Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Round Up Saturday 21st September 2024.
Larne Grammar School played a recent series of blitz training games with players from Royal Belfast Academical Institution 2nd and 3rdxvs.
These games provided the opportunity for quite a few players to get pitch time and proved to be valuable for all the players involved. Standout players for the Larne Grammar School team were Ryan McDowell and Ethan Duncan.
At the same time Antrim Grammar School played a Methodist College, Belfast Senior “Select” team in a game that provided both squads with the opportunity to use extended numbers of players.
The Antrim Grammar School team was in a position to give a number of younger players the opportunity to play at this level.
The Methodist College squad won the game and the Antrim Grammar School team will take confidence from the performances of players such as Ethan Lucas, Jack McNeilly, Jake Quigley, Michael McKay and Isaac Lynn.
Some midweek games took place in the run up to a good range of fixtures played on Saturday 21st September.
On Wednesday 18th September Rainey Endowed School hosted St Andrew’s School from Dublin.
This closely contested competitive game ended with the St Andrew’s School team recording a 14-0 victory
The visitors were awarded a penalty try to take a 7-0 lead. This became 14-0 when Henry Walsh ran in for a try which was converted by Victor Killane.
A Campbell College, Belfast Senior “Select” xv played Ballyclare High School in a game the Campbell College team won by 14-7.
Sam Robinson and Michael Bradbury scored the Campbell College tries with Patrick Dorian adding two successful conversions.
Andrew Cooper scored the try for the Ballyclare High School team with the trusty boot of James Woodside adding the extras.
On the same afternoon Methodist College, Belfast played Enniskillen Royal Grammar School.
The Methodist College, Belfast team won the game by 29-12 and scored five tries in the process.
Sam Nixon, James Reid, Scott Harrower, Oliver Gartley and Peter Lindsay scored the Methodist College tries with Louis Curran adding two successful conversions.
The Enniskillen Royal Grammar School team scored two second half tries through Alfie Lucy and Andrew Kerr with Jake Irwin adding one successful conversion kick.
Meanwhile, at Foyle and Londonderry College, a Foyle College Senior “Select” xv played Strabane Academy in a very competitive game the Foyle team won by 22-5.
This game was played following a Girls’ Rugby Blitz hosted by the school that morning and before staff travelled with the Foyle College U14 team to play against the Letterkenny RFC U14 team that evening.
The Foyle College team scored four tries through Alex Witherow, George Rough, Ethan Gallick and Garbhan Duffy. Ethan added the extras to one of the tries. The Foyle College team had also good performances from players such as Joseph Lynch, John O’Connor, Christian Campbell and the team was well led by their captain, Michael Doherty.
It was a very young and inexperienced Strabane Academy team that took to the pitch for this game. They added considerably to the pace of the game and got some reward for their endeavours when team captain, Nathan Russell, scorched in for an unconverted try.
Among the many young debutants to impress for the Strabane Academy team were James Roche, Sam Hannon and Cian McCarron.
Later that evening the Mellon Playing Fields, home of Omagh Academicals RFC, were the venue for a game featuring the Omagh Academicals RFC U16 team and the Omagh Academy U16 team.
Staff in Omagh Academy, led by Master-in-Charge of Rugby, Ross Hunter, have worked hard to build up the numbers playing rugby in the Omagh Academy Senior School.
This game gave both teams the opportunity to use extended numbers of players with the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ and Ulster Clubs’ U16 competitions on the horizon.
The game turned out to be a thirteen try thriller which the Omagh Academy team won.
Players such as Brendan Bullin, Matthew McFarland and Jake Weir featured strongly for the Omagh Academicals RFC U16 team while Harvey McMaster, Alex Mitchell, Euan Hamilton, Ethan Duncan, Andrew Pinkerton and Lewis Chambers played were among the players who impressed on the Omagh Academy team.
Both teams would like to thank Omagh Academicals RFC for provision of facilities, hosting the game and the provision of post-match refreshments.
On Saturday 21st September a good list of Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ games took place.
Ballymena Academy played Royal Belfast Academical Institution in a closely contested game the Royal Belfast Academical Institution team won by 26-21.
Reuben Allen, Harry Lamont and Luke McCluskey scored the Ballymena Academy tries with Reuben adding three successful conversions.
Blake McClean, Ethan Edgar, Charlie O’Connor and Connor Davis touched down for the Royal Belfast Academical Institution tries with Charlie adding the extras to three of the tries.
Banbridge Academy hosted Larne Grammar School and recorded a 50-5 victory.
The Banbridge Academy points came through tries from Ryan Hanna, Miles Mawson, Peter Lewis, with two, Artus Jonuss, Noah Bell, Jonny Howard and Sam Leslie. Andrew Jackson capped a fine personal performance with five successful conversion kicks.
Larne Grammar School got some reward for their endeavours throughout the game when Jonny Dallas ran in for an unconverted try.
Bangor Grammar School played their first home game of the season when they hosted Portadown College and recorded their first win of the season with a passionate performance that laid the foundations for their 36-5 victory.
The Bangor Grammar School team scored six tries through Albie Scott, Rory Mooney, George Patterson, with two, Ryan Gowdy and Rory Fulton. Adam Bickerstaff was successful with three of his conversion kicks.
Thomas Kenny scored a consolation unconverted try for the Portadown College team, close to the end of the game.
Belfast High School played Carrickfergus Grammar School and won a very closely contested game by 26-24.
The game was played with excellent overhead conditions on a superb playing surface which encouraged all the players involved to play at a great pace and with the ball in hand.
The Belfast High School team had built up a 21-7 lead at the interval through a hattrick of tries from the impressive Ben Gardner. All three tries were converted by Archie Cruickshank.
In response, Carrickfergus Grammar School scored a first half try through Colin Campbell which was converted by Alex McAllister.
Shortly after the restart, the Belfast High School lead extended to 26-7 when Archie Cruickshank slipped through a gap to touch down for an unconverted try.
After this, it was the Carrickfergus Grammar School team that dominated territory and possession for a period of time.
Toby Keating and Alex McAllister touched down for tries, one of which Alex converted, to reduce the Carrickfergus Grammar School deficit to 26-19.
The Carrickfergus Grammar School team continued to press and, with the clock about to turn red, Adam Magill touched down for a try. The conversion kick struck the upright which ensured the final scoreboard read Belfast High School 26 Carrickfergus Grammar School 24 at the end of this thrilling encounter.
Belfast Royal Academy played Royal School, Armagh and recorded a hard earned 17-7 victory.
The Belfast Royal Academy points came through tries from Olli Cox and James Murray with Connor McVicker adding two conversions and one penalty.
Bailie Russell scored the Royal School, Armagh try which was converted by Evan Hughes
Dalriada School played Rainey Endowed School for the Arthur Topping Memorial Trophy and won the game by 15-7.
Matthew Fox and Ben Kirk scored the Dalriada School tries with Chris Finney adding one conversion as well as one penalty kick.
Seb Steele scored the Rainey Endowed School try with Ben Bell adding the extras.
Grosvenor Grammar School played Down High School in a game the Down High School team won by 41-0.
Alex Watson, with two, Ben Cassidy with two, Lewis Connolly, with two and Dylan McMullan were the Down High School try scorers. Josh McCaughey scored the remaining Down High School points off the tee.
Limavady Grammar School played Foyle and Londonderry College and recorded a 35-24 victory.
Dara McAuley, with a brace, Ben Moore, Killian Brolly and Jacob Baird were the Limavady Grammar School try scorers. The trusty boot of James Laird added all five successful conversion kicks.
The Foyle College team contributed much to the flow and pace of the game.
They scored four tries through Thomas Nelis, Cian O’Leary, Jack Peace and Markus Smith. Darwyn Nutt added two successful conversion kicks.
Lurgan College played Dromore High School in a very closely fought encounter from which the Dromore High School team emerged as 19-5 winners.
The Lurgan College team scored an unconverted through the impressive Alex McMeekin.
The Dromore High School team scored three tries through Harry Cromie, Jonny Beckett and AJ Morton with Daniel Ennis McManus adding two successful conversion kicks.
Omagh Academy hosted Coleraine Grammar School in a game which saw the Omagh team playing a number of young Year 12 1stxv debutants.
The Coleraine Grammar School team won the game by 46-3 with the Omagh Academy points coming from a well-struck Jack Adams penalty kick.
Andrew Pinkerton and Adam Keys were among the Omagh Academy 1stxv debutants who impressed with their performances.
The Coleraine Grammar School points came through tries from Luke McMillan, James McMillan, with two, Joel Milford, Callum Jackson, Jack Burnett and Louis McGowan. Joshua Hawe was successful with four conversions as well as one penalty.
Regent House School hosted Enniskillen Royal Grammar School in a very close game the Regent House School team won by 14-12.
Lewis Robinson and Daniel Moore scored the Regent House School tries with Josh Colville adding the extras to both.
The Enniskillen Royal Grammar School team scored two tries through Jake Irwin and Josh Owens. Jake Irwin was successful with one of his conversion kicks.
Sullivan Upper School played Royal School, Dungannon and recorded a 40-0 victory.
Sam Harper, Nathan Noble, with a hattrick, Max Readman, and Rodger McMullan scored the Sullivan Upper School tries with Hamish Johnston adding five successful conversion kicks.
Players such as Max Patterson, Jack Evans, Thomas Jenkins and Ben Lowey impressed with their performances for the Royal School, Dungannon team.
As well as playing midweek games with their 4thxv and 5thxv teams against Methodist College, Belfast, Campbell College, Belfast then joined Methodist College, Belfast and played a series of blitz games on Saturday 21st September with Bangor RFC U16 and U14 teams.
