Banbridge 27

Corinthians 0

Corinthians found themselves in the firing line at Rifle Park on Saturday as the home side blew them off the top of a table, running in four tries while holding the Galway side pointless, both in terms of the scoreboard, and of league points picked up in the game.

The result saw the Cloonacauneen side slip to second in the table after Instonians claimed a bonus-point win over Cashle, but they have an immediate chance to bounce back to winning ways with a Connacht  derby against basement side, Buccaneers, tomorrow.

On what was a windy day at Rifle Park, it was the home side who started brightest and continued that for the whole afternoon. A try from winger Adam Doherty in the 21st minute started the ball rolling with Doherty collecting a cross-field kick from full-back Robert Lyttle to score.

It set the tone and by half-time Corinthians were trailing by 12. Doherty would score his second eight minutes later, breaking through the cover on his own 22’ to outrun everyone and dot down under the posts. Scrum-half Jack Hart kicking the extras.

With the wind at the backs in the second-half, Banbridge extended their lead on with a penalty from the impressive Hart and then scored their third try on 58 minutes when a short line-out was driven over with replacement hooker John Wilson touching down.

Hart’s conversion now left Corinthians with a mountain to climb and while they tried to get back into the game, they would be caught again with Lyttle this time getting in between two Corinthians players to collect another cross-field kick, this time by Hart and running in near unopposed for his side’s fourth try of the afternoon putting to an end a disappointing day for Corinthians.

“We didn’t turn up at all, physically or mentally,” Corinthians’ Director of Rugby, Michael Harding, said after the game.

“As coaches, we were off as well as the players. There is no real explanation for it. We don’t know why it happened. It’s probably the worst performance we have had in my tenure as head coach. But the bottom line is that we move on.

Pictured: Tight-head prop Raymond Dufficy will be a key player for Corinthians tonight. Photo: Iain McDonald.