Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Round Up Saturday 12th November 2022.
The second round of Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Group Stage games were scheduled to take place week beginning Monday 7th November.
On Wednesday 9th November Rainey Endowed School hosted Portadown College in a Group D game while Strabane Academy entertained Foyle and Londonderry College in a Group C game.
The Rainey Endowed School team recorded an impressive 42-12 win to leave them, at that stage, sitting in second place in a very competitive Group D.
Jayden Shiels, Charlie McConville and Sean Bentley each scored a try, in the first half, for the Rainey Endowed School team. Owen O’Kane was successful with all three first half conversions.
The second half was something similar. Rossa Bell, Paul McCloskey and Johnny Kelso each scored one try with Owen O’Kane capping a fine personal performance by adding the extras to all three second half tries.
The Foyle and Londonderry College team won their Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Group C game against Strabane Academy by 47-7 with James McKillop touching down twice and Sam Pollin, James Gamble, Chris Boyd, James Kelly and Cahir McKay each scoring once. Adam Killeen was successful with six of his conversions. Robbie Patterson and Rocco Hurl-Platt impressed also with their performances for the Foyle College team.
Strabane Academy fielded a very young team against the more experienced Foyle College team. The Strabane Academy team played with great commitment, and no little skill, and got some reward for their endeavours when Max Mealiff ran in for a try which was converted by Josh Toland.
Meanwhile, in a 1stxv friendly Wallace High School hosted Royal School, Armagh in a game that ended with the Wallace High School team recording a hard-earned 7-5 victory.
Both defences enjoyed the physical encounter and each defence was only breached once.
Taking advantage of good work from Sam Warwick, Jack Shannon scored the Wallace High School try which was converted by Charlie Beattie.
On the back of good work from Thomas Dougan and James Anderson, Finn Fehnert was able to breach the Wallace High School defence before he touched down for an unconverted try for the Royal School, Armagh team.
In a Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Bowl Qualifying Group Stage game, played on Thursday 10th, Our Lady and St Patrick’s College, Knock played Bangor Academy at the home of Civil Service RFC.
Despite a very committed performance from the Our Lady and St Patrick’s College team, the Bangor Academy team won the game by 40-0.
Ethan McGrogan, Jonah Topping, Tommy Connolly, Dylan Jones, Kailen Cantley, Josh Stewart and James Montgomery all impressed with their performances for the Bangor Academy team.
Both teams, and their staff, would like to thank Civil Service RFC for the provision of facilities and hosting the game on such an excellent pitch.
On Saturday 12th November eight Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Group Stage games were scheduled to take place.
In Group A Limavady Grammar School played Dalriada School and Cambridge House Grammar School played Lurgan College.
Limavady Grammar School won their close encounter against Dalriada School by 8-5.
The Limavady Grammar School team scored an unconverted try through Odran Clenaghan with Benjamin Howe successfully converting one penalty goal.
The Dalriada School points came through an unconverted try from Isaac Moore.
Cambridge House Grammar School won their game against a resilient Lurgan College team by 16-7.
The Cambridge House Grammar School team scored two tries through Jacob Oliver and Adam Rainey with Dan Chestnutt converting two penalty goal opportunities.
The Lurgan College points came through a try from Matthew Conn which was converted by Daniel Parker.
In Group B Dromore High School hosted Bangor Grammar School and won the game by 42-12.
The Dromore High School team ran in for six tries in the course of the game. AJ Morton, James Waddell, Ethan Mount, Jonny Scott, Ethan Dickson and Jack Allen were the try scorers. Ethan Mount was successful with one conversion while Josh Quigley was successful with five conversions.
The Bangor Grammar School points came through tries from Noah Courtney Gardener and Alex Simpson. Luke Mingout was successful with one of his conversion kicks.
Also in Group B, Banbridge Academy played Larne Grammar School and recorded a comfortable 45-5 victory.
Ryan Matthews, Connor Magee, Darragh Knox, Fergus Always, Ryan Hanna, Jacques McCauley and Noah Bell scored the Banbridge Academy tries with Ryan Matthews adding the extras to five of the tries.
The Larne Grammar School points came through an unconverted try from Jonathan Dallas.
In their second Group C game Belfast High School played Down High School and won this high scoring encounter by 33-28.
The Belfast High School team scored five tries through Daniel Bennett, who touched down twice, Adam Bennett, who did likewise, and Joey Ashby. The influence of the Bennett boys on the final outcome of the game was quite considerable with Daniel adding three conversions and Adam adding one conversion.
The Down High School team scored four tries with Ryan Connolly running in for two and Matthew Foster and Fionn Carey each touching down for one try. Rhodri Phillips was deadly accurate off the tee with four successful conversion kicks.
In the second Group D of the week game Royal School Dungannon played Friends’ School Lisburn.
The Royal School, Dungannon team won the game by 21-0 and now go to the top of Group D.
The RS Dungannon team scored three tries through John Carroll, Alfie Lewis and Cameron Shaw. Jacob Clarke was successful with all three of his conversion kicks.
In Group E, due to unforeseen circumstances, the game involving Grosvenor Grammar School and Omagh Academy has had to have been rescheduled.
Regent House School entertained Enniskillen Royal Grammar School and it was the Enniskillen Royal Grammar School team that came away with a 33-19 victory.
The Regent House School team scored two tries through Jude McKenna and Nathan Bell alongside one penalty try. Zach Campbell was successful with both of his conversion kicks.
The Enniskillen Royal Grammar School points came through tries from Ben McLaren, who ran in for a brace, Tadhg Hambly, Jake Woods and Ollie Hamill. Tadhg Hambly was successful also with four of his conversion kicks.
In the third game of the next series of Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Bowl qualifying games, scheduled for Saturday 12th November, Antrim Grammar School played Carrickfergus Grammar School.
The Antrim Grammar School team maintained their recent run of good form and recorded a well-deserved 25-5 victory against a very young, but very spirited Carrickfergus Grammar School team.
The Antrim Grammar School team scored five tries in the course of the game. Alexander Lynn completed a “Man of the Match” performance with two tries while James Spence, Rhys McCandless and Rory McLornan each scored one try for the Antrim Grammar School team.
Shane Gilmore, the Carrickfergus Grammar School captain, really led his team from the front throughout the game. Shane got some reward for his performance when he touched down for an unconverted try.
As well as the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Group stage games and the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Bowl Qualifying games, a few 1stxv friendly games took place on the weekend of Friday 11th/Saturday 12th November.
On Friday 11th Campbell College, Belfast hosted Belfast Royal Academy under the floodlights at CIYMS RFC.
The Campbell College, Belfast team won the game by 28-5 with tries from Lukas Kenny, Sam Boomer and Flynn Longstaff, a player making a successful return to play, touching down for two. Matthew Rea was successful with all four conversion kicks.
The Belfast Royal Academy team performed admirably throughout the game and got some reward for their efforts when Matthew McLaughlin touched down for a fine individual unconverted try.
Earlier, on the same afternoon, Sullivan Upper School hosted Methodist College, Belfast in an exciting close encounter from which the Sullivan Upper School team emerged as 29-28 winners.
Both teams scored four tries with Rory Fulton, Cameron Irwin and Ryan Drain, with two, touching down for the Sullivan Upper team. Harry McKeown added the extras to three of the tries and secured the Sullivan Upper School victory with a well struck penalty goal close to the no-side whistle.
The Methodist College, Belfast try scorers were Jack O’Kane, David Armstrong and Ryan Kidd, who ran in for a brace. Ben McFarlane was deadly accurate off the tee with four successful conversions.
On Saturday 12th November Ballymena Academy hosted Belvedere College from Dublin.
At the end of the game the final scoreboard read Ballymena Academy 20 Belvedere College 24.
The Ballymena Academy points came through two tries from Callum Mustoe and one try from Tom McMaster. Tristan Ferguson added one conversion as well as one penalty goal off the tee.
Ivor Cuddy, Jonathan Lynch and Cillian Leyden scored the Belvedere College tries with Cillian adding all three conversions as well as one penalty goal
