Under 15s Sitting Pretty
Ballymena Under 15s took a massive stride towards winning the league title with a thrilling victory over closest rivals Rainey on Saturday at Eaton Park. However everything did not go the boys way and from the outset they knew they were in a match. Rainey came out with all guns blazing and raced into an early lead with a try and a penalty seeing the 15s fall behind for the first time this season. However the boys dug deep and led by the pack they gradually began to get a foothold on the game. Fullerton and Bell began to exert pressure at the breakdown and the 15s secured some go forward ball. With Kerr releasing Stewart only a last ditch tackle saw McKillan prevented from getting a score in the corner. However the pressure was beginning to tell and a great run from Forrester saw him release Mackness who sprinted clear to touch down under the posts. McNeill slotted the conversion and Ballymena were back in the match. However the boys were going to have to work for the points and a sloppy pass saw Rainey intercept and run clear for another try. At half time Rainey took a six point lead into the second half.
The second half saw the Braid boys show their metal. With Jennings and Mills now in control at the breakdown the Ballymena backs began to take advantage of the quick ball. A flowing move saw Hunter pass to Crooks, his silky run saw him evade several tacklers before he crossed beneath the posts. McNeill again converted and the boys now had a narrow lead. The 15s were now in full flow and a strong run from Thompson saw him pass to Miskelly. His clever pass was collected by winger George who sprinted clear to score in the corner. Logan and McLeister had now joined the fight and Rainey were struggling to keep up with the pace of the game. A neat move saw McWilliams smuggle the ball to Rock and only a last ditch tackle saw Fyfe prevented from touching down in the corner. However the pressure now had to tell and scrum half Crooks passed to Millar who slipped a tackle before passing to Getty who crashed over to put the game beyond the visitors. The final whistle saw Rainey realise they were second best on the day.
Final -Score Ballymena 24 Rainey 13.
The Under 17s were also in a battle and as with the 15s they fell behind to an early try. Following what looked like a harsh decision when prop Hyndeman was yellow carded for pulling an opponent into a ruck the boys were unable to stop a forward surge from the visitors. The game continued in this vein with the bigger Rainey team taking the game to the 17s. However despite fielding 11 boys who were only playing in their 5th competitive match the boys refused to lie down. Some excellent tackling from Whelan and Gilkinson saw the 17s keep Rainey at bay. The boys did get some possession in the first half and a strong run from McLoughlin saw him pass to Mullan who was denied by a strong tackle by the Rainey full back. With Edwards and Clarke showing stout resistance Ballymena held firm until half time. The second half saw Ballymena putting pressure on from the restart and a drive from Davison saw Lindsay slip the ball to man of the match Millar who crashed over for a try to level the scores. Rainey however made the most of a poor piece of play and their winger crossed for a score in the corner. It would have been easy for the inexperienced Ballymena boys to give in but to their credit they stuck at the task. With Millar constantly thwarting Rainey attacks the Braid boys through McCallion and McNeill now secured some go forward ball. A good back line move saw McGarry release McDowell, his pass saw the ball move to Dunne who evaded a tackle before passing to Appleton who crossed for a try in the corner. The last 10 minutes were incredibly tense with the physically superior Rainey team taking the game to the 17s. The closing minutes saw McAllister make a game saving tackle before the final whistle saw the boys get the draw they deserved.
Final Score Ballymena 10 Rainey 10.
Label One owner Michael McGarry presenting the new kit to Ballymena Under 13 captain Mark McGarry
Ballymena Rugby Club were delighted during the week when Label One owner Michael McGarry announced his support for the Under 13 Rugby team. In addition to sponsoring a new kit for the boys Label One have kindly provided almost £3000 to kit the boys out in tracksuits. This is a first for the Club and the boys look really smart when travelling to and from games. Label One decided to sponsor the 13s after being made aware of the efforts BRFC are making within the local community. Michael stated ‘ I decided to come on board after learning of the great efforts that the Club are making to involve everyone within the local community. It is to the Club’s credit that they have included boys and girl’s from every community in rugby and we are delighted to become part of that effort’. Tom Wiggins Ballymena RFC’s Community Development Officer sees the sponsorship as a vindication of the strides the Club are making. ‘ As a Club we have invested heavily in bringing rugby to children across the borough. We have cross community initiatives, a cross border partnership and provide coaching to children with special needs. However we cannot do everything on our own and we depend on the goodwill of individuals such as Michael to support our efforts. The boys now have a very professional image and they can see that people are willing to go to great lengths to ensure they have the best possible experience. Rugby is about so much more than simply playing the game, we hope to give the boys life skills and experiences they would not otherwise have had. The support of companies such as Label One is an invaluable help in making these aims a reality.’
