Royal School Armagh had the first kick of the game, kicking down towards the Family Stand. They started strongly, applying early pressure and dominating possession. This pressure eventually paid off as they crossed the try line in the first 90 seconds, taking an early lead. Hooker, Charlie Reaney would be the first scorer of the day, dotting down after a powerful maul. With the conversion kick going wide, Armagh took a 5-0 lead.
Rainey, however, showed resilience and gradually worked their way back into the game. An opportunity arose from a penalty, in which skipper, Owen O’Kane decided to go for the posts from the 10m line, however the ball fell short.
Rainey would have another say just two minutes later, when Lorcan McLarnon went straight under the posts after getting past three Armagh players. Rainey's scrum-half, Ewan McKay, set up a brilliant try. He dummied right, then instead dropped it behind him to McLarnon who took off. He sidestepped Armagh’s full-back, Tristan Morris, beautifully and scored the try under the posts. This put the Magherafelt team ahead, 5-7.
Armagh were quick to respond in the twelfth minute, Cameron Cummings crashed over the whitewash after being fed the ball by scrum-half Will Boyd. The conversion kick went wide, taking the score to 10-7.
Moments later, Royal School Armagh extended their lead. With a great attacking build-up from the likes of Cameron Dale and Thomas Dougan, Will Boyd dotted down in the eighteenth minute straight under the posts. Evan Hughes added the extras, taking the score to 17-7.
Will Boyd picked up his second try after a powerful maul from the Armagh boys got the best of the Rainey defence. Hughes converted, taking the score to 24-7.
Rainey would have one last attempt in the half, working their way deep into the Armagh 22, but the boys in white remained resilient, leaving the score at half-time 24-7.
HT: Royal School Armagh 24 – 7 Rainey Endowed School
Rainey kicked us off in the second half, and an early penalty advantage saw skipper Owen O’Kane break the line and score right through the posts. He added the extras to his own try, closing the gap to 24-14.
In the forty-second minute, Armagh's winger, Zakir Majid, ran down the left wing and tried to score in the corner but Rainey's players ran across and forced him in to touch. It was a great defensive play by Rainey.
Armagh would try again a few moments later, this time a successful attempt with Evan Hughes dotting over the whitewash. Hughes converted his own try, pushing the leaders out in front 36-14.
Armagh would score again, this time from centre, Nathan Hamilton taking the lead to 41-14.
Rainey did not give in, and in the sixty-third minute, flanker Luke Caskey dotted the ball down of a powerful maul. Owen O’Kane’s kick hit the post, making the score 41-19.
RS Armagh would have the final say of the game, when Ryan Hamilton crashed over straight through the posts, with Adam Harrison converting, taking the final score to 48-19.
Royal School Armagh have secured the first spot in the St. Patrick’s Day final, the first final they will play in Kingspan in over ten years.
FT: Royal School Armagh 48 - 19 Rainey Endowed School
Scorers
RS Armagh:
TRY: Reaney, Cummings, Boyd (2), Hughes (2), Hamilton N, Hamilton R
CON: Hughes (3), Harrison
Rainey ES:
TRY: McLarnon, O'Kane, Caskey
CON: O'Kane (2)
Teams
Royal School Armagh
(1-8) Alex Stinson, Charlie Reaney, Cameron Dale, Harry Dougan, James Reid, Bailey Russell, Sam Gray, Thomas Dougan ©
(15-9) Tristan Morris, Ryan Hamilton, Nathan Hamilton, Cameron Cummings, Zakir Majid, Evan Hughes, Will Boyd
Replacements: Matthew George, Harry Hutchinson, Ben Todd, Isaac Kingston, Finlay Starrett, Reuben Finlay, Adam Harrison, Paddy Seweryn
Rainey Endowed School
(1-8) Ross Nugent, Eoin McGuckin, Connor Graffin, Matthew Chambers, Ardan Goldridge, Max Allen, Luke Caskey, George Stone
(15-9) Ben Bell, Jonathan Johnston, Lorcan McLarnon, Emmett McNulty, Charlie McConville, Owen O’Kane ©, Ewan McKay
Replacements: Henry Shanker, William Hunter, Aaron Buck, Bryn Kerr, Joel Clarke, Seb Steele, Cole Henderson, Harry Cappell