The domestic rugby action this weekend includes the First Trust Senior Cup and Kukri Ulster Rugby Championship.
The semi finals of the First Trust Senior Cup take place with holders Ballynahinch looking to make their fourth consecutive Final appearance at the Kingspan stadium on Thursday the 15th December. The County Down side have won their last two finals and will want to make it three in a row. They must overcome neighbours Banbridge at Rifle Park to achieve their goal. The Bann side last reached the Senior Cup Final in 2011/12 losing out to Ballymena 17 – 11. Banbridge are level on points with Nenagh Ormond at the top of Div 2A whilst Ballynahinch are 6th in Div 1B.
In the second semi final Belfast Harlequins and Dungannon meet at Deramore Park. Quins are struggling at the bottom of Div 2A in the AIL whilst Dungannon remain in 4th place in Div 2B. Belfast Harlequins last won the Senior Cup in 2007/8 when they defeated Ballymena 22 – 17. Their opponents Dungannon defeated City of Derry 25 – 0 in the 2010/11 Final.
With several of the Ulster Rugby Championship Div 1 sides involved in the Millar McCall Wylie Junior Cup and Ulster Bank All Ireland Junior Cup over the last two weeks we see the sides return to league action this weekend. Four points separate the top four sides Enniskillen, Portadown, Omagh and Instonians.. With both Enniskillen and Instonians involved in Conference league fixtures there is an opportunity for either Portadown or Omagh to move to the top of Div 1.
In Div 2 of the Kukri Ulster Rugby Championship, Limavady caused an upset when they defeated joint league leaders CIYMS 17 – 15 at Belmont. The initiative has now been handed to Coleraine who have opened up a three point lead over their closest rivals CIYMS after a hard earned 17 – 0 win at Academy. The East Belfast club were coming to terms with the news that former Ulster out half James McKinney had moved on to join the Jersey Reds in the English Championship. There was also the worrying injury sustained by CIYMS scrum half Cameron Stewart that delayed the match resuming for 25 minutes whilst the player was treated and moved to hospital in the second half. Thankfully Cameron has been released from hospital. We all wish him a speedy recovery.
The result at Belmont has allowed other teams including Limavady, Academy, Larne and Randalstown to contest the promotion contest in Div 2.
There is no league action in Div 3 of the Kukri Ulster Rugby Championship this weekend.
FIRST TRUST SENIOR CUP SEMI FINALS
Banbridge v Ballynahinch
Busy week for Bann Head coach Daniel Soper and his players with a Senior Cup semi final this week before completing the first half of their AIL programme with key fixtures on the weekend of the 26th Nov and the 3rd of December before the Xmas break. Ballynahinch are a quality side with a great record in the Senior Cup due to the great strength they have at their disposal. The coach is also aware his team have got close to defeating Ballynahinch but have not been able to get that win over them.
Unavailable are Michael Cromie, Philip Jordan, Aaron Kennedy, Macauley Little, Adam Doherty, Simon Lloyd and Dale Carson from last Saturday.
The match provides the opportunity for several young players from the second xv to get an opportunity including Ryan Hughes, Richard Graham, Ben Carson, Callum Boardman and Tim Savage.
Belfast Harlequins v Dungannon
Belfast Harlequins coaching team of Andrew Gillespie and Keith Pyper will have the task of lifting their players following their 73 – 5 defeat in Cork last week against Highfield. Since the Belfast side were relegated from Div 1B last season it has been another season of struggle in Div 2A for this club. The break from the Ulster Bank league this weekend will hopefully lift the players as they prepare for two Belfast derbies against Queens Uni and Malone in the AIL.
Dungannon Head coach Andy Hughes took a number of positives from their 10 – 10 draw with Bective Rangers at Stevenson Park last Sat.
He felt his team were guilty of too many missed opportunities due to individual errors and a few baffling decisions by the match official. The recent memo to clubs has caused some confusion.
Looking forward to this weekend, it will be a welcome release for both teams from the Ulster Bank League. From a results point of view, neither team is exactly firing at the minute so it is a good chance for both sides to find that spark again. For Dungannon it is a free shot after being reinstated into the Senior Cup at the expense of Armagh. His players did not expect the chance to be in the semi finals and will therefore go and give it a rattle with no pressure.
Selection wise Dungannon are going with the playing squad they have available. The coaches are not in the position to rest anybody. With injuries and unavailabilities the team pretty much picks itself.
The coach is hoping to add Peter Doran and Karl Egan to his squad, but has lost Steven Sinnamon, Josh Kennedy, Mark Riddell and Tianua Poto from last weekends squad.
KUKRI ULSTER RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP DIV 1
Carrickfergus (7) v Omagh(3)
Cooke (8) v Ballyclare (5)
Dromore (6) v Clogher Valley (9)
Portadown (2) v Ards (10)
Carrickfergus v Omagh
Coaches Davy Scott and Mickey Rainey will be looking to Carrickfergus performances at the Tom Simms Memorial Park to move away from the bottom half of Div 1. In their last home game against Dromore the team came back from a HT 10 – 9 deficit to win 26 – 10. Omagh will need to be at their best to win this match. Carrick have added to their squad this season with the addition of experienced prop Paul Greenaway from Belfast Harlequins. They also have a strong back row lead by Captain and number 8 Andy McKeen. In scrum half Conor Cambridge and the experienced out half Luke Whittal they have a half back pairing to control and manage their game. In their last league match at Enniskillen on the 22nd October it required six penalties from Enniskillen outhalf John Maguire for the Fermananagh side to win a keenly contested encounter 18 – 6 at Mullaghmeen.
Omagh Head coach Philip Marshall has a strong squad at his disposal this weekend. The biggest challenge for the coach is keeping the players focused on this crucial league match with a Junior Cup semi final coming up against Coleraine at home on the 26th November.
Omagh are expecting a tough encounter against Carrick. The County Antrim side have been getting better results in recent league games particularly at home.
Cooke v Ballyclare
Head coach Colin Atkinson finds his side in 8th place, seven points ahead of 9th place Clogher Valley with games coming up against Ballyclare, Enniskillen, Carrickfergus and Instonians before the end of December. Four games Cooke will need to be at their best to pick up crucial league points.
Ballyclare Head coach Mike McKeever was delighted with the performance put in by his players in their All Ireland Junior Cup quarter final away to holders Enniscorthy in County Wexford. Despite going down 31 – 13, Ballyclare were only 17 – 13 down with 10 mins to go when they conceded two breakaway tries as they pushed for the winning score. The performance was much improved on their 22- 0 loss away to Coleraine the previously week in the quarter finals of the Millar McCall Wylie Junior Cup. The coach was full of praise for the All Ireland Junior Cup. He described it as a great competition for Junior Clubs and gives that All Ireland competition for teams to aim for and be part off.
Enniscorthy did point out that Ulster clubs are forced to play more games than the Leinster teams are required. The coach felt it did not impact on the Ballyclare performance. It was an excellent occasion for Ballyclare RFC and put them on the map for Irish Junior rugby. The coach would like to thank the supporters who travelled to Enniscorthy to watch, support and cheer the players on.
The focus for the 1st xv is getting back to winning matches as they push to be in contention for another top four finish this season. This starts at Shawsbridge on Sat. For the Head coach it will feel like a home game after three weeks on the road away to Limerick, Coleraine and Enniscorthy.
Dromore v Clogher Valley
Head coach Johnny Cullen will be looking his players to build on their 20 – 3 win over Cooke on the 22nd October. Dromore may be 11 points ahead of Clogher Valley but they will be aware that if Clogher Valley start winning games they like Cooke, Carrickfergus and Ballyclare will start looking over their shoulders at the Fivemiletown side. It is crucially important for teams in this league to win their home games.
The Dromore coach views this game as a massive match to put distance between the bottom teams and Dromore in the league. Clogher Valley are a team who are turning around their season. His view was that it was only a matter of time before a new look Clogher Valley team would click. It will be a hard match for his players but there is a confidence amongst his players when they are playing at home. Only a physically up front performance will allow his team to pick up valuable league points.
Injuries rule out backs Lee Steenson, Ryan Cobb and Ali Kinghan with Brian McClearn, Jason Gribbon and John Russell coming in to replace them. Rory Pepper returns to the front row.
Clogher Valley coaches Glen Kyle and Davy Black know how important this match is for their players on the back of two successful wins in the All Ireland Junior Cup against Ballina and Portadown that has seen the County Tyrone side progress to the semi finals where they will play Leinster side - Ashbourne away on the 10th December for a place in the Final. This is the one competition the Fivemiletown side have never won. Can they overcome all the odds and add that one missing Cup to their trophy cabinet. We wish them well in their endeavours on behalf of all the clubs in Ulster.
The focus for the players this week is to start picking up league points. They face an away trip to Barben Hill to play a Dromore side who have put in good performances this season against the strongest sides in this league. Barben Hill has not been a lucky venue for the Clogher players with both coaches expecting another close fought encounter.
Clogher Valley players play to their strengths which is their forwards which didn’t surprise the watching Dromore coaches last week. The return of two keys forwards in Matty Robinson and David Sharkey had a big impact on the outcome of the match at Portadown along with the performances of number 8 Ryan Wilson who is playing the best rugby of his career. Former second row Michael Treanor started his conversion to prop 12 months ago under the guidance of forwards coach Davy Black where he has established himself in the front row of the 1st xv despite the presence of experienced props Philip Moore and Richard Primrose who are competing with Philip Hopper , Michael Treanor and Neil Henderson for inclusion in the 1st xv front row. Eugene McKenna who has been ever present in the second row this season will also add a considerable physical presence in the back row alongside Ryan Wilson this week.
In the backs this week Toby McAlpine returns to take his place in the centre with Andy Breen moving to the wing. Eamon Whyte is unlucky to lose the full back berth to Philip Wilson and drops down to the bench. Wilson has become an unsung hero for the team this season with his fearless defensive performances and try saving tackles. Another combination that continues to make progress is that of half backs Neil Trotter and Fleming Agnew who came in this season to replace the experienced and unavailable Aaron Best and Philip Holme.
Despite their slow start to the season there is a feeling that Clogher Valley rugby club have turned the corner. No where is that more evident with the work former 1st xv player BJ Wilson has been doing in developing the second xv into a competitive side this season with players including Jonny Porter, Ian Mulligan and Alex McKeown pushing for regular starts on the 1st xv. Two of the second xv backs Josh Coulter and Neil Cullen continue their development with Coulter having already turned out for the 1st xv. The club have welcomed back second row Johnny Trimble in the 2nd xv after being out with a long term shoulder injury.
It is noticeable how Clogher Valley 1st xv have won their last two games with the 2nd and 3rd xv winning their last three matches in Section 2 and 6 of the Ulster Rugby Provincial Leagues.
Portadown v Ards
Head coach Richard Hedley was disappointed with the performance of his Portadown players in the first half against Clogher Valley last Saturday that witnessed the Fivemiletown side build up a 15 – 0 lead they held on to, to win 15 – 8 and progress to the semi finals of the All Ireland Junior Cup. Clogher were physical and direct in their play and deserved their victory.
For this week the coach will be missing several players due to the Ireland v New Zealand game in Dublin. Unavailable are Gary Hall, Mal Allister, Michael Orr and James Wright. Lee Bicker and Matthew Thorton come into the pack along with Robert Green Lee at hooker. Craig Woods moves to scrum half with Conor Megarity starting on the wing.
Ards Head coach Dave Irwin knows his players face a tough game at Chambers Park this week. He is looking for a big improvement in the teams performance after the four week break. After being relegated from the All Ireland League two seasons ago the 1st xv required a playoff win over Enniskillen to retain their position in Div 1. There was an expectation that the 1st xv would move forward this season. Now they find themselves rooted to the bottom of Div 1 with no points from their first 6 league games. With league games coming up against Portadown, Omagh and Clogher Valley before the end of December it is difficult to see where the Ards team is going to start picking up league points. Not an ideal position for coaches Dave Irwin, Scott Young and John West.
Both teams will also be competing for the Raymond Long Cup at Chambers Park this weekend.
KUKRI ULSTER RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP/CONFERENCE DIV 1
Ballymena seconds v Instonians
Enniskillen v Ballynahinch seconds
KUKRI ULSTER RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP DIV 2
Donaghadee (10) v CIYMS (2)
Larne (5) v Coleraine (1)
Lisburn (9) v Academy (4)
Donaghadee v CIYMS
New Dee Head coach Paul Blewitt acknowledges it has been a tough season on the pitch with the club pretty short of players. Unfortunately most of the shortage has been in the front five where injuries have really hurt the side.
The group of players the Dee do have, have shown commendable attitude week on week both on the training paddock and on a Saturday. These players have a huge hunger to improve which hopefully will stand the team in good stead as the season progresses. All the players and the team can do is continue fighting to improve their league position.
CIYMS Head coach Gareth Fry is looking to get back to winning ways after league and Cup defeats at home to Limavady and Omagh. He is expecting to make a few changes due to injuries and squad rotation. The coach will seek to establish a new half back pairing with talisman James McKinney signing for Jersey and Cameron Stewart being ruled out through injury.
Larne v Coleraine
After Larne defeated Donaghadee 73 – 0 last Saturday there was a feeling this Larne team could give Coleraine a run at the Glynn this week. Like many clubs – Head coach Laurence Kelly is having to face up to the unavailability of players due to the Ireland v New Zealand match in Dublin. Larne are being forced to field an inexperienced team with eleven 1st xv players unavailable. Last Saturday Larne run in 10 tries with centre Jordan Burns scoring three. Out half Philip Andrews ended up with a personal tally of 33 points after kicking 10/10 conversions along with a penalty and two tries.
Coleraine Head coach Richard Boyd and his players are looking forward to their trip to Larne on Saturday. His players will have to be focused if they want to secure another win. Larne have had a solid start to their season and had a big win at Donaghadee last weekend which will give them confidence. The Larne fixture was one of the toughest fixtures on the road last season and in Ryan Garrett and Jordan Burns they have two players that would start for any Q 2 side so we will have to be well prepared.
Coleraine have been rotating their squad in recent weeks to keep players fresh and on their toes. This week Mac O’Neil will make his 1st xv debut after impressing with the 2nd xv over the past few weeks. He will be joined in the starting lineup by Brian Hughes and DD McAllister who replace James Blair and Steven Dickey who are both rested. In the backs Adam Parke returns to the squad after showing good form with the 2nd xv along with Brian Cochrane in place of both Bokkie Carstens and Alan Clarke.
Coleraine have a busy and tough schedule over the next few weeks with Larne, Omagh in Junior Cup, Randalstown, Malone and then CIYMS all before Xmas. The squad is looking forward to the different challenges that lie ahead. The players have been working hard in training and the 2nd xv have been going really well so confidence is high with the squad building some real momentum since the start of the season.
Limavady showed last week how competitive the league is this year and it was an important reminder to the players to remain switched on every week.
Lisburn v Academy
Head coach Neil Hinds has stood down at Lisburn for personal reasons with Andrew Postlethwaite replacing him as Head coach and Tom Fraser coming in as his assistant. Lisburn remain without a win this season and battled bravely in their 35 – 5 defeat at Grosvenor last week. It is crucial for the new coaching team and the players to start picking up league points in the remaining games before the end of December. Last season Lisburn battled hard in the latter half of the season to put together a winning run that secured their place in Div 2. Can the players do the same this season. For this weekend both Tom Fraser and Jake Bebington return to the starting lineup with Matthew Arneil unavailable due to work commitments.
Academy Head coach Gareth Lynn will have been disappointed his side did not pick up any league points from their 17 – 0 loss at home to league leaders Coleraine last Saturday. Academy restricted Coleraine to scoring two tries the lowest they have scored against any other opposition so far this season. The coach will have been pleased to hear that Limavady defeated CIYMS to keep Academy involved in their pursuit to finish in the top two this season. During my research last week I noticed that both Coleraine and Academy competed in the All Ireland Junior Cup in the 2011/12 season. It just shows the ups and downs of club rugby in Ulster.
Academy will be looking maximum points from their trip to Blaris this week to remain in the promotion mix.
KUKRI ULSTER RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP/CONFERENCE DIV 2
Belfast Harlequins seconds v Limavady
Grosvenor v Banbridge seconds. Played Wednesday 16.11.16. kick off 7.30pm. Grosvenor won 28 – 10.
Malone seconds v Randalstown
UUC v Armagh seconds
The semi finals of the First Trust Senior Cup take place with holders Ballynahinch looking to make their fourth consecutive Final appearance at the Kingspan stadium on Thursday the 15th December. The County Down side have won their last two finals and will want to make it three in a row. They must overcome neighbours Banbridge at Rifle Park to achieve their goal. The Bann side last reached the Senior Cup Final in 2011/12 losing out to Ballymena 17 – 11. Banbridge are level on points with Nenagh Ormond at the top of Div 2A whilst Ballynahinch are 6th in Div 1B.
In the second semi final Belfast Harlequins and Dungannon meet at Deramore Park. Quins are struggling at the bottom of Div 2A in the AIL whilst Dungannon remain in 4th place in Div 2B. Belfast Harlequins last won the Senior Cup in 2007/8 when they defeated Ballymena 22 – 17. Their opponents Dungannon defeated City of Derry 25 – 0 in the 2010/11 Final.
With several of the Ulster Rugby Championship Div 1 sides involved in the Millar McCall Wylie Junior Cup and Ulster Bank All Ireland Junior Cup over the last two weeks we see the sides return to league action this weekend. Four points separate the top four sides Enniskillen, Portadown, Omagh and Instonians.. With both Enniskillen and Instonians involved in Conference league fixtures there is an opportunity for either Portadown or Omagh to move to the top of Div 1.
In Div 2 of the Kukri Ulster Rugby Championship, Limavady caused an upset when they defeated joint league leaders CIYMS 17 – 15 at Belmont. The initiative has now been handed to Coleraine who have opened up a three point lead over their closest rivals CIYMS after a hard earned 17 – 0 win at Academy. The East Belfast club were coming to terms with the news that former Ulster out half James McKinney had moved on to join the Jersey Reds in the English Championship. There was also the worrying injury sustained by CIYMS scrum half Cameron Stewart that delayed the match resuming for 25 minutes whilst the player was treated and moved to hospital in the second half. Thankfully Cameron has been released from hospital. We all wish him a speedy recovery.
The result at Belmont has allowed other teams including Limavady, Academy, Larne and Randalstown to contest the promotion contest in Div 2.
There is no league action in Div 3 of the Kukri Ulster Rugby Championship this weekend.
FIRST TRUST SENIOR CUP SEMI FINALS
Banbridge v Ballynahinch
Busy week for Bann Head coach Daniel Soper and his players with a Senior Cup semi final this week before completing the first half of their AIL programme with key fixtures on the weekend of the 26th Nov and the 3rd of December before the Xmas break. Ballynahinch are a quality side with a great record in the Senior Cup due to the great strength they have at their disposal. The coach is also aware his team have got close to defeating Ballynahinch but have not been able to get that win over them.
Unavailable are Michael Cromie, Philip Jordan, Aaron Kennedy, Macauley Little, Adam Doherty, Simon Lloyd and Dale Carson from last Saturday.
The match provides the opportunity for several young players from the second xv to get an opportunity including Ryan Hughes, Richard Graham, Ben Carson, Callum Boardman and Tim Savage.
Belfast Harlequins v Dungannon
Belfast Harlequins coaching team of Andrew Gillespie and Keith Pyper will have the task of lifting their players following their 73 – 5 defeat in Cork last week against Highfield. Since the Belfast side were relegated from Div 1B last season it has been another season of struggle in Div 2A for this club. The break from the Ulster Bank league this weekend will hopefully lift the players as they prepare for two Belfast derbies against Queens Uni and Malone in the AIL.
Dungannon Head coach Andy Hughes took a number of positives from their 10 – 10 draw with Bective Rangers at Stevenson Park last Sat.
He felt his team were guilty of too many missed opportunities due to individual errors and a few baffling decisions by the match official. The recent memo to clubs has caused some confusion.
Looking forward to this weekend, it will be a welcome release for both teams from the Ulster Bank League. From a results point of view, neither team is exactly firing at the minute so it is a good chance for both sides to find that spark again. For Dungannon it is a free shot after being reinstated into the Senior Cup at the expense of Armagh. His players did not expect the chance to be in the semi finals and will therefore go and give it a rattle with no pressure.
Selection wise Dungannon are going with the playing squad they have available. The coaches are not in the position to rest anybody. With injuries and unavailabilities the team pretty much picks itself.
The coach is hoping to add Peter Doran and Karl Egan to his squad, but has lost Steven Sinnamon, Josh Kennedy, Mark Riddell and Tianua Poto from last weekends squad.
KUKRI ULSTER RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP DIV 1
Carrickfergus (7) v Omagh(3)
Cooke (8) v Ballyclare (5)
Dromore (6) v Clogher Valley (9)
Portadown (2) v Ards (10)
Carrickfergus v Omagh
Coaches Davy Scott and Mickey Rainey will be looking to Carrickfergus performances at the Tom Simms Memorial Park to move away from the bottom half of Div 1. In their last home game against Dromore the team came back from a HT 10 – 9 deficit to win 26 – 10. Omagh will need to be at their best to win this match. Carrick have added to their squad this season with the addition of experienced prop Paul Greenaway from Belfast Harlequins. They also have a strong back row lead by Captain and number 8 Andy McKeen. In scrum half Conor Cambridge and the experienced out half Luke Whittal they have a half back pairing to control and manage their game. In their last league match at Enniskillen on the 22nd October it required six penalties from Enniskillen outhalf John Maguire for the Fermananagh side to win a keenly contested encounter 18 – 6 at Mullaghmeen.
Omagh Head coach Philip Marshall has a strong squad at his disposal this weekend. The biggest challenge for the coach is keeping the players focused on this crucial league match with a Junior Cup semi final coming up against Coleraine at home on the 26th November.
Omagh are expecting a tough encounter against Carrick. The County Antrim side have been getting better results in recent league games particularly at home.
Cooke v Ballyclare
Head coach Colin Atkinson finds his side in 8th place, seven points ahead of 9th place Clogher Valley with games coming up against Ballyclare, Enniskillen, Carrickfergus and Instonians before the end of December. Four games Cooke will need to be at their best to pick up crucial league points.
Ballyclare Head coach Mike McKeever was delighted with the performance put in by his players in their All Ireland Junior Cup quarter final away to holders Enniscorthy in County Wexford. Despite going down 31 – 13, Ballyclare were only 17 – 13 down with 10 mins to go when they conceded two breakaway tries as they pushed for the winning score. The performance was much improved on their 22- 0 loss away to Coleraine the previously week in the quarter finals of the Millar McCall Wylie Junior Cup. The coach was full of praise for the All Ireland Junior Cup. He described it as a great competition for Junior Clubs and gives that All Ireland competition for teams to aim for and be part off.
Enniscorthy did point out that Ulster clubs are forced to play more games than the Leinster teams are required. The coach felt it did not impact on the Ballyclare performance. It was an excellent occasion for Ballyclare RFC and put them on the map for Irish Junior rugby. The coach would like to thank the supporters who travelled to Enniscorthy to watch, support and cheer the players on.
The focus for the 1st xv is getting back to winning matches as they push to be in contention for another top four finish this season. This starts at Shawsbridge on Sat. For the Head coach it will feel like a home game after three weeks on the road away to Limerick, Coleraine and Enniscorthy.
Dromore v Clogher Valley
Head coach Johnny Cullen will be looking his players to build on their 20 – 3 win over Cooke on the 22nd October. Dromore may be 11 points ahead of Clogher Valley but they will be aware that if Clogher Valley start winning games they like Cooke, Carrickfergus and Ballyclare will start looking over their shoulders at the Fivemiletown side. It is crucially important for teams in this league to win their home games.
The Dromore coach views this game as a massive match to put distance between the bottom teams and Dromore in the league. Clogher Valley are a team who are turning around their season. His view was that it was only a matter of time before a new look Clogher Valley team would click. It will be a hard match for his players but there is a confidence amongst his players when they are playing at home. Only a physically up front performance will allow his team to pick up valuable league points.
Injuries rule out backs Lee Steenson, Ryan Cobb and Ali Kinghan with Brian McClearn, Jason Gribbon and John Russell coming in to replace them. Rory Pepper returns to the front row.
Clogher Valley coaches Glen Kyle and Davy Black know how important this match is for their players on the back of two successful wins in the All Ireland Junior Cup against Ballina and Portadown that has seen the County Tyrone side progress to the semi finals where they will play Leinster side - Ashbourne away on the 10th December for a place in the Final. This is the one competition the Fivemiletown side have never won. Can they overcome all the odds and add that one missing Cup to their trophy cabinet. We wish them well in their endeavours on behalf of all the clubs in Ulster.
The focus for the players this week is to start picking up league points. They face an away trip to Barben Hill to play a Dromore side who have put in good performances this season against the strongest sides in this league. Barben Hill has not been a lucky venue for the Clogher players with both coaches expecting another close fought encounter.
Clogher Valley players play to their strengths which is their forwards which didn’t surprise the watching Dromore coaches last week. The return of two keys forwards in Matty Robinson and David Sharkey had a big impact on the outcome of the match at Portadown along with the performances of number 8 Ryan Wilson who is playing the best rugby of his career. Former second row Michael Treanor started his conversion to prop 12 months ago under the guidance of forwards coach Davy Black where he has established himself in the front row of the 1st xv despite the presence of experienced props Philip Moore and Richard Primrose who are competing with Philip Hopper , Michael Treanor and Neil Henderson for inclusion in the 1st xv front row. Eugene McKenna who has been ever present in the second row this season will also add a considerable physical presence in the back row alongside Ryan Wilson this week.
In the backs this week Toby McAlpine returns to take his place in the centre with Andy Breen moving to the wing. Eamon Whyte is unlucky to lose the full back berth to Philip Wilson and drops down to the bench. Wilson has become an unsung hero for the team this season with his fearless defensive performances and try saving tackles. Another combination that continues to make progress is that of half backs Neil Trotter and Fleming Agnew who came in this season to replace the experienced and unavailable Aaron Best and Philip Holme.
Despite their slow start to the season there is a feeling that Clogher Valley rugby club have turned the corner. No where is that more evident with the work former 1st xv player BJ Wilson has been doing in developing the second xv into a competitive side this season with players including Jonny Porter, Ian Mulligan and Alex McKeown pushing for regular starts on the 1st xv. Two of the second xv backs Josh Coulter and Neil Cullen continue their development with Coulter having already turned out for the 1st xv. The club have welcomed back second row Johnny Trimble in the 2nd xv after being out with a long term shoulder injury.
It is noticeable how Clogher Valley 1st xv have won their last two games with the 2nd and 3rd xv winning their last three matches in Section 2 and 6 of the Ulster Rugby Provincial Leagues.
Portadown v Ards
Head coach Richard Hedley was disappointed with the performance of his Portadown players in the first half against Clogher Valley last Saturday that witnessed the Fivemiletown side build up a 15 – 0 lead they held on to, to win 15 – 8 and progress to the semi finals of the All Ireland Junior Cup. Clogher were physical and direct in their play and deserved their victory.
For this week the coach will be missing several players due to the Ireland v New Zealand game in Dublin. Unavailable are Gary Hall, Mal Allister, Michael Orr and James Wright. Lee Bicker and Matthew Thorton come into the pack along with Robert Green Lee at hooker. Craig Woods moves to scrum half with Conor Megarity starting on the wing.
Ards Head coach Dave Irwin knows his players face a tough game at Chambers Park this week. He is looking for a big improvement in the teams performance after the four week break. After being relegated from the All Ireland League two seasons ago the 1st xv required a playoff win over Enniskillen to retain their position in Div 1. There was an expectation that the 1st xv would move forward this season. Now they find themselves rooted to the bottom of Div 1 with no points from their first 6 league games. With league games coming up against Portadown, Omagh and Clogher Valley before the end of December it is difficult to see where the Ards team is going to start picking up league points. Not an ideal position for coaches Dave Irwin, Scott Young and John West.
Both teams will also be competing for the Raymond Long Cup at Chambers Park this weekend.
KUKRI ULSTER RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP/CONFERENCE DIV 1
Ballymena seconds v Instonians
Enniskillen v Ballynahinch seconds
KUKRI ULSTER RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP DIV 2
Donaghadee (10) v CIYMS (2)
Larne (5) v Coleraine (1)
Lisburn (9) v Academy (4)
Donaghadee v CIYMS
New Dee Head coach Paul Blewitt acknowledges it has been a tough season on the pitch with the club pretty short of players. Unfortunately most of the shortage has been in the front five where injuries have really hurt the side.
The group of players the Dee do have, have shown commendable attitude week on week both on the training paddock and on a Saturday. These players have a huge hunger to improve which hopefully will stand the team in good stead as the season progresses. All the players and the team can do is continue fighting to improve their league position.
CIYMS Head coach Gareth Fry is looking to get back to winning ways after league and Cup defeats at home to Limavady and Omagh. He is expecting to make a few changes due to injuries and squad rotation. The coach will seek to establish a new half back pairing with talisman James McKinney signing for Jersey and Cameron Stewart being ruled out through injury.
Larne v Coleraine
After Larne defeated Donaghadee 73 – 0 last Saturday there was a feeling this Larne team could give Coleraine a run at the Glynn this week. Like many clubs – Head coach Laurence Kelly is having to face up to the unavailability of players due to the Ireland v New Zealand match in Dublin. Larne are being forced to field an inexperienced team with eleven 1st xv players unavailable. Last Saturday Larne run in 10 tries with centre Jordan Burns scoring three. Out half Philip Andrews ended up with a personal tally of 33 points after kicking 10/10 conversions along with a penalty and two tries.
Coleraine Head coach Richard Boyd and his players are looking forward to their trip to Larne on Saturday. His players will have to be focused if they want to secure another win. Larne have had a solid start to their season and had a big win at Donaghadee last weekend which will give them confidence. The Larne fixture was one of the toughest fixtures on the road last season and in Ryan Garrett and Jordan Burns they have two players that would start for any Q 2 side so we will have to be well prepared.
Coleraine have been rotating their squad in recent weeks to keep players fresh and on their toes. This week Mac O’Neil will make his 1st xv debut after impressing with the 2nd xv over the past few weeks. He will be joined in the starting lineup by Brian Hughes and DD McAllister who replace James Blair and Steven Dickey who are both rested. In the backs Adam Parke returns to the squad after showing good form with the 2nd xv along with Brian Cochrane in place of both Bokkie Carstens and Alan Clarke.
Coleraine have a busy and tough schedule over the next few weeks with Larne, Omagh in Junior Cup, Randalstown, Malone and then CIYMS all before Xmas. The squad is looking forward to the different challenges that lie ahead. The players have been working hard in training and the 2nd xv have been going really well so confidence is high with the squad building some real momentum since the start of the season.
Limavady showed last week how competitive the league is this year and it was an important reminder to the players to remain switched on every week.
Lisburn v Academy
Head coach Neil Hinds has stood down at Lisburn for personal reasons with Andrew Postlethwaite replacing him as Head coach and Tom Fraser coming in as his assistant. Lisburn remain without a win this season and battled bravely in their 35 – 5 defeat at Grosvenor last week. It is crucial for the new coaching team and the players to start picking up league points in the remaining games before the end of December. Last season Lisburn battled hard in the latter half of the season to put together a winning run that secured their place in Div 2. Can the players do the same this season. For this weekend both Tom Fraser and Jake Bebington return to the starting lineup with Matthew Arneil unavailable due to work commitments.
Academy Head coach Gareth Lynn will have been disappointed his side did not pick up any league points from their 17 – 0 loss at home to league leaders Coleraine last Saturday. Academy restricted Coleraine to scoring two tries the lowest they have scored against any other opposition so far this season. The coach will have been pleased to hear that Limavady defeated CIYMS to keep Academy involved in their pursuit to finish in the top two this season. During my research last week I noticed that both Coleraine and Academy competed in the All Ireland Junior Cup in the 2011/12 season. It just shows the ups and downs of club rugby in Ulster.
Academy will be looking maximum points from their trip to Blaris this week to remain in the promotion mix.
KUKRI ULSTER RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP/CONFERENCE DIV 2
Belfast Harlequins seconds v Limavady
Grosvenor v Banbridge seconds. Played Wednesday 16.11.16. kick off 7.30pm. Grosvenor won 28 – 10.
Malone seconds v Randalstown
UUC v Armagh seconds