There are Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup 3rd Round games scheduled for Saturday 26th January.
Coleraine Academical Institution will meet Omagh Academy at the Castlerock Road venue.
The Coleraine AI team had a slow start to the season losing a number of games, including one against the young Omagh Academy team. The Coleraine AI team, despite losing that their previous encounter with the Omagh Academy team, will see themselves as favourites to take the spoils in this Schools’ Cup game. They have lost ten of their seventeen games this season but will have a number of injured players available for this game. Richard Beggs has returned to his coaching duties and will see the skills and abilities that his Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ outhalf, Conor Shiels, brings to the team as being vital if the team is to progress. Conor gets good support from his scrum half and captain, Peter Kidd, a player who is keen to attack at every opportunity. Mark Gordon, Danny McAlister and the team vice-captain, Nick Logan, bring a lot to the Coleraine AI pack. Thomas Pethwick is a strong 2nd Row for the Coleraine AI team but there could be a doubt over his availability due to an injury received in a recent game. If the Coleraine AI team is at full strength they should have enough talent on hand to beat the Omagh Academy tem.
However, they would be foolish to in any way underestimate the Omagh Academy team. Over the years in the Schools’ Cup competition Omagh teams have defeated many of the more fancied teams both home and away! This current squad of Omagh players has the ability to play both a tighter game as well as a more free flowing game. Team coach, Ross Hunter, assisted by Stewart McCain and Stephen McLaine, has instilled a very positive attitude into the team. They have recorded some impressive wins this season especially against Coleraine AI, Royal School, Dungannon and Portora Royal School. They can call upon the services such as the Longwell twins, Adam and Scott, nephews of Gary Longwell, as well as the White brothers, Richard and Robert. These c players are all RDS members as is their hard running centre, Scott Hemphill. They will travel to Coleraine, where they recorded their early season win, in a very positive frame of mind. They will travel as underdogs but that will not worry this talented Omagh Academy team. This game is scheduled to kick off at 11-00am.
Portadown College will host Bangor Grammar School with both teams entering the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup at this stage.
With home advantage, the Portadown College coach, Andrew Symington, assisted by Stephen McDowell, will be keen to see the team progress to Round 4, one stage further than last season. The team has had a relatively successful season so far, losing only five of the seventeen matches played. They are an experienced team, well led by their hard working captain, Ryan Calvert. Ryan gets good support from senior players such as Jonny Burns, Matthew Goodland, Ross Purvis and Jordan Elliott. Ben Matchett brings Ulster Schools’ representative honours to the team and he has the ability to bring the best out of young emerging talent such as Jason Lau and Niall Davidson. Thomas Trouton has scored a few tries this season and Ryan Turner has impressed with his clever work in the Portadown College backrow.
The Bangor Grammar School team has had some impressive wins this season. Victories against Sullivan Upper, Belfast Royal Academy, Foyle and Londonderry College display the ability of the team. However, defeats to teams such as Methodist College, Limavady Grammar School, Wallace High School and Ballyclare High School would suggest they have still some way to go in their attempts to return to the “top table” of Ulster Schools’ Rugby. They have a number of talented players at their disposal. Coach, Jason Morgan, and his assistant, David Graham, will see the representative experience of players such as Max Montgomery and Andrew Shaw, as vital if the team is to progress beyond the 3rd Round. Despite not playing in their representative positions, these players are part of a very strong Bangor GS backrow trio. Matthew Hamilton is an RDS player while Andrew Mellon brings strength and pace to the Bangor GS back division when he transfers his Irish Schools’ Athletics 400m prowess to the rugby pitch. This is a hard game to predict but home advantage could be seen as vital. This game is scheduled to kick off at 10-30am.
Belfast Royal Academy will see themselves as clear favourites when they entertain their near neighbours from Carrickfergus Grammar School in their Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup 3rd Round clash at Roughfort.
The Belfast Royal Academy started the season well recording some good results, particularly wins against Ballyclare High School and Coleraine AI. The team, coached by Chris McCarey, assisted by David Creighton, has gone on to win thirteen of their seventeen games. Daniel Dass and Stuart Martin, in the Belfast Royal Academy backrow, bring Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ experience to the team. Mark Wylie is captain of the team and he is a very attack minded centre who has displayed great skills in both attack and defence in the course of the season. He likes nothing more than to create space for his winger, Jordan Hylton, who is an Irish Schools’ sprint champion. Daniel McFadden and Jordan Carlisle, as well as being good rugby players, are Ulster Schools’ Cricketers. The Torrens brothers, Chris and Jonny, form an effective 2nd Row partnership, while Sam Lindsay and Stephen Craig will both be able to give an insight into the opposition, having spent their formative academic and sporting years at Carrickfergus Grammar School.
The Carrickfergus Grammar School team has gained the confidence of a win the 2nd Round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. The defeated a very spirited Lurgan College team in the game and their coach, Gareth McClintock, who is assisted by Stephen Martin, will hope the confidence gained will stand his charges in good stead as they travel to Roughfort. Kris Berry, Christian Robinson, Joel Bell, Adam Fittis and Reece Berry all played well in the last round. The Belfast Royal Academy team should not, in any way, underestimate the ability of these players. In Adam Urqhart and Robin O’Callaghan, the Carrickfergus Grammar School team has two very hard working forwards. Both love to get the ball in their hands and drive at the opposition. Robert has scored a lot of tries throughout the season, including one against Lurgan College in the Schools’ Cup and five in a game earlier in the season. These players will have the potential to make the Belfast Royal Academy team think but it would be a major upset if the home side does not win. This game is scheduled to kick off at 11-00am.
Grosvenor Grammar School will host a Dalriada team that has already beaten them this season.
The Grosvenor team, coached by Ireland cricket legend, Kyle McCallen, will impress upon his squad that this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup 3rd Round game will be an ideal opportunity to reverse that early season result. Kyle, and his assistant, Gary Hunter, feel that recent performances by the Grosvenor Grammar School team have warranted the players feeling confident about the outcome of this game. Their victory against a full strength Ulster U18 Club team was particularly pleasing. They are a young team, with only six players returning from their Schools’ Cup campaign last season. Steven Marshall is team captain and he forms part of an effective backrow trio alongside the hard working Sam Purdon and Michael Young. Matthew Allen was involved with the Ulster U19 squad during the summer and he is an experienced prop with a penchant for scoring tries. Stewart Baillie, Scott Adams and Peter Davison have the ability to take advantage of any weaknesses in the opposition defence. The will show no fears going into this game.
The Dalriada team has had a new coach take over this season. David Doherty worked with the Belfast Harlequins team prior to taking up an appointment in the Physical Education Department in Dalriada. David is assisted by Neil Bedos who is a stalwart of the local Ballymoney Rugby Club. Like the Grosvenor Grammar School team, the Dalriada team is a relatively young side. Timmy Emmerson is a very talented player who displays great maturity as team captain. He has led by example both on and off the pitch. Ewan Strang, the Dalriada full back, is an RDS member who is keen to attack with the ball in hand. Ewan is a strong defender as well and provides great inspiration for his team mates with his performances. This game could be won and lost at the breakdown where the Dalriada team, like their counterparts, has a very effective trio. Jonny Allen, Dave McKeeman and Henry Loan will enjoy that particular aspect of the game. This game is scheduled to kick off at 10-45am.
The Royal School, Dungannon coach, Keith Patton, had to remind his players at halftime in their last Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup match that they had to overcome the Cup nerves and get into the game in the second half. Thankfully, his players listened to him and they emerged as eventual winners from that game. Against Belfast High School, in their 4th Round encounter, they will have to be on top of their game from the outset.
The RS Dungannon captain, Jacob McCammon, scored the vital try in that game. Jacob would be delighted to score a few more on Saturday. Jacob received great support from David Leyburn, an all-action flanker, as well as the talented Jack Milligan, in the course of that game. Home advantage counts for a lot in any game but, in particular, Schools’ Cup games. The Royal School, Dungannon is a venue where visitors receive a great welcome off the pitch and a hard game on the pitch. The RS Dungannon team will be keen to assure the Belfast High School of a tremendous welcome, on and off the pitch.
The Belfast High School team, with Michael Rainey back in charge of coaching duties, has made quite a few teams sit up and take notice in the course of the season so far. They are a young team with the tendency to attack at every opportunity. They have talented players throughout the team. Lewis Benson, their 2nd Row forward, brings representative experience to the team as does their five try hero of the 2nd Round, centre Jordan Garford. Other players the Royal School, Dungannon team will have to closely monitor are Robbie Reid, Joel McBride and Jordan’s fellow centre, Adam White. The Belfast High School team are not given to shouting their abilities from the roof tops. They have confidence in their ability to compete on an equal footing with other teams and will carry that confidence into this game on Saturday. The game is scheduled to kick off at 10-45am.
Foyle and Londonderry College had an exciting encounter with Portora Royal School in the 2nd Round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. At one stage they were 21-0 ahead and then allowed the Portora team to pin them back, and gain a foothold in the game, before emerging as eventual winners. If the same scenario was to be repeated against Down High School, they may not be as fortunate.
Coach, David Barnett, who is assisted by Ray Menown, will have instilled into his squad that pressure must be maintained for the duration of the game. Neil Burns, Ryan Curry alongside the Foyle captain, Kyle Henderson, form a formidable midfield trio. They have combined to score a lot of points this season with Ryan running in a hat trick of tries against Portora. Niall Adair and Ben Christie bring RDS experience to the game while the return of the talented Patrick Leeson from injury has been a major boost for his Foyle and Londonderry College team mates. Once again, the Foyle team will see home advantage as being a major factor in their quest to reach the 4th Round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup.
However, they face a talented Down High School team. If the Down High School team can manage to overcome the self-imposed psychological barriers that seem to have been brought on by the Schools’ Cup competition in recent seasons, they have a number of talented players at their disposal that can stand up in any company. John Gunson and Charlie Knox, the Down High School coaches are still bewildered as to how their charges went out at the same stage last season when many observers tipped them for at least a quarter-final spot. Kelvin Hamilton and Thomas Donnan in the Down High School pack are experienced Ulster Age-Grade players at Schools’ and U19’s level respectively. They bring a wealth of experience to the Down High School pack. They are assisted ably by players such as Darren Cheung and team captain, Callum Kerr. Ricky Gill, Patrick Wright, Luca Rea and Toni Rushe are exciting runners who are willing to take risks in attack. The Foyle defence will need to be mindful of the attacking powers of Ryan Smith as well. The season started well for the Down High School team but they had some poor performances around the Christmas period with some frontline players missing due to injury. These players are now back in action and the Down High School team will see themselves as favourites to win. A lot will depend on their psychological approach to the game. The game is scheduled to kick off at 11-30am.
Regent House found themselves in the unusual position of participating in the 2nd Round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup when they comprehensively defeated Larne Grammar School. They now host the Rainey Endowed School team at the Circular Road venue on Saturday 26th.
It has been a difficult season for the Regent House players who have seen a young and inexperienced team emerge in the course of the season. Team coaches, Eric Sinnamon and Peter Lowry, will instill into their players the need to progress on the back of their previous Schools’ Cup performance against Larne Grammar School as well as their recent excellent win against Omagh Academy. They have scored tries for fun in recent games with players such as Rhys Thompson, Peter Eakin, Matthew Kane, Curtis McCartney, Aaron Culbert and Andy Currie getting their names on the score sheet. Gareth Wright, a dynamic scrum half, captains the Regent team. In Philip Patton, the Regent House team has a very talented, hard- working No 8. He will be keen to add to his growing reputation against the Rainey Endowed team on Saturday.
The Rainey Endowed School, over the years, has built up a fearsome reputation whether playing home or away in the Schools’ Cup. They are no respecters of reputation and they will travel to Regent House in a very positive frame of mind. The Rainey Endowed coach, Chris Campbell, assisted by Charlie Simpson, brings a wealthy of Schools’ Cup experience to his players both as a player, and previous winner, as well as a coach. Chris and Charlie will have the Rainey Endowed squad well-organised and prepared for the game. Michael Dawson, the Rainey Endowed captain, has played for both the Ulster Schools’ team as well as the Ulster U19 team in the past few seasons. Michael leads by example and gets good support from players such as Kieran Lynch, brothers Aaron and Conal Murphy. Conal is also an RDS squad member. The Rainey Endowed team has had a successful season so far and they will believe they have a realistic chance of progressing from this game into the 4th Round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. This game is scheduled to kick off at 11-00am.
Friends’ School v Limavady GS
Friends’ School found themselves 8-0 down at halftime against a very spirited Antrim Grammar School team in their Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup 2nd Round game. The Lisburn boys’ got themselves organised at the interval in that game and came out strongly with a second half performance that was sufficiently good for them to emerge as 12-8 winners and a place in the 3rd Round against the high flying Limavady Grammar School team. However, this win came at a cost. The Friends’ School team had already a lot of injuries to handle and the game against Antrim left them with even more. Thankfully, young players such as Zac Finlay and Peter Simpson have created a real impression since they have stepped up to the demands of 1stxv Rugby. Team coach, Stephen Robinson, assisted by Norman Gamble and Chris Henderson, knows that the Friends’ squad will have their backs to the wall on Saturday. He will hope that experienced players such as Dylan Lewis, Dean Howes, Jack Ravey and Peter Ferguson can bring their experience to the fore to help the younger members of the squad through this difficult encounter.
The Limavady Grammar School squad has experienced great success in the season to date. They started off with an all-conquering tour to South Africa and, since their return, have lost very few games. Eighteen of their squad took part in their Schools’ Cup campaign last season. Head Coach, Stephen Barr, who is assisted by Chris Nash and Sam Vallelly, knows he has a talented group of players with which to work. They will see themselves as clear favourites to win this game. Rory Squires has played for the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ team and players such as Richard Boyd, Sam Mackey, Colt Callaghan, Jack McCool and team captain, Jamie W Millar, have been involved with RDS teams. Michael Barr is a son of the Limavady coach, Stephen, while Scott McLean is a son of the Rainey Rugby Club legend, Arnie. The Limavady Grammar School team played in the final of the Subsidiary Shield last season. This season they hope to be contesting at least a spot in the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Semi-Final. This game has been scheduled to kick off at 11-15am.
There are three Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy matches scheduled for Saturday 26th January.
Wellington College v Larne Grammar School
Lurgan College v Antrim Grammar School
Banbridge Academy v Cambridge House School.
Portora Royal School have a bye in this competition.
The Draw for the 4th Round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup, as well as the Quarter-Finals of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Bowl and the Semi-Finals of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy will take place at Portadown College following the 3rd Round games.
