There were seven Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Round 1 games played on Saturday 10th January, as well as a number of 2nd XV Cup, 3rd XV Cup, Medallion Shield and friendlies played.
DANSKE BANK SCHOOLS’ CUP
Banbridge Academy 45 Antrim GS 0
The intentions of the Banbridge Academy team were clear from the kick-off when their winger, Michael McGaffin scored a try in the first minute. The try was not converted but the Banbridge Academy team had a 5-0 lead. The Banbridge Academy team was controlling the set piece plays, as well as affairs at the breakdown, in the early stages of the game. It came as no surprise when Ben Carson displayed sublime skill before he touched down for a try after fifteen minutes. Daniel McElderry converted the try to put his team into a 12-0 lead. The Banbridge Academy captain, Matthew Bell, was leading his team well and he showed great qualities before he scored the third try of the game just before the break. McElderry was successful with his conversion kick to give his team a 19-0 lead at the interval.
It was more of the same for the Banbridge Academy team in the second half of the game. Their talented scrumhalf, Jay Pinion, ran in for a converted try three minutes after the re-start. Four minutes later, McGaffin got his second score of the game. McElderry once again converted the try to give his team an unassailable 33-0 lead. Despite the best intentions of Antrim Grammar School players such as JJ McKee, the Mawhinney brothers, James and Robert, team captain, Matthew Dunne and his backrow colleagues, Jacob McCollum and Daniel McGrandles, there was little they could do to prevent the Banbridge Academy team running in two more tries in the final quarter of the game. The Banbridge Academy second row forward, Peter Heaney, trundled in for a try which McElderry converted. This gave the Banbridge team a 40-0 lead. With just five minutes of the game remaining, McElderry scored his team’s seventh try of the game.
Friends’ School 5 Portadown College 16
The Portadown team lost their flanker, Sam White, to a non-contact injury during the warm up. This provided their young replacement, Stuart Hodgen, with the opportunity to gain Schools’ Cup experience somewhat earlier than he expected. The game started in windy conditions with both teams attempting to impose their structures and patterns on the opposition. Early nerves ensured a large number of mistakes but both teams were trying to play positive rugby. The Friends’ School team made good use of the wind in their backs. They secured a lot of possession from their lineout plays and were effective at the breakdown. Their half backs made good use of the ball and kept the team on the front foot for good periods of time. Curtis Dundas and Ryan Hall asked questions of the Portadown College defence, on a number of occasions. The got in behind the defence, at times, only to see the final pass go to ground or get bundled into touch when in possession. Good use of the ball, with both forwards and backs involved in the build-up, saw the Friends’ School flanker, Adam Milligan, cross the Portadown College line to touch down for an unconverted try and give his team a deserved 5-0 lead thirty minutes into the game. From the restart the Portadown College team patiently worked their way back up the pitch and Niall Davidson and Michael Orr combined to create space for the latter to touch down and level the scores going into half time.
The Portadown College team made good use of the wind in their backs in the second half. They pinned the Friends’ School team back with some astute kicks. The Friends’ defence gave away two penalties in quick succession. Niall Davidson made no mistake with his trusty boot. He converted both penalty opportunities to put his team into a 5-11 lead early in the second half. The visitors took advantage of some very slack Friends’ School defence when Jordan Dowds slipped through three missed tackles to touch down for an unconverted try and put his team into a 5-16 lead, which they held to the end.
Limavady GS 10 Wellington College 5
The Limavady Grammar school team won the toss and played with the strong wind in the first half. They started well and used the wind to good effect taking up position in the Wellington College 22m area. The first try of the game came when the Limavady captain, Scott McLean, gained good ground for his team with a long penalty kick. The resulting lineout saw the home team gain control of the ball. They protected the ball very efficiently and finished off with a try which was awarded to Oliver Mullan. The conversion kick was unsuccessful but the Limavady Grammar School had a 5-0 lead which they took into the interval.
The second half saw the Limavady Grammar School team enjoy territorial advantage for long periods of time. However, the overhead conditions ensured there were plenty of spillages and the game became somewhat scrappy at times. Both teams displayed great determination and it was the Wellington College team that levelled the score at 5-5 when they kicked their way into the Limavady Grammar School 22m area following a series of penalties. Pressure on the Limavady defence ended when Jamie Hewitt ran in for an unconverted try for the Wellington College team. The home team recovered from this setback and their pack, buoyed by the arrival of impact sub, Alan Wilson, took play deep into Wellington College territory. Pressure on the Wellington College line ended when Gus McIntosh scrambled over for an unconverted try to secure a hard –earned 10-5 victory.
Regent House 13 RS Dungannon 7
The Regent House team was made to work very hard before they defeated the Royal School, Dungannon team by 13-7 when the teams met in the first round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. The game was played in very strong wind conditions which made life difficult for both sets of players during the game. The RS Dungannon team felt in a confident mood for the game coming into it on the back of a training camp in Portugal and good performances in recent outings. The Regent House team had the advantage of the wind in the first half. They received the kick-off and played through the early phases of the game by protecting the ball very effectively. Their clever work paid off when Aaron May touched down for an unconverted try to put his Regent House team into a 5-0 lead. The rest of the first half was contested on a reasonably even manner with both teams having created opportunities to score points. However, well-organised defences and the occasional knock-on or dropped pass ensured it was the Regent House team that took their 5-0 lead into the half time break.
The Royal School Dungannon team had a one man advantage for a short time after the break. However, they were unable to make anything of the situation and conceded a series of soft penalties to let the Regent House team off the hook. Indeed, it was the Regent House team that extended their lead when their captain, Jonny Harris, took advantage of a well-organised driven maul, following a lineout, to touch down for a try. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful but the Regent House team now had a 10-0 lead. This soon became 13-0 when Taylor Nutt converted a penalty for the Regent House team, following an RS Dungannon indiscretion at a breakdown. Dungannon had pressurised the Regent House line for good parts of the second buy got no return for their endeavours. That was until Josh McKee scored a try following good work in the lineout from his forwards. Aaron Perry kicked a superb conversion to reduce the arrears to 13-7. However, it turned out to be a case of so near, but yet so far, for the RSD team.
Cambridge House 3 Grosvenor GS 25
Cambridge House hosted Grosvenor Grammar School in the first round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup in a game the Grosvenor Grammar School team won by 25-3. The Grosvenor Grammar School team started well and dominated both territory and possession for good periods of time. They got off to the best possible start when, from the kick-off, the Cambridge House team turned the ball over. The Grosvenor GS team worked their way through the phases before Caleb McCullough went over for an unconverted try in the corner to give his team a 0-5 lead. A few minutes later, another Cambridge House infringement gave Mark Johnston the opportunity to extend the Grosvenor lead to 0-8 when he was successful with the resultant penalty kick. In the final minutes of the first half Thomas Quinn broke three tackles and scored under the Cambridge House posts. Johnston added the conversion to give the visitors a 0-15 lead. The Cambridge House team re-gathered, and with the last play of the first half, got some reward for their endeavours when James Bovill converted a penalty opportunity to reduce the deficit to 3-15 at the break.
The Grosvenor Grammar School team started the second half strongly and from a series of forward drives Daniel Mayhew forced his way over for an unconverted try. Victory for the away side was secured when Andrew Boyd touched down following good work from his pack.
Carrickfergus GS 22 Lurgan College 3
The game, played in blustery conditions at Irwin Park, started with the Carrickfergus dominating the early exchanges of the game, with Adam Urquhart and Reece Berry getting through a lot of work. It was the home team that took a 5-0 lead when Christian Robinson displayed some great footwork, allied to his pace, to outwit the Lurgan College defence. He ran in for an unconverted try to give his team a 5-0 lead. The Carrickfergus GS team had a number of opportunities to extend their lead but the prevailing conditions made life difficult for the kicker and two penalty opportunities were missed. It was Ryan Wilson, the Lurgan College scrum half, who put the next points on the board, when he was successful with a penalty kick, to reduce the deficit to 5-3. Somewhat against the run of play, the Carrickfergus Grammar School team increased their lead to 10-3 just before the halftime break. Team captain, Jake Porter, combined with his fellow centre, Christian Robinson, to put David Carse in for a try. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful but the Carrickfergus Grammar School team had a 10-3 lead at the interval.
From a scrum the hosts mounted an attack which finished with their fullback, Fionn McCormack, running in for a try. Marc Ellison added the extras to put his team into a 17-3 lead. Lurgan College mounted something of a revival with Victor MacKenzie, Nathan Moffett and Harry Simpson leading the way, but they ran up against a well-organised Carrickfergus GS defence which ensured the Lurgan College midfield attack of Jamie Hunter, Jonny Hunter and Stephen Logan was stifled. It was the home team that finished the stronger when the combined efforts of Scott Henderson, Paul Nelson, David Stewart and Tom Gilpin created the space for Christian Robinson to touch down for his second try of the game.
Foyle College 37 Larne GS 10
The hosts played with the wind in the first half and Alex McDonnell, the Foyle College captain, scored and converted the first try of the game in the eighth minute. Good patterns from a set piece resulted in a try for the industrious Callum McDonnell, whose brother Alex converted for a 14-0 lead. Calum McKay to reduce the deficit to 14-3 shortly after but this was cancelled out by McDonnell’s effort just before half time.
The Larne Grammar School team came out of the blocks quickly at the start of the second half. The created the opportunity for Jordan Bell to finish off a flowing move with a try. McKay added the extras to reduce the arrears to 17-10. The Foyle College team, now playing into the wind, scored again thanks to Alex McDonnell, his second of the game. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful but McDonnell made amends with a penalty to bring the score to 25-10. Jack McNeill then ran in for an unconverted try before McDonnell crossed for his hat-trick score to seal the win.
SCHOOL FRIENDLIES
Wallace HS 17 St Mary’s College 12
Wallace High School continued their successful season with a 17-12 victory against St. Mary’s College, Dublin. The St Mary’s College team, one of whose coaches is former Royal School Armagh, Ulster and Ireland Schools second row, Jamie Cornett, scored two tries, one of which was converted. The Wallace tries came from Ben Finlay, Gary Dillon and Philip Hylands, Ryan Wilson added one conversion.
Campbell College 21 Clongowes Wood College 22
Campbell College hosted Clongowes Wood College from County Kildare and lost out by 21-22 with the last kick of the game.
Blackrock College 15 RS Armagh 8
The RS Armagh team had taken a 0-3 lead when Michael Thompson kicked a penalty but a breakaway unconverted try just before half time gave the hosts a 5-3 advantage. The Blackrock College team then took control and ran in two unconverted tries to take a 15-3 lead. Armagh team displayed great tenacity and got some reward for their hard work when Jonny Nelson touched down towards the end of the game.
BRA 23 Portora RS 17
Belfast Royal Academy continued their recent run of positive results when they hosted, and defeated Portora Royal School by 23-17. The BRA team had built up an 18-7 lead at the break with tries from David McCullough and David Campbell, and a conversion and two penalties from Michael Wilson. The Portora Royal School team scored a converted try in the first half. The Portora RS team scored two unconverted tries in the second half to reduce the arrears to 18-17. However, the Belfast Royal Academy team secured their 23-17 win when David O’Donnell Anderson touched down in the last play.
Ballymena Academy 16 Sullivan Upper 0
Ballymena Academy benefitted from the breeze in the first period, with Andrew Magrath and Michael Stronge managing the territory. After a sustained period of pressure near the Sullivan line, Ballymena were awarded a penalty that was successfully slotted by Magrath to give his team a 3-0 lead. Five minutes later, it was Andrew who won the race to the touchdown following a clever kick through from Angus Kernohan. Andrew’s conversion increased the lead to 10-0. Two more Magrath penalties, before the interval, stretched the home team’s lead to 16-0 at halftime.
The second half saw Sullivan enjoy the majority of territory and possession and their strong scrum, with Peter Cooper outstanding, was proving to be a useful platform. Ballymena defended very efficiently for long periods of the half, with Marcus Rea and Joe Thompson to the fore. As the half wore on, Sullivan Upper turned down several opportunities to kick penalties as they searched for a try. The Ballymena Academy team continued to defend with intensity and aggression and, in doing so, kept the Sullivan team from crossing the try line until the final whistle sounded for a 16-0 win for the home team.
The Ballymena Academy squad got a major boost with the performance of Alexander Clarke who was making his debut as hooker on th