Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Round Up Saturday 14th December 2013 by Barney McGonigle
There was one midweek fixture played when Coleraine Academical Institution hosted Belfast Royal Academy in a game which the Coleraine AI team won by 38-8.
Coleraine AI won the toss and decided to play into the wind. The visitors opened the scoring after five minutes when they kicked a penalty in front of the Coleraine AI posts when the home side infringed at the breakdown. From the kick off Coleraine began to dominate proceedings with some great work at the break down from Ally Corbett and Olly McDowell keeping the team on the front foot. On eleven minutes Coleraine AI scored the first try of the match when a well worked lineout fifteen metres out allowed the pack to power over for a try from Daniel McAllister. The conversion was missed but the Coleraine AI team had a 5-3 lead. The home pack relentlessly bombarded the BRA line with attack after attack with some excellent carries from prop, Andy Moore, and second row, Thomas Pethick. Sterling defence kept the score at 5-3 until eighteen minutes when another efficient catch and drive from the Coleraine AI lineout allowed Olly McDowell to cross the line in the corner for a second Coleraine AI unconverted try which gave the home team a 10-3 lead. Belfast Royal Academy rallied and scored a try midway through the half when poor tackling allowed their centre to make inroads into the Coleraine AI 22m area. An excellent off-load from the Belfast Royal Academy outside centre put his left wing in for an unconverted try in the corner to reduce the deficit to 10-8. The Coleraine AI team struck back quickly with Olly McDowell and Ryan Gillan working hard to provide the opportunity for Joel Stanbridge to score a try. Callum Smith added the extras to put his Coleraine team into a 17-8 lead at the break.
From the restart Coleraine AI continued to pile on the pressure with impressive defence and great work at the break down. Two minutes into the second half Conor Shiels showed a great turn of pace to a despairing Belfast Royal Academy defence and finished with a try in the corner. Callum Smith converted the try to put the Coleraine team into a 24-8 lead. Seven minutes later the home side extended their lead further when Thomas Pethick scored a try from another well worked lineout move. Callum Smith converted the try to increase the Coleraine lead to 31-8. This became 38-8 when “man of the Match”, Ollie McDowell took advantage of good work from Joel Stanbridge, Jack McCarroll and Kieran to finish with his second try of the game. Callum Smith was successful with his conversion kick to ensure a well-deserved 38-8 win for his Coleraine Academical Institution team.
Regent House and Royal School, Dungannon played on Friday afternoon in a game which the ever improving RS Dungannon team won by 24-15.
The RS Dungannon scores came from two Jack Millar tries and two tries from Oscar Wong. Jack Milligan was successful with two conversions. The Dungannon team dominated proceedings for most of the game and will be disappointed not to have scored more points. The Regent House team scored three unconverted tries in the last ten minutes of the game but it was a case of “too little, too late” for the Co Down team.
The Coleraine Academical Institution team continued their recent run of good form when they defeated Ballyclare High School by 24-0 in a wind and rain swept game in Ballyclare.
Coleraine AI won the toss and played into the elements. The visitors scored the first try of the game midway through the first half when Callum Smith timed a pass perfectly to Conor Shiels who opened up the Ballyclare defence and raced in from forty metres to touch down. Callum added the conversion to give his team a 7-0 lead. Ballyclare High School pressed hard for the remainder of the half but Coleraine’s stubborn defence, with Joel Stanbridge, Ollie McDowell and Ally Corbett, all working hard ensured there was no way through for the home side.
From the restart Coleraine AI pressed hard eventually got rewarded with a Thomas Pethick try. The big second row stripped the ball in a maul from the Ballyclare pack and powered his way over from ten metres out to touch down for an unconverted try to give his team a 12-0 lead. Five minutes later Callum Smith scored a try, which he converted, to increase the Coleraine lead to 19-0. On fifty five minutes, Coleraine AI scored again with second row, Thomas Pethick, touching down for his second try when he took advantage of good work from Joel Stanbridge and Kieran Burns. The try was not converted but Coleraine had increased their lead to 24-0, a lead they maintained until the final whistle.
Belfast Royal Academy recovered from their midweek defeat when they hosted Banbridge Academy and won the game by 32-20.
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In very windy conditions the visitors opened the scoring with an unconverted Daniel McElderry try, after thirteen minutes of the game, to give the Banbridge team a 5-0 lead. The Belfast Royal Academy team recovered and scored a converted try, seven minutes later, to take a 7-5 lead. Daniel also kicked a penalty shortly after scoring his try The BRA team scored two tries before the interval, one of which was converted, to take a 19-8 lead at the break.
The second half saw the BRA team score two penalties and one converted try to increase their lead to 32-8. The Banbridge Academy team then mounted something of a comeback and got rewarded for their endeavours with a penalty try and an unconverted try from replacement flanker, Jonny Campbell. This was the final try of the game to ensure a 32-20 score in favour of the Belfast Royal Academy team at the no-side whistle.
Larne Grammar School recorded a rare, but welcome, victory when they defeated Cambridge House by 29-0 in a game played in dreadful conditions.
The Larne GS team dominated proceedings for most of the game and had taken a 10-0 lead in the first half with unconverted tries from James Bell and their hard working captain, Mark McAllister.
In the course of the second half the Larne GS team continued with their control of the game. They handled the conditions well and scored three tries through Rory McDowell, Marc McAllister and Jack Ringland. Alistair Burke converted two of the tries to secure the 29-0 win for the Larne Grammar School team. The Larne GS team is due to head to Portugal for some pre Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup training.
Foyle and Londonderry College hosted Belfast Metropolitan College at Springtown and won the game by 43-0.
Played in dreadful conditions, the Foyle team adapted well to the severe impact the elements were having. They scored six tries with Hayden Campbell touching down twice, captain, Patrick Leeson scoring twice and Jack McNeill and Kevin Callaghan scoring once each. Alex McDonnell was successful with five conversions as well as a penalty to account for all of the Foyle and Londonderry College points.
Strabane Academy and a Foyle and Londonderry College”Select” xv played a game which the Foyle team won by 19-5.
The Foyle points came from two Andrew McElhatton tries and one from Chris Love. Mark Williams added two conversions. The Strabane Academy team played a full part in the game and deserved more than the one unconverted try they scored.
Limavady Grammar School hosted Dalriada School and won the game, played in horrendous conditions, by 8-0.
It was the Limavady pack that laid the foundations for this victory. In a feisty encounter, the Limavady pack came out on top, continually driving Dalriada back and allowing their half backs to control the territory. Limavady took the lead after ten minutes of the game when the Dalriada pack was penalised at a ruck. Scott McClean converted the resultant penalty to give the Limavady team a 3-0 lead. Limavady GS continued to dominate proceedings and it was no great surprise when their pack drove over from a line-out with Brendan Ferguson touching down to score an unconverted try and give his team an 8-0 lead.
The second half saw Limavady continue to dominate and most of the rugby was played in the Dalriada half of the pitch. Limavady pressed continually and probably should have gone further ahead as a number of chances were spurned close to the Dalriada line. However, there were no further tries and the Limavady bGrammar School team held on to their 8-0 lead. Notable performances for Limavady came from their hooker, Stephen Kennedy, prop, Richard Boyd and back-rowers Sam Mackey and Michael McMullan. In the backs centre, Michael Barr, and winger, Sam Neilly, also had good games.
Campbell College played host to Ballymena Academy in wet and blustery conditions that were always going to make for a tightly contested game.
The home team were missing several of their first choice players due to injury and the Ireland U19 game while Ballymena welcomed back some of the players who had missed many of their recent matches. The Belfast school set the pace early on with several telling line breaks but the Ballymena defence scrambled well to thwart the home team’s efforts. Midway through the first half, Ballymena opened the scoring when a wayward clearance kick was fielded confidently by Dean Reynolds. He off-loaded to Jonny Rosborough and the powerful winger beat several players to finish in the corner. The touchline conversion was unsuccessful and the score remained 5-0 until half time.
Campbell started the second half strongly with Ballymena judged guilty of several infringements at the breakdown. The away team weathered the storm and, following a strong counter-attack, were awarded a penalty on the edge of the Campbell 22m area. Andrew Magrath made no mistake from the tee to stretch the Ballymena lead to 8 – 0. Campbell regained possession immediately from the kick off and a clever attacking kick was carried over the line by a Ballymena player. From the resulting scrum, a defensive lapse allowed Campbell College to move the ball to their winger who finished in the corner. An excellent touchline conversion made the score 8 – 7 and, with ten minutes remaing, a successful penalty saw Campbell take a 10-8 lead. Late in the game, with Ballymena on the attack, a Campbell College player went off his feet at the breakdown and Andrew Magrath made no mistake converting the resulting penalty to give Ballymena a 11-10 victory.
Despite an ever increasing injury list the Wallace High School team travelled to Bangor Grammar School and came away with a 10-3 win.
The Wallace team had their talented scrum half, Jonny Stewart, to thank for all their points in the course of the match. Jonny ran in for two unconverted tries.
Royal School, Armagh travelled to play Grosvenor Grammar School and maintained their recent run of good form when they recorded a well-deserved 34-5 victory.
Grosvenor played with a strong wind in their backs in the first half but conceded points after just three minutes when Matthew Hooks ran in for a try. Kyle Faloon added the extras to give his team a 7-0 lead. This deficit was reduced to 7-5 when Zac Smith broke through the RS Armagh defence to scorch in from forty metres and score an unconverted try. Just before the interval, Kevin McSorley scored a try for the RS Armagh team. The try was converted by Kyle Faloon to give his team a 14-5 lead.
The second half saw the RS Armagh team perform in a more structured manner. They scored four tries through Chris Treanor, Matthew Hooks, Stephen Thompson and Niall Crozier. No conversion kicks were successful but the Armagh team had come away with a 34-5 win.
Carrickfergus Grammar School and Rainey Endowed School met in another game that was played in extremely difficult weather conditions.
The Rainey ES team had built up 32-3 lead by half time before going on to win the game by 44-3. The Rainey ES tries, in the first half, came from Andrew Nicholl, Mark Kavanagh, Conal Murphy, Mark Rooney and Anton Lupari, who touched down twice. Kieran Lynch added one conversion. David Carse kicked a penalty for the Carrickfergus Grammar School team.
The second half saw the Rainey team make a number of changes but this did not affect the flow of the team. Timmy Andrews and Rigan Saunderson both scored a tries, one of which was converted, to leave the Rainey Endowed School team as deserved 44-3 winners.
Wellington College and Lurgan College met in a game which saw the Lurgan College team play with the wind in the first half.
They had built up a 7-5 lead in the first half before going on to win the game by 17-10. Wellington took a 5-0 lead in the second minute of the game when David Montgomery charged over for an unconverted try following a clever lineout move. Lurgan College responded with a James Patterson try, his first of the season, which was converted by Mark McIlwaine, to see his team into a 7-5 lead.
The second half saw Mark McIlwaine score a try when he broke from his own half and finished under the Wellington College posts. Mark added the extras to give his team a 14-5 lead. Five minutes later Mark converted a penalty opportunity to increase the Lurgan lead to 17-5. At this stage of the game the Wellington College team mounted a revival and got some reward when Josh Garham touched down for an unconverted try to reduce the arrears to 17-10. Following this, the Wellington College team came close to scoring on two occasions but failed to make the most of the opportunities which ensured the Lurgan College team held on to secure their 17-10 win.
