Banbridge Rugby Club - Northern Ireland

Ballymoney were keen to get their backline moving in the opening exchanges but the well-organised Bann defence snuffed out any threat. A solid scrum and a couple of stolen lineouts gave Bann a period of possession. The boots of Albert Finney and Shandon Scott set up good field position but with the final pass going astray a couple of promising attacks foundered.

After a period of play inside the home half, Bann allowed the opposition to relieve their line through a penalty, only to immediately concede a second penalty off the back of the first. The penalty was slotted between the uprights to give Ballymoney a three point lead on the quarter hour.

Bann immediately went in search of a quick response, and five minutes later Clarke McAllister tied the scores with a penalty from the "22" after Ballymoney had been penalised for breaking the bind in the scrum. Four minutes later Bann edged ahead. A series of penalties against the home side ended with Scott kicking to the corner for a 5-metre lineout. Clean ball was won, and the subsequent release to the backs saw centre James Andrews receive the ball at speed and burst through the defence to score under the posts. McAllister's conversion moved Bann into a deserved 10-3 lead.

Although Ballymoney missed one chance to reduce the arrears after Bann had been penalised for playing the ball off their feet, they did strike within five minutes of the break to reduce the margin to 10-6.

The cup holders had looked threatening on several occasions, only to be let down by the final pass. Towards the end of the half an attack was superbly read by Bann captain Jonny Martin who intercepted and surged 20 metres forward. But his break also caught out his own players, and the big second row was eventually hauled down by several defenders who then slowed down the required quick release, and the chance was gone.

The second half saw the deceptive breeze now favour Bann, but it was through the backs that they saw the best form of attack. From the kick off the forwards gained good ball, allowing Adam Ervine to release quickly, and when Andrews received, he burst through the first tackle and went on a 20 metre run. Support was on hand from full back Adam Waugh, but unluckily there had been a Ballymoney player tracking his support and he was hauled down just short of the line. Five minutes later the impressive Andrews again burst through, but on this occasion the tackle by two players left the burly centre with a knee injury forcing him to retire from the action.

Ballymoney then produced a period of co-ordinated pressure on the Bann line which eventually yielded a try after Bann had failed to deal effectively with a peel from a scrum. The conversion was superbly charged down by Ervine to leave the score at a crucial 11-10, and the re-action to this amongst the players showed a desire to correct their conceding of the try. However, it was the home side that went back on the offensive, and four minutes later they saw a penalty attempt come back off the post for Bann to eventually clear.

Bann then began to pressurize the home side into a series of penalties that set up good field position for the forwards, but as the clock entered the last 15 minutes, they were beginning to see their efforts squandered.

McAllister was very unlucky with a two penalty attempts from far out in the cross field breeze. In between these kicks there was a period of intense pressure on the home line by a ruthless Bann pack who were winning penalty after penalty at the scrum. Four times they drove forward, and four times Ballymoney conceded penalties, with the referee declining to award a penalty try. The home side were able to see out the five minutes remaining, denying Bann any sniff of a chance to re-gain the lead.

Bann will reflect on a game which they should probably have won, given that they changed ends with a 10-6 lead to enjoy the gusting wind and slope. But their failure to take full advantage of the elements and the scoring opportunities they created over the last 40 minutes allowed the holders to progress to the semi-finals.