Antrim RFC kept their league hopes alive with a convincing win on Saturday away at Queen’s University IV.
The sun was out for kick off and both teams made the most of the good conditions, playing attacking rugby with an emphasis on passing the ball into pockets of space.
However, the blue-and-whites got the better of most exchanges, eventually running out 38-7 winners – including 26 unanswered points in an impressive second half display.
Coach Richard Smyth was delighted with the victory, saying the work in training was showing on the pitch, with special mention going to Neil Manson for yet another hat-trick in Antrim colours.
However, it Antrim’s forwards that laid the platform for their win, putting in a big shift against tireless opposition. Neil Lyttle anchored the scrum well early in his comeback, while captain Mark Perry put in a strong performance on the ground where he previously suffered a horrific career-threatening injury.
Robert Nimmo continued his great season on the openside, but the MB Hire man-of-the-match was his flanker counterpart Dave Kenning, who put in a selfless 80 minutes allowing others the glory.
Pacey opponents like QUB share similar strengths to a mobile, open side like Antrim, and it was the away team’s greater application and effort at the breakdown that saw them through this potential banana-skin fixture.
From the start the game was fast-paced but slow to settle, Antrim creating the first opening after three minutes.
A Queen’s high-kick did not travel far enough and out half John Bull was first to react before releasing Neil Manson, playing at outside centre this week, whose kick ahead went into touch.
Tireless running and defensive pressure at the rucks meant the home team struggled to keep possession or get out of their own half for much of the first quarter, with their only reprieve coming from a midfield offside from Antrim.
The university kicked into the blue-and-whites’ 22 only to see possession turned over off first phase.
Some quick hands from Davy McKee set right wing William Smith free up the touchline before he was cut down by a high tackle. Antrim moved the ball to the other wing where a break by Jack Dempster left them deep in QUB territory where they remained for ten minutes until finally getting the first score.
Over-ambitious offloads and questionable decisions allowed the creaking QUB defence to hold firm until constant pressure until the 28th minute.
The try came from a set play off a scrum, with John Bull sweeping round onto the blindside and wriggling through three tackles to score in the left corner, before missing the conversion.
The students hit straight back with what proved to be their only score of the match. A break down the right wing was met with lazy tackling leading to a try under the posts, with the conversion putting the home side 7-5 in front.
Having struggled for most of the game, QUB tails were briefly up only for their next attack to end in disaster as Neil Manson read a long pass from the home out half, rushing up to make a good interception then sprinting 75m to score under the posts.
Half time followed almost immediately, and it was Antrim who were quickest out of the blocks in the second period, with Manson grabbing his second try following a break by full back Jack Dempster.
Queen’s by this stage were rattled but still determined, defending well despite remaining on the back foot, holding out for ten minutes until the away side sealed the game.
Another set play from a scrum led to a try, with Bull this time feeding Dempster who again scored in the left hand corner.
Having kicked his previous two conversions, Bull saw his fourth slide wide, leaving the score at 24-7 with 15 minutes to play.
The students side kept playing till the final whistle, including five minutes camped on Antrim’s line, but it was the blue-and-whites who added to the scoreline.
First Manson completed his hat-trick, then Davy McKee barged over in the right hand corner, with Bull successfully kicking both conversions.
