Ballynahinch battle back to defeat Queen's in senior showpiece

The win completed a league-and-cup double for Hinch.

“It is a good feeling, we spoke about it at the start of the season and we wanted to go and be the best team in Ulster, so it was important for us to go out and prove that against Queen’s, who won it last year, so it was good for us to go out on a high at the end of the season,” said Luney.

Queen’s led 15-3 at the break.

Luney continued: “The message at half-time was pretty much to do the opposite of what we were doing, we didn’t really stick to our principles, we went a bit as individuals in defence and against a team like Queen’s they will cut you apart and that is how they ended up getting both their scores in the first half.

“It was just us trying to problem solve ourselves, the message was stick to the systems, try to keep the ball in hand and they will break down eventually.”

Queen’s had yellow cards in the second half which Hinch took full advantage of by scoring 22 points during the sin-binning periods.

“The yellow cards obviously helped playing against 14 but I think they came from us putting pressure on them playing at our speed instead of their speed because I think they dictated a wee bit in the first half and we let them dictate,” he said. “Second half we kind of took it into our own hands and it ended up working out for the best.

“We knew how dangerous Queen’s backs are, especially on a dry sunny day on a big pitch like the Kingspan...the rain coming a wee bit in the second half helped.

“We were looking to assert dominance at the lineout and scrum, the lineout didn’t go to plan and our backs helped us out.

“I thought Mark Best at 12 was outstanding and the rest of the backs were electric too.

“At the start of the season it isn’t something that I would have been expecting to do (lift the cup), Thomas (Donnan) our club captain was missing through injury so I’m more than happy to step in to do it.”

After a domestic double, Luney wants the Hinch squad to push for All Ireland League glory next season in Division 1A.

“The main thing is to kick on, we have aspirations to get into that playoff and the top four spots in 1A and that is the real goal when it comes down to it,” he said. “And that will be the focus, we’ll enjoy the cup success and then come the end-of-season review and going into pre-season that will be the target for next year.”

In the final, Hinch out half Greg Huntley opened the scoring with an eighth-minute penalty.

Queen’s ignited three minutes later from a lineout just inside their own half.

As the ball was moved wide, winger Jonny Hunter showed a great turn of pace to sprint 50 metres to get the game’s opening try but out half Ritchie McMaster failed to convert.

Hinch had centre Mark Best yellow-carded on 15 minutes and Queen’s made their numerical advantage count four minutes later.

From a lineout the students worked the ball from east to west and back again before Hunter released his fellow winger Michael Orr to dash over in the corner.

And McMaster converted from a tight angle.

McMaster extended Queen’s lead with a 26th-minute penalty from just outside the 22.

There was no further scoring in the first half and Queen’s turned around with a 15-3 lead.

Hinch should have scored at the start of the second as captain Bradley galloped over but Queen’s full back Rory Telfer stripped him off the ball before he could ground it.

Queen’s had scum half James Wright yellow-carded, allowing Hinch to get their first try with Aaron Cairns going over in the corner with Huntley converting.

Huntley was on target with a 50th-minute penalty.

Hinch took the lead on 53 minutes with a try from Chris Gibson’s run-in following a turnover in midfield.

But Huntley couldn’t convert from a tight angle.

The Hinch out half missed the change to extend his side’s lead when a long-range penalty from a tight angle fell short.

Queen’s lock Jake McKay was yellow-carded on 69 minutes for a deliberate knock on and Hinch profited immediately.

From the penalty they kicked to the corner, the maul rumbled close to the line before Best sniped over from close range with Huntley converting.

Huntley’s grabbed a late try with which he converted.