Banbridge Academy had built up a 12-0 lead by the interval before going on to win the game by 26-7. The essential difference between both teams was the game management displayed by the Banbridge Academy half back pairing of Jay Pinion and Ben Carson. These players ensured the quality possession provided by the Banbridge pack was used wisely. Twenty minutes into the game the Banbridge team took a 5-0 lead when fullback, Daniel McElderry, ran in for an unconverted try. On the stroke of half time, Jordan Mount, playing on the wing, scored a second Banbridge Academy, which was converted by McElderry for a 12-0 lead at the break.
Rainey mounted something of a revival after the break. They got rewarded for their endeavours when No8, Anton Lupari, scored a try. Mark Rooney added the conversion to reduce the arrears to 12-7. However, Academy captain Matthew Bell scored a converted try to put his team into a 19-7 lead. Further Banbridge pressure saw Pinion take advantage of good work from his pack and touch down for a try, again converted by McElderry, to seal a 26-7.
RBAI 53 BELFAST HS 3
The Belfast Inst team controlled the game from the start and recorded an impressive 53-3 victory. They had built up a 22-0 lead by half time with tries from Ben McGavock, Paddy Dolaghan, Andrew McGregor and Jack Conlin. TJ Morris added one conversion to secure the 22-0 lead.
The second half saw more of the same from the Belfast Inst team. They scored five tries in the course of the second half. Paddy Dolaghan touched down for his second try of the game, as did Andrew McGregor. James Hume added to his growing reputation with one try and the impressive Paddy Nicholas scored twice. Ben McGavock added two conversions with TJ Morris kicking one. The Belfast High School team displayed great resilience but had only a Joel McBride penalty kick, early in the second half, to show for their endeavours which left the final score reading 53-3 in favour of the Royal Belfast Academical Institution team.
BALLYMENA ACADEMY 9 WALLACE HS 21
The Wallace High School team travelled to play Ballymena Academy and might count themselves slightly fortunate to come away with a 21-9 victory. Andrew Magrath put the Ballymena Academy team into a 6-0 lead with two well struck penalty kicks. Ben Finlay then took advantage of great skill from Philip Hylands before touching down for the first try of the game. Ryan Wilson converted the try to give Wallace HS the lead. Andrew Cardosi then went in for a try after Neil Kilpatrick had unlocked the Ballymena Academy defence. Wilson added the extras to bring the score to 6-14. Just before the break, Magrath kicked his third penalty to reduce the deficit to five points at half time.
The Ballymena Academy team started the second half strongly and came close to scoring on a number of occasions with Josh McElroy, Marcus Rea, Jonathan Bill and Magrath all asking questions of the Wallace defence. However, it was the visitors that secured the win when Finlay grabbed his second score following a midfield turn over. Wilson converted to leave the Wallace High School team as 9-21 winners.
SULLIVAN UPPER 19 COLERAINE AI 0
Sullivan Upper entertained Coleraine Academical Institution in a game the Sullivan Upper team won by 19-0. The Sullivan team was missing a number of key regulars due to long term injuries but still managed to control both possession and territory for long periods of time. They built up a 5-0 lead in the first half when Peter Cooper stormed over for an unconverted try following good work from his pack.
The second half started as the first half ended with the Sullivan in the ascendancy and they scored two tries through Lewis Smyth and James Houston. Callum Jeffrey added the extras to secure the well-deserved victory.
BRA 31 GROSVENOR GS 17
Belfast Royal Academy continued their recent good run of results with a 31-17 win against Grosvenor Grammar School. Grosvenor team started the game strongly and took a 0-7 lead when Mark Johnston took advantage of a well driven maul to touch down for a try which he converted. The Belfast Royal Academy team then reduced the deficit to 3-7 when Michael Wilson kicked a penalty. BRA edged ahead when Jay McCrum took advantage of slack Grosvenor defence to run in for a try, which Wilson successfully converted. Johnston drew the game level at 10-10 with a penalty just before the break.
BRA scored early second half converted tries through Matthew Dalton and Scott McMurtry to take a 24-10 lead. The Grosvenor GS team then started to win a series of phase balls and this ended with Andrew Johnston touching down for his first try of the season. Mark Johnston added the conversion to see the arrears reduced to 24-17. BRA secured their win when, following a series of tapped penalties, Scott McCauley scored a try which Wilson converted.
FRIENDS’ SCHOOL 8 LURGAN COLEGE 40
Lurgan College travelled to play Friends’ School in Lisburn and returned home with a well-deserved 8-40 victory under their belts. In a close first half, both teams were guilty of giving away soft penalties. The first try of the game came midway through the first half when Harry Simpson, the Lurgan College prop, touched down after good work from Jamie Hunter and Ben McAllister. Scott Wilson added the extras .The score was extended to 0-12 when second row Ryan Emerson ran in for an unconverted try. The Friends’ School team responded with a try and a penalty from James McGucken to leave the score reading 8-12 at the break.
The Lurgan College team controlled affairs for long periods of the second half and scored four tries with James Mitchell and Hunter scoring one try apiece and Stephen Logan touching down for two. Wilson was successful with three of the conversion kicks to complete a 8-40 win for his Lurgan College team.
RS DUNGANNON 12 OMAGH ACADEMY 19
In the County Tyrone derby Omagh Academy travelled to play the Royal School Dungannon team on the WK Armstrong pitch. This game was played over three periods of time with the Omagh Academy team emerging as somewhat fortunate 12-19 winners. Andy Monteith opened the scoring for the Omagh team when he pounced on a loose RS Dungannon pass and ran in unopposed from 40 metres. Kyle Beattie added the conversion for a 0-7 lead. Both teams had the opportunity to score points in the course of the first third of the game but both defences held firm.
The Omagh team welcomed Stuart Ballentine back from injury at the start of the second period of play and he was involved immediately in setting up the next score of the game. Josh McKinley and his Omagh pack used the driving maul tactic to good effect before transferring the ball to Ballentine, whose perfectly timed pass to the onrushing Adam Rush ended with Adam touching down for a try. Ballentine added the conversion to give his team a 0-14 lead.
Omagh continued to press but let themselves down with a series of needless penalties, knock-ons and forward passes. The RS Dungannon team created opportunities for points but found the Omagh defence to be well-organised. The away side extended their lead to 19-0 when Stuart Hemphill took advantage of good work from Dean Kane, McKinley, Matthew Sproule and Jonny Anderson, before touching down for an unconverted try. In the final play of the second period, the RS Dungannon team got some reward for their efforts when Jonny Black scrambled his way over the Omagh line for a try. John Buckley added the conversion to reduce the arrears to 7-19 at the end of the second period of the game.
The third and final period of play opened in a scrappy manner with both teams playing between the ten metre lines. Dungannon attacked the blindside of an Omagh ruck and took play deep into opposition territory and following a number of phases, the ball was spun wide for winger Aaron McCammon to finish off and reduce the deficit to 12-19. In the final minutes of the game Omagh had a few scoring chances that were missed and the scoreline remained unchanged.
DOWN HS 18 BANGOR GS 8
Down High School got 2015 off to a winning start with an 18-8 over Bangor Grammar School in what was a scrappy game. They took a 3-0 lead when Jo Bingham converted a penalty kick after just eight minutes, before the visitors responded just minutes later. Midway through the first half, the Down High School took a 10-3 lead when their dominant pack took a strike against the head; Zac Ward picked the ball from the base of the scrum and beat a number of defenders before off-loading to Thomas Forson who outpaced the defence to touch down. Bingham added the extras. Bangor replied with an unconverted try to reduce the score to 10-8, before another Bingham penalty just before the interval.
The second half saw both teams make mistakes but Down HS was controlling the set piece plays which ensured their line was never really threatened, and the Bangor defence remained intact until the last play of the game. Down HS flanker Elliott Evans won possession from a loose ball in the opposition 22 and carried strongly before putting Forson over the whitewash for his second.
METHODY 12 BLACKROCK COLLEGE 35
Methodist College played their annual New Year fixture against Blackrock College, who had a number of Leinster U19 players and won the game by 35-12. The Leinster visitors had built up a 3-12 lead by half time. The Methody team, with Robert Lyttle, Ali Mc Ivor, Saul Herdman and Gareth Millar all playing well, seemed to tire in the final quarter when Blackrock ran in three converted tries. The 12 Methodist College points all came from the trusty boot of Robert Lyttle.
CARRICKFERGUS GS 29 ANTRIM GS 5
David Carse put on a Man of the Match performance for the home side, scoring three tries and kicking two conversions. The remaining Carrickfergus points came from tries by Reece Berry and Daniel Anaele. The Antrim try was a fine effort by their hard working second row forward, JJ McKee.
WELLINGTON COLLEGE 12 REGENT HOUSE 24
No report available.
DALRIADA SCHOOL 31 LIMAVADY GS 21
No report available.