The decade is but a day from done and after counting up the numbers they show that Round 9 capped things off in serious style – with five sell-outs across six dazzling derby matches.

With the games played from Boxing Day-28 December fans across Europe were clearly in the mood to play their part in those intense rivalries, with a total of 101,994 roaring on the derbies.

The sell-outs started on Boxing Day as the resurgent Dragons visited Cardiff Arms Park, coming away with a 16-12 defeat in an absorbing contest, followed by Scarlets’ win over Ospreys, and continued on Friday as the Kingspan faithful watched five-star Ulster charge over Connacht 35-3.

On to Saturday and a full-to-the-brim, sun-drenched Stadio Monigo as Benetton edged Zebre 36-25, and a long sold-out Thomond Park as Leinster won once more thanks to one of the most punishing defensive efforts in recent memory.

THE DEADLOCK IS SMASHED IN STYLE 👊@duhanvdmerwe with the bullish break, Bill Mata with an outstanding offload, then @DarcyGraham put href=“https://twitter.com/EdinburghRugby?refsrc=twsrc%5Etfw”>@EdinburghRugby ahead 🔥#GuinnessPRO14 #RivalryUnrivalled #EDIvGLA
🇬🇧 Watch Live Now on @PremierSportsTV
🇮🇪 Watch Live Now on @eirSport pic.twitter.com/bqKO3D7dmE
— PRO14 RUGBY (@PRO14Official) December 28, 2019

Finally, not a sell-out but the best attended game of the round, Edinburgh’s 1872 Cup win over Glasgow Warriors at BT Murrayfield had a record attendance of 27,437 – most of whom will not forget that magnificent match for many a year, or Bill Mata’s offload.

Average attendance – 16,999 – and as the game grows Round 10 flies in on Friday with another four derbies – remarkably just seven points split the top six sides in Conference B, as the intensity ramps up only further in 2020.