In a game of two halves, RBAI recovered from an early nine-point deficit to set up a highly anticipated final against Campbell College.
The match began with Ballymena Academy firmly on the front foot. Capitalising on an early RBAI penalty, the Ballymena pack asserted their dominance with Harry Lamont and George Gamble delivering punishing hits. Despite RBAI’s Jonah Power and Ross Dillon defending desperately in their own 22, the pressure eventually told. In the 4th minute, after James McMillan spread the ball wide to Zac Topping, the Academy sustained their attack inches from the line. Captain Ollie Collins provided the breakthrough, sniping from close range to crash over the gainline for the opening score. McMillan added the conversion to give his side a 7-0 lead.
RBAI responded almost immediately in the 6th minute. Elliott Magowan sparked the comeback with a surging run through the heart of the midfield. Though met by heavy resistance, the ball was moved swiftly to the wing where Adam Millar finished clinically. While the conversion fell wide, the score served as a vital foothold for the Belfast side. However, Ballymena refused to relinquish momentum. Charlie Hargy and Lamont continued to carry with immense power, and in the 10th minute, after McMillan was held up just short following a clever dummy, Hargy was on hand to power over for his side’s second try. McMillan’s successful conversion extended the lead to 14-5.
As the half progressed, the kicking battle between Charlie O’Connor and McMillan intensified. Ballymena’s set-piece remained a potent weapon, with a strong scrum and efficient lineout maul pinning RBAI deep in their own half. Hard-hitting defensive sets from Adam Boyd and Cian McClean kept RBAI in touch, and they were rewarded in the 29th minute. Conor Patton ignited the move with a powerful carry that drew in three defenders. Under pressure, the Ballymena defence finally blinked, allowing O'Connor to find Jack Coulter, who offloaded beautifully to captain Ross Dillon. Dillon’s try and O’Connor’s conversion cut the deficit to 12-14 at the break.
HT: RBAI 12 - 14 Ballymena Academy
The second half saw a shift in momentum as RBAI’s conditioning and tactical kicking began to tell. While Ballymena started the half with dominant carries, the RBAI defence remained resolute. In the 38th minute, RBAI utilised their own set-piece strength, driving a maul into the Ballymena 22. Skipper Ross Dillon was again at the heart of the action, grounding the ball for his second try of the afternoon to put RBAI ahead for the first time.
The contest remained on a knife-edge as the final quarter approached. Dylan Gray and Patton continued to ask questions of the Academy fringe defence, while Ballymena’s Billy Wylie looked dangerous on the counter-attack. The decisive blow came in the 56th minute. Dylan Gray launched a searing run down the wing, drawing in two defenders before finding Adam Millar in support. Millar’s second try of the game pushed the lead to 22-14.
Ballymena fought to the whistle, with Hargy and Wylie leading a late charge into the RBAI 22, but the Belfast side forced a crucial penalty at the breakdown to clear their lines. As the final whistle blew, RBAI celebrated a hard-fought victory that keeps their quest for Schools’ Cup glory alive.
Teams
RBAI
15 Jonah Power, 14 Jack Coulter, 13 Adam Millar, 12 Connor Patton, 11 Andrew Purcell, 10 Charlie O’Connor, 9 Sebastian Clark, 1 Reuben Edmondson, 2 Ross Dillon (C), 3 Reuban McIlwrath, 4 Connor Ballantine, 5 Reuben Gibson, 6 Elliott Magowan, 7 Cian McClean, 8 Adam Boyd
Replacements: 16 Ross Montgomery, 17 Ronan Hamilton, 18 Matthew Watkins, 19 Zach Surphils, 20 Connor Davis, 21 Rocco Steen, 22 Dylan Gray, 23 Benjamin McCarten
Ballymena Academy
15 Ben Collins, 14 Zac Topping, 13 Billy Wylie, 12 Seth McCready, 11 James Worthington, 10 James McMillan, 9 Ollie Collins (C), 1 Oliver Shaw, 2 Jacob Casson, 3 Will Coffey, 4 Oscar Eddis, 5 Joshua Paterson, 6 George Gamble, 7 Harry Lamont, 8 Charlie Hargy (VC)
Replacements: 16 Jack McMaster, 17 Reuben Skelly, 18 Daniel Thompson, 19 Elijah Fitzpatrick, 20 Jeremiah Gallagher, 21 Jamie Gregg, 22 Daniel McNamee, 23 Daniel Johnston
Scorers
RBAI: Tries: A. Millar (2), R. Dillon (2) Cons: Charlie O’Connor (1)
Ballymena Academy: Tries: O. Collins, C. Hargy Cons: J. McMillan (2)
