Senior Cup glory for Instonians over Queen's

Queen’s made a bright start and were rewarded with a penalty in front of the Inst posts which winger Ben McFarlane knocked over to give the students the lead after four minutes.

Instonians got the game’s first try on 14 minutes. They kicked a penalty to the corner, from the line out the forwards set up a powerful maul and hooker Oli Clarke was propelled over but Ritchie McMaster failed to convert.

Instonians increased their lead two minutes later when full back Bradley McNamara scored a superb solo try.

Inst worked an overlap on the left wing before McNamara came on to the crash ball cut back inside and used his speed to evade the covering defence and sprint under the posts, with McMaster converting.

Queen’s got back in the game on 32 minutes with a try from lock Jake McCay.

Following a period of pressure in the Inst 22, centre Callum Florence made a strong surge for the line, the ball was quickly recycled and McCay powered over from close range with McFarlane adding the conversion.

After good work by the Queen’s defence, Inst infringed on the ground and McFarlane landed the resulting penalty to give the students a 13-12 lead at half-time.

McFarlane was gifted another three points two minutes after the restart following a high tackle on scrum half Harvey Patterson in front of the posts, the winger knocking over the simple penalty.

McFarlane increased Queen’s lead on 52 minutes with a penalty from just inside the Instonians half.

Inst got back in the game on the hour mark as Queen’s gave away a penalty in their own 22, the Shaw’s Bridge club went to the corner. From the lineout, Clarke got his second try from a powerful maul, as McMaster’s conversion from a tight angle levelled the scores.

McMaster missed the chance to put Inst in front with his missed penalty but it was only a temporary reprieve for Queen’s as from a ruck scrum half Rhys O’Donnell exploited a gap in the students’ defence and raced under the posts.

McMaster’s conversion put Inst seven points ahead going into the last 10 minutes.

The scores were level again in the last minute as Queen’s produced a superb try.

Jonny Hunter made a break, he fed Ryan Street and the winger produced a sublime offload to Rory Telfer and the full back went under the posts.

McFarlane’s conversion sent the game into extra-time.

Inst regained the lead in extra-time as McMaster slotted over a simple penalty from in front of the posts after a powerful scrum.

Inst finally put the game to bed with a try from the final play as replacement hooker Neil Saulters went over from a maul and McMaster converted.