Queen's skipper Flynn Longstaff confident students can still mount promotion charge despite latest AIL defeat

Queen’s lost 34-19 to Corinthians at the Dub in a third consecutive home defeat of the season.

The result leaves the students sixth in the table, eight points adrift of the playoffs but with two thirds of the season remaining the prop believes the team has the talent to put a winning run together.

“We're just taking each game at a time, there's a lot of confidence to be taken from each game,” he said.

"We’ll get in and do a review on Tuesday. I think that Jonny (Graham) will have a bit of it for us, Niall (Annett) and DJ (Creighton) and we’ll just be excited to get back. [A] two-week break is a bit frustrating to finish on a loss.

“I think we've just got a bit more to give. I definitely think there's a lot of confidence to take from this block around how the lads have connected.

“We're still a very young group, I think it's just coming. I’m really excited for when it's going to connect together,” he added.

“It is a very young team, it's really exciting. The amount of athletes and amazing rugby players we have in there is great, it's just trying to get us so we can click together as a unit. I think that's coming.

“It's really exciting to have that amount of young lads who are playing to this standard.”

Longstaff had special praise for his front row colleagues Lewis Robinson and Charlie Hargy – both just out of school – who were on the scoresheet against Corinthians.

“They’re doing very well, very impressive,” he added. “I don’t remember doing that when I was first year out of school. They're two great lads, they've been amazing just within the group as well.

“They're doing so well to be starting week in, week out. [I am] feeling like we're in a real good place around our pack, especially in the front row.”

Queen’s had beaten UL Bohs away last week and the skipper was disappointed not to back the result up with a home victory.

“I thought we were really pleased with how we connected away in Limerick, I thought we moved the ball really nicely,” said Longstaff. “We maybe just didn't get enough of that on Saturday.

"I thought Corinthians did well, they stood up and were pretty physical.

“I think a lot of lads stood up really well. There just maybe wasn't that final pass clicking or just getting a bit of luck around the breakdown, just trying to manage that.”

After the break Queen’s face a vital home game with bottom of the table Galwegians.

Longstaff said: “There is a lot of confidence. Even though we had a few losses to take from those games, lads will be hurting – it'll sting. But I think that [after] two weeks of letting it mull over [and] getting our review in, and then we'll just be buzzing to get back on the pitch again.”

James McMillan kicked 14 points as Ballymena edged Dungannon at Stevenson Park.

In 1A Ballynahinch beat Cork Con 31-14.

Ulster hooker James McCormick’s try helped Armagh to a 20-7 win over Garryowen at the Palace Grounds, while Instonians picked up a try bonus point in a defeat at Barnhall.

Clogher Valley went top of Division 2B North with a bonus point win over near neighbours Enniskillen.

Malone suffered a first defeat of the season, going down 30-28 at Malahide, but picked up two match points.

Ballyclare took maximum points in a 31-17 win at Skerries while a resurgent Banbridge made it three consecutive wins, scoring eight tries at home against Sligo.

Rainey are bottom of the table after a defeat at Navan.