Andre Bester would not get many neutrals to subscribe to his assertion that Ballymena do not represent genuine title contenders, certainly anybody who wandered into Castle Avenue on Saturday would regard such a sentiment as trite posturing.
In mitigation Ballymena's South African coach believes that the team possesses the talent to make the play-offs, he's just not given to looking at the big picture. "The only thing that occupies my mind at the moment is our next match against Galwegians. I refuse to look any further ahead than that."
Bester's tunnel vision is replicated on the pitch by the focus and professionalism that his charges bring to the task in hand. Human frailty suggests that one or two individuals might have allowed thoughts to slip towards Ulster's European Cup semi-final against Stade Francais. There wasn't a hint of self-preservation.
Ballymena gave no indication of a team returning from the Christmas and New Year festivities: they started purposefully and rarely let the tempo or the quality of their rugby drop in the opening 40 minutes.
During that period they subjected Clontarf to a shocking mauling, particularly in the set scrums where the home pack frequently collapsed concertina-like as they were shunted backwards with indecent haste. It was to be a sobering afternoon for the Clontarf eight.
Ballymena's line-out, through the excellent Mark Blair and Gary Longwell, was another area of great productivity, despite the occasionally wayward delivery of Adrian Stewart. It was used as a platform to maul the ball 15 to 20 metres at a time. Clontarf's desperation was manifest in the number of penalties conceded, transgressions ruthlessly punished by Simon Mason.
The Ulster full-back ended with kicking statistics of eight from nine opportunities, illustrating his value to the team. The Ulster side, because of their dominance up front, looked to expand their game plan: for the back line the afternoon was reduced to tackling practice.
An indication of Bester's approach may be gleaned from the fact that Ballymena finished the match with three forwards in the back line: former flanker Dean Macartney is a regular feature on the left wing, brilliant open-side Derek Topping moved to the centre while second row cum number eight John Andrews was introduced in place of Derek McAleese at out-half.
These changes were not dictated by injury, just a simple premise that the bigger physiques offered targets for the pack to work off and defensively they could subdue Clontarf whose insistence on battering a way through was fraught with failure.
Clontarf's spiralling injury crisis, which already includes Declan O'Brien and Alan Dignam, got worse when Colin Power was taken to hospital with suspected broken ribs. The home side can ill afford one long-term absentee, let alone three.
The dismantling of the front five in the tight will be a huge concern to coach Brent Pope while another insipid display behind the scrum confirms that Clontarf are long on endeavour, low on quality in this area. Pope admitted: "They starved us of any ball and are certainly the best pack we have come up against. It was a comprehensive beating."
The home side did display character in grabbing two tries immediately after the interval but that may be partially attributed to Ballymena's cosy footing at the time. The northern side were 16-0 ahead inside the first quarter with a try from Rab Irwin and three penalties and a conversion from Mason.
On 26 minutes after referee Dave McHugh had twice penalised Clontarf at a five-metres scrum he awarded a penalty try. Mason converted, as he did again on 38 minutes when Sheldon Coulter crossed for a try following a dreadful mix-up between Rainn Vorster and Mark Woods.
In the interim Vorster had crossed for a well-worked try, conjured by Ollie Winchester's break and neat pass. Mason's fourth penalty pre-empted the half-time whistle.
Vorster's second try and one for Power which Murphy converted offered brief hope but this was ruthlessly dashed on 70 minutes when Ballymena were awarded a second penalty try: this one originated on the Clontarf 22 and three and a half scrums later ended with McHugh running between the posts, arm upraised.
Ballymena have now beaten Shannon, St Mary's College and Clontarf without receiving the requisite credit. Whispers of injury problems decimating opponents have marred their triumphs. But those who sit in judgment awaiting the inevitable slip-up may, on Saturday's evidence, may be in for a long vigil.
Scoring sequence: 3 mins: Irwin try, Mason conversion, 0-7; 12: Mason penalty, 0-10; 14: Mason penalty, 0-13; 22: Mason penalty, 0-16: 26: penalty try, Mason conversion, 0-23; 32: Vorster try, 5-23; 38: Coulter try, Mason conversion, 5-30; 43: Mason penalty, 5-33. 44: Vorster try, 10-33; 56: Power try, Murphy conversion, 17-33; 70: penalty try, Mason conversion, 17-40.
Clontarf: M Woods; R O'Neill, M Smith, S Fitzsimons, O Winchester; R Murphy, R O'Reilly; H Hurley, B Jackman (capt), P McQuillan; R Vorster, C Power; C Brownlie, D Moore, P Ward. Replacements: W O'Kelly for McQuillan (31 mins); T Meagher for Fitzsimons (52 mins); S Berti for O'Reilly (66 min); M Coughlan for Power (70 mins); T Kearns for Jackman (73 mins).
Ballymena: S Mason; S Stewart, J Cunningham, S Coulter, D Macartney; D McAleese, J Wells; N McKernan, A Stewart, R Irwin; M Blair, G Longwell; A Graham, T McWhirter, D Topping. Replacements: N Robson for Wells (half-time); S Ritchie for A Stewart (44 mins); C McCarey for Graham (56 mins); P McBride for Coulter (65 mins); J Andrews for McAleese (68 mins); W McAllister for Irwin (71 mins). Yellow card: D Topping.
Referee: D McHugh (Munster).
