Portora Royal School will be delighted to have a home draw against one of the pre-competition favourites, Wallace High School. The Portora Royal School team has had the benefit of playing one Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup game when they defeated Banbridge Academy in Round 2. The foundations for that victory were laid by the performance of the Portora Royal School pack, allied to the kicking skills of their outhalf, Adam Lendrum. Portora coaches, Rhys Botha and Ashley Finlay, were delighted their team came through the encounter with Banbridge Academy relatively unscathed. The strength of the Portora RS team would appear to lie with their pack but they have much more to offer than just forward domination.
Team captain, Jamie Gibson, leads the team from the hooker position. He has two very good props in Jamie McKee and Marcus Crawford alongside him. The Portora break away trio of Andrew Crawford, Josh Kennedy and Matthew Dane gets through a lot of work and are very effective at the breakdown. This was proven against the Banbridge Academy team. The talents of Kennedy and Dane have been recognised by their inclusion in the Ulster Schools U17s Development squad. Andrew’s brother, Alistair, is the Portora RS team vice-captain. Working with Lendrum and Connor Keys in the Portora midfield, he has created many try scoring opportunities for his outside backs during the season. Fullback, Robert Baloucoune, has benefitted greatly from the creativity of his inside backs. The Portora team will see themselves as ‘underdogs’ as they prepare to welcome the Wallace High School team to the Lakelands. They will extend a warm welcome, both on and off the pitch, to the Wallace High School team.
The Wallace High School players will readily accept they are one of the pre-tournament favourites for the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. They are currently undefeated in the course of the season so far. Team coaches, Derek Suffern and Neil Hinds, have an exceptionally talented group of players from which to select their final 23! They have 15 players who were involved with last season’s squad, a squad that reached the semi-finals of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. The current squad would be confident of going at least one stage further this season.
Ben Pentland, Ben Finlay, Jonny Stewart and Neil Kilpatrick have represented Ulster Schools at U18 level while Andrew Cardosi has played for the Ulster U19 team. Stewart and Kilpatrick are both very talented scrumhalves so it could be something of a dilemma for the coaches as to which one will start with the No 9 jersey on his back. Sam Moore, as the Wallace High School captain, has great faith in the ability of all the players in the squad. They have defeated teams from Ulster, Leinster and Munster in the course of the current season. A training camp in Johnstown has helped in their preparation for a serious assault on the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. Attention to detail is paramount in the philosophy of the Wallace High School coaching staff. Nothing will be left to chance as they prepare to launch their Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup campaign.
BALLYMENA ACADEMY v METHODIST COLLEGE, 11.00am
There is a clash of two of the top seeded teams when Ballymena Academy host the perennial Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup favourites, Methodist College. Ballymena Academy coaches, John Andrews and Gavin Murray, have experienced success in the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup, having coached the team that won the competition in 2010. That successful team included two players, Sam McNabney and Matthew Rea, both of whom have brothers playing in the current Ballymena Academy team. Josh McNabney and Marcus Rea are crucial members of a Ballymena Academy pack that has struck a rich vein of form in recent games. They would, along with their team mates, love to emulate the success of the 2010 squad. Add the considerable talents of players such as Josh Bill, Alexander Clarke, Joe Thompson and Jonny McKeown into the equation and it is not hard to see why the Ballymena Academy pack has developed into a unit that commands the respect of even the strongest opposition packs. They have provided quality possession for an attack minded Ballymena Academy backline that can call upon the talents of players such as Matthew Stronge, Andrew Magrath, team captain, Josh McIlroy, Dean Reynolds, Angus Kernohan, Craig Hanna and Conor Gallagher. The experience of players such as Josh McIlroy, Craig Hanna, Joe Thompson, Andrew Magrath and Dean Reynolds, all of whom are entering into their third Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup campaign, will be seen as vital to the Ballymena Academy squad. This Ballymena Academy squad will handle the label of ‘underdog’ in a positive manner and nothing would give them more pleasure than to see their name in the draw for the next round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup.
Methodist College, coached by Nicky Wells and Stephen Lindsay will feel their charges are hitting winning Schools’ Cup form at just the right time of the season as they chase a fourth consecutive title. They will travel to play Ballymena Academy in a very confident mood after a recent victory at the same venue. There is an array of talent in the Methodist College squad that is possibly unequalled by any school in the Province. Ben O’Reilly, team captain, Saul Herdman and Alex McAllister, in the front row, have rarely been troubled by any of their opposition counterparts this season. They will think no differently about Saturday. If they, along with their fellow forwards, have laid the foundations for the success of the Methodist College team this season, it is in the Methody backline where there is outstanding talent to be seen. Gareth Millar is an astute No 10 who has benefitted from the experience of playing for the Ulster U19 team. Another Ulster U19 player, Ali McIvor, in the Methodist College midfield, is a very strong defensive player as well as being a very creative attacking player. His creativity has presented attack minded wide players, such as Conor Kelly and Robert Lyttle, with the opportunity to display their highly developed attacking skills on countless occasions this season. Lyttle is also a first class goal kicker who will punish any opposition indiscretions committed with his strike range. Conor was involved with the Ireland U18 Schools team last season and Robert is currently involved this season. Their Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup performances will be closely monitored by Ireland Schools’ advisors in attendance at the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup games.
DOWN HS v COLERAINE AI, 11.00am
Down High School will host a Coleraine Academical Institution team that will travel to Downpatrick as favourites. The hosts, despite going behind against Rainey Endowed in their second round clash, came through that encounter in an emphatic manner. This will have given the Down High School squad a great degree of confidence. The Down High School squad has lost 11 of the team that reached the quarter final stage of the 2014 edition. This was the best ever achievement by a Down High School team. The loss of these players has been offset by the elevation of players from the squad that contested the semi finals of last season’s Medallion Shield. The Down HS coaching team of Charlie Knox and John Gunston has developed a squad that has made some of their more established opposition sit up and take notice this season. Victories against schools such as Bangor Grammar School, Regent House, Belfast Royal Academy and, most recently, Rainey Endowed School, all former winners of the Ulster Schools’ Cup, have put the Down High School squad into a very positive frame of mind as they prepare to welcome another former winner, Coleraine Academical Institution.
Team captain, Nathan Gibson, is part of a pack of forwards that is secure at set piece time as well as clever at the breakdown. Nathan played a leading role in the victory against Rainey Endowed in the previous round. He got great support from his experienced colleagues such as Aaron Chambers, Harry McCormack, Duncan Ross, Mark Hanna and Patrick Preston, all of whom were involved last season. Zac Ward, son of former Ulster and Ireland backrow forward, Andy, has made a seamless transition from the demands of Medallion rugby to the demands of 1st XV rugby. He is a member of the Ulster Schools U17 Development squad and seems to have the skill set to go a good deal further. Zach scored two tries against the Rainey Endowed team. Co-captain, Ross Carlisle, an Ulster U19 Squad member, is a member of a back division that includes Patrick Browne and John Hyndman, both members of the Ulster Schools U17 Development squad. Thomas Forson, Jamie Gibson, Rory Kerr and Joe Bingham join Ross in bringing experience to the backline. In Joe Bingham, the hosts have a very accurate place kicker. They will all look forward to emulating the success of last year’s team and, indeed, would be keen to take things at least one step further this season.
Coleraine Academical Institution are a confident team who have justified their position as one of the top seeded teams in the competition. Team coaches, Richard Beggs and Stephen Douglas, assisted by Mark Palmer, will look to the experience that players such as Daniel McAllister, Oliver McDowell, James Bleakly and team captain, Peter Bonnar bring to the Coleraine AI pack. These players are in their third season on the team and are hopeful of going one stage further than they did when they reached the semi finals of last season’s Schools’ Cup. Their experience has assisted in the development of players such as Ulster Schools’ U18 squad members such as Peter Weisener, Christi Hamilton and David Greatorex in the pack. They will provide a formidable challenge for their Down High School counterparts.
The Coleraine AI backline may not be as experienced as their pack in terms of Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup appearances. Andrew Weisener is entering into his third year of Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Rugby and his advice to younger players such as Thomas Lavery and Connor Skuce will be vital. Bruce Campbell and Calum Smyth have formed a more than useful half back partnership, which has displayed consistently good game management skills all season. Calum is a first class place kicker who, if he can bring an error free game with him on Saturday, has the potential to cause problems for the Down High school defence. The Down High School discipline will need to be of the highest order if Calum is to be denied the opportunity of punishing the opposition with his trusty boot.
BALLYCLARE HS v BANGOR GS, 11.00am
The teams met in an encounter which can only be described as ‘feisty’ earlier in the season. Bangor was missing a couple of players on that occasion and the Ballyclare team recorded a handsome victory. The Ballyclare High School coaching panel of Mike McKeever, Gareth Shaw, Gary Clotworthy and Mark O’Connor has worked hard to ensure their squad has peaked at just the right time. They had a successful run of games in the first term and see no reason why this good form should not continue in the course of their campaign. Team captain, Matthew McDowell, was an ever present with the Ulster Schools U18 squad while Jack Magee gained great experience through his involvement with the same squad. Owen Kirk, Alistair Burke, Jack Black, Jack Lewis and Zachary McMorran have all been involved with the Ulster Schools U17 squad. These players have benefitted greatly from working at Elite Age grade level. They will hope the skills developed with the Age Grade squads will stand them in good stead as they prepare for their Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup outing against Bangor Grammar School. The Ballyclare High school team has displayed the ability to score tries from almost anywhere on the pitch this season. They will go all out to score more tries on Saturday.
Bangor GS was delighted with their performance against a very useful Dalriada School when the teams met in the second round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. They recorded a well-deserved victory in that game and one which will give them a great deal of confidence as they prepare for their third round Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup game against Ballyclare High School. Team coaches, Jason Morgan, Phil Cartmill and the ebullient DK Kennedy, felt that win was due reward for all the hard work everyone associated with the team had put in. They will hope for an even better performance on Saturday when they travel to Ballyclare. They have 11 players returning from their previous Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup squad with the addition of eight players who have moved up from their Medallion team. Indeed, depending on injuries, they could have eight Year 12 players in their starting line-up.
Chief among these young players is Matthew Agnew who, despite the fact he is just 16, has already gained representative honours with the Danske Bank Ulster Schools team. Matthew will look to his experienced fellow forwards such as Connor McKee, Zach Slevin, Ross Maxwell and Adam Brennan to assist in guiding him through this cup game. These players are at the heart of a Bangor Grammar School pack that feels, on its day, it can compete on an equal footing with any other pack in the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. The Bangor Grammar School back line will be hoping their pack will be able to produce the quality possession they thrive on. With players such as team captain, Robert Gamble, who had an outstandin game against Dalriada, Jonny Baxter, Jamie Fulton, Shaun Fair and Aaron Corbett all returning from last season, there is a determination in the Bangor backs that suggests they would wish to go at least one stage further than last season when they lost out to Sullivan Upper in the 3rd Round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. It will be a tough ask for the Bangor Grammar School team to win in Ballyclare but there will be no lack of commitment as they set out to do so.
LIMAVADY GS v RS ARMAGH, 11.00am
Limavady Grammar School has successfully come through two tough Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup encounters in the past month. Their first round game at home to Wellington College saw the team record a 10-5 victory, while their second round game away to Portadown College, saw them emerge as 22-30 winners at the end of an enthralling encounter. Having had the experience of having these two games behind them, the Limavady team could see themselves as favourites as they prepare to welcome Royal School Armagh to Ballyquin Road on Saturday.
Team captain, Scott McLean has shone in the last two games. He provided positive leadership for his young colleagues in those games and they responded in a most efficient manner. His ability with the ball in hand, as well as off the tee, came through strongly, particularly against the Portadown College team. He was the essential difference between the two teams on that occasion. If he can raise his game management skills up another notch the RS Armagh team could be in for a torrid time on Saturday. Their victory, against a committed Portadown College team in the second round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup, is testament to the hard work being done by the coaching staff of Chris Nash, Sam Val