Aaron Cairns marks 150th AIL cap with try as Ballynahinch beat UCD

The win keeps the Ballymacarn Park club in contention for the Division 1A play-offs, with Cairns grabbing one of Hinch’s six tries.

“It has been a massive privilege for me to play at this club and to reach 150 caps in the All Ireland League is not easy,” said Cairns.

"I’m really proud of myself for that and it has been nice to do it at home and top it of with a try and a big bonus point win.

“This is my 12th season now with the club and I have enjoyed every single minute of it. Going forward I’m not entirely sure what the plans are but I’ll enjoy the rest of this season and see how we end it.

“I’ve played in a lot of teams with a lot of very talented individuals. At the end of the day it is a team sport and it is the guys around you that make it.

"They are like your social life and your family as well and without those guys around it me it would never have been possible.”

Cairns has enjoyed plenty of highlights throughout his career, including making his debut for Ulster.

“Ballynahinch have been promoted into 1A a couple of times. We’ve had a big wins against big teams, playing 7s for Ireland, making my debut for Ulster and being contracted with them for a couple of years is definitely up there – they are memories that I’ll never forget,” he said.

“The memories I’ll never forgot are all the ones with my teammates on days like this and the club are behind you.

“We said it on Thursday night: The club is a massive family and that is just the atmosphere this place breeds, you go out each week and back everybody up.”

Hinch are four points of the playoffs with six games remaining and staking their claim for the top four.

“We’re really pushing for top four,” Cairns said. “It’s not easy, it is a very difficult league and every game from here on in counts massively.

“We slipped up a bit against Young Munster last week and we are very disappointed in ourselves for that but to turn around this week and put 40 on a very good side at home speaks volumes of the squad and the character, and the grit we have in it.

“I believe we can go and secure top four and get to the semi-finals and you never know what can happen at that point. It all comes down to on the day, we’ll just take each game as it comes now and push for the win.”

George Pringle, Clayton Milligan, Aaron Sexton, Ethan McIlroy and Bradley Luney got Hinch’s other tries.

A 29-21 bonus point win over Young Munster lifted City of Armagh to eighth in the table.

Matthew Hooks – a late call-up for the game at the Palace Grounds – bagged two of Armagh’s four tries, Sam Cunningham and Andrew Willis went over with Brayden Laing kicking a late penalty to ensure victory.

Queen’s got a losing bonus point in a 22-19 defeat at Highfield in 1B.

Malone went back to the basement of 2A after a 83-12 defeat at Nenagh, Banbridge remain in the playoff hunt after a 32-16 win over Ballymena.

Instonians made it 30 consecutive bonus point wins and a 12th of the season with a hard fought 31-23 win at Malahide.

There were defeats for Rainey, Dungannon and Belfast Harlequins, with the Deramore club slipping to the bottom of the table.

In 2C Clogher Valley are top after beating Galwegians, while Omagh beat Bangor.