We need to match form we produced just before Christmas period, says Instonians coach Paul Pritchard as promotion-chasers visit Barnhall

The Shaw’s Bridge club needed a late Josh Eagleson penalty to beat Cashel at home last week, with coach Paul Pritchard acknowledging there is work to be done if the Belfast club are to clinch a fourth consecutive promotion.

“I’d rather be in our position than any other in the league, it shows that we have done a good enough job in the first half of the season,” he stated.

“We didn’t do a good enough job last week but we still came away with five points, so it is important that we continue doing as good a job as we were doing before Christmas there. That’s the focus and that is what we’ll try to do this weekend.

“We know within our team there is that real desire to win and there is that strong mentality in the group and we have probably done it a few more times than what we would like but we have come back and got late winners.

“We are a team that never-says-die and their attitude is top notch so that was never in doubt, but we did learn a bit about ourselves in our mental prep and how we look at every game.

“We had two 2A games that went very close over that break and being cancelled the week before, we maybe just forgot how good some of the oppositions are in this league and that is something that we can’t afford to do again.”

Barnhall sit fourth in the table and Pritchard is taking nothing for granted.

He outlined: “It is my first time going there with Instonians but they are a team that I have watched over the years.

“We beat Barnhall very convincingly at home but they are a very good team. They were in the play-off final last year to go up and they will be gunning to finish top four.

“They will also have a dent to their pride and they will be looking to make amends when we go there on Saturday.

“We just have to make sure that we are mentally ready to perform well. Last week we identified that we had a handful of players that didn’t play up to their usual standard. These things do happen but we just have to make sure that they don’t happen again.

“I think there is a lot more to them than what we got when we played them at Shaw’s Bridge before Christmas and I think it is really important that we prepare knowing that.”

Banbridge host Navan and Ballymena welcome Old Crescent.

City of Armagh will be looking to do a league double over Young Munster and put daylight between themselves and the relegation dog fight in the top flight.

“A lot of rugby has been played since then and both teams will be much changed I’d imagine,” said Armagh coach Chris Parker.

“You know what is coming from Young Munster. They are going to bring a lot of physicality and bring a very strong set piece and they have added a level of play to their game that is going to challenge us in other areas of the pitch now as well.

“They are a pretty well rounded team but it’s our first home game of 2025 and we want to start on the right foot.”

Ballynahinch travel to UCD.

Eamon Rodgers starts at out half for Queen’s as the students travel to Old Belvedere. Jack Murphy is on Ulster duty and Dan Green is with Irish 20’s. Ben McFarlane is at scrum half as Mike McDonald is injured and Clark Logan is also in Irish 20’s camp.

In Division 2B, Dungannon visit Galwegians, Clogher Valley face Sligo, Rainey entertain Skerries, whilst Malone travel to UL Bohs.

In the bottom tier, Belfast Harlequins clash with Monkstown, Ballyclare tussle with Dolphin and Omagh travel to Midleton.