​Inst aiming to make history in Bateman Cup bid with semi-final test against Garryowen

The Belfast club’s one and only success in the competition came with a 16-8 victory over Lansdowne in 1927.

Inst will represent Ulster in this year’s tournament after lifting the Senior Cup last season with victories over Ballynahinch, Armagh and Queen’s.

Coach Paul Pritchard has been on the losing side in two Bateman Cup finals and is relishing a crack at another AIL top flight side.

“It is a real privilege for the club in showing the strides we have made in the last few seasons to be in the Bateman Cup semi-final, and to be against Garryowen – a very well known and respected All Ireland League club,” Pritchard said.

“It is great, and I think the important thing is it is something that we want to try and do every season; we’d like to try to win the Senior Cup every year to put us into the Bateman Cup.

“It is a real challenge for us at the weekend and a real opportunity for lads and that is how we are looking at it.

“The Senior Cup wasn’t easy, and we aren’t expecting anything easy on Saturday. The group of lads that we have don’t fear anyone,” he added.

“We’re not going down there like rabbits in headlights worrying about what is coming, we are just focused on ourselves and making sure we play to the best of our ability.”

“If we get the result happy days if we don’t as long as we play well in ourselves, we’ll be happy.”

Inst travel to Limerick after a confidence-boosting 61-29 win over Barnhall last week which put them joint top of Division 2A.

Pritchard continued: “I think last week was fantastic, in terms of our attacking rugby it was certainly the best we played all season.

“That was a strengthened Barnhall team, they had a couple of players coming back. (I) spoke to their coach after the game and they weren’t expecting that, to have over 60 points scored against them.

“I think we are just hitting a really good run of form here, we feel that we are getting better every week. We certainly aren’t the finished article and we know there is a lot more that we can improve.

“Conceding the amount of points that we conceded is something that we are not happy with.

“It is about us improving every week and trying to reach this teams potential, but the potential is massive for this group of lads.”

Despite Garryowen being bottom of 1A with only one victory this season Pritchard knows it will be a tough afternoon in Limerick.

“They are not playing bad rugby, they are an extremely physical team, they are 1A and the experience you get from that league is different,” he said.

“I think every game they are in is close and a real tight affair bar the Terenure game and there are no doubts they are the favourites.”

The three Whitten brothers, Robert, David and Ian, have made the starting line-up.

Meanwhile City of Armagh were crowned Ulster Senior League Champions with a 40-7 victory over Dungannon.