Armagh ambition to build on Young Munster win at UCD

The win lifted Armagh up to eighth in the Division 1A table.

“It was getting to that stage of the season where we needed to start picking up points and it was fantastic to be able to pick up all five,” said Parker. “It will give us a huge amount of confidence, we have been very competitive in games.

"We have spoken about that we can’t fear anyone in this league, especially at the turn when we had played everybody and we know what each team is going to bring to the table now and we have thought of ways we can counteract that now.

“It has certainly given the boys a boost, there has been a good bit of energy about the group and a lot of enthusiasm.

"It’s a timely boost...we spoke straight away after Young Munster that we need to back it up because it is so tight around us with Shannon and UCD, we need to keep picking up points, we just can’t have that flash-in-the-pan and hope that is enough.

“Potentially we could be seventh come 4pm on Saturday but we must make sure we turn up and do the business, you have to keep looking up you can’t look behind you and hope to finish elsewhere.

"You have got to look up and try and catch the team above you and see where you go from there.

The trip to UCD is the proverbial eight-pointer.

“It is about trying to keep as many teams fighting for their lives as possible as well as getting out of there yourself,” he said. “We didn’t perform at home against UCD as well as we would have liked and they deserved their victory on the day...but we’re going there with confidence and we know if we perform better than we did at the Palace we’ll certainly give ourselves a very good chance of getting a result.”

Ballynahinch’s play-off credentials will be fully-tested as they travel to leaders Clontarf. Adam Craig’s side are four points outside the top four and have Greg Jones, Reuben Crothers, Conor McKee, Ben Carson and Aaron Sexton in the matchday squad.

Queen’s face a crunch match at the bottom of Division 1B with fellow students UCC at the Dub. The Belfast side are still decimated with injury and representative call-ups but do have Ulster prop Scott Wilson in the starting line-up.

In Division 2A, Banbridge face Nenagh, Ballymena the UL Bohs side and Malone entertain Old Crescent.

Instonians will look to make it 31 consecutive bonus point wins as they travel to Dungannon. Paul Pritchard’s team are nine points clear at the top pf Division 2B.

“I’ve seen some footage from Dungannon in the last few games and they look like their game plan is different than what it was when they came to Shaw’s Bridge,” said Pritchard. “We sort of feel we know what we are going to get with them...Johnny (Gillespie) is going to have them with a good scrum and lineout so we have to have our set-piece on point and they are going to be really physical and come after us.

“They are at home, so it adds that little bit of extra pride to them, we have got to go there and not try to match the intensity but increase it.”

Rainey host Dungannon and in 2C, Bangor host Clogher Valley and Omagh visit Bruff.