Queen's University10
 
 Dungannon22
 
27 January 1996
 
 Malone10
 
 Carrick14
 
24 April 1996 [86]
 
 Dungannon53
 
 Ballymena13
 
10 February 1996 [85]
 
 Dungannon18
 
 Omagh Academicals0
 
4 May 1996
 
 Ballymena78
 
 Dungannon56
 
27 January 1996
 
 Collegians3
 
 Collegians27
 
10 February 1996
 
 City of Armagh0
 
 Collegians30
 
3 February 1996
 
Enniskillen12
 
Enniskillen11
 
 
 Ards8
 

Ulster Senior League

The Ulster Senior League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Famous Grouse Ulster Championship, was won by Portadown. [89]

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  83. ^ Scoreboard, Ireland's Saturday Night, 27 January 1996
  84. ^ Scoreboard, Ireland's Saturday Night, 3 February 1996
  85. ^ Scoreboard, Ireland's Saturday Night, 10 February 1996
  86. ^ Scoreboard, Ireland's Saturday Night, 24 April 1996
  87. ^ Scoreboard, Ireland's Saturday Night, 4 May 1996
  88. ^ Micheal McGeary, "Just so Jeremy", Sunday Life, 12 May 1996
  89. ^ "Portadown celebrate title win", Belfast Telegraph, 15 March 1996
Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=1995–96_Ulster_Rugby_season&oldid=1209114585"
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1995–96 Ulster Rugby season
Ground(s) Ravenhill Stadium (Capacity: 12,500)
Coach(es)Brian Bloomfield
Captain(s)Bill Harbinson
Top scorer Mark McCall (55)
League(s) Heineken Cup (3rd in pool)
IRFU Interprovincial Championship (2nd of 5)
Team kit
← 1994–95 1996–97 →

The 1995–96 season was Ulster Rugby's first season under professionalism. Brian Bloomfield was in his second season as coach. [1] 35-year-old Malone RFC centre Bill Harbinson, who first played for Ulster in 1986, was captain, [2] in his final season before retirement from the game. [3] They played six representative matches, defeating Griqualand West, New Zealand Federation U23 and New South Wales, and losing to a CΓ΄te Basque Select XV, the Combined Services and Edinburgh District.

Background

On 26 August, rugby union was declared open to professionalism. At this stage the Irish provinces were still representative teams, not professional clubs. [4] Many involved in the game were concerned that domestic clubs could not afford to pay players, who could be lost to professional teams in England. [5] In September, the IRFU confirmed that, for this season, only senior international players would be paid, [6] with a one-year moratorium on payment for club and provincial players. [7] Up to 35 Ireland players would be offered Β£26,000 contracts for the 1996 Five Nations Championship. [8] That squad included Ulster players Jonathan Bell, Allen Clarke, Jeremy Davidson, Maurice Field, David Humphreys, Paddy Johns, Denis McBride and Mark McCall. As the situation developed, match fees became available for Heineken Cup and Interprovincial matches, with players who appeared in all six matches in line to receive almost Β£3,000. [9]

The inaugural Heineken Cup was launched in the summer of 1995 on the initiative of the Five Nations Committee to provide a new level of cross border competition. [10] Twelve sides representing Ireland, Wales, Italy, Romania and France competed in four pools of three with the group winners going directly into the semi-finals. [11] English and Scottish teams did not take part in the inaugural competition. [12] The IRFU confirmed that Ireland would enter provincial teams, as their clubs were unlikely to be strong enough for the competition. [13] They were initially offered two places, but Tom Kiernan, Ireland's representative on the organising committee, was able to secure a third. The three places would go to the top three teams in the 1994 IRFU Interprovincial Championship, Munster, Ulster and Leinster. [14]

Events

Jonathan Bell, who had impressed with Ireland in the World Cup, was offered contracts to play rugby league by both Sheffield and Halifax, but turned them down to remain available for Ireland, with a long-term goal of selection for the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa in two years' time. The former Ballymena player, now studying at Loughborough University, had signed for Northampton but remained available for Ulster. [15] Other Ulster players who featured for Ireland at the World Cup were Paddy Johns, Denis McBride, Maurice Field and Davy Tweed. [16] [17] [18] [19]

Ulster's campaign started in August with a tour to Capbreton, France, to play a CΓ΄te Basque Select XV. The French side picked up Ulster's travel and accommodation expenses, in recompense for a scheduled game which was called off at the last minute the previous season when CΓ΄te Basque were unable to field a team. [20] Stephen Blake-Knox, the new chairman of selectors, had a limited panel of players to select from, with twelve regular players declaring themselves unavailable. [21] With Simon Booth on honeymoon, Richard Mackey was selected at tighthead prop, with Gary Leslie at loosehead in place of the injured Gary Bell, and Allen Clarke kept his place at hooker. Jeremy Davidson and Gary Longwell made up the second row. New Zealand-born flanker Bruce Cornelius replaced David Erskine, who missed the tour for a job interview, in the back row alongside Kevin McKee and Roger Wilson. Neil Doak, who had made his Ulster debut in February, was selected at scrum-half, with David Humphreys at out-half. Bill Harbinson captained the side, lining up in the centres with Jonathan Bell. Two new faces on the wings were Jan Cunningham, replacing the injured Tyrone Howe, and James Topping, with Stan McDowell playing fullback. [22] [23] [24] [25]

On 1 October Ulster played touring South African provincial side Griqualand West. Davy Tweed came in to the second row alongside Jeremy Davidson. Paddy Johns was named at number 8, with Stephen McKinty and Denis McBride on the flanks. With David Humphreys unavailable after moving to Oxford University, Mark McCall was selected at out-half. Jonathan Bell was unavailable with a hamstring injury, so Ireland international Maurice Field joined Bill Harbinson in the centres, and former international fullback Colin Wilkinson was drafted into the team, despite having retired from representative rugby two years previously, on the basis of his club form for Malone. [26] [27] James Topping scored three tries and Wilkinson scored two drop goals in a convincing 54-10 win. [28]

They next faced a touring New Zealand Federation under-23 side on 9 November. Although originally scheduled as an Ulster Development match, Ulster decided to field their senior team after their development side was badly beaten by Natal Emerging. [29] Stephen Ritchie came in for his provincial debut at hooker. Gary Longwell returned alongside Jeremy Davidson in the second row, and Bruce Cornelius and Kevin McKee came back into the back row with Stephen McKinty. Michael Rainey started alongside Maurice Field in the centres, with Graham McCluskey and debutant Andy Park on the wings. Park scored the opening try in a scrappy win. [30] [31]

For the match against the Combined Services on 14 November, Simon Booth was selected ahead of Richard Mackey at loosehead prop. Tweed and Longwell made up the second row with Conelius, McKee and McKinty making up the back row. Andrew Matchett came in for Neil Doak at scrum-half, Darryl Callaghan made his provincial debut at out-half, with Mark McCall moved to centre alongside Harbinson, and fellow debutant Robin Morrow came in for Wilkinson at fullback. [32] The Services team included former Ulster and Ireland lock Brian McCall, now a major in Britain's UN peacekeeping forces in Bosnia. [33] Ulster were well beaten, with only a late try by Stephen Ritchie making the scoreline look respectable. [34]

Ulster opened their Interprovincial campaign at home against defending champions Munster on 25 November. [35] Richard Mackey and Allen Clarke were restored to the front row. Jeremy Davidson returned to partner Davy Tweed in the second row after making his Ireland debut against Fiji. McBride and Stuart Duncan were on the flanks, with Paddy Johns at number 8. Mark McCall moved back to out-half, with Maurice Field returning to partner Harbinson in the centres, Jan Cunningham and James Topping back on the wings, and Jonathan Bell returning to the team at fullback. [36] [37] Ulster won 14–10 in an uninspiring encounter, [38] with Richard Mackey scoring the winning try 12 minutes from time. [39]

Sale loose forward David Erskine had been declared ineligible for Ulster by the IRFU, as he was not born in Ireland and was no longer resident there. [40] He won his appeal against the decision, [41] and was selected at number 8 for Ulster's opening Heineken Cup match away to Cardiff on 28 November, in place of Paddy Johns. Gary Longwell replaced Davy Tweed, who was unable to get time off from his job with Northern Ireland Railways, in the second row. [42] [43] [44] Ulster were beaten 46–6. Cardiff, in common with other Welsh sides, had adopted the relatively new tactic of lifting in the lineout; Irish teams had not, and Ulster players were unable to deal with it. [45]

The following weekend, they went to Galway to play Connacht in the Interprovincial Championship on 2 December. Paddy Johns returned at number 8, and Davy Tweed was back in the second row alongside Jeremy Davidson. [46] They won 27–9, based on the hard work of Johns, Duncan and McBride in the back row, [47] and Tweed's dominance in the lineout. [48]

On 9 December Ulster made nine changes to the side to play Edinburgh District at home. Stephen Ritchie came in for Allen Clarke at hooker, David Scott for Gary Leslie at tighhead prop, and Gary Longwell for Davy Tweed in the second row. The whole back row was rested, with Kevin McKee, Stephen McKinty and David Erskine replacing Denis McBride, Stuart Duncan and Paddy Johns. Andrew Matchett came in for Neil Doak at scrum-half, Andy Park for Jan Cunningham on the wing, and Colin Wilkinson returned at fullback in place of Jonathan Bell. [49] They lost 23-24, with all of Ulster's points being scored by Mark McCall. [50]

Clarke, Leslie, Davidson, Tweed, McBride, Duncan, Johns, Topping and Bell returned, and Matchett and Park retained their places, for Ulster's second and final match in the Heineken Cup, at home to BΓ¨gles-Bordeaux on 13 December. [51] The game was close until the final five minutes, when, at 16–22, McBride was stopped short of the try line. Soon after, BΓ¨gles-Bordeaux's Sebastien Loubsens intercepted an Ulster pass, leading to a try by Julien Berthe that put the French side too far ahead to catch. The match finished 16–29. [52] Ulster finished bottom of the pool, failing to make the semi-finals. Toulouse went on to become the first European cup winners, beating Cardiff in extra time in front of a crowd of 21,800 at Cardiff Arms Park. [11]

Jan Cunningham returned for the Interpro against the Irish Exiles on 16 December, [53] which Ulster dominated, winning 29–3, and setting up a championship decider against Leinster on 23 December. [54] Leinster won their first Interprovincial title for twelve years with a 31–3 win at Donnybrook. [55] The starting XV was unchanged. [56] Paul Wallace scored the opening try after fifteen seconds, and Leinster raced to a 22–0 lead in the first twenty minutes. Ulster had plenty of possession, with Paddy Johns coming close to scoring on two occasions before half-time, but Leinster defended strongly, and only conceded one Mark McCall penalty. [57]

Allen Clarke, Davy Tweed, Jeremy Davidson, Denis McBride, Paddy Johns, Jonathan Bell and Maurice Field were selected for Ireland's tour to the USA in January 1996. [58]

David Humphreys, who had now joined London Irish, was recalled for Ulster's home match against New South Wales on 6 February. Bill Harbinson had retired from representative rugby, so Mark McCall moved to centre alongside Maurice Field, Colin Wilkinson returned at fullback, and Davy Tweed came in to the second row in place of the injured Jeremy Davidson. [59] [60] Humphreys led Ulster to a 40-33 victory in front of the Ireland management team. [61]

David Humphreys and Allen Clarke made their Ireland debuts in the 1996 Five Nations Championship. Paddy Johns, Jeremy Davidson, Denis McBride, Jonathan Bell, Maurice Field and Mark McCall also appeared for Ireland in the tournament. [62] [63] [64] [65]

Players selected

Ulster Rugby squad

Props

Hookers

Locks

Back row

Scrum-halves

  • Ireland Stephen Bell, Malone
  • Ireland Neil Doak, NIFC
  • Ireland Andrew Matchett, Ballymena

Fly-halves

Centres

  • Ireland Maurice Field, Malone
  • Ireland Bill Harbinson, Malone ( c)
  • Ireland Michael Rainey, Ballymena

Wings

Fullbacks

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

Heineken Cup

Main article: 1995–96 Heineken Cup

Pool 2

Team P W D L Tries for Tries against Try diff Points for Points against Points diff Pts Status
Wales Cardiff 2 1 1 0 7 1 6 60 20 40 3 Advanced to the semi-finals
France Bègles-Bordeaux 2 1 1 0 6 3 3 43 30 13 3 Eliminated
Ireland Ulster 2 0 0 2 2 11 βˆ’9 22 75 βˆ’53 0
28 November 1995 Cardiff Wales 46–6 Ireland Ulster Cardiff Arms Park  
19:15 Try: Hall
John
Davies
Moore (2)
Con: Davies (5)
Pen: Davies (2)
 Report [67] Pen: McCall (2)
 Attendance: 3,600
Referee: Gerald Borreani
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2. Allen Clarke, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Jeremy Davidson, 5. Gary Longwell,
6. Stuart Duncan, 7. Denis McBride, 8. David Erskine,
9. Neil Doak, 10. Mark McCall,
11. Jan Cunningham, 12. Bill Harbinson (c), 13. Maurice Field, 14. James Topping,
15. Jonny Bell.
Replacement: Roger Wilson (for McBride, 77 mins).

13 December 1995 Ulster Ireland 16–29 France BΓ¨gles-Bordeaux Ravenhill  
19:00 Try: Matchett
McBride
Pen: McCall (2)
 Report [68] Try: Fauthoux
Bernat-Salles
Loubsens
Berthe
Con: Fauthoux
Berthe
 Attendance: 2,500
Referee: Derek Bevan
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2. Allen Clarke, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Davy Tweed, 5. Gary Longwell,
6. Stuart Duncan, 7. Denis McBride, 8. Paddy Johns,
9. Andrew Matchett, 10. Mark McCall,
11. Andy Park, 12. Bill Harbinson (c), 13. Maurice Field, 14. James Topping,
15. Jonny Bell.

IRFU Interprovincial Championship

Main article: IRFU Interprovincial Championship
Team P W D L F A Pts Status
4 4 0 0 133 53 16 Champions; qualified for next season's Heineken Cup
4 3 0 1 73 53 12 Qualified for next season's Heineken Cup
4 2 0 2 91 58 8 Qualified for next season's Heineken Cup
4 1 0 3 71 113 4
4 0 0 4 51 142 0

Top three provincial teams qualify for next year's Heineken Cup.

25 November 1995 Ulster Ulster 14–10 Munster Munster Ravenhill  
Try: Mackey
Pen: McCall (3)
 Report [38] [69] Try: Walsh
Con: Smith
Pen: Smith
 Referee: A. Lewis
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2. Allen Clarke, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Jeremy Davidson, 5. Davy Tweed,
6. Stuart Duncan, 7. Denis McBride, 8. Paddy Johns,
9. Neil Doak, 10. Mark McCall,
11. Jan Cunningham, 12. Bill Harbinson (c), 13. Maurice Field, 14. James Topping,
15. Jonny Bell.

2 December 1995 Connacht Connacht 9–27 Ulster Ulster Galway Sportsgrounds  
Pen: Elwood (3)
 Report [47] Try: Topping
Field
Con: McCall
Pen: McCall (5)
 Referee: D. McHugh
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2. Allen Clarke, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Jeremy Davidson, 5. Davy Tweed,
6. Stuart Duncan, 7. Denis McBride, 8. Paddy Johns,
9. Neil Doak, 10. Mark McCall,
11. Jan Cunningham, 12. Bill Harbinson (c), 13. Maurice Field, 14. James Topping,
15. Jonny Bell.

16 December 1995 Ulster Ulster 29–3 Ireland Irish Exiles Ravenhill  
Try: Cunningham
Tweed
Harbinson
Con: McCall
Pen: McCall (4)
 Report [70] Pen: Corcoran
 Referee: R. McDowell
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2. Allen Clarke, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Jeremy Davidson, 5. Davy Tweed,
6. Stuart Duncan, 7. Denis McBride, 8. Paddy Johns,
9. Andrew Matchett, 10. Mark McCall,
11. Jan Cunningham, 12. Bill Harbinson (c), 13. Maurice Field, 14. James Topping,
15. Jonny Bell.
Replacements: Simon Booth (for Mackey, 59).

23 December 1995 Leinster Leinster 31–3 Ulster Ulster Donnybrook  
Try: Wallace
Jameson
Gavin
Con: McGowan (2)
Pen: McGowan (4)
 Report [57] Pen: McCall
 Referee: C. White
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2. Allen Clarke, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Jeremy Davidson, 5. Davy Tweed,
6. Stuart Duncan, 7. Denis McBride, 8. Paddy Johns,
9. Andrew Matchett, 10. Mark McCall,
11. Jan Cunningham, 12. Bill Harbinson (c), 13. Maurice Field, 14. James Topping,
15. Jonny Bell.

Representative matches

26 August 1995 CΓ΄te Basque Select XV France 28–26 Ireland Ulster  
Preview [71]
Report [72] 		Try: Topping
Doak
Con: Humphreys (2)
Pen: Humphreys (3)
Drop: Humphreys
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2. Allen Clarke, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Jeremy Davidson, 5. Gary Longwell,
6. Bruce Cornelius, 7. Kevin McKee, 8. Roger Wilson,
9. Neil Doak, 10. David Humphreys,
11. Jan Cunningham, 12. Bill Harbinson (c), 13. Jonny Bell, 14. James Topping,
15. Stan McDowell.

1 November 1995 Ulster Ireland 54–10 South Africa Griqualand West Ravenhill  
Try: Topping (3)
Wilkinson
McKinty
Cunningham
Penalty try
Con: McCall (5)
Pen: McCall
Drop: Wilkinson (2)
 Report [73] Try: Ross
Buys
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2. Allen Clarke, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Davy Tweed, 5. Jeremy Davidson,
6. Stephen McKinty, 7. Denis McBride, 8. Paddy Johns,
9. Neil Doak, 10. Mark McCall,
11. Jan Cunningham, 12. Bill Harbinson (c), 13. Maurice Field, 14. James Topping,
15. Colin Wilkinson.

9 November 1995 Ulster Ireland 25–8 New Zealand New Zealand Federation U23 Ravenhill  
Try: Park
Doak
Field
Mackey
Con: McCall
Pen: McCall
 Report [74] Try: McKearney
Pen: Mathie
 Referee: D. Henderson
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2. Stephen Ritchie, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Gary Longwell, 5. Jeremy Davidson,
6. Bruce Cornelius, 7. Kevin McKee, 8. Stephen McKinty,
9. Neil Doak, 10. Mark McCall,
11. Graeme McCluskey, 12. Michael Rainey, 13. Maurice Field, 14. Andy Park,
15. Colin Wilkinson.

14 November 1995 Ulster Ireland 20–30 United Kingdom Combined Services Ravenhill  
Try: Park
Ritchie
Con: McCall (2)
Pen: McCall (2)
 Report [75] [76] Try: Brammer
Glasgow
Moore
Cross
Con: Worral (2)
Pen: Worral (2)
 Referee: P. O'Brien
Ulster lineup:

1. Simon Booth, 2. Stephen Ritchie, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Gary Longwell, 5. Davy Tweed,
6. Bruce Cornelius, 7. Kevin McKee, 8. Roger Wilson,
9. Andrew Matchett, 10. Darryl Callaghan,
11. Graeme McCluskey, 12. Mark McCall, 13. Bill Harbinson (c), 14. Andy Park,
15. Robin Morrow.
Replacement: Stuart Duncan (for Wilson).

9 December 1995 Ulster Ireland 23–24 Scotland Edinburgh District Ravenhill  
Try: McCall
Pen: McCall (6)
 Report [50] [77] Try: Mather
Penalty try
Con: Donaldson
Pen: Donaldson (3)
Drop: Lang
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2. Stephen Ritchie, 3. David Scott,
4. Murtagh Rea, 5. Gary Longwell,
6. Stephen McKinty, 7. Kevin McKee, 8. David Erskine,
9. Andrew Matchett, 10. Mark McCall,
11. Andy Park, 12. Bill Harbinson (c), 13. Maurice Field, 14. Graeme McCluskey,
15. Colin Wilkinson.

6 February 1996 Ulster Ireland 40–33 [78] Australia New South Wales Ravenhill  
Try: Humphreys
McCall
Topping (2)
Cunningham
Con: Humphreys (3)
Pen: Humphreys
Drop: Humphreys
Wilkinson
 Try: Gavin
O'Kane
Bond
Harvey
Con: Wallace (2)
Pen: Wallace (3)
 Referee: A. Lewis
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2. Allen Clarke, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Davy Tweed, 5. Paddy Johns,
6. Stuart Duncan, 7. Kevin McKee, 8. Stephen McKinty,
9. Andrew Matchett, 10. David Humphreys,
11. Jan Cunningham, 12. Maurice Field, 13. Mark McCall, 14. James Topping,
15. Colin Wilkinson.
Replacement: Gary Longwell (for Duncan).

Friendlies

6 September 1995 Ballymena R.F.C. Ireland 11–27 Ireland Ulster Eaton Park  
Try: Matchett
Pen: McAleese (2)
 Report [79] [80] [81] [82] Try: Doak
Christie
Dobbin
Rea
Con: McCall (2)
Drop: McDowell
 Referee: B. Stirling
Ulster lineup:

1. Richard Mackey, 2.Richard Weir, 3. Gary Leslie,
4. Murtagh Rea, 5. Simon Crawford,
6. Bruce Cornelius, 7. Roger Wilson, 8. Stephen McKinty,
9. Neil Doak, 10. Mark McCall,
11. Colin Christie, 12. Bill Harbinson (c), 13. Maurice Field, 14. Stephen Smyth,
15. Stan McDowell.
Replacements: Stephen Bell (for Doak), Crawford Dobbin (for Christie).

Club rugby

Ulster Senior Cup

 
Round of 16Quarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
              
 
27 January 1996 [83]
 
 
CIYMS10
 
3 February 1996
 
 Instonians27
 
 Instonians7
 
27 January 1996
 
 Malone15
 
 Portadown6
 
4 May 1996 [87]
 
 Malone19
 
 Malone28
 
3 February 1996 [84]
 
 City of Derry18
 
 Bangor15
 
10 February 1996
 
 North9
 
 Bangor18
 
27 January 1996
 
 City of Derry31
 
 City of Derry29
 
11 May 1996 [88]
 
 Queen's University10
 
 Dungannon22
 
27 January 1996
 
 Malone10
 
 Carrick14
 
24 April 1996 [86]
 
 Dungannon53
 
 Ballymena13
 
10 February 1996 [85]
 
 Dungannon18
 
 Omagh Academicals0
 
4 May 1996
 
 Ballymena78
 
 Dungannon56
 
27 January 1996
 
 Collegians3
 
 Collegians27
 
10 February 1996
 
 City of Armagh0
 
 Collegians30
 
3 February 1996
 
Enniskillen12
 
Enniskillen11
 
 
 Ards8
 

Ulster Senior League

The Ulster Senior League, known for sponsorship reasons as the Famous Grouse Ulster Championship, was won by Portadown. [89]

References

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  2. ^ Micheal McGeary, "Skipper's role fits the Bill", Sunday Life, 19 November 1995
  3. ^ Jim Stokes, "Bill's final Ulster curtain", Belfast Telegraph, 21 December 1995
  4. ^ Peter O'Reilly, "Ulster coach warns on power balance", The Sunday Tribune, 22 September 1996
  5. ^ Jim Stokes, "IRFU tackle 'pro' issue", Belfast Telegraph, 28 August 1995
  6. ^ Jim Stokes, "International players only to 'cash in'", Belfast Telegraph, 12 September 1995
  7. ^ Jimmy Davidson, "Market forces takes strangle hold on rugby", Belfast Telegraph, 4 November 1995
  8. ^ Jim Stokes, "Irish international players to pocket Β£26,000", Belfast Telegraph, 23 October 1995
  9. ^ Tyrone Howe, "Local game needs a professional outlook", Belfast Telegraph, 13 January 1996
  10. ^ "European Rugby Cup : History". ERC. Archived from the original on 8 February 2007. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
  11. ^ a b "European Rugby Cup : Heineken Cup History 1995/96". ERC. Archived from the original on 15 March 2007. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
  12. ^ Rees, Paul (30 March 2006). "Big boys plan for more lucrative Heineken Cup". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 21 March 2007.
  13. ^ "Ireland confirm Euro entry", Belfast Telegraph, 22 August 1995
  14. ^ Jim Stokes, "Ulster to face Cardiff?", Belfast Telegraph, 29 August 1995
  15. ^ Alex George, "Jonathan plumps for union game!", News Letter, 26 July 1995
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  17. ^ Kieran Rooney, "Irish brawn stifles Japan", Irish Independent, 1 June 1995
  18. ^ Kieran Rooney, "Irish mission accomplished", Irish Independent, 5 June 1995
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  28. ^ Jim Stokes, "Ulster point the way in solid style", Belfast Telegraph, 2 November 1995
  29. ^ Jim Stokes, "Ulster Seniors face young All Blacks", Belfast Telegraph, 2 November 1995
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  53. ^ Jim Stokes, "Hooker Clarke has silenced the critics", Belfast Telegraph, 15 December 1995
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  66. ^ Note: not the Roger Wilson who played for Ulster from 2003 to 2008, and from 2011 to 2017.
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  75. ^ Alex George, "Services too strong for Ulster", News Letter, 15 November 2015
  76. ^ Jim Stokes, "Ulster backs against wall", Belfast Telegraph, 14 November 1995
  77. ^ Jim Stokes, "Ulster make sweeping changes", Belfast Telegraph, 6 December 1995
  78. ^ Kieran Rooney, "Humphreys Stakes Claim", Irish Independent, 7 February 1996
  79. ^ "Ulster ease home", Belfast Telegraph, 7 September 1995
  80. ^ "Sport in brief", News Letter, 7 September 1995
  81. ^ Alex George, "All change at Eaton Park clash", News Letter, 6 September 1995
  82. ^ Alex George, "Wilkie returns to his exhuberant best", News Letter, 4 September 1995
  83. ^ Scoreboard, Ireland's Saturday Night, 27 January 1996
  84. ^ Scoreboard, Ireland's Saturday Night, 3 February 1996
  85. ^ Scoreboard, Ireland's Saturday Night, 10 February 1996
  86. ^ Scoreboard, Ireland's Saturday Night, 24 April 1996
  87. ^ Scoreboard, Ireland's Saturday Night, 4 May 1996
  88. ^ Micheal McGeary, "Just so Jeremy", Sunday Life, 12 May 1996
  89. ^ "Portadown celebrate title win", Belfast Telegraph, 15 March 1996
Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/?title=1995–96_Ulster_Rugby_season&oldid=1209114585"

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