Sweet revenge for Banbridge

Queen's 3

THE last time Banbridge faced Queen’s the two sides were vying for a place in the All-Ireland League Division Three Final and a thrilling contest in the Spring sunshine yielded eight tries in total, with the students ultimately triumphant.

This time round, with the two teams both still at an early stage of the season and the students particularly hard-hit by Ulster U20 call-ups, the scoring was much more limited with the only try falling to Bann’s Michael Cromie.

Both sides were going into Saturday’s Ulster League contest coming off the back of 50 point defeats; Bann’s at the hands of City of Derry and Queens’ to Ballynahinch.

So, whilst Bann will be happy to have recorded their first victory of the season, it is difficult to gauge the significance of the result against a Queen’s side which was probably at its weakest.

Nevertheless new Bann coach Daniel Soper will have been heartened by the improved performance from his side as they continue to build towards the All-Ireland League which kicks off in October.

Soper took the opportunity to make some selection and positional changes from the previous week and will have been pleased by the efforts of those coming in, including Robin Thompson at out-half, flanker Ryan Patterson and Jonny Little and Stephen Cowan on the wings.

Thompson had opened the scoring for Banbridge on the 10 minute mark with a neatly struck penalty following a Queen’s infringement at the breakdown.

Queen’s’ only points of the tie came from the boot of scrum-half David Kenny, who slotted a penalty midway through the first half to tie the game at 3-3. Bann’s ill-discipline in the early stages of the game had yielded three further kickable penalties, but Kenny had been unable to capitalise, hitting the upright with one effort in front of the posts and pushing the other two wide.

Bann regained the lead on the half hour mark with a second Thompson penalty and went further ahead two minutes later with the points again coming from the boot of the out-half.

Cromie’s try came directly after the half-time interval to give Banbridge a 13-point cushion. Thompson had kicked Bann into the corner following the award of a penalty and captain Simon McKinstry caught clean possession and set up a driving maul from the attacking lineout. The home pack drove to within metres of the Queen’s line only to be stopped short.

But the ball was recycled and following a couple of forays close in Colin Bickerstaff eventually found space to put Cromie over the line with a clever pass to the young prop.

Thompson added the two point conversion and another penalty in the remaining minutes of the fixture to complete Bann’s scoring at 19-3.

As well as the newcomers who stood out, scrum half Neville Farr put in a good display while new signing wing forward Mark Wilson again impressed with his tackling and general work rate, before succumbing to a cut above the eye midway through the second half.

Banbridge travel to The Dub to face Queen’s again this Saturday, this time in the Senior Cup, kicking off at 2.30pm, while Rainey Old Boys will travel to Rifle Park the following Wednesday evening in the Ulster League.