The contest opened with Coleraine kicking off toward the Memorial Stand, immediately establishing a platform with a lineout on the BRA 22. Early pressure from Charlie Millar and Joe Coates nearly yielded results, but a loose ball allowed BRA to escape and find their footing.
Jayden Irwin and Zach Archer provided the initial spark for BRA, with Archer’s powerful carry deep into the Coleraine 22 setting a physical tone. While that specific opportunity went unfinished, BRA eventually took the lead in the eighth minute when Connor McVicker slotted a penalty following a high tackle, 3-0. Coleraine responded with intent; Joshua Hawe and Alec Doherty both made dangerous breaks through the line, but they were met by a disciplined BRA defence. The Coleraine forward pack, led by Cody Moffat and the nimble footwork of hooker Noah Beggs, continued to ask questions, eventually forcing a breakthrough in the 18th minute. A powerful driving maul saw Moffat dot down for the game's opening try, though the conversion fell short, taking the score to 3-5.
The lead was short-lived as BRA responded almost instantly. Caleb McWhinney produced a moment of individual brilliance, fielding the ball with one hand and spinning toward the gain line before feeding Irwin for the finish. BRA’s momentum grew as Harry O’Kane crashed over following a series of clinical phases, with McVicker adding the extras to stretch the lead to 15-5. Coleraine refused to fade, using their heavy forward pack to disrupt the breakdown. Just before the interval, Luke McMillan and Luke McCauley combined to pierce the defence, resulting in a converted try that, followed shortly by a penalty, levelled the scores at 15-15 heading into half-time.
HT: BRA 15 - 15 Coleraine GS
The second half began at a frantic pace. After Myles Johnston made a surging run from his own 22, he was stopped by a try-saving tackle from McVicker. Coleraine capitalised on the resulting pressure moments later as McMillan won a footrace to the line to put his side ahead 20-15.
BRA’s forward pack, anchored by Daniel Henderson and Ben Forsythe-Horan, regained control through the set piece. Henderson eventually crashed over to reclaim the lead, followed quickly by a try from Alex French after a powerful surge by Daniel Bell, taking the score to 29-20.
With the score at 29-23 following a Ben Todd penalty, BRA moved into a decisive gear. Bell showcased remarkable footwork to sidestep two defenders and score under the posts, and McVicker followed up with a try of his own, seeing off two defenders to extend the gap to 41-23. Despite the deficit, Coleraine battled until the end. Cody Moffat secured his second try of the afternoon, and McCauley crossed the whitewash in the closing stages to narrow the margin. However, the clock ran out on the Coleraine comeback, leaving Belfast Royal Academy to celebrate a hard-fought 43-35 victory in a classic display of schoolboy rugby.
Player of the Match - Jayden Irwin
Teams
Belfast Royal Academy
15 James Murray, 14 Daniel Bell, 13 Caleb McWhinney, 12 Harry O’Kane, 11 Alex French, 10 Blake McCloskey, 9 Connor McVicker (C), 1 Elias Agbonkpolor, 2 Zach Archer, 3 Jasper Brooks, 4 Adam Carpenter, 5 Luke Houston, 6 Daniel Henderson, 7 Ben Forsythe-Horan, 8 Jayden Irwin
Replacements: 16 Matthew Anderson, 17 Bryn Hewitt, 18 Rory Brooks, 19 Rory Lemon, 20 Alex Simon, 21 Robert Steele, 22 Stuart Knox, 23 Ryan Pavlovic
Coleraine Grammar School
15 Ben Todd, 14 Alec Doherty, 13 Joe Coates (VC), 12 Luke McCauley, 11 Luke McmIllan, 10 Joshua Hawe, 9 Oliver McLean (C), 1 Cody Moffat, 2 Noah Beggs, 3 Joel Milford, 4 Archie McLenaghan, 5 Lewis Marshall, 6 Charlie Millar, 7 Jamie Watson, 8 Myles Johnston
Replacements: 16 Oliver Davidson, 17 Haydn Dickson, 18 Josiah Adams, 19 Joel McCracken, 20 Austin Henry, 21 Jonathan McMullan, 22 James Maxwell, 23 Joshua Collins
Scorers
Belfast Royal Academy: Tries: J. Irwin, H. O’Kane, D. Henderson, A. French, D. Bell, C. McVicker Cons: C. McVicker (4) Pens: C. McVicker (1)
Coleraine Grammar School: Tries: C. Moffat (2), L. McMillan, L. McCauley (2) Cons: B. Todd (2) Pens: B. Todd (2)
