Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Round Up Saturday 15th October 2016
There were two midweek games played in the lead up to a full list of schoolboy friendly fixtures played on Saturday 15th October.
St Eunan’s College played their near neighbours from St Columb’s College in a game the St Eunan’s Team won by 19-0. St Eunan’s scored three tries, two of which were converted, in the course of the game.
Banbridge Academy played their annual fixture against Dublin CUS and lost the game by 24-0. The Banbridge team was 19-0 down by the interval but, with an improved second half performance, only conceded one unconverted try to end up losing the game by 24-0. Despite losing the game Banbridge Academy had two of the standout players on the pitch in Jonny McIntosh and Alex Mitchell.
Ballymena Academy hosted Belfast Royal Academy in a game the Ballymena Academy team won by 50-0. Ballymena had built up a 24-0 lead by half time through tries from Tim Savoury, Conor Cosgrove and Bruce Houston. Bruce converted all three tries as well as kicking one penalty.
The second half saw the Ballymena Academy team continue to dominate proceedings. With Angus Kernohan outstanding, in both attack and defence, they ran in four more tries through Mark Thompson, Tim Savoury, Tiarnan Martin and Alan Small. Bruce Houston converted three of the tries to secure the 50-0 win for the Ballymena Academy team.
Campbell College hosted Coleraine Grammar School in a game the Campbell College team won by 58-0. John McKee and Oscar Yandall each scored a try in the first half, with Will Davies adding one conversion, to give the Campbell College team a 12-0 lead at the break.
The second half saw Tom O’Toole score a hat trick of tries and Ben Webb run in for two. Ben Power, Oisin Kiernan and Stuart Whitman each scored one try and Will Davies added four conversions to secure the 58-0 win for the Campbell College team.
Sullivan Upper School hosted Wallace High School in a close fought encounter the Sullivan Upper School team won by 3-0. It took a Rory Kirkpatrick penalty to separate the teams.
The recent run of good form from the Friends’ School team came to an abrupt halt when they hosted the Omagh Academy team. The Friends’ School, Lisburn team had taken a 9-5 lead at the end of the first half before going on to lose the game by 24-9.
An unconverted try from Oscar Nelson gave the Omagh team a 5-0 lead but the Friends’ School team responded with three Ben McCaughey penalties to see them into a 9-5 lead at the break.
The Omagh Academy team controlled all aspects of the game for long periods in the second half. James Longwell, Taine Lagan and the impressive Nathan Sides, all scored tries for the Omagh Academy team. Kyle Beattie added two conversions tom secure the 24-9 victory for the Omagh Academy team.
Enniskillen Royal Grammar School travelled to play the Royal School, Dungannon team and returned to Co Fermanagh with a 22-10 victory under their belts. Alex Parke scored an unconverted try to give the Enniskillen RGS team a 5-0 lead. Luke McMullan reduced the arrears to 5-3 when he kicked a penalty for the RS Dungannon team. Reece Smyton then converted a penalty kick for the Enniskillen RGS team to see them into an 8-3 lead at the break.
The second half saw the Enniskillen team extend their lead to 22-3 when Jack Rutledge and Dylan Crawford scored tries, both of which were converted by Reece Smyton. The Royal School, Dungannon team finished with a flourish when James Gamble scored a try, which Luke McMullan converted, to leave the Enniskillen Royal Grammar School team as 22-10 winners.
Grosvenor Grammar School hosted Regent House School in an entertaining game the Regent House team won by 15-12. Grosvenor GS had taken a 7-0 lead when Josh McMullan scored a try which was converted by Daniel Martin. Regent House responded with a try from Jack Smith, and a penalty from Robbie Johnston, to see them into an 8-7 lead at halftime.
In the second half a second try from Jack Smith, converted by Robbie Johnston, put the Regent House team into a 15-7 lead. Grosvenor responded with an unconverted try from Daniel Martin to leave the final score reading 15-12 in favour of the Regent House team.
Foyle and Londonderry College hosted Dalriada School in another close encounter which the Ballymoney team won by 14-13. In the first half Foyle had built up an 8-0 lead with a try from Thomas Cole and a penalty from Killene Thornton. A Matthew Carton try for Dalriada, converted by Thomas Hunter, reduced the arrear to 8-7 at the break.
Killene Thornton then ran in for an unconverted try, to put the Foyle College team into a 13-7 lead. The 14-13 victory was secured for the Dalriada School team when Scott Gamble scored a try which Thomas Hunter converted.
The “Match of the Day” was played at Osborne Park when the Royal Belfast Academical Institution team entertained their rivals from Methodist College. The Belfast Inst team controlled affairs in the first half and took a 26-0 lead into the break. Ethan Field, Simon Jackson, Joe Finnegan and David Lyttle all scored tries, three of which were converted by Michael Lowry.
Played in torrential rain the second half saw the Methodist College team mount something of a comeback but their hard work was rewarded with just one try. Cameron Kelly scored the unconverted try to leave the Royal Belfast Academical Institution team as deserved 26-5 winners.
Bangor Grammar School hosted a Banbridge Academy team decimated by injury. The Bangor GS team won the game by 61-5. Bangor had taken a 31-0 lead by the interval before going on to win the game by 61-5. Aaron Sexton scored three tries for the Bangor Grammar School team, Martin Withers scored two with Lewis Brett, Ben McCrossan, Callum Ferran and Daniel Young adding one each. Daniel capped a fine personal performance by converting eight of his nine conversion kicks.
The Banbridge Academy points came through an unconverted try from James Moore in the final minute of the game. Once again, Jonny McIntosh and Alex Mitchell impressed for the Banbridge Academy team.
Dromore High School made the Down High School team work hard for a 19-5 win when the teams met at the Barban Hill venue. Oliver Beatty opened the scoring for the Dromore team when he touched down for an unconverted try. Paddy Browne then scored a try for Down High School, which was converted by Greg Hutley, to give the visitors a 7-5 lead. Will Annett then scored an unconverted try to give the Down High School team a 12-5 lead at the break.
In a closely contested second half Down High School sealed their 19-5 win when Alex Martin powered over, from a scrum, to score a try. Greg Hutley was successful with the conversion kick.
Carrickfergus Grammar School hosted Cambridge House Grammar school in an entertaining game the Cambridge House team won by 22-12. Joel White and Rhys Willis scored tries for the Carrickfergus GS team with Daniel Curley adding one conversion.
For the Cambridge House team James Bovill scored one try, Kane McIlroy scored one try with Jack Wilson scoring two. James Bovill added one conversion. Both teams were most complimentary post-match regarding the way referee, Stephen Martin, handled this entertaining game.
In a County Armagh “Derby” The Royal School, Armagh team travelled to and defeated Portadown College by 38-7. Peter Wilson and Chris Jennings both scored tries which put the visitors on the front foot early in the game. Zac Thompson was next on the score sheet following a carry and offload from Jonny Agnew. On the half time whistle James Dunne crossed for the fourth score and, with two conversions from Glen Faloon, the RS Armagh team took a 24-0 lead into the break.
As conditions deteriorated the game became scrappy but Portadown struck first with a try from Brett Fleck, which Matthew Neill converted. Armagh came back into the game but both sides made plenty of errors due to the inclement weather conditions. In the last ten minutes Armagh scored two converted tries through Ryan O’Neill and Glen Faloon, both of which were converted by Glen Faloon, to ensure the 38-7 victory for the Royal School, Armagh team.
No report was received on the outcome of the Larne Grammar School v Belfast High School game.
The game scheduled to have been played between Ballyclare High School and Limavady Grammar School was cancelled on safety grounds. It is hoped this game might be rescheduled for later in the season.
