Banbridge Rugby Club - Northern Ireland

A second successive bonus point win in Saturday's postponed Ulster Bank League game guaranteed Banbridge a promotion play-off at the end of the month.

Bann went into the match knowing that they needed five points to put them beyond the reach of Rainey and Nenagh but their nervous supporters had to wait until five minutes from the end for the all-important fourth try. Not for the first time this season Bann finished in style, adding a fifth with the final play of the game as a battling Highfield wilted under the pressure.

A minutes silence was observed before kick off in memory of club member Gilbert Honeyford who passed away during the week.

It was clear from the outset that Bann were going all out to seal that fifth slot in Division Three. With just three minutes played they moved the ball from a scrum inside their "22". Two rucks later Ben Purvis made good ground down the right flank before setting Adam Ervine off on a 40 metre run to the try line.

The Cork visitors may have had nothing to play for in terms of promotion, but their response was prompt as they created an overlap for centre Derek Houlihan to cross the Bann line just three minutes later, tying the scores at 5-5.

Houlihan was forced to retire from the action shortly afterwards but his team largely dominated much of the remainder of the half. Bann's defensive efforts presented the visitors with a couple of kickable penalties, but their kickers were off-target. And with Purvis winning the race to touch down a delicate chip and chase and deny Highfield the score their territorial superiority warranted, half-time approached with the teams still level.

Bann made a rare foray into the opposition half and Simon McKinstry picked up a loose clearance kick to set up a ruck 30 metres out. When the ball was moved to the threequarters Purvis came in from full-back to force his way between two defenders and race 35 metres for a fine try, which Robin Thompson converted superbly to edge Bann 12-5 in front at the break.

Highfield prop John O'Callaghan picked up a yellow card for a technical offence early in the second half and a blistering 65 metre break by flanker Ryan Patterson set up good field position for the home side. A third try soon followed, winger Ashley Finlay touching down in the corner after the ball was moved blindside from a scrum. Thompson again found the target with his conversion attempt from out wide.

The result now seemed beyond doubt, with only the matter of bonus points to be decided. But Highfield were far from a spent force and exchanges between the forwards over-heated on a couple of occasions as the visitors tried to battle their way back into contention.

However Bann were steadily tightening their grip on the game and the pressure on the Cork side's defence eventually told as centre Andrew Morrison found a gap to slice through and touch down in the 75th minute. A yellow card for Robert Bogue further stretched Highfield's resources and winger Jonny Pollock ran a great line to race in for the fifth try, with Thompson's drop kick adding the extras.

Bann are still in contention for one of the top four automatic places. But it would take not only them to get a bonus point win over league leaders Seapoint in their last game but an even more unlikely home defeat for City of Derry, who face Naas in their final outing.

Bann coach Daniel Soper will want his team to give a good account of themselves in their final fixture, but with Seapoint going all-out to clinch the league title in their first season of senior rugby, he must know that the likelihood is that Bann will be travelling to Limerick at the end of the month.

There they would face either Old Crescent or Thomond, who are battling it out to avoid the bottom slot in Division Two. But a win over Seapoint on Saturday, of any description, would send the Rifle Park lads off to Limerick in confident mood as they attempt to fight their way out of the bottom tier of the All-Ireland League for the first time since they made the step-up to senior rugby twelve seasons ago.

Saturday's game kicks off at Rifle Park at 2.30pm.

Team v Highfield:- Ben Purvis, Ashley Finlay, Andrew Morrison, Jonny Little, Jonny Pollock, Robin Thompson, Adam Ervine, Michael Cromie, Jonny Murphy, Brian Hanna, Chris Allen, Simon McKinstry (Capt), Ryan Patterson, Mark Wilson, Dale Carson. Replacements:- David Weir (for J Murphy), Colin Bickerstaff (for C Allen), A Brown (for D Carson), N Farr (for A Ervine), J Andrews (for J Little).