Ulster Schools Round-Up - 24 Nov 2018

A round-up of the latest action from the Ulster Schools' Rugby scene... On Monday 19th November Wallace High School entertained Portadown College in the first round of the Danske Bank 2ndxv Cup competition. The Wallace High School team won the game by 17-5. On Tuesday 20th November Bangor Academy defeated Antrim Grammar School by 50-14 in the first round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield competition. In the same stage of the competition Craigavon Senior High School defeated Carrickfergus Grammar School by 33-7. On Wednesday 21st quite a few other Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Cup first round games took place. The results are as follows: Banbridge Academy 10 Down High School 25 Bangor Grammar School 59 Cambridge House Grammar School 0 Belfast Royal Academy 50 Larne Grammar School 15 Campbell College, Belfast 59 Regent House School 0 Carrickfergus Grammar School 0 Ballyclare High School 59 Grosvenor Grammar School 12 Ballymena Academy 22 Limavady Grammar School 10 Royal School, Dungannon 7 Strabane Academy 35 Dalriada School 41 Sullivan Upper School 7 Coleraine Grammar School 0 Friends’ School, Lisburn 14 Rainey Endowed School 24 Lurgan College 50 Omagh Academy 5 In the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 3rdxv Cup: Royal School, Armagh 4thxv 10 Methodist College, Belfast 5thxv 33 Royal Belfast Academical Institution 4thxv 74 Belfast Royal Academy 3rdxv 0 Methodist College, Belfast 3rdxv travelled to play Belfast Metropolitan College in a game the young Methodist College 3rdxv team won by 28-0. On Friday 23rd November Foyle and Londonderry College played Enniskillen Royal Grammar School in the final Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Cup Round 1 game. The game finished in a 38-0 victory for the Enniskillen Royal Grammar School team. On the same evening Banbridge Academy played Grosvenor Grammar School under the floodlights at Banbridge RFC. The scoreboard was reading 5-5 at the interval before the Grosvenor Grammar School team went on to record a 28-5 victory. The impressive Andrew Denver took advantage of good work from Jake Beattie before touching down for an unconverted try to give the Banbridge Academy team a 5-0 lead. The Grosvenor Grammar School team responded with an unconverted try by Josh Malcolm from a driven maul, following a 5 metre lineout, on the stroke of halftime. The second half saw the Grosvenor Grammar School team score tries through Josh Patterson, Danny Armstrong and James McMaster. An Adam Moore conversion and penalty, as well as a conversion from Danny Armstrong, secured the 28-5 win for the Grosvenor Grammar School team. Both teams would like to thank Banbridge RFC for the use of their facilities and hosting the game. Campbell College, Belfast played Sullivan Upper School under the lights at CIYMS RFC in a closely contested game the Sullivan Upper team won by 16-15. Campbell College took a 7-0 lead through a try from Danny Williamson which was converted by Dara Gaskin. George Saunderson then scored a try for the Sullivan Upper team, which was converted by Conor McKee, to draw the scores level at 7-7. An unconverted try from Hugh Minford gave the Campbell College team a 12-7 lead at the break. Two Conor McKee penalties in the opening exchanges of the second half saw the Sullivan team into a 13-12 lead. However, a Jack Bonner penalty saw the Campbell College team regain a 15-13 lead going into the final quarter of the game. A Campbell College infringement provided Conor McKee with the opportunity to secure the 16-15 win for the Sullivan Upper team and a well struck kick ensured that Conor did so. Both teams would like to thank CIYMS RFC for the provision of facilities and hosting the game. On Saturday 24th November Antrim Grammar School played the Randalstown RFC U18 team in a controlled 3x20 minute games scenario. Callum McComb, Callum Hull, Adam Carville, Stewart Smyth and Thomas Allen all impressed with their performances for the Antrim Grammar School team. Ballyclare High School hosted Dalriada School in an exciting game the Ballyclare High School team won by 26-24. The game was sitting at 12-12 at the break before the Ballyclare High School team went on to record their hard-earned win. Scott Martin, Stuart Hull, Adam Campbell and James Logan scored the Ballyclare High School tries with Mark Jackson adding three conversions. Peter Wright scored two tries for the Dalriada School team with Will Scott and Paddy Carson scoring one try apiece. Jacob Flack and Paddy Carson added one conversion each. Cambridge House hosted Dromore High School in a game the Dromore High School team won by 25-22. The Cambridge House points came through tries from Tom Wharry and Marcus Bracewell, two Jordan McMullan conversions as well as one penalty, and a penalty try. The Dromore High School points came through tries from Tom Dolaghan, Richard Dickson, Xander Lowham and Cameron Owens. Rhys Dale was successful with one conversion as well as a penalty. Coleraine Grammar School played Royal School, Dungannon and won the game by 29-24. Conor Potts scored a hat trick of tries for the Coleraine GS team with Pierce Crowe adding a fourth. Pierce was successful with three conversions as well as a penalty. The Royal School, Dungannon points came through tries from Luke McMullan, Adam Junk and Scott Fagan. Luke added three conversions as well as one penalty. Down High School hosted Ballymena Academy in a game the Ballymena team won by 48-16. The Down High School team had built up a 16-13 by the interval with a try from Andy McCoubrey and a drop kick, one conversion and two penalties from Greg Hutley. The Ballymena Academy points in the first half came from a Frankie Andrews try and a conversion and two penalties from Ross McKay. The Ballymena Academy team went on to score five converted tries in the course of the second half. Paul Gocher, Harry Cooke, Paddy Hardy, Alex McKinney and Ross McKay scored the tries to which Ross added all five conversions. Foyle and Londonderry College played the City of Derry RFC U18 team at the Craig Thompson Stadium at Judges Road. The Foyle College team won the game by 42-12 scoring six tries in the process. Sam Finlay and William Finlay each touched down for two tries with Scott Pollock and Keelin Coyle each scoring one. Keelin was successful with all six conversions. Friends’ School, Lisburn lost against Bangor Grammar School by 47-29 after an exciting game at the Magheralave Road venue. Both teams were reasonably evenly matched with the essential difference between the sides being the return to play and performance of Aaron Sexton for the Bangor Grammar School team. The Friends’ School team had built up a 9-0 lead early in the game through three Reece Malone penalties. Aaron Sexton and Conor Lusty then scored tries for the Bangor team, to which Rhys Larmour added the conversions, to see the Bangor team into a 14-9 lead. This was reduced to 14-12 when Reece Malone added a fourth penalty just before the interval. Just after the break the Bangor GS lead increased to 21-12 when Oliver Hamilton touched down for a try which Rhys Larmour converted. Another Reece Malone penalty reduced the Friends’ School deficit to 21-15. A Riley Westwood try, again converted by Rhys Larmour, saw the Bangor GS team into a 28-15 lead. A try from the impressive Max Gillespie, converted by Reece Malone, saw the Bangor lead reduced to 28-22. Two Ben McCrossan tries, one of which was converted by Rhys Larmour, then extended that lead to 40-22. Aaron Sexton then ran in for another Bangor GS try, which Rhys Larmour converted, to give his team a 47-22 lead. Almost on the stroke of full time Stuart Patterson scored a try for the Friends’ School team and the Reece Malone conversion, giving Reece a 100% return on his kicks, saw the Bangor Grammar school team finish the game as 47-29 winners. Larne Grammar School defeated Carrickfergus Grammar School by 36-0. The Larne GS team had built up a 10-0 lead by the break through a try from Aaron Gallagher and a conversion and penalty from Euan Glenn. The second half saw the Larne GS team put in a more focussed performance with tries coming from Taylor McGorran, who touched down twice, Steven Dickey and Jack Lough. Euan Glenn added the extras to three of the tries to secure the 38-0 victory. Methodist College, Belfast entertained Wallace High School in a game the Methodist College team won comprehensively by 38-8. It was the power and precision of the Methody pack that laid the foundations for this impressive victory. Tries from Tom Millar, Ethan McIlroy and Thomas Armstrong, along with an Ethan McIlroy conversion, gave the Methody team a 17-3 lead by half time with Nathan Doak having kicked a first half penalty for the Wallace High School team. The Methodist College team continued to dominate proceedings in the second half. A second Thomas Armstrong try, converted by Ethan McIlroy, a David Boden try, again converted by Ethan McIlroy, and a penalty try, secured the 38 points for the Methodist College, Belfast team. The Wallace High School team did score an unconverted second half consolation try through Jack Dillon. Regent House School played Belfast Royal Academy in a game the Belfast Royal Academy team won comprehensively by 53-9. Tom Stewart and Adam Kane each scored two tries for the Belfast Royal Academy team with Rory Linden, Adam Keed, Ollie Parkes, Elliott Donaldson and Ryan Jameson all touching down for one try apiece. Harry Warke was successful with four conversion kicks. Stuart Martin scored three consolation penalties for the Regent House School team. Royal Belfast Academical Institution lost by 22-10 against the Royal School, Armagh team when the teams met at Osborne Park. Ewan Magee scored a try for the Royal Belfast Academical Institution team with Robin McIlveen adding the conversion as well as one penalty. The Royal School, Armagh points came through tries from Peter Taylor, who touched down twice, Aaron Woods and Adam Edgar. Charlie Worth added the extras to one of the tries. Wellington College, Belfast played a Portadown College “Select” xv in a game the Portadown College team won by 31-5. The score was 5-5 at half time with Justin Bingham scoring an unconverted try for the Wellington College team and Matthew Gillespie doing likewise for the Portadown College team. The second half saw the Portadown College team score tries from Tom Symington, Christopher Thornberry, Elliott McKew and Joe Orr. Three Elliott McKew conversions secured the 31-5 victory for the Portadown College xv.