The Ireland Wolfhounds (formerly Ireland A) are the second national rugby union team of Ireland, behind the Ireland national team. They have previously competed in the Churchill Cup together with the England Saxons and the full national teams of Canada and the United States, as well as with a selection of other nations' 1st, 2nd and 3rd representative sides (including Scotland A and the New Zealand Maori). They also play against other 6 Nations countries' A sides during the RBS 6 Nations. Now and again they will also play touring sides. For example, they played South Africa in 2000, the All Blacks in 2001 and Australia in 2006. On the 21 June 2009, Ireland A won their first Churchill Cup, beating the England Saxons 49–22 in the final. They also won the Churchill Plate three times in 2006, 2007 and 2008. They were renamed Ireland Wolfhounds in January 2010.
Ireland Wolfhounds 23-man match day squad to play England Saxons on 30 January 2015.
28 December 1992: Scotland A 22-13 Ireland A5 March 1993: Wales A 28-29 Ireland A19 March 1993: England A 22-18 Ireland A28 December 1993: Scotland A 24-9 Ireland A4 February 1994: Ireland A 10-20 Wales A18 February 1994: England A 29-14 Ireland A20 January 1995: England A 21-20 Ireland A3 February 1995: Scotland A 24-18 Ireland A17 March 1995: Wales A 30-19 Ireland A19 January 1996: Ireland 26-19 Scotland A1 March 1996: Ireland A 25-11 Wales A15 March 1996: England A 56-26 Ireland A12 November 1996: Ireland A 28-25 South Africa A17 January 1997: Ireland A 23-44 France A31 January 1997: Ireland A 14-34 Wales A14 February 1997: England A 44-30 Ireland A28 February 1997: Scotland A 33-34 Ireland A22 May 1997: Northland 69-16 Ireland A26 May 1997: New Zealand 74-15 Ireland A29 May 1997: Bay of Plenty 52-39 Ireland A1 June 1997: Thames Valley 12-38 Ireland A6 June 1997: King Country 32-26 Ireland A10 June 1997: New Zealand Māori 41-10 Ireland A14 June 1997: Samoa 57-25 Ireland A26 November 1997: Canada 10-26 Ireland A6 February 1998: Ireland 9-11 Scotland A6 March 1998: Ireland A 30-30 France A20 March 1998: Ireland A 27-42 Wales A3 April 1998: England A 40-30 Ireland A1 December 1998: South Africa XV 19-19 Ireland A5 February 1999: France A 25-26 Ireland A19 February 1999: Ireland A 29-40 Wales A5 March 1999: England A 28-21 Ireland A19 March 1999: Scotland A 31-21 Ireland A9 April 1999: Italy A 17-73 Ireland A4 February 2000: England A 30-31 Ireland A18 February 2000: Ireland A 23-21 Scotland A3 March 2000: Ireland A 31-3 Italy A18 March 2000: France A 31-25 Ireland A31 March 2000: Ireland A 28-26 Wales A15 November 2000: Ireland A 28–11 South Africa XV2 February 2001: Italy A 16–68 Ireland A16 February 2001: Ireland A 23–55 France A13 November 2001: Ireland A 30–43 New Zealand XV2 February 2002: Ireland A 55–22 Wales A15 February 2002: England A 18–25 Ireland A1 March 2002: Ireland A 60–3 Scotland A22 March 2002: Ireland A 59–5 Italy A5 April 2002: France A 30–20 Ireland A15 February 2003: Scotland A 22–22 Ireland A21 February 2003: Italy A 11–28 Ireland A7 March 2003: Ireland A 19–29 France A28 March 2003: Ireland A 24–21 England A11 March 2005: Ireland A 15–9 France A10 February 2006: France A 20-12 Ireland A17 March 2006: England A 18–33 Ireland A3 June 2006: USA 13–28 Ireland A10 June 2006: New Zealand Māori 27–6 Ireland A17 June 2006: England Saxons 30-27 Ireland A15 November 2006: Ireland A 17–24 Australia A9 February 2007: Ireland A 5–32 England Saxons19 May 2007: Ireland A 39–20 Canada29 May 2007: Ireland A 22-50 New Zealand Māori2 June 2007: Ireland A 22–21 Scotland A1 February 2008: England Saxons 31–13 Ireland A22 February 2008: Scotland A 67–7 Ireland A11 June 2008: Ireland A 46-9 USA14 June 2008: England Saxons 34–12 Ireland A21 June 2008: Argentina A 8-33 Ireland A6 February 2009: Ireland A P-P England Saxons13 February 2009: Ireland A 35-10 Scotland A10 June 2009: Canada XV 19–30 Ireland A14 June 2009: Ireland A 40-5 Georgia21 June 2009: England Saxons 22-49 Ireland A13 November 2009: Ireland A 48–19 Tonga XV27 November 2009: Ireland A 31–0 Argentina Jaguars31 January 2010: England Saxons 17–13 Ireland A5 February 2010: Ireland Wolfhounds 34–19 Scotland A28 January 2011: Scotland A 32–12 Ireland Wolfhounds4 February 2011: Ireland Wolfhounds 20–11 England Saxons28 January 2012: England Saxons 23-17 Ireland Wolfhounds25 January 2013: Ireland Wolfhounds 10 - 14 England Saxons25 January 2014: England Saxons 8 - 14 Ireland Wolfhounds30 January 2015: Ireland Wolfhounds 9 - 18 England SaxonsThe above is a non-exhaustive list of the head-to-head record against opponents since only the early 1990s, and includes fixtures against non-national representative sides such as the New Zealand Maori, as well as some club teams. Given the irregularity of 'A' level fixtures (for example, the only annual fixture left for the Wolfhounds is the game a week before the RBS 6 Nations starts against England Saxons), it is difficult to track the progress of the 'A' teams. After a string of poor results, Wales A, for example, have not fielded a team in well over a decade, last taking to the field in 2002.
Some anomalies have occurred in match fixtures. One example is a hastily organised, more or less still amateur second-tier Irish Wolfhounds (then called "Ireland 'A'") taking the field against a near full-strength, fully professional, first tier New Zealand team in 1997, the same year that the latter went through the calendar year undefeated and achieved their first ever test series victory on world champions South Africa's soil. To compound matters, the fixture was also played in New Zealand territory, as part of a misguided Wolfhounds tour to the country. In the event, it was a miracle that the Wolfhounds only lost on a scoreline of 74-15. The Wolfhounds were soundly beaten on every match of this tour, including a 69-16 walloping at the hands of provincial side Northland (one level below Super Rugby).
Bizarrely, though, the Wolfhounds have a good record against traditionally stronger South African opponents. They have won their only match against their South African counterparts South Africa A by 3 points. Additionally, they have played two fixtures against South Africa XV ('XV' teams are above 'A' level but below full test level), drawing once and winning the other encounter by a surprisingly resounding 17 points.
Churchill CupWinners: 1 (2009)Churchill PlateWinners: 3 (2006, 2007, 2008)