# 2000–01 Munster Rugby season

The 2000–01 Munster Rugby season was Munster's sixth season as a professional team, during which they competed in the IRFU Interprovincial Championship and Heineken Cup. It was Declan Kidney's third season in his first spell as head coach of the province.

## 2000–01 squad

Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.
| Player | Position | Union |
| James Blaney | Hooker | Ireland |
| John Fogarty | Hooker | Ireland |
| Frankie Sheahan | Hooker | Ireland |
| Peter Clohessy | Prop | Ireland |
| John Hayes | Prop | Ireland |
| Marcus Horan | Prop | Ireland |
| Mick Galwey (c) | Lock | Ireland |
| John Langford | Lock | Australia |
| Donncha O'Callaghan | Lock | Ireland |
| Paul O'Connell | Lock | Ireland |
| Mick O'Driscoll | Lock | Ireland |
| Anthony Foley | Back row | Ireland |
| Eddie Halvey | Back row | Ireland |
| Alan Quinlan | Back row | Ireland |
| David Wallace | Back row | Ireland |
| Jim Williams | Back row | Australia |
| Player | Position | Union |
| Frank Murphy | Scrum-half | Ireland |
| Mike Prendergast | Scrum-half | Ireland |
| Peter Stringer | Scrum-half | Ireland |
| Ronan O'Gara | Fly-half | Ireland |
| Jeremy Staunton | Fly-half | Ireland |
| Rob Henderson | Centre | Ireland |
| Jason Holland | Centre | Ireland |
| Killian Keane | Centre | Ireland |
| Mike Mullins | Centre | Ireland |
| Anthony Horgan | Wing | Ireland |
| John Kelly | Wing | Ireland |
| John O'Neill | Wing | Ireland |
| Dominic Crotty | Fullback | Ireland |

## 2000–01 IRFU Interprovincial Championship

Status :
| Munster | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 151 | 99 | 1 | 23 | Champions; qualified for next season's Heineken Cup |
| Ulster | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 144 | 119 | 3 | 15 | Qualified for next season's Heineken Cup |
| Leinster | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 109 | 111 | 2 | 12 | Qualified for next season's Heineken Cup |
| Connacht | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 100 | 175 | 1 | 5 | |
* 1 September 2000
| Ulster | 16–21 | Munster |
| Try: Ward Con: Humphreys Pen: Humphreys (3) | Report | Pen: O'Gara (5) Drop: O'Gara (2) |
* Ravenhill
* 8 September 2000
| Munster | 26–20 | Leinster |
| | Report | |
* Musgrave Park
* 15 September 2000
| Munster | 36–13 | Connacht |
| | Report | |
* Thomond Park
* 23 September 2000
| Connacht | 13–23 | Munster |
| | Report | |
* Galway Sportsgrounds
* 29 September 2000
| Munster | 29–21 | Ulster |
| Try: Crotty, Horgan Con: O'Gara (2) Pen: O'Gara (5) | Report | Try: Free, J. Topping Con: Humphreys Pen: Humphreys (3) |
* Thomond Park
* 3 November 2000
| Leinster | 16–16 | Munster |
| | Report | |
* Donnybrook

## 2000–01 Heineken Cup
### Pool 4

| Team | P | W | D | L | Tries for | Tries against | Try diff | Points for | Points against | Points diff | Pts |
| Munster | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 154 | 109 | 45 | 10 |
| Bath | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 139 | 106 | 33 | 8 |
| Newport | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 22 | −12 | 122 | 183 | −61 | 4 |
| Castres | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 13 | 1 | 135 | 152 | −17 | 2 |
* 7 October 2000 14:30
| Munster | 26–18 | Newport |
| | Report | |
* Thomond Park Attendance: 9,200
* 14 October 2000 19:30
| Castres | 29–32 | Munster |
| | Report | |
* Stade Pierre-Antoine Attendance: 7,500 Referee: Gareth Simmonds
* 21 October 2000 14:30
| Munster | 31–9 | Bath |
| | Report | |
* Thomond Park Attendance: 13,400 Referee: Joel Dumé
* 28 October 2000 17:00
| Bath | 18–5 | Munster |
| | Report | |
* Recreation Ground Attendance: 8,200 Referee: Nigel Whitehouse
* 13 January 2001 17:35
| Newport | 24–39 | Munster |
| | Report | |
* Rodney Parade Attendance: 11,431 Referee: Joël Jutge
* 20 January 2001 14:30
| Munster | 21–11 | Castres |
| | Report | |
* Musgrave Park Attendance: 9,000 Referee: Chris White

### Quarter-final

* 28 January 2001 14:45
| Munster | 38–29 | Biarritz |
| | Report | |
* Thomond Park Attendance: 14,000 Referee: Ed Morrison

### Semi-final

* 21 April 2001 15:00
| Stade Français | 16–15 | Munster |
| | Report | |
* Stadium Nord Attendance: 20,400