Monday’s Danske Bank Schools’ Cup Final at Ravenhill will feature the perennial favourites, Methodist College and new boys, Sullivan Upper (kick off 3.00pm).
Fans are encouraged to pre-buy tickets to guarantee entry into your preferred area and to avoid lengthy queues at the gate. Pre-bought tickets cost from just £5 for children and £10 for adults.
PREVIEW
The Holywood boys will be featuring in their first ever Ulster Schools’ Cup final and this talented group of young players will be hoping to finish off a plan that has been in the offing for some seven years. When Ross Todd, Michael Cartmill, David McMaster, Josh Davidson and their team mates of seven years standing walked into Sullivan Upper School in September 2007. Mike Rodgers, Mark Spiers, Billy Halliday and David Armstrong helped the talented bunch develop in their early years. In stepped Willie Anderson to take the team through their Medallion season.
Astutely guided along the way by Anderson, they won the Shield. Ross Todd led his Medallion team with distinction that year and success left the squad with a great desire to achieve a lot more. They are now just one step away from achieving that goal.
Rodgers then, once again, became the guiding influence on these young players and had the foresight to appoint Ross Todd as captain of the Sullivan Upper team in his Lower Sixth year. Ross displayed meticulous attention to detail both on and off the pitch and his players have all benefitted from his captaincy.
The responsibility for taking this group of players through their final year as 1st XV players and potential Schools’ Cup winners, was then handed to Anderson, the man who coached them to previous Medallion Shield glory. Willie can call upon the well rounded skills of Stephen Finlay as manager of the Sullivan Upper team to assist with the preparation of the team.
En route through the school, a number of these players have been awarded the Loughead Cup. This cup is presented to players from Sullivan Upper who display great potential on the rugby pitch. It has been presented in memory of a man who devoted a life time of service to rugby football at schoolboy level in Sullivan Upper, Ulster and Ireland. That man is Roy Loughead, former Ulster Branch and Irish Rugby Football Union President. Sadly, Roy is no longer with us but how proud he would be to see his beloved Sullivan Upper School take the pitch at Ravenhill on St. Patrick’s Day.
The Sullivan Upper team has strength in every department. Concerns regarding their scrummaging ability seem to have been dispelled following the total dominance of the Sullivan Upper scrum against Coleraine AI in the semi final. The front row of Conor McEvoy, Mark Crockford and Chris Griffiths never took a backward step. The victory in that game was achieved because of the dominance of the Sullivan Upper pack. Not only did they dominate the scrums, they dominated the lineouts with Max Clarke and Josh Davidson in imperious form. They were quicker and smarter at the breakdown with Todd, Dave Cave and Andrew Bailie getting through a lot of work. The Sullivan Upper driven maul tactic was very effective, leading directly to a number of tries.
The Sullivan half backs, Charlie McEwen and Mark Adair, displayed good game management skills and kept the Sullivan pack on the front foot for large parts of the game. Adair, alongside his centres, Michael Cartmill and David McMaster, formed a very effective midfield trio. They looked dangerous with the ball in hand and displayed great determination to get over the gainline. They were determined in defence but might be slightly concerned as to how the Coleraine AI centre, Mark Gordon, managed to run in for a try from distance. Out wide, the Sullivan Upper team has players who are safe in defence and love to get the chance to run at the opposition. Young Jonny Betts has displayed great form at fullback since David McMaster moved in to the centre position.
In recent years Sullivan Upper teams have won the Subsidiary Shield, the 2nd XV Cup, the Schools’ Bowl, the Medallion Sevens, the Senior Sevens and the Medallion Shield. Can they add to this list of honour by winning the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup?
The team that will be determined to ruin the Sullivan party on St. Patrick’s Day is Methodist College. The Belfast boys have appeared in more finals and won more Ulster Schools’ Cups than any other school in the Province. They have a proud and distinguished history of success in the competition and the ‘Class of 2014’ are determined they well be continuing with that success. This Methodist College team is en route to yet another triple success having won the competition in each of the last two seasons.