Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Round 1 Preview Monday 18th December 2017
The first round game in the 2017/18 Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Carrickfergus Grammar School will play Strabane Academy.
Carrickfergus Grammar School will play Strabane Grammar School in the second of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Round 1 games on Wednesday 13th December. The Carrickfergus Grammar School team would have good reason to see themselves as favourites to win this game having recently recorded a morale boosting win against the same opposition in a friendly game. However, team coach, Neal Kennedy, who is assisted by the experienced team of Peter Martin and the effervescent Michael Dickson, will be well aware that his players would do well not to underestimate the Strabane Academy team. The Carrickfergus Grammar school team is captained by Daniel Curley, a young player who has made a real impression in recent seasons with his ability to score tries and kick precious points. Daniel has the ability to display great game management skills and this will be required during this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Round 1 game. Daniel has received great support from players such as Jack Leathem, Joshua Irvine, Craig Lindsay, Adam Gardner and David Doherty during the current season. Like other teams in the competition the Carrickfergus Grammar School team has a limited number of Year 14 players involved with just five available for selection for this game. This has paved the way for quite a few younger players to get involved and the entire squad is looking forward to the challenges ahead. There are two sets of brothers playing in the Carrickfergus Grammar School team in Iain and Jack Dick and Tiernan and Ethan McGreevy. They will all be hoping that some “brotherly” love will help in seeing the Carrickfergus Grammar School through this potentially challenging Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Round 1 game.
The Strabane Academy team will take great heart from the fact that when these two teams me at the same stage of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup competition exactly one year ago it was the Strabane team that came through having recorded a notable victory. Team coach, Niall McDonnell, who receives great support from Stephen Smyth, Steve Sargent and Adam Bratton, will encourage his players to take a positive frame of mind into this game. A number of members of the Strabane Academy squad know what it is to experience the thrill of winning a Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup game. They will all wish to experience the same feelings once again. Team captain, Ralph Mealiff, is a talented player who is entering his third Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup campaign. He has been the talisman for the Strabane Academy team this season and will want to show off his undoubted talents in the course of this game. Whilst he has been top points scorer for the Strabane Academy team he has received great support from players such as Jack Kee, Jack Sayers, Michael Doherty, David Shaw, Steven Shields, Gareth Glendinning and Arun Mehan throughout the current season. These players will feel that on their day they can match up to any of the other teams playing in Round 1 of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. The Strabane Academy squad, accompanied by their coaching staff, went to the Brown’s Training Camp on the Algarve in Portugal. Here they had the opportunity to put in some quality time on and off the pitch. The feeling is that the Strabane Academy squad learnt a lot about the game as well as about each of their players as individuals. The players, and coaches, see this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Round 1 game against Carrickfergus Grammar School as the ideal opportunity to put into practice what they learnt from their training camp.
This Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup game is scheduled to kick off at 12-30pm
