DANSKE BANK ULSTER SCHOOLS’ CUP ROUND 3
PORTORA RS 0 WALLACE HS 30
Wallace High School had built up a 0-10 lead by half time before going on to win the game by 0-30. They scored first half tries through Andrew Ervine and Conor Guiney. Ervince put in a ‘Man of the Match’ performance, creating a number of opportunities for his team mates in the first half. However, a combination of resolute Portora defence, allied to the occasional Wallace handling errors, ensured there were no further points during the opening period.
The visitors controlled affairs in terms of both territory and after the break and managed to score three further tries. Ben Finlay touched down for one while Ryan Wilson scored twice. Andrew Cardosi contributed to the final points tally with one conversion and a penalty.
BALLYMENA ACADEMY 10 METHODIST COLLEGE 18
This eagerly anticipated game was watched by an enthusiastic crowd of supporters that included quite a few former pupils from both schools who are now involved as professional players with Ulster Rugby. The Methodist College team had pre-match doubts over the availability of Robert Lyttle but he passed a late fitness teat and had quite an influence on the eventual outcome of the game which the Methodist College team won by 10-18. Methody started the game strongly and took an early 0-3 lead when Robert Kelly was successful with a penalty opportunity. Methody’s Connor Kelly and Josh Jordan looked dangerous with the ball in hand and Danny Gray and Gareth Millar kept their team on the front foot. The pressure paid off for the team when Zach Jordan displayed great pace and power to run in for a try. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
The Ballymena Academy pack then started to gain parity with the Methodist College pack at set piece time. Alexander Clarke, Josh Bill, Marcus Rea and Jonny McKeown got through a lot of work in both the set pieces as well as in open play. Saul Herdman, Ben O’Reilly, Zach Jordan and Matthew McKinney were working hard in the Methody pack but there was little they could do to prevent Michael Strong scoring an excellent try on the stroke of half time. Andrew Magrath stepped up and confidently slotted the conversion to reduce the arrears to 7-8.
The hosts started the second half strongly and a Magrath penalty kick put his team 10-8 ahead. However, this setback seemed to galvanise the Methodist College team and soon, a free flowing attack was finished off by Josh Jordan for a 13-10 lead. They added another score soon after when Zach Jordan came away from the base of the scrum and combined with Danny Gray and Ali McIvor to create the space for Lyttle to finish off a fine try. Despite the best intentions of Ballymena to rescue the game there was little they could do to break out of their half and Methody secured the win.
DOWN HS 28 COLERAINE AI 34
In an extraordinary first half the home team had opened up an eighth minute 10-0 lead on their new 1st XV pitch when Joe Bingham converted a penalty opportunity and then converted a Patrick Preston intercept try. Coleraine AI Replied with a try when Peter Bonnar took a quickly tapped penalty to scamper in for a try. Callum Smith added the extras to reduce the arrears to 10-7. In what was becoming an entertaining spectacle for the neutral observer, it wasn't long before Down HSresponded with two impressive tries. The first came after Bingham fielded a high kick and then showed outstanding footwork to get outside his opposite number. A clever offload to Marcus Graham saw him use excellent evasion skills to run in for an unconverted try. Outhalf, Ross Carlisle, was next to cross the whitewash when, in the middle of an orchestrated set piece play, he spotted a gap and showed excellent pace to go through before rounding the Coleraine fullback and dot down. Bingham struck the conversion well to put his team into a 22-7 lead.
The Coleraine AI team responded well and went on to dominate proceedings for the next 15 minutes. Smith reduced the arrears to 22-10 with a superbly struck penalty before Ally Corbett and Oliver McDowell scored tries, both of which were converted by Smith, to give the visitors a 22-24 lead coming up to the break. However, from the restart, the Coleraine pack infringed and Bingham’s three pointer put his side 25-24 up at the interval.
Bingham converted a penalty opportunity to increase their lead to 28-24 early in the second half before Smith cancelled it out with an effort of his own in the 56th minute. The away side displayed real determination in the closing stages; Mac O'Neill made a half break from just inside the Down HS half, Olly McDowell wrestled the ball from his teammate and ran in from thirty five metres, stepping inside the opposition fullback on the way to the line, for his second try of the game. Smith added the extras to secure a hard earned 28-34 victory at the end of this extraordinary game.
BALLYCLARE HS 17 BANGOR GS 5
Jordan Rainey opened the Ballyclare High School account when he took advantage of good endeavours from his pack. Play was taken close to the Bangor Grammar School line and Rainey broke away from a well organised driven maul to touch down. Captain Matthew McDowell added the conversion to give his team a 7-0 lead. Just before the interval, the lead was increased to 12-0 when Alistair Burke displayed power, pace and panache to score a wonderful individual try.
The second half, at times, turned out to be a battle where both packs were cancelling each other out. There was little from either team in terms of attacking rugby with most of the play centred around the ten metre lines. Errors from both teams saw the game become quite static at times. That was until midway through the second half when Ballyclare won some quality set piece possession. They took the ball forward and a multi-phase play ended when the hard-working Matthew Robson finished off with a try. Play was then held up for a time while a player was treated for a hip injury.
Following the restart of the game the Bangor GS team got some reward for their hard work throughout the game. Team captain, Robert Gamble, maintained his impressive try scoring exploits this season when he cut a great line through the hesitant defence.
LIMAVADY GS 12 RS ARMAGH 14
Royal School Armagh won the game by 12-14 but were only the width of a cross bar away from losing it. The Armagh players were in control of the game for long periods of time but found great difficulty in shaking off a committed Limavady side. RS Armagh captain, Michael Thompson, was in good kicking form and, in the early stages of the game he had to be. Limavady took an unlikely 5-0 lead when they scored an unconverted try after ten minutes. Thompson then stepped up to convert two penalty opportunities that gave his side a 5-6 lead, which they held until the break.
The second period saw the Armagh team continue where they had finished off the first half, in control but not totally convincing. Thompson was successful with his third penalty of the game Limavady GS intercepted a rushed pass to run in for a try, which Scott McLean converted, to see Limavady into a 12-9 lead. Then a Jack Campbell line break was taken on by Matthew McSorley who offloaded the ball for Josh Agnew to touch down for an unconverted try in the corner. Things might have turned out differently had two Limavady penalty opportunities, in the final minutes of the game, not been missed.
RBAI 36 REGENT HOUSE 0
Belfast Inst started the game well and took an early 5-0 lead when their hooker, Ryan McComiskey, found himself on the end of a flowing backline attack. Two minutes later the same player added another score when he charged a Regent House clearance kick and gathered the ball and scored under the posts. TJ Morris added the extras to give his team a 12-0 lead. RBAI Head Boy, Paddy Dolaghan, selected at outhalf in place of the injured Michael Lowry, was having a major influence on the game. His game management skills shone through and his astute use of the ball placed his team into positions of strength. The Regent House team was pressurised into giving away penalties and Morris was successful with three penalty kicks to give the hosts a 21-0 lead at the interval.
Further RBAI pressure presented their backline with the opportunities to score tries. Their counter attacking abilities came to the fore and Jack Conlin (twice) and Andrew McGregor touched down unconverted. Both teams played all their replacement players and the game appeared to lose some of the momentum which had been displayed earlier by both teams. There were no further scores ensuring a 36-0 win for the Royal Belfast Academical Institution team.
SULLIVAN UPPER 0 CAMPBELL COLLEGE 13
The Sullivan Upper team played with a slight breeze in the first half which was evenly contested with much of the play centred in the middle third of the pitch. Chances were few and far between with both defences dominating proceedings in the narrow pitch. The Campbell College pack was held up in the early stages and Sullivan had a couple of driven line outs repelled in the Campbell 22m area. Peter Cooper and Conor McEvoy impressed for the Sullivan Upper team in both the set pieces and open play while Rory Butler was looking like the stand out Campbell College player with his work in the attacking phases, as well as the defensive phases, of the game. A 0-0 draw at half time was a fair reflection of the even nature of the contest in the course of the first half
The second half belonged to the Campbell College team for prolonged periods of time. Domination of both territory and possession resulted in two excellent penalties from Cameron Stewart who controlled the game from scrum half. With their 0-6 lead in the bag the Campbell College team now had control of the game. They thought they had the break through when they drove close to the line but were penalised for obstruction. The game was effectively finished as a contest with seven minutes to go. Campbell charged down a Sullivan kick and then won possession close to the opposition line. Persistent forward charges were repelled before Jack Barry-Glendinning picked the ball up and spun over the line. Stewart converted from the touchline to secure a 0-13 win.
CARRICKFERGUS GS 7 OMAGH ACADEMY 26
The Carrickfergus Grammar School team was playing their third home Schools’ Cup game when they hosted Omagh Academy at North Road but the outcome of this game was different from the first. The visitors dominated proceedings for most of the game and took an early lead when Joshua McKinley took advantage of a great offload from James Longwell to touch down for an unconverted try. Longwell then scored a try of his own when he broke away from a driven maul. Stuart Ballentine converted the try to put his team into a 0-12 lead. Ill-discipline in the Omagh ranks then presented the home team with the opportunity for points. Michael Black was on the end of a Carrickfergus maul and touched down for a try. Marc Ellison added the extras to reduce the arrears to 7-12 at the break.
Possession was evenly spread at the start of the second half but it was the Omagh Academy team that made more effective use of the ball. Great work from the strong Omagh Academy pack presented their backline with quality possession. The ball was moved swiftly along the backline and Andrew Monteith finished with a try in the corner. Ballentine added the conversion to give his team a 7-19 lead. The Omagh Academy centre, Luke Hanson, then secured the victory for his team when he ran in for a try. Ballentine added the extras to rubber stamp Omagh’s progression to the quarter finals
DANSKE BANK ULSTER SCHOOLS’ BOWL QUARTER FINALS
DALRIADA SCHOOL 17 GROSVENOR GS 12
Dalriada and Grosvenor Grammar School played out a close encounter from which the Ballymoney boys emerged eventually as 17-12 winners. The Dalriada team took an early 7-0 lead when Angus Johnston scored a try which Michael Finnerty converted. Grosvenor responded in a positive fashion when Daniel Mayhew took advantage of good ball retention and support play from his team mates to touch down for a try. Mark Thompson added the conversion to draw the score level. Dalriada then scored a well worked converted try before Daniel Martin exposed a gap in the home defence to run in for an unconverted try on the stroke of half time.
Both teams were playing the game in a positive manner at the start of the second half but neither team could find any way through the opposition defence. The only score of the second half came from a Dalriada penalty which secured their hard earned 17-12 win at the end of this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Bowl quarter final game.
BANBRIDGE ACADEMY 19 PORTADOWN COLLEGE 9
Portadown College took taken an early 0-3 lead when Niall Davidson converted a penalty opportunity. Two minutes later the Banbridge Academy team responded with an unconverted try from their industrious flanker, Jonny Campbell, to give the home team a 5-3 lead. The away side regained a 3-6 advantage when Davidson kicked another penalty in the latter stages of the first half. However, Banbridge Academy had the final say in the opening period when Shane Honeyford scored to put his team into a 10-6 lead at the interval.
Seven minutes into the second half Davidson converted a third penalty to reduce the deficit but from that stage on it was the Banbridge who controlled the game and three Daniel McElderry penalties capped a fine personal performance and secured the 19-7 victory.
FOYLE COLLEGE 19 BELFAST HS 14
Foyle College had the McDonnell bothers, Alex and Calum, to thank for their 19-14 victory against Belfast High School when the teams met in the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Bowl quarter final. Alex gave his team a 3-0 lead when he converted a penalty kick early in the game. Calum then scored a try, which Alex converted, to increase the lead to ten points. Alex converted his second penalty before Belfast HS responded with a converted try. With the last kick of the first half, an Alex McDonnell penalty left the scoreboard reading 16-7.
The second half saw both teams play out a close encounter. Tactical kicking from both teams seemed to be the main tactic used in an attempt to establish territorial advantage. Alex McDonnell increased the Foyle College lead to 19-7 when he was successful with his fourth penalty of the game. The Belfast High School team then scored a converted try to reduce the arrears to 19-15. They went on the attack during the final quarter of the game but could find no way through a well-organised Foyle defence.
RAINEY ENDOWED 30 BELFAST ROYAL ACADEMY 10
BRA took an early 0-7 lead when they score