Ulster’s defence held strong against a powerful Leinster side when James Kerr stopped Billy Cross dead in his tracks. A crucial penalty kick from Connor McVicker gave Ulster an early lead in the 10th minute.
Leinster were first over the whitewash, as they responded quickly after the restart, Ronan Kelly dotting over for a try that was converted by Luke Coffey, taking the score to 7-3.
Russell Alo Veikune came in off the right wing to be the extra man, giving Matthew Callaghan a pass the left wing could not hold.
Leinster’s eagerness to rush up in defence was compromised by a lack of discipline. Ulster were finally awarded a penalty. They took the on-trend option to go for the lineout which accrued seven points from flanker Ben Moore’s muscular finish and McVicker’s conversion in the 21st minute. Ulster were now in the lead, 7-10.
This would not be for long as straight away, Leinster forced the issue and Coffey smashed over a penalty from 40 metres for 10-all. Ulster held strong and despite the match feeling such a tight affair,it paid off. The Ulster maul proved to be a weapon, commissioned through the connection from Noble to Moore for Charlie Hargy to drive over in the 29th minute.
The remainder of the half, Leinster probed for an opening and Ulster refused to offer one. As the teams ran off for half-time, the scoreboard read, Leinster 10, Ulster 15.
HT: Leinster 10 - 15 Ulster
The second half started off with a bang for the Ulstermen, as another try from a once again powerful maul saw Noble crash over the gainline, whilst McVicker added the extras, putting Leinster 12 points behind in the 40th minute, 10-22 .
Leinster were attempting to fight back, but Ulster’s lead was extended further when Alo Veikune gambled on grabbing Kelly’s pass to O’Sullivan. He accelerated away smartly for a real difference-making try, with McVicker adding the extras. In the 44th minute, the score read, Leinster 10-29 Ulster.
The home-side knew they had to work hard to have any hopes of a comeback, and with a fire lit, Owen Twomey got across the line with Coffey landing the conversion. In the 57th minute, Harry Goslin crashed over the whitewash, and with Coffey adding the extras, Leinster had closed the gap, 24-29 with just under 15 minutes to go.
With Ulster losing Sam Warwick to the bin, and only one score in it, the pressure was on. Leinster made several attempts to enter Ulster’s 22, but the men in white’s defence held firm. Ben Moore would have the final say, as an excellent turnover saw Ulster clinch the Championship.
This has been an excellent campaign from our U18 Schools side, and it is the first time since 2017 the Ulster U18 Schools team have lifted the trophy. The team should be immensely proud of what they have achieved and the determination and grit they have shown throughout the series.
### Teams
Ulster
15\. James Kerr (RBAI)
14\. Russell Alo Veikune (CCB)
13\. Charlie O'Connor (RBAI)
12\. Tom Bell (Regent HS)
11\. Matthew Callaghan (Regent HS)
10\. Owen O'Kane (Rainey Endowed)
9\. Connor McVicker (BRA) / Alex Stevenson (Wallace HS) 66 mins
1\. James Gould (Wallace HS)
2\. Nathan Noble (Sullivan Upper)
3\. Ollie Fitzsimmons (Wallace HS) / Angus Graham (Dalriada) 60 mins
4\. Adam Boyd (RBAI)
5\. Noah Bell (Banbridge Academy)
6\. Ben Moore (Wallace HS)
7\. Sam Warwick (Wallace HS)
8\. Charlie Hargy (Ballymena Academy)
Leinster
15\. Billy Cross (Newbridge College)<br>
14. Geoff O’Sullivan (Terenure College)<br>
13. Ronan Kelly (St Gerard’s School)<br>
12. Bernard White (Blackrock College)<br>
11. Ethan Balamash (Terenure College)<br>
10. Cory O’Connor (Castleknock College) / Andrew Stronge (St Mary’s College) 61 mins<br>
9. Luke Coffey (Blackrock College)<br>
1. Harry Goslin (Belvedere College)<br>
2. Lee Fitzpatrick (Newbridge College) CAPTAIN<br>
3. Henry Maher (Cistercian College, Roscrea) / Joe Christie (St Mary’s College) 68 mins<br>
4. Jonathon Ginnety (Castleknock College)<br>
5. Luke McNiff (Terenure College)<br>
6. Myles Berman (St Michael’s College) / Josh Mulligan (Gonzaga College) 57 mins<br>
7. Owen Twomey (St Michael’s College) / Josh Kelly (St Mary’s College)<br>
8. Josh Mooney (Terenure College) / Geoff Wall (Blackrock College) 32 mins.
### Scorers
Ulster
Tries: Ben Moore, Charlie Hargy, Nathan Noble, Russell Alo Veikune
Conversion: Connor McVicker (3)
Penalty: Connor McVicker
Leinster
Tries: Ronan Kelly, Owen Twomey, Harry Goslin
Conversion: Luke Coffey (3)
Penalty: Luke Coffey
