Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Round Up Saturday 11th December 2021
Recently the Year 8 players from Ballymena Academy and Methodist College, Belfast played out a series of game involving around 120 players from both schools. Many tries were scored in the course of the afternoon with all the players involved getting a lot of game time.
The draws for the 3rd Round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Cup and the 1/4 Finals of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Trophy took place on Monday 6th December.
The results of these draws are as follows:-
Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Cup 3rd Round
1/Friends’ School, Lisburn v Enniskillen Royal Grammar School
2/Down High School v Ballyclare High School
3/Omagh Academy v Belfast Royal Academy
4/Rainey Endowed School v Ballymena Academy
5/Wallace High School v Coleraine Grammar School
6/Royal Belfast Academical Institution v Sullivan Upper School
7/Campbell College, Belfast v Royal School, Armagh
8/Methodist College, Belfast v Dalriada School
These games must be played on/before Saturday 18th December 2021
Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Trophy 1/4 Final Draw
1/Limavady Grammar School v Royal School, Dungannon
2/Foyle and Londonderry College v Portadown College
3/Dromore High School v Regent House School
4/Lurgan College v Bangor Grammar School
Theses games must be played on/before Saturday 22nd January 2022
On Tuesday 7th December the remaining two games in the 2nd Round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield competition were scheduled to have taken place. Unfortunately, Storm Barra prevented the games, involving Grosvenor Grammar School and Strabane Academy and Limavady Grammar School and Royal School, Dungannon, from going ahead and they have been rescheduled to take place later in the week.
On Wednesday 8th December the draws for the 3rd Round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield and the 1st Round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Trophy competitions took place.
The results of these draws are as follows:-
Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield 3rd Round.
1/Down High School v Antrim Grammar School
2/Coleraine Grammar School v Dalriada School
3/Rainey Endowed School v Banbridge Academy
4/Grosvenor Grammar School/Strabane Academy v Ballyclare High School
5/Larne Grammar School v Limavady Grammar School/Royal School, Dungannon
6/Regent House School v Craigavon Senior High School
7/Friends’ School, Lisburn v Cambridge House Grammar School
8/Portadown College v Enniskillen Royal Grammar School
These 3rd Round Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield games MUST be played on/before Saturday 8th January 2022
Danske Bank Ulster Schools Medallion Trophy 1st Round
1/Wellington College, Belfast v Foyle and Londonderry College
2/Omagh Academy v Belfast High School
3/Limavady Grammar School/Royal School, Dungannon v Lurgan College
4/Grosvenor Grammar School/Strabane Academy v Bye
5/Bangor Academy v Bye
6/Bangor Grammar School v Bye
7/Dromore High School v Bye
8/Our Lady and St Patrick’s College, Knock v Bye
These 1st Round Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Trophy games MUST be played on/before Saturday 8th January 2022.
Also on Wednesday 8th December a number of games took place in the 2nd Round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 3rdxv Cup.
Ballyclare High School 3rdxv played Methodist College, Belfast 3rdxv in a game the Methodist College team won by 47-0.
Ballymena Academy 3rdxv hosted Wallace High School 3rdxv in a game that saw the Ballymena Academy team score six tries and record a 40-0 victory.
Coleraine Grammar School 3rdxv was scheduled to play Carndonagh Community School 1stxv but the game had to be postponed due to schools in Donegal being closed. This game has been re-arranged for Monday 13th December.
Down High School 3rdxv hosted Bangor Academy 1stxv and it was the Bangor Academy 1stxv that returned home having recorded a 48-12 victory.
Enniskillen Royal Grammar School 3rdxv played the Royal School, Armagh 3rdxv in a closely contested game the Enniskillen Royal Grammar School team won by 15-10.
Royal Belfast Academical Institution 4thxv and Campbell College, Belfast 3rdxv saw their game postponed until Saturday 11th December due to pitch problems caused by Storm Barra.
Foyle and Londonderry College 1stxv was unable to play Omagh Academy due to unplayable pitch conditions.
On Thursday 9th December Limavady Grammar School hosted Royal School, Dungannon in their previously postponed Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield 2nd Round game.
The Limavady Grammar School team won the game by 36-0.
On Friday 10th December Grosvenor Grammar School played Strabane Academy in their previously postponed Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield 2nd Round Game.
The Grosvenor Grammar School team won the very competitive game by 27-3.
There were six Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup 2nd Round games played on Saturday 11th December.
Banbridge Academy played Friends’ School, Lisburn and won the game by 15-5.
The game was hampered by the wet and windy weather but both teams still put on a great display of attacking rugby and were full of endeavour.
Banbridge Academy, playing with the wind at their backs in the first half, took a 3-0 lead after seven minutes following a long-range penalty from full back, Ryan Matthews. Twenty minutes into the game Banbridge Academy increased their lead to 8-0 when some good phase play led to Ulster U16 hooker, Connor Magee, forcing his way over in the corner for an unconverted try. Ten minutes later, following some further pressure from the Banbridge Academy team, and slick set play off a scrum, saw winger, Ronan Quinn, touch down in the corner after good play from No 8, and captain, Ben Bradshaw. Ryan Matthews was successful with the conversion to give Banbridge a significant, but still precarious, 15-0 halftime lead.
The second half saw Friends’ School use the wind to force the Banbridge Academy team into their own 22m area. After ten minutes into the second period of play, some good play from the Friends’ School back division, saw Alex Murphy, combine with Finlay and Angus Crawford, to score an unconverted try in the corner and reduce the arrears to 15-5.
However, this proved to be the last score of the game as the Banbridge Academy team, playing into a strong wind and heavy rain tightened their grip on the game with some great phase play and some dogged defence. Flanker, Marcus McNeill, put in a “Man of the Match” performance and was to the fore with some big carries out of his red zone as well as some superb tackles in defence. The team rallied around his lead and denied the Friends’ School attacks any real opportunities to close the gap. The final whistle blew and the Banbridge Academy players, and the large home crowd, celebrated a hard fought but, ultimately, well-earned 15-5 victory.
Belfast High School played Portadown College in a game the Belfast High School team won by 27-14.
The Belfast High School points came through tries from Adam Bennett, who touched down twice, Daniel Bennett and Tom McKeown. Cameron Bamford was successful with two conversions as well as one penalty kick.
Ethan Hodgen and Jamie Jackson scored the tries for the Portadown College team to which Adam Neill added both conversions.
Dalriada School played Cambridge House Grammar School and recorded a well-deserved 15-0 victory.
Early pressure from the Dalriada School team paved the way for an unconverted try from Owen Boyd to see his team into a 5-0 lead. This became 8-0 when Gabriel Stubbs-Carton converted a penalty opportunity conceded by the Cambridge House Grammar School defence.
The Cambridge House team launched a series of attacks early in the second half but could find no way through a resilient Dalriada School defence which was well marshalled by Andrew Gilmore. Close to the end of game Charlie Gilmore scrambled over the Cambridge House line to touch down for a try. Gabriel Stubbs-Carton added the extras to secure the 15-0 win for the Dalriada School team.
Limavady Grammar School played a very committed Lurgan College team and had to work hard before emerging as 17-0 winners from a game which was very competitive and well refereed by USRFR member, Andrew Munce.
The Limavady Grammar School team had built up a 14-0 lead by the break through tries from Martin Meenan and Odhran Clenaghan. Benjamin Howe was successful with both conversions.
The second half saw the dogged Lurgan College team ask questions of the Limavady Grammar School defence but, despite their best efforts, the visitors could find no way through. A penalty from Benjamin Howe, late in the second half, secured the 17-0 win for the Limavady Grammar School team.
Regent House School played Carrickfergus Grammar School and had to work hard before emerging as 24-3 winners.
Noah Greenauld, Jude McKenna, Ben Gibson and Adam Finlay scored the Regent House tries with Zac Campbell adding two conversions.
Ethan Law converted a penalty kick opportunity for the Carrickfergus Grammar School team.
Strabane Academy played Grosvenor Grammar School and it was the Grosvenor Grammar School team that returned home as 43-5 winners.
Adam Quinn scored a consolation try for the Strabane Academy team with the last play of the game.
The Grosvenor Grammar School team scored seven tries in the course of the game. Ben Johnston and Lewis Young each touched down twice with Michael Baird, Aaron Boyd and Zelig Young each scoring one try. Ben Johnston completed a “Man of the Match” performance with four successful conversions.
Following these games the draws for the 3rd Round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup and the 1st Round (1/4 Final) of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy took place at Limavady Grammar School.
The draw for the 1/4 Finals of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy was made by Mrs Nicola Madden, Principal of Limavady Grammar School, and Mr Andy Lennon, a member of the Board of Governors at Limavady Grammar School.
The results of the draws are as follows:-
Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy 1/4 Final Draw
1/Strabane Academy v Friends’ School, Lisburn
2/Larne Grammar School v Portadown College
3/Carrickfergus Grammar School v Lurgan College
4/Cambridge House Grammar School v Bye
These games are to be played on/before Saturday 15th January 2022
The draw for the 3rd Round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup was made by Mr Trevor Robinson, Principal of Lurgan College, and Mr Richard Clingan, Vice-Principal of Royal School, Dungannon and Chairman of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Rugby Committee.
Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup 3rd Round Draw
1/Foyle and Londonderry College v Belfast High School
2/Royal School, Armagh v Belfast Royal Academy
3/Grosvenor Grammar School v Omagh Academy
4/Limavady Grammar School v Coleraine Grammar School
5/Dalriada School v Enniskillen Royal Grammar School
6/Rainey Endowed School v Down High School
7/Dromore High School v Banbridge Academy
8/Regent House School v Bangor Grammar School
These games are to be played on/before Saturday 15th January 2022
In the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 3rdxv Cup
Royal Belfast Academical Institution 3rdxv played Methodist College, Belfast 4thxv and won the game by 29-5.
Royal Belfast Academical Institution 4thxv played Campbell College, Belfast 3rdxv in their previously postponed Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 3rdxv Cup 2nd Round game and won the game by 29-17.
At 1stxv level a number of friendly games took place.
Ballyclare High School played Methodist College, Belfast in a game the saw the Methodist College, Belfast team return to winning ways.
The Ballyclare High School team was committed throughout the game but the Methody team won the contest by 19-0. Methody scored two tries through Chris Bradley with one try from Finn McAdam. Ben McFarlane added two conversions.
Ballymena Academy played Campbell College, Belfast in a game the Campbell College, Belfast team was made to work hard before emerging as 29-18 winners.
Harry Marcus and Tom McMaster each scored a try for the Ballymena Academy team with Tristan Ferguson adding one successful conversion as well as one penalty. Alex McBrney was also successful with one penalty kick.
Campbell College scored four tries through Lukas Kenny, who touched down twice, Zac Solomon and Cal Florence. Jonny McCracken was successful with three conversions as well as one penalty.
Bangor Grammar School played Wallace High School in a tight game that ended as a 14-14 draw.
Ryan Butler and Rory Christie scored the Bangor Grammar School tries with Calum Campbell adding both conversions.
Wallace High School scored tries through Ben Armstrong and Mark Waite with Chris Beattie adding both conversions.
Belfast Royal Academy played Enniskillen Royal Grammar School in a game the Belfast Royal Academy team won by 22-7.
The BRA team scored tries through Joe McGuingan, who ran in for two, and Calum Savage. Harry Norton kicked two conversions as well as one penalty.
Ben McLaren scored a try for the Enniskillen Royal Grammar School team with Tadhg Hambley adding the successful conversion.
Coleraine Grammar School played Rainey Endowed School and recorded a 31-0 victory.
Charlie Orr scored two tries for the Coleraine Grammar School team with Matthew Curry, David Milford and Zack McCartney each scoring one try. Jordan McAuley was successful with three conversions.
Royal School, Armagh played Sullivan Upper School and recorded a comprehensive 28-8 victory.
James Anderson, Sam Cunningham, Harry Davey and Leon Taylor scored the Royal School, Armagh tries with Matthew Monaghan adding the extras to all four tries.
In response, Sullivan Upper School scored an unconverted try as well as a penalty.
