Supporters are advised to buy tickets in advance - you can click here to do so now. Gates open at 2.00pm. Tickets are available from the Ticket Kiosk on Onslow Parade only as there is no purchasing facility at the Mount Merrion entrance.
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MATCH PREVIEW
The second semi-final sees two of the pre-tournament favourites - Methodist College and Wallace High School - meet at the same stage as they did last season.
Methody came through that encounter successfully before going on to win a third consecutive Schools’ Cup. This season they will be hoping for a repeat performance to enable them to have a chance of making it ‘four in a row’. Many neutral observers would suggest Methody is maybe not as complete a team as they have been in recent seasons, however they seem to have hit Schools’ Cup form at just the right time. Team coaches Nicky Wells and Stephen Lindsay have the benefit of a wealth of Schools’ Cup winning experience behind them. They will no doubt pass that experience on to their young charges.
There is an abundance of talent within the Methodist College ranks. Team captain, Saul Herdman, is a quality player who seems to be equally at home in the front row or back row. He forms an impressive front row trio alongside Ben O’Reilly and the ever improving Alex McAllister. The second row partnership of Ryan Cullen and Scott McClelland is an effective unit who work hard at set piece time and secure more than their fair share of lineout possession. Matthew McKinney brings the experience he gained with the Ulster U19 team to the Methody pack while Zach Jordan and Dan Coulter are never far away from the ball.
The Methody backs are more than happy to make effective use of possession, with Danny Gray and Gareth Millar able to keep their team on the front foot as well as keeping the opposition back row honest in defence. Ali McIvor and Lewis Loane are an attack minded midfield duo that is more than keen to contribute to the defensive duties as well. In Josh Jordan, Conor Kelly and Robert Lyttle there is a very astute and dynamic back three trio. Quite a few of these players will come under the microscope of the various Irish age grade management teams who hope to be in attendance at the game.
It will not only be players from the Methodist College team that will attract the attention of members of Irish age grade management teams in the course of this semi-final game. Wallace HS has a large number of potential Ireland Schools’ and Ireland U19 players available for selection and will no doubt see themselves as favourites to win this game and their record this season speaks for itself. They are undefeated so far this season and their victories include a convincing win against Methody at Pirrie Park earlier in the season. They deserved that win; there was nothing lucky or fortunate about it. They outplayed their rivals on that occasion and will hope to do so, once again, on Thursday. Two seasons ago many of the Wallace HS squad played in the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield final. Last season they won the Ulster Schools’ 2nd XV Cup and the 1st XV reached the semi-final of the Schools’ Cup. The Wallace players have built up a lot of positive experiences from their participation in these games.
The Wallace coaching team of Derek Suffern and Neil Hinds will leave nothing to chance as they prepare their players for this game. Team captain, Sam Moore knows only one way to lead his team and that is from the front. He will remind his players they did not fulfil their undoubted potential in the previous round against Ballyclare HS. There seemed to be nervousness within the ranks in the course of that game. Ryan Wilson, Jonny Stewart, Andrew Cardosi, Ben Finlay, Philip Hylands, Neil Kilpatrick and Ben Pentland have all gained representative honours. That experience should enable these players to approach this game with confidence and ensure they carry the tag of favourites positively into this game.
TEAMS
Methodist College:
(15-9): Robert Lyttle; Josh Jordan, Lewis Loane, Alistair McIvor, Conor Kelly; Gareth Millar, Johnny Jordan; (1-8): Ben O’Reilly, Saul Herdman (captain), Alex McAllister, Ryan Cullen, Scott McClelland, Matthew McKinney, Dan Coulter, Zac Jordan;
Replacements (16-23): Oliver Cairns, Aaron Kilpatrick, Conor Gourley, Cameron Kelly, Joe Kennedy, Danny Gray, Paul Kerr, Louis Trainor.
Wallace HS:
(15-9): Philip Hylands; Connor Guiney, Andrew Cardosi, Ryan Wilson, Ben Finlay; Neil Kilpatrick, Jonny Stewart; (1-8): Jonathan Blair, Ben Pentland, Andrew Weir, Patrick Ferguson, Gary Dillon, Sam Moore (captain), Andrew Irvine, Max Trouton,
Replacements (16-23): Michael Smyth, Graham Malley, Nicholas Woods, Gary Chan, Tom Baird, Adam Black, Ikenna Nzewi, Adam Heaps.