The decade may have ended in disappointment for Irish rugby but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t plenty to savour over the last 10 years.
Grand Slams, Heineken Cups and historic victories over the All Blacks, as well as significant growth in the women’s game, were all good reasons to celebrate.
There were plenty of highs and lows and while Ireland underperformed in the Rugby World Cup, overall there was plenty to enjoy for Irish rugby fans in the 2010s.
Without further adieu, here is Off The Ball’s top ten Irish rugby moments of the decade.
10. Munster’s performance against Glasgow after Anthony Foley’s passing
It may not be overly significant in terms of the result alone but the circumstances surrounding this game make it one of the most memorable matches of the decade.
Munster legend and head coach Anthony Foley had passed away only six days before the game and it was clear the emotions were still running high in the team.
Thankfully, those emotions resulted in one of the great Munster performances as the home side dominated Glasgow Warriors 38-17 in Thomond Park.
The southern province continued that fine form for much of the season but eventually succumbed to a 16-point defeat to Saracens in the Champions Cup semi-final.
9. Leinster comeback in the 2011 Heineken Cup final
By half time Leinster looked dead and buried. Northampton Saints had run in three tries against the Blues and led 22-6 at the break.
Johnny Sexton, who was still grappling with Ronan O'Gara to be Ireland's first-choice fly-half, put in a world-class performance in the second half.
The eastern province scored 27 unanswered points in the second half, winning the game by 33 points to 22.
Sexton scored 22 of those points himself, including two tries, and was named man of the match after putting in one of the all-time great Heineken Cup performances.
8. Ireland reaching the 2014 Women's Rugby World Cup semi-final
The Irish women's team created history at the 2014 WRWC by becoming Ireland's first senior rugby team to beat New Zealand, booking a place in the semi-finals in doing so.
The Black Ferns were utterly dominant in women's rugby and had won the previous four World Cups before Ireland knocked them out in the pool stages with a 17-14 win.
Ireland were well-beaten in the semi-finals by England before losing 25-18 to France in the bronze final but the win over the reigning world champions will live long in the memory.
7. Connacht's 2016 Pro12 Triumph
Not even the most ardent Connacht supporter would have believed you if you had told them they would win the Pro12 at the start of the season.
The westerners had improved in the seasons leading up to their triumph, but after finishing seventh in the Pro12 the year before they didn't look like potential title challengers.
However, Connacht were absolutely incredible all season and secured a well-deserved victory over Leinster in the final at Murrayfield to seal their first-ever major piece of silverware.
6. Ireland's first-ever win over the All Blacks
Ireland created history at Soldier Field in Chicago by beating the All Blacks 40-29 after 111 years of trying.
Joe Schmidt's side became only the sixth international team to beat New Zealand (excluding the British and Irish Lions) and did so by running in five tries against the world champions.
The victory was made all the sweeter following the last-gasp loss to the All Blacks three years previous and was the only loss Steve Hansen's side suffered in 2016.
5. Leinster's 2018 Pro14/Heineken Champions cup double
While winning major trophies wasn't exactly new to Leinster in 2018, they became the first and only Irish side to seal the domestic and European double.
Leo Cullen's side had gone three seasons without winning any silverware but were undoubtedly the best side in Europe in the 2017/18 season.
They edged a tight encounter with Racing 92 in the Champions Cup final before turning on the flair against Scarlets at the Aviva Stadium to seal the historic double.
4. Ireland's Grand Slam in the 2013 Women's Six Nations
Ireland clinched their first-ever title in the Women's Six Nations and did so in style, winning the Grand Slam as well.
England had won the seven previous Six Nations Championships, but an incredible performance from the Irish in the second round saw them claim a 25-0 win over the reigning champions.
Ireland went on to secure the Grand Slam three rounds later, as they edged out Italy in a 6-3 win, to seal the championship.
3. Ireland's 2018 win over the All Blacks
While Ireland had beaten New Zealand two years before, the win in 2018 felt like it meant a little bit more.
While the All Blacks could argue they were caught on the hop in Chicago there was no excuses this time around as Joe Schmidt's side put in a clinical performance over the world's top-ranked team.
It rounded out a fantastic year and was the national team's last brilliant performance of the decade.
2. All-Irish Heineken Cup final
Leinster and Ulster made history in 2012 by playing in the first-ever All-Irish Heineken Cup final.
Joe Schmidt's side won their third Heineken Cup title in four years but plenty of praise should go to the northern province, who claimed a big win over Munster at Thomond Park in the quarter-final.
The Blues ran out easy winners in the end, triumphing 42-14 over their northern rivals, but the day was still an extremely significant one for Irish rugby as a whole.
1. Ireland's 2018 Grand Slam success
Ireland clinched their third-ever Grand Slam in 2018, beating England 24-15 in their own back yard to seal the deal.
However, the dream could have been dead in the very first game if it wasn't for a last-minute Johnny Sexton drop-goal from 45 metres out against France.
2018 proved to be Ireland's best-ever year and although it all fell apart in 2019, it's a year that will go down in history in Irish rugby.
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