This year's Nutty Krust Tournament Final will see Portadown U18s face Dungannon U18s at the competition completes its 43rd season.
Both sides reached the final on the back of bonus-point victories, setting the stage for what should be a closely contested game.
Here's how the tournament has gone so far:
Game 1: Portadown 29-19 Enniskillen, Mon 28 Feb
Portadown scored three first half tries through Jamie Hayes, Jack Coulter and Ciaran Peterson. With the aid of the cross-bar Toby Gribben was successful with one of his conversion kicks.
The Enniskillen team, on a rare first half incursion into the Portadown “Red Zone”, made good use of lineout ball just before the break. Their impressive tight head prop, James Elliott, had to work hard before eventually touching down for a well deserved try which was converted by Odhran Clenaghan, to leave the half time score reading 17-7 in favour of the Portadown team.
They then started the second half strongly. A subtle off-load from Jamie Hayes put Ciaran Peterson in for an unconverted try to increase their lead to 24-7.
The Enniskillen team responded positively and reduced the deficit to 24-14 when Daniel Kathru combined with Cahir McCahill and James Ross before touching down for a try which Oisin McPhillips converted. Portadown then came back and scored an unconverted bonus point try through Ryan Moore to increase their lead to 29-14.
Once again, the Enniskillen team displayed great commitment and scored the seventh try of the game when Alfie Cooper and Ryan Beattie combined to send Oisin McPhillips in for an unconverted try.
Game 2: Armagh 0-24 Dungannon, Wed 2 March
The Dungannon team started the game in a positive mood and dominated both territory and possession scored for long periods of the first half.
They scored two first half unconverted tries through Caolan Donaghy, who ran in for his try from the halfway line, and Oliver McIlwaine who took advantage of good work from Tim Clarke, Jake Callaghan and Owen Donaghy before touching down for his try.
The Armagh team had penalty opportunities to put points on the board but decided to play with the ball in hand. Positive Dungannon defence kept these attacks at bay which ensured the Dungannon team took their 10-0 lead into the break.
The third quarter of the game was played, in the main, between the respective 22m lines. At times the Armagh team, with players such as Michael Daly, Lee Nesbitt, Jack Rountree and Dylan Hazelton leading the way, looked as if they might breach the Dungannon defence but a degree of indecision saw some promising attacks come to nothing.
The Dungannon pack then started to dominate proceedings with Ashley Doherty carrying strongly. After one such carry Adam Godfrey trundled over the whitewash for a third Dungannon try. Zak Holmes added the conversion to see his team into a 17-0 lead.
The Dungannon team went on to claim a bonus point victory when Zak outwitted the Armagh defence to touch down for the try which he converted.
Game 3: Portadown 21-20 Omagh, Mon 7 March
Omagh scored two first half tries, through the impressive Sean Kerr and Joe McMullan, one of which was converted by Joshua Kyle, to take a 12-0 lead early in the game. The Portadown team responded with an unconverted try from Ciaran Peterson, and a penalty from Toby Gribben, to reduce the deficit to 12-8. Players such as Harry White, Paul Antu and Jake Taylor were to the fore in the build up to these scores.
The third quarter of the game was played, in the main, at a great pace with both teams running the ball from deep at every opportunity. On one such occasion Sean Kerr finished a flowing Omagh attack with an unconverted try in the corner to extend the Omagh lead to 17-8.
Portadown responded with great go forward ball involving good interactive plays from both their forwards and backs. Jamie Marshall crossed the whitewash to touch down for a try, which Toby Gribben converted, to reduce the arrears to 17-15. Further Portadown pressure then forced the Omagh defence into conceding a penalty. Toby Gribben converted the kick to see the Portadown team into an 18-17 lead going into the final few minutes of the game.
Back came Omagh and, this time, it was the Portadown defence that coughed up the penalty. Joshua Kyle was deadly accurate with his kick to see the Omagh team regain the lead at 20-18 with little time remaining.
From the restart one final Portadown attack saw an Omagh player stray into an off-side position. Up stepped Toby Gribben to slot the resultant kick which secured the 21-20 victory for the Portadown team at the no-side whistle.
Game 4: Armagh 10-25 Rainey, Wed 9 March
The Rainey team started the game in a positive mood and had the opportunity to score a try with only two minutes on the clock. However, the ball was spilt over the try line but all was not lost. The referee went back to a penalty advantage and Louis Regan converted the kick to put the Rainey team into a 3-0 lead.
The Armagh team responded positively to the early set back and eventually got points on the board when the Armagh outhalf, Joshua Herron, who had featured strongly for the Portadown College team on their recent run to the final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy, disrupted a Rainey attack. Joshua carried play deep into the Rainey “Red Zone” and, following a clever “show and go”, touched down for an unconverted try.
Having taken a 5-3 lead the Armagh team, with Matthew Monaghan, Callum Clarke and Rory Loughran to the fore, came close to scoring on a number of occasions. It took two great Rainey defensive plays, involving Adam Montgomery and Bryon McMaster, to ensure the Rainey line was not crossed again before the break.
Early Rainey pressure after the restart following a lineout, and a great positional kick from Louis Regan, put the Rainey team on the front foot. Their pack took control and maintained possession through a number of phases before Ben Brown touched down for a try. Louis Regan added the extras to see the Rainey team into a 10-5 lead. This became 15-5 when Adam Montgomery and Mark Lee combined to send Mark in for an unconverted try. Shortly after this, and following good interplay with the Rainey forwards and backs, it was Adam’s turn to touch down for an unconverted try to put the Rainey team into a 20-5 lead.
The Armagh team, who had displayed good skills when they did get some possession, then got some reward for their endeavours. Darragh Lennon, Lee Nesbitt and Ally Wilson all combined before Joshua Herron touched down for an unconverted try to reduce the deficit to 20-10.
As it turned out the Rainey team had the final say in the game when the impressive No 8, Mark Lee, scored his second try of the game to secure the bonus point 25-10 victory for the Rainey U18 team.
Game 5: Enniskillen 31-38 Omagh, Mon 14 March
The Enniskillen team started the game in a positive mood and opened the scoring with an unconverted try from Joe Keys, to take a 5-0 lead with just seven minutes on the clock. Six minutes later the score became 12-0 when, following a series of powerful runs from the Enniskillen forwards, Peter Read touched down for a try which was converted by Sam Magowan.
This seemed to spur the Omagh team into action. Their impressive scrum half, Josh Rainey, took advantage of good work from his pack and finished off a good move with a try. Joshua Kyle added the extras to reduce the arrears to 12-7. The Omagh team started to play a more extensive game and, following a good run from Ronan Eannetta, Michael Moloney got his hands on the ball and touched down for an unconverted try. With the scoreboard now reading 12-12 the Omagh attacks did not stop. With Josh Rainey now displaying great game management skills, and creating space for his attack runners, the Omagh centres, Sean Kerr and Joshua Kyle, scored one try apiece. Joshua Kyle added the extras to one of these tries to see the Omagh team into a 24-12 lead at the interval.
The Enniskillen team started the second period of play in the same way they started the first. Strong running and effective carries took play deep into the Omagh “Red Zone”. However, the Omagh defence was well-organised and the Enniskillen team could find no way through. That was until ten minutes into the second half when Odhran McMulkin displayed great determination to gain possession, following a kick chase, and ran in unopposed from the 10m line to score an unconverted try which reduced the Enniskillen deficit to 24-17.
From the restart the Omagh team regained control of the ball and Joshua Kyle displayed a clean set of heels before running in for the try. Joshua converted the try to see the Omagh team into a 31-17 lead. Joshua Rainey then changed tactics and, following a clever kick chase from Joshua, he regained possession, off loaded to Joe McMullan who finished things off with a try. Another successful conversion from Joshua Kyle saw the Omagh team into a 38-17 lead.
The Enniskillen team then went on to dominate proceedings for the final seven minutes of the game. Good work from Ryan Beattie, Andrew Johnston-Martin and Cahir McElhill presented Joe Keys with the opportunity to score a try. George Patterson added the extras to see the scoreboard reading 38-24 in favour of the Omagh team. With almost the final play of the game the Enniskillen team scored the eleventh try of this exciting encounter. Following a series of short penalty plays, Andrew Johnston Martin blasted his way over the whitewash for a try. George Patterson added the conversion to see the final scoreboard reading Omagh Academicals RFC U18’s 38 Enniskillen RFC U18’s 31.
Game 6: Dungannon 27-19 Rainey, Wed 16 March
It was the Rainey team that started the game in a positive mood and opened the scoring with an intercept try from Caolin MacInfhirleigh. Louis Regan added the conversion to see the Rainey team into a 7-0 lead. A short time later the score became 14-0 when, following a series of powerful runs from the Rainey forwards, with Calum Clarke and Shea McIvor to the fore, Josh McMullan touched down for a try which was converted Louis Regan.
This seemed to spur the Dungannon team into action and, on their first real venture into the Rainey 22m area, Alex Kennedy spun his way out several attempted tackles to touch down for the try. Zak Holmes added the extras to reduce the Dungannon deficit to 14-7. Despite a number of attacks from both teams the defences held out and there were no further scores in the remainder of the first period of play.
From the restart the Dungannon team regained control of the ball and forced the Rainey defence into conceding a penalty. The resultant kick went to the corner and, following a clever set piece move, the Rainey captain, Fintan Loughran ran round the front of the maul to touch the ball down for an unconverted try. With the scoreboard now reading Dungannon 12 Rainey 14 it was game on! Two minutes later, following a great lineout take by Tim Clarke, it was that man Fintan Loughran who got his hands on the ball again at the back of the driven maul. Fintan controlled the drive and was rewarded when he touched down for another unconverted try to see the Dungannon team into a 17-14 lead.
Rainey came back strongly and good work from Louis Regan, Craig Thornton and Ryan McKendry forced the penalty from the Dungannon team. A quick tap and go almost paid off for Mark Lee but two phases later, great work from Eoghan Donnelly at the breakdown, saw the Dungannon team relieve the pressure on their line.
Coming out of defence Fintan Loughran carried strongly and evaded several tackles to set the Dungannon team into a strong attacking position. Alex Kennedy, Jack McAree and Zak Holmes combined to send Jake Callaghan in for an unconverted try to see the Dungannon team extend their lead to 22-14.
The Rainey team responded strongly and ran the ball effectively from a scrum in the Dungannon half. Craig Thornton beat two defenders before touching down for an unconverted try to reduce the Rainey arrears to 22-19.
However, it was the Dungannon team that had the final say in the game. A clever grubber kick from Jack McAree was gathered by Thomas McGuigan who touched down for an unconverted try.
