Victory in cup final is the perfect season end

Victory in cup final is the perfect season end

10 May 2023

BALLYNAHINCH finished their superb season on a high with a sparkling second half performance leading to a first Senior Cup win since 2017 and confirmation of their status as the leading rugby club in Ulster. 

Head coach Adam Craig and his team can head into the off-season with pride after a league and cup double added the silverware to a stellar AIL campaign.

Ballynahinch were without their ineligible Ulster contingent and also regulars George Saunderson, George Pringle and luckless skipper Tommy Donnan through injury and unavailability.

Craig started Nacho Cladera at loose head, Tom Martin and James Simpson at lock and Reuben Crothers at open side, while Ryan Wilson came into midfield to partner Mark Best.

Queen’s had been vocal in the build-up about how they would attempt to play their usual fast game with the expectation that Ballynahinch would not be able to defend against it.

The first half went exactly as they had predicted as they took a 15-3 lead into the break after tries from Johnny Hunter and Michael Orr.

Ballynahinch were clearly out of sorts after three weeks off and whatever was said at half time had the desired affect as they came out fired up for the second half and imposed their will on the students, scoring 29 unanswered points to win comfortably. 

Skipper for the day Bradley Luney set the tone as he charged for the line only for what looked like a legitimate score chalked off by the officials.

However, Ballynahinch were in no mood to be denied and veteran 

winger Aaron Cairns set them on their way with a typically acrobatic finish after great work from Greg Hutley.

They scored again straight from the restart as replacement prop Joe Charles found flanker Zack McCall, who barged through a couple of tackles to score and take his side into the lead.

Fine defensive work from Crothers at the breakdown thwarted the QUB attack and an increasingly dominant Ballynahinch side turned up the power with player of the match Best running his usual hard line of a Ballynahinch line-out maul to score and take the lead to ten points.

The game was won at this stage, but Hutley put a little gloss on the scoreline with an excellent individual effort, chasing his own grubber kick and winning the race for the line to score a fourth Ballynahinch try and leave the final score 32-15. 

Ulster Branch president and Ballynahinch man Philip Gregg presented the trophy to Bradley Luney and the celebrations began as a long and fruitful season came to a perfect conclusion.

There will be massive challenges again next season, but for now Ballynahinch can bask in the glory of a full trophy cabinet before getting back to work in pre-season.

Ballynahinch (1-20): Nacho Cladera, Claytan Milligan, Kyle McCall, Tom Martin, James Simpson, Zack McCall, Reuben Crothers, Bradley Luney, Conor McKee, Greg Hutley, Aaron Cairns, Mark Best, Ryan Wilson, Fergus Jemphrey, Ethan Graham, Josh Hanlon, Joe Charles, Kyle Gill, Chris Gibson, Jack Milligan.