Queen's 'boys delivered' as win kicks off climb off AIL bottom spot

After a three-game losing streak, captain Charlie Irvine knows the importance of the five points for the students.

“The boys delivered, I thought it was really good compared to last week, we went out with a goal and we did it,” said the recently-capped Ulster lock. “We knew what we were doing, we had a plan in attack and we had a plan in defence...I thought the backs played really well and the forwards gave us good tempo ball. It was shaky at times but that is going to happen with a young team and I think we really performed.”

The performance against Blackrock was a huge improvement on Queen’s last home game against UCC, when they lost 50-14.

“We were missing a few lads and it was not the best day for us,” he said. “But there are going to be days like that and it is how you come back from them. There were three weeks in a row where we under-performed and we have come back with a win.

"The aim will be to back it up at Nenagh and it will be a challenge down there, but it is about how we can keep backing up these wins and progress.

“Trinity was really tough, I felt we had the means to win and maybe didn’t perform how we wanted or could have.

“We defended like demons but the discipline let us down, I thought the discipline this week was much better, although a few times we weren’t great, but we had a job to do.”

Queen’s trailed Blackrock 15-14 before getting a try from the final play of the first half and then scored three tries after the break.

“They had a player in front of the kicker, the ref offered us a five-metre scrum and we back our pack to score from there,” he said. “We won the scrum had patience and got over the line...I think we showed that we can put phases together to score some nice tries.

“Everybody talks about scoring first after half-time and last before it and we did it, the red card certainly helped...but we stayed focused and on task, we knew there would be opportunities in the back end of the second half and we were patient and we’re happy how we went.”

Blackrock took an early lead with a penalty then Callum Florence got Queen’s first try with Jack Murphy converting.

Zac Solomons crossed for the students before the visitors responded with two tries. Ryan Street’s uncovered try gave Queen’s a 19-15 half-time lead.

Tom Brigg got the home side’s bonus point try before Solomons and Michael McDonald crossed, Blackrock got a late consolation.

In Division 1A, Ballynahinch are second after a 33-7 win over Garryowen as Zac Ward got two tries, with Aaron Sexton, George Pringle and Conor McKee also over for the home side.

City of Armagh are up to eighth after an impressive 30-26 win at Terenure as Dylan Nelson and Johny Morton got tries. Chris Parker’s side were awarded a penalty try and Kyle Faloon kicked 11 points.

In Division 2A, Instonians lost the top-of-the-table clash 21-15 at Corinthians and Banbridge beat Ballymena 11-6.

In 2B, Dungannon beat Clogher Valley and there were wins for Malone and Rainey.

In the fifth tier, Omagh and Ballyclare drew 19 all while Belfast Harlequins lost at Clonmel.