The Hinch U18s rallied well in the second half to win the U18 Plate
U18 Plate Final,
Ballynahinch 30 22 Coleraine.
Ballynahinch produced a superb second half display in tricky conditions to bring home some long-awaited silverware for the youth section writes Colin Donaldson.
The big Hinch team had to contend with losing front rower Thomas McPhilips to injury on Ulster duty and an electric Coleraine back division which would pounce on any mistakes.
They started well, playing with the wind on their backs and taking a deserved eight-point lead through a well-executed maul try from Thomas Kirkwood and a James Lewis penalty.
However, Ballynahinch soon found themselves behind. Coleraine scored three unanswered tries to take the lead as half-time approached, but crucially Ballynahinch hit back before the break to give themselves a lifeline.
Prop Callum McCargo collected a goal-line dropout and burst through the Coleraine defence to score and get his team to within four points as the teams turned round.
The conditions were now firmly in Coleraine’s favour but Ballynahinch began the second half with a bang, taking the lead following a fantastic move which ended with McCargo giving the scoring pass to winger Jackson Buchanan.
Coleraine hit back immediately to regain the lead, capitalising on some sloppy play from the County Down men.
The rest of the match proved to be a masterclass in how to play into the wind as big carries from the Ballynahinch forwards and quick taps from replacement scrum-half Ethan Donaldson proved impossible for Coleraine to defend.
Jack Patterson, the hugely influential Number 8, was prominent throughout and put the finishing touches to some great work from his forwards to regain the lead for his side.
Coleraine began to lose their discipline as they were starved of possession and a tap penalty from Donaldson saw Joshua Woods put Buchanan in space with the lively winger stepping his way to the line for his second try.
This score saw Ballynahinch lead by eight points going into the final few minutes of the match and the Ballynahinch pack, led by skipper Adam Blain, saw their team home with a tremendous display of carrying, controlling possession and keeping their lead intact until the final whistle and finishing off a good season with some well-deserved silverware.
Ballynahinch 1-22: Daniel Kinchin, Adam Blain (capt), Callum McCargo, Thomas Kirkwood, Maxwell Buchanan, Tiernan McCann, Matthew McAuley, Jack Patterson, Sean O’Hanlon, Jack Fallon, Jackson Buchanan, Owen Hamill, James Lewis, McKenzie Graham, Kevin Rogan, Luke Kinnear, Charlie Brown, James Wilson, Sam Hoey, John Brown, Ethan Donaldson, Joshua Wood. Travelling reserves: Alex Blaney, Euan Cranston, Luke McIlwaine.
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Ballynahinch RFC Round-up 11 3 2026
Club Notes
Davy Harris and his 2nd XV clinched the league title with a six try 36-0 victory at Malone. They edged out Ballymena by a single point to retain the title and can be very satisfied with another successful season.
Thethirds finished the season with heavy defeat to title chasing Rainey and ended up in fourth place in a strong division. They have made real progress this year and can look forward to the Crawford Plate Final on 25th April as an opportunity to bring home some silverware.
The fourth XV clinched their league with an unblemished record and will be back at Ravenhill for the Forster Cup Final on 25th April. Mike Evans and his crew have had another brilliant finish despite a bad run of postponements turning their season into a stop-start affair.
The fifths continued on their merry way, clinching their league with a thumping win over Cooke and can also look forward to a Ravenhill final as they challenge for the McCambley Cup on 25th April.
There was a long awaited piece of silverware for the youth section on Saturday as the U18 boys defeated Coleraine to win the Plate Final. Congratulations to Jonto Andrews and the boys for an excellent season.
Girls rugby continues to thrive with participation up and results beginning to follow.
The President’s Dinner will be held in the clubhouse on Friday 8th May. To book your place contact James Kirk on 07966143184.
Youth Training continues on Mondays at 7pm for boys and Wednesdays at 7pm for girls. All players U12/U14/U16/U18 welcome and no experience necessary. Contact Johnny Cullen for details on 07595651901.
Mini rugby continues on Saturday mornings from 9.30-11am. Boys and girls from P1 – Yr8 are all welcome, with training run for each age group in their school year.
Mini rugby news is posted weekly on the club Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ballynahinchrfcofficial.
For more details contact Kenny Morton, Mini Convenor on 07813157614 or email:
