QUB had the first kick of the game, attacking towards the family stand. The weather was hazy, and rainfall before kick-off had made the pitch very wet, causing a greasy ball at times. A well-executed penalty by Ben McFarlane got QUB on the scoreboard early on, putting them 3-0 up just four minutes in.
However, Instonians were quick to react, dominating the early exchanges. Oli Clark crashed over for the opening try in the 13th minute, followed by a stunning solo effort from Bradley McNamara just three minutes later, converted by Richie McMaster, making the score 3-10.
QUB, however, refused to buckle. A determined drive from Callum Florence culminated in a try for Jake McCay, converted by McFarlane. The sides went into halftime separated by a single point, QUB leading 13-12.
HT: QUB 13 - 12 INST
The second half mirrored the first, with many penalties being conceded due to a greasy ball and lack of control. Some excellent penalty kicks straight through the posts came from QUB winger, Ben McFarlane, including one from the halfway line, making the score 19-12. Instonians however clawed back to a draw when Oli Clarke burrowed over from a powerful maul in the 54th minute, the score now reading 19-19.
In the 73rd minute, after some determined back and forth, Rhys O’Donnell put Instonians into the lead after breaking the line at pace to crash over, making the score 19-24, with McMaster adding the extras.
Drama unfolded in the dying minutes when Rory Telfer crossed the line for QUB with only seconds remaining. McFarlane's conversion tied the scores at 26-26, forcing the game into extra time.
FT: QUB 26 - 26 INST
Instonians took the initiative in the additional period, with a penalty by McMaster in the 8th minute of the first half of extra time, putting them ahead, 26-29. QUB threatened a late fightback, but a try from Instonians' Neil Saulters in the final minute sealed the win for their side. McMaster added the extras to confirm a famous 36-26 victory for Instonians.
FT AET: QUB 26 - 36 INST
This win marks an end to an incredible season for the Instonians team, who had to defeat two 1A AIL teams within this competition to make the final, and have also been promoted into 2A after a record-breaking winning streak that spanned across the two previous seasons. This marks the twentieth time that Instonians have lifted the Senior Cup, and it's the first time they have done so in 25 years, their last victory being in 1999. No stranger to success in Kingspan Stadium this season, Jamie Kirk was on the coaching staff of this Instonians team, having won the Ulster Schools’ Cup with RBAI earlier this year.
From all of us at Ulster Rugby, we would like to wish a huge congratulations to Instonians.
### Scorers
QUB
TRY: Jake McCay, Rory Telfer
CON: Ben McFarlane (2)
PEN: Ben McFarlane (4)
INSTONIANS
TRY: Oli Clarke (2), Bradley McNamara, Rhys O'Donnell, Neil Salters
CON: Richie McMaster (4)
PEN: Richie McMaster
### QUB
1. Jack Boal
2. Alexander Clarke (C)
3. Matthew Millar
4. Jack McCay
5. Charlie Irvine
6. Harry Long
7. Will Cusack
8. Peter Heasley
9. Harvey Patterson
10. Jonny Hunter
11. Ryan Street
12. Callum Florence
13. Rory Ellerby
14. Ben McFarlane
15. Rory Tefler
16. George Coen
17. Andrew Clingan
18. Flynn Longstaff
19. Paddy McAlpine
20. Ethan Patterson
21. Angus Christie
22. Eamonn Rodgers
### Instonians
1. Anton Lupari
2. Oli Clarke
3. Alan Whitten
4. Martin Vorster
5. Mark Mairs
6. David Whitten (VC)
7. Andrew McGrath
8. Gary Dillon
9. Rhys O'Donnell
10. Richie McMaster
11. Matthew Keane
12. Ian Whitten
13. Bevan Prinsloo
14. Mark Keane (C)
15. Bradley McNamara
16. Schalk van der Merwe
17. Neil Saulters
18. Liam Kaprigiannis
19. Eoghan Murphy
20. Max Preston
21. Ruairi O'Farrell
22. Josh Eagleson