There was one midweek fixture played on Wednesday 15th October when a Belfast Royal Academy “Select” xv travelled to play Larne Grammar School. The Belfast Royal Academy team came away from the game with a 26-10 victory.
On Saturday 18th October the Belfast Royal Academy 1stxv team travelled to play Ballymena Academy in a game the home team won by 34-5.
The windy conditions, along with a number of handling errors, meant that neither team enjoyed a sustained period of possession in the early stages of the game. With the wind behind them in the first half, Belfast Royal Academy kicked cleverly into the corners. However Ballymena used their strong set piece to good effect in their defensive areas. After ten minutes, Craig Hanna opened the scoring for Ballymena when he gathered a Jack Archer kick to touch down in the corner. Josh McIlroy added the touchline conversion to give his team a 7-0 lead. Midway through the first half, Joshua McNabney was on the end of several phases of attacking play and his unconverted try increased the score to 12-0. Just before the half-time break, Jonathan McKeown powered through several tackles to take the score to touch down for an unconverted try and take the score to 17-0 at the break.
In the second half, Ballymena tried to keep the ball moving, but lapses in concentration proved costly at crucial moments. Nonetheless, they added three more tries. Two tries from the pacey Josh McIlroy, one of which he converted, complemented by an outstanding individual try from Dean Reynolds, doubled the Ballymena half-time score to 34-0. Belfast Royal Academy rallied in the final ten minutes, playing their best rugby of the morning, and deserved their score in the last minute of the game to leave the final score reading 34-5 to Ballymena Academy.
Larne Grammar School played Belfast High School 2ndxv in a close encounter the Larne Grammar School team won by 22-21.
The Belfast High School team scored three tries through Simon White, Ollie Watson and Josh McCoo. Richard McLean was successful with all three conversions.
Campbell College hosted Coleraine Academical Insitution and recorded a 31-0 victory by the end of the game.
Man on the Match, Jack Howard capped a fine personal performance with a tally of four tries. Patrick Osbourne added a fifth try and Cashmir Yandell was successful with three of the conversion kicks.
Wallace High School fielded a team, missing quite a few of their regular starters, against a very determined Regent House team.
The Wallace High School team had built up a 10-0 lead by the interval and went on to win the game by 41-0. Jonny Blair scored try for the Wallace team, Ben Finlay weighed in with two and Philip Hylands touched down for four. Philip added three conversion kicks to round off a fine personal performance.
Methodist College travelled to play Christian Brother’s College in Cork without seven of their normal starting xv.
They lost a close encounter by 12-8 but had good performances from Ali McIvor, Gareth Millar, Conor Kelly and Robert Lyttle all battling hard in very difficult conditions. THE CBC team had built up a 5-0 lead in the first half.
The CBC team scored a converted try in the second half with Methody scoring an unconverted try through Robert Lyttle as well as a penalty from the trusty boot of Gareth Millar.
Antrim Grammar School played a Methodist College xv that won the game by 38-7.
John Adair scored a converted try for the Antrim GS team but there was the Antrim boys could do to halt the Methody power and pace.
Royal Belfast Academical Institution used their game against Rainey Endowed School to play a number of members of their extended senior squad.
In a scrappy and, at times, disjointed game the Belfast Inst team had enough in their game plan to record a 34-0 win. Conor Wallace, Andrew Knape, Callum McLaughlin all touched down for one try each while Ali Hill scored two. Ben McGavock was successful with three conversion attempts as well as one penalty kick.
There was a clash of the Royal Schools when Royal School, Dungannon travelled to play Portora Royal School in a game the Enniskillen boys won by 12-10.
Adam Lendrum gave the Portora RS team a 3-0 lead when he was successful with a penalty kick. The RS Dungannon team responded with a try from their pacey winger, Adam Cooper, who ran half the length of the pitch before touching down. John Buckley converted the try to put the RS Dungannon team into a 7-3 lead. Adam Lendrum was successful with a second Portora penalty to reduce the arrears to 7-6 an halftime.
Portora RS then took a 9-7 lead when Adam Lendrum successfully converted another penalty opportunity. Sustained RS Dungannon pressure saw them take a 10-9 lead when John Buckley kicked a penalty with just minutes remaining. Portora RS stepped up a gear and were held up twice over the RS Dungannon line. Adam Lendrum was successful with his fourth penalty of the game to give his Portora Royal School team a hard earned 12-10 win with the last kick of the game.
Portadown College hosted Royal School, Armagh in a game the Armagh team won by 27-3.
It was the power of the RS Armagh scrum that provided the foundations for their win. The RS Armagh team scored an unconverted try in the first half through David Agnew to take a 5-0 lead. The Portadown College team responded with a penalty from Niall Davidson to reduce the deficit to 5-3. There were no further first half scores.
The second half saw the RS Armagh team control the game for long periods of time. They scored tries through Leon Magowan, Jack Campbell, Peter Grant and David Agnew. Peter Grant converted one try to secure the 27-3 victory for the Royal School, Armagh team.
The Foyle and Londonderry College team continued their impressive start to the season when they hosted an injury hit Dalriada team.
The Foyle College team had opened up a 13-5 lead by half time before going on to win the game by 23-12. The Foyle College team took a 3-0 lead when Alex McDonnell converted a penalty opportunity. The Dalriada team responded and took a 5-3 lead when, after several phases of play, 2nd Row forward, Fergal Wiseman, made an incisive break through the Foyle defence and quick front foot ball allowed out half, Angus Johnston, to dummy his way over the Foyle College line under the posts. Somehow, the conversion was missed. With the scores at 5-3 Foyle continued to use the strong wind to gain territorial advantage. Robbie House went over for a try, which was converted by Alex McDonnell, to put the home team into a 10-5 lead. This became 13-5, just before half time, when Alex McDonnell kicked his second penalty of the game.
The Dalriada boys started the second half strongly and used the wind to push Foyle College deep into their own 22m area. However, careless penalties allowed Foyle to clear the lines time and time again. Dalriada were asking huge questions of the Foyle defence and, after an excellent kick to the corner by centre, Aaron Sparks, the boys from Ballymoney had a chance to reduce the deficit from a scrum. Aaron Sparks gathered the ball and bullied his way over the line and under the posts for a try which was converted by Angus Johnston to reduce the arrears to 13-12. Midway through the second half strong running from the Foyle College winger opened up the Dalriada defence. The Dalriada defence couldn’t cope with the quick ball from the home team which led to an offload to put Philip Carroll under the Dalriada posts for a try. Alex McDonnell converted the try to put the Foyle College team into a 20-12 lead. The Ballymoney boys fought to get back into the game and a strong run from captain, Michael Finnerty, down the right wing gave the boys hope. Unfortunately, his effort finished just short of the line and the Foyle College defence cleared the danger. With time running out Foyle College stretched the Dalriada defence and strong running gave them a strong position in the Dalriada half. The Foyle College team won a penalty, which Alex McDonnell converted, to ensure a hard earned 23-12 victory for the Foyle and Londonderry College team.
Friends’ School, Lisburn hosted an Omagh Academy team that has started well in the early parts of the season.
The Omagh Academy team won the game by 16-10 but the young Friends’ team made them work hard for the victory. Friends’ looked as if they might have scored directly from the kick off only to spill the ball just short of the Omagh line. They did, however, take a 7-0 lead shortly afterwards when Daniel Patterson split the Omagh defence to score a try close to the touchline. Ryan Hall was successful with the conversion kick from the touchline. The Omagh Academy scrum then started to dominate the set piece encounters and won two penalty opportunities. Stuart Ballentine converted both to reduce the deficit to 7-6. Omagh Academy continued to dominate and took an 11-7 lead into the break following an unconverted try from Fintan Lagan close to the end of the first half.
Friends’ made good use of a strong wind in the second half and dominated both territory and possession for long periods of time. However, the could not find a way through a resolute Omagh defence in which James Longwell, Jonny Anderson and Matthew Clyde were outstanding. Ryan Hall did convert one penalty to take the score to 11-10 with just minutes of the game remaining. However, it was the Omagh Academy team that sealed their win when Matthew Clyde powered his way over the Friends’ line for an unconverted try to ensure the 16-10 victory for the Omagh Academy team. Despite losing the game, Friends’ School had a number of players, including Adam Scoffield, Curtis Dundas, David Newell and Ryan Hall, all of whom impressed in their back division.
Ballyclare High School hosted a Limavady Grammar School team that has been struggling to find consistency in their early season performances.
The game was played in very windy conditions to which the Ballyclare HS team successfully adapted. The Ballyclare team had built up a 26-6 lead by halftime before going on to win the game by 45-6.Patrick Mooney opened the scoring for Ballyclare HS when he scored an unconverted try to give them a 5-0 lead. Zac McMorran then scored a try off a scrum to give his team a 10-0 lead. This became 12-0 when Matthew McDowell converted the try. Ballyclare HS full back, Michael Stevenson, then ran in for a try, which Matthew McDowell converted, to increase the Ballyclare lead to 19-0. Alistair McDowell then scored a try, which was not converted, to increase the lead to 24-0 for the Ballyclare team. The Limavady GS team managed to pressurise the Ballyclare defence and converted two penalty opportunities to see the Ballyclare HS team take a 24-6 lead into the break.
The Ballyclare High School team continued to play their expansive game in the second half and this positive approach was rewarded with tries from Matthew Darling, Alistair Burke and a superb individual try from Ryan McIlwaine. Matthew McDowell was successful with two conversions to see his team through the game with their well-deserved 43-6 victory.
Carrickfergus Grammar School continued with their recent run of good form when they defeated Cambridge House by 38-10 in a game played at the North Road venue.
Carrickfergus GS started the game with 2nd Row, Bradley Luney and centre, Daniel Anaele, making their 1stxv debuts. The Carrickfergus GS started the game strongly and took a 7-0 lead when their captain, Jake Porter, shrugged off a couple of tackles to crash over for a try which was converted by David Carse. David Carse then cleverly released his fullback, Fionn McCormack, who finished off a fine move with an unconverted try to give the Carrickfergus GS a 12-0 lead. This soon became 19-0 when the Carrickfergus GS backline put together a series of attacks, one of which was finished off by their No 8, Tom Gilpin. David Carse was successful with the conversion. Reece Berry then got in on the try scoring act when he finished a move which started in his 22m area. David Carse added the extras to see the Carrickfergus GS team into a 26-0 lead at the interval.
The Carrickfergus GS team made a number of changes for the second half with another young player, Mark Snoddy, coming on to impress in his 1stxv debut. The Cambridge House team got some reward for their endeavours when they scored an unconverted try to reduce the deficit to 26-5. The home team responded with a Daniel Anaele try, which David Carse converted, to increase the Carrickfergus GS lead to 33-5. It might have been more only for a number of Carrickfergus GS attacks to break down with poor decision making or final passes going to ground. The Cambridge House team scored their second unconverted try of the game but it was the Carrickfergus Grammar School that finished the stronger. Adam Urquhart, David Stewart and Scott Henderson combined to put their scrum half, Michael Black, in for an unconverted try to leave the final score reading 38-10 in favour of the Carrickfergus Grammar School team.
The game involving a Lurgan College “Select” xv and Belfast Metropolitan College was postponed and will be re-arranged for later in the season.
The Game involving Bangor Grammar School and Banbridge Academy was cancelled as the Bangor Grammar School team was taking part in a Charitable Fund Raising Bag Packing event in a local supermarket and, as such, was unable to field a team.
