Banbridge Rugby Club - Northern Ireland

The two sides had each claimed an away win when they had met in the Premier League earlier in the season. But Bann had a clear edge on Saturday against a Malone side weakened by the loss through injury of their first-choice half-backs.

A surging run from captain Jonny McCreery early in the game set the pattern as the bigger Bann pack set about gaining the upper hand in the forward exchanges.

Centre Adam Doherty opened the scoring for Bann with a neatly struck penalty in the 9th minute. And as Bann continued to dominate, it was loose-head prop McCreery who barged over for an unconverted try nine minutes later.

Malone missed with a penalty shot in the 28th minute but that prefaced a period of pressure on the Bann line when they did well to deny the Belfast side a try in the period up to half-time.

A sweeping move two minutes after the interval earned Bann a second try. The pace of Doherty and Ryan Graham took play deep inside Malone territory. Prop Thomas Carlisle kept the opposition on the back foot with a powerful thrust and from the quick ruck ball out-half Macauley Little found enough space to touch down at the right hand corner flag.

Doherty's long diagonal kick set up a lineout inside the Malone "22" and when the Belfast side were penalised at the subsequent ruck the centre struck a tidy penalty between the posts to extend his side's lead to 16-0.

With flanker Ryan Dennison tackling like a demon and Carlisle making the hard yards up front Bann continued to have the edge. Doherty again kicked for position to set up a 5-metre scrum and at the second attempt No 8 Kasper Kruzyki drove through the Malone defensive line for a third Bann try, converted by Doherty to put the outcome of the game beyond doubt.

As Ulster champions, Bann now await the outcome of the Leinster League play-offs to see who their opposition will be in the All-Ireland semi-final, to be played on 2nd April. When the euphoria of this success has died down however, the team and coaches Tim Honeyford, Brian Cromie and David Neill will know that it will take a step up in performance if they are to progress in the national competition. Saturday's win was competent rather than inspired and the team is capable of much better.

This Saturday Bann host Inishowen in the second of their Group matches in the Ulster Cup. With a win over Letterkenny already under their belts they should be capable of overcoming the challenge of the Co Donegal side and Ballymoney away the follow weekend.

That would take them through to the quarter finals, with the strong possibility of another showdown with Malone at some stage of the competition.