Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Semi-Final Previews 3rd/4th March 2020
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The Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup semi-final games, drawn by Willie Anderson, Elite Player Development Officer with Ulster Rugby, and Richard Clingan, Chairman of the Ulster Schools’ Committee, have brought together two games that will whet the appetites of followers of the Schools’ Rugby scene in Ulster.
The Royal School, Armagh team will play Royal Belfast Academical Institution in the first of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup semi-finals at the Kingspan Stadium on Tuesday 3rd March while the second semi-final will see the Wallace High School team play Methodist College, Belfast at the same venue on Wednesday 4th March.
The Royal School, Armagh team has had to overcome two very challenging teams in their attempt to reach the semi-final stage of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. They emerged from their first game against Campbell College, Belfast with a very comfortable 34-6 victory. That victory then set the Royal School, Armagh team on the road to play Ballymena Academy in the quarter-final of the competition. The young Ballymena Academy team asked considerable questions of the Royal School, Armagh team in the course of that game but the Royal School team stuck to their winning game plan and came away with a hard earned 17-14 victory.
Having won their two games against two of their fellow “Top Six” teams the Royal School, Armagh team will travel with a great deal of confidence to their game against Royal Belfast Academical Institution. Indeed, they could be seen as clear favourites to win their semi-final game against another of the “Top Six” teams.
The Royal School, Armagh team exited the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup at the semi-final stage last season against Campbell College, Belfast. With most of that team still available there is a steely determination among the Royal School, Armagh squad to go at least one step further this season. The Royal School, Armagh team is coached by Chris Parker and Willie Faloon, two young men emerging quickly as very talented coaches. Both Willie and Chris know that when the going gets tough they can call upon the sage wisdom and grandfatherly advice of Kenny Hooks, a man never far away from the rugby action in the Royal School, Armagh, to help them out. The Royal School, Armagh team has Sam Rainey, an Ulster U19 player, as captain. Sam has led the team in a quiet but effective manner throughout the season. Sam was a try scorer against Ballymena Academy and he put in a very positive performance in the course of that game. The squad now has a large number of Year 14 players and, with only two Year 12 players likely to be part of the squad, it is hoped this experienced team will, once again, step up to the mark as they continue with their Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup campaign. Their top try scorer is Ethan McAtarsney, a winger who is more than useful off the tee. Jude Roberts has scored tries in both their recent Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup games and Romain Morrow is another fine place kicker who will kick the penalties and conversions given the chance as he has proved so effectively against both the Campbell College and Ballymena Academy teams. Charlie Worth – Ireland U18 7’s Captain and Ulster U19 player- is another of the Royal School, Armagh backs the Ballymena Academy defence will need to monitor closely. Josh King and Ryan Finlay have been involved with the Ulster U18 Schools’ squad while James Campbell and Ross Taylor have gained representative experience with Ulster Schools’ U17 squads. Chris Whiteside is the Head Boy in the Royal School, Armagh team and his leadership qualities can clearly be seen in the way in which he works with his colleagues in the Royal School, Armagh back division. Ross Taylor could be joined by his brother, Peter, on the team and the Cunningham brothers, Sam and Josh, will be hoping to be selected together for this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup semi-final game.
The Royal Belfast Academical Institution team overcame successfully the challenges provided by Belfast Royal Academy and Friends’ School, Lisburn in their last two Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup games. In the course of those games the Belfast Inst team has scored just one short of one hundred points and they appear to have hit a good run of form at just the right time. Both their Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup games this season have been played at Osborne Park and this will be their first time on the road for a Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup game. However, that is not something that will worry either the players or the coaching staff involved as they prepare for the game against the Royal School, Armagh team at the Kingspan Stadium. Indeed, both these schools will know each other very well from a rugby point of view. By the time this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup semi-final comes around they are due to have played each other in the semi-finals of both the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Cup and Medallion Shield competitions.
Jason Morgan leads the coaching staff at Royal Belfast Academical Institution and he set his stall out to ensure that it was the Royal Belfast Academical Institution team that progressed from their two previous games into the draw for the 1/2 Final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. That has been achieved and there is a growing expectation amongst the Royal Belfast Academical Institution team that this could be their year for success in the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. The players are determined to win the competition as are all the members of the coaching staff. Jason is assisted by Mike Bentley who not only looks after the forwards but also oversees the Strength and Conditioning aspects of team preparation. In many ways, at times, it has been a frustrating season in terms of results for the Belfast Inst coaches and players. The squad has experienced a 50/50 win loss ratio but included in the wins have been victories against schools such as Belvedere College, Dublin and Stewart’s Melville College, the current Scottish champions as well as the morale boosting wins against the Belfast Royal Academy and Friends’ School, Lisburn teams in the last two rounds of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. The Royal Belfast Academical Institution team is captained by Rory Adair who can call upon the leadership skills of Hugo Ellerby as his Vice-Captain. Both these players impressed against the Friends’ School team and, as try scorers in that game, were influential in the outcome. Injuries to key players at critical times earlier in the might have hindered progress in some respects but the return to fitness of players such as Ronan Boyle, their excellent outside half, will bring a positive vibe to the squad as they prepare for this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup semi-final game. Ronan starred in the games against Belfast Royal Academy and Friends’ School as did Ulster Schools’ winger, Jude Postlethwaite, a player who has attracted the attention of the Ireland Schools’ Management team. Jude is the leading try and point’s scorer for the Royal Belfast Academical Institution team this season. Paddy Eames has played with the Ulster Schools’ U18 team and Ryan Stewart has gained experience through his involvement with the Ulster Schools’ U17 squad. Players such as Jack Leathem, an all-out attacking fullback, Oliver Metcalfe, Oscar Lowe, Sam Collins, Jack Dickson and Joshua Cuthbert have impressed with their performances in recent games and especially against the Belfast Royal Academy and Friends’ School, Lisburn teams. All these players will need to be monitored closely by the Royal School, Armagh defence and all these talented players will be hoping they can continue their recent run of good form in this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup semi-final game against the Royal School, Armagh team.
This Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup semi-final is scheduled to kick off at 2-30pm.
The Wallace High School team has come unscathed through their Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup campaign having won impressively against a very committed Bangor Grammar School team and a very talented Enniskillen Royal Grammar School team in the previous rounds of the competition. Those two wins against two teams that set out to cause shock results in their Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup games against Wallace High School have only confirmed in the minds of many people that this Wallace High School team can be seen as out and out favourites to win the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup this season. The draw for this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup semi-final sees this season’s favourites playing against last season’s winners, and the team that exited Wallace High School from the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup at the semi-final stage last season, Methodist College, Belfast.
That loss seems to have galvanised both the returning set of players, as well as the coaching staff, and they have all set their stall out this season in such a way to show how determined they all are to ensure they return to the Kingspan Stadium and this time on St Patrick’s Day. The Wallace High School team coaches, Derek Suffern and Ian Latham, who receive great support from experienced colleagues such as Neil Hinds and Alan Monteith, have, at their disposal, an exceptionally talent squad of players. The team is captained by their exceptional back row forward, Reuben Crothers. Reuben has captained the Ulster U19 team and been involved in Ireland U18 Schools’ camps this season. Reuben has captained the Wallace High School team to sixteen victories out of nineteen games and only a couple of those losses have been against schools from Ulster. Ben Carson, a player who has been involved with both Ulster and Ireland Schools’ squads this season, is the leading try scorer on the Wallace High School team. Ben is a very talented, hard running, centre who has asked questions of the defence of every team he has played against this season. Joel Dundas, a player equally at home in a number of positions, was involved with the Ulster U19 team as was Peter Heasley, a break down specialist. Jamie McNeight and Finn Rankin have been involved with the Ulster Schools’ U18 squad as has Charlie Irvine who has also attracted the attention of the Ireland Schools’ U18 Management team. However, the real star among this talented group of Wallace High School players is Nathan Doak. This young emerging talent is equally at home in either of the half back positions and was unavailable to play for the Wallace High School team earlier in the season due to his performances with the Ulster “A” team in the Celtic Cup when that team reached the final. Already capped by Ireland Schools Nathan has been involved with the Ireland U19 set up already this season. Nathan’s brother, Cameron, has acquitted himself well in the course of the season and brings his own strengths to the powerful Wallace High School team. Cameron had an outstanding game in the previous game against the Enniskillen Royal Grammar School team. All these players shone with their performances against Bangor Grammar School and were at their rampant best when they played Enniskillen Royal Grammar School at their Clonevin Park venue in the quarter-final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. They will be relishing the thought of playing Methodist College in the semi-final at the Kingspan Stadium. The Wallace High School team lost to the Methodist College, Belfast team at the same stage of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup last season and, in many ways, that defeat still rankles in the memories of the Wallace High School squad. Having already defeated the Methodist College team earlier in the season and, when the combined talents of this Wallace High School team are looked at, it is not difficult to see why the Wallace High School players have the mantel as favourites to win the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup so favourably attached to them.
The Methodist College, Belfast team are the current holders of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup and, as such, appear to be reluctant to give that Cup up easily judging by their recent displays.
They travelled to play Cambridge House Grammar School in the Last Sixteen round of the competition and the team was relatively comfortable in their six try, 32-0 win against a Cambridge House Grammar School team that did not stop in their attempts to frustrate the Methody team for the duration of the game. Next up for Methody was a home game in the 1/4 Finals of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup against a very much vaunted Sullivan Upper School team. Methody won that game which was played in very difficult, cold and wet conditions and know it will take an even bigger effort if they are to overcome the significant challenge that the Wallace High School team will provide in the semi-final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup.
Methody won the competition last season going through the entire season undefeated. With a large group of that successful team leaving school there has been a lot of rebuilding going on this season. In the course of the first term games this season the Methodist College, Belfast team had one or two down moments. One of those down moments was against Wallace High School who recorded a narrow, but well deserved, victory back in November. However, as recent results would seem to suggest, the Methodist College squad would appear to be hitting good form at just the right time. Their recent McIntosh Shield victory against long standing Dublin rivals, Blackrock College, would seem to bear witness to that fact. The Methodist College team is coached by the experienced Nick Wells, Stephen Lindsay and Andrew Willis. This coaching panel has laid the foundations for success with many Methody teams and they will be hoping to carry on that tradition this season in the course of their Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup campaign. The Methodist College, Belfast captain is Adam Reed, an outstanding flanker who knows only how to lead from the front. His attention to detail in terms of match preparation is second to none and he has very high expectations, not only of himself, but of his team mates both on and off the pitch. Key players in the Methody pack include Adam, Matthew Humphries, Harry McCartney, their leading try scorer, and Louis Montgomery. Luke Graham and Peter O’Hagan have been involved with the Ulster U18 Schools’ set up while Callum Davidson, one of the stars of their previous winning Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup campaign, was involved with the Ulster U19 squad. Peter and Callum form a vital midfield partnership and their linking with Adam McNamee on the Methodist College team, as well as their performances in the course of this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup semi-final game against Wallace High School, could be central to the outcome of this intriguing Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup semi-final game.
This Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup semi-final is scheduled to kick off at 2-30pm.
