Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Round Up Saturday 3rd October 2015
There were four midweek fixtures played in the lead up to an almost full list of fixtures on Saturday 3rd October.
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Enniskillen Rugby Club at Mullaghmeen was the venue for the Portora Royal School game against Omagh Academy on Wednesday 30th September, a game the Omagh Academy team won by 19-10. In the opening exchanges of the game the Portora RS team was on the front foot but they were unable to find a way through a resolute Omagh defence. The Omagh team eventually started to grow into the game and, following a period of pressure in the Portora RS half, were awarded a penalty. The ball was played into the 5m area and from the resultant lineout the visitors scored a try through Matthew Clyde. Kyle Beattie converted the try to give his team a 7-0 lead. From the restart the Portora team applied pressure on the Omagh defence but, once again, could find no way through. The Omagh winger, Taine Lagan, turned defence into attack when he intercepted a loose pass in his 22m area. He outpaced a despairing Portora RS defence to touch down under the posts for a try. Kyle Beattie duly added the conversion for the Omagh team to take a 14-0 lead into the break.
The Omagh Academy team worked hard to win the ball from the restart and win it they did. Quick distribution of the ball saw the ball safely into the hands of the Academy centre, Deane Kane. Deane beat three defenders before off-loading to Taine Lagan who then danced his way to the line and finish off a flowing move with a touch down for the second time in the game. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful but the Omagh Academy team now had a 19-0 lead. The Portora RS team refused to lie down and worked their way into the Omagh Academy 22m area. They finally broke down a resilient defence to score an unconverted try and reduce the deficit to 19-5. With just minutes remaining the score became 19-10 when the Portora Royal School team forced their way over the Omagh Academy line to score a second unconverted try. The Omagh Academy team had some stand out players, including Andrew Newell, Nathan Sides and Gary McCrossan in their pack, alongside Taine Lagan, Deane Kane, Kyle Beattie and Luke Hanson in their backline.
Down High School entertained the Royal School, Armagh team in a midweek fixture the Down High School team won by 41-0. The Down High School team has had an indifferent start to the season and they have had a number of players missing through their involvement with the Age Grade Inter Pro teams. However, they were back to full strength for the visit of the Royal School, Armagh team. Harry Hitchens opened the scoring when he took advantage of good work from his pack, following a lineout, combined with clever play from Robin Wilson, to score a try under the RS Armagh posts. Paddy Browne added the conversion to give the Down HS team a 7-0 lead. Then Ronan Patterson intercepted a stray RS Armagh pass to run the full length of the pitch for a try. Paddy Browne converted the try and the home team had now established a 14-0 lead. Paddy Browne, at this stage of the game playing in the centre, added two more penalties to give the Down High School team a 20-0 lead at the interval.
The second half saw the Down High School team enjoy the same quality of possession as they had enjoyed in the first half. Following a scrum the ball was moved swiftly to Harry Hitchens who displayed great pace and awareness to round the RS Armagh defence and score his second try of the game. Paddy Browne converted the try to put the Down team into a 27-0 lead. Then Paddy, now playing in the outhalf slot, spotted a gap and displayed great strength to shrug off a number of despairing RS Armagh tacklers. He touched down for a try, which he converted, to increase the Down High School lead to 34-0. Replacement full back, Jack Carlisle then took advantage of a great break from Ronan Patterson and finished the move off with a try. Paddy Browne was successful with the conversion to secure the 41-0 victory for the Down High School team.
Friends’ School maintained their unbeaten start to the season when they played a 3 x 22 minute run out against Larne Grammar School on Friday 2nd October. Both teams were missing frontline players and both squads were able to use fringe players. The Friends’ team ran out as 62-15 winners but the Larne GS team made the Friends’ School players work hard for their success, especially in the first and third sessions. Bart Campbell and Curtis Dundas scored unconverted tries for Friends’ in the first session with the Larne GS team converting a penalty opportunity to give the home team a 10-3 lead.
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The second session saw the Friends’ School team score tries through Bradley Mulholland, Ross Gillespie, who touched down twice, George Pringle and Ali McCord. David Stewart was successful with three conversions while Ross Gillespie and George Pringle converted the other two. Larne GS scored a converted try in the course of the second session to leave the Friends’ School team 45-10 ahead at the end of the second session.
In the third session the Friends’ School team scored a try through Chris Nesbitt, which Ross Gillespie converted, to increase their lead to 52-10. Larne GS responded with an unconverted try to reduce the arrears to 52-15. The Friends’ School team then scored two unconverted tries through Alex O’Brien and George Pringle to secure their 62-15 victory.
Over the years, the games between Ballymena Academy and CAI have been closely fought contests and the local rivalry continued on Friday evening when Coleraine Grammar made the journey to Ballymena. Coleraine welcomed back their Interprovincial players and Ballymena Academy, whilst still without Irish Schools’ players Jonathan McKeown and Alexander Clarke, selected Marcus Rea and Michael Stronge for the first time this season. Coleraine Grammar enjoyed the better of the first twenty minutes, but it was Ballymena Academy, with two penalties from the trusty boot of Bruce Houston, who took a 6-0 lead. The home team scored the first try of the evening when Marcus Rea and Michael Stronge combined to put Angus Kernohan over from close range. Bruce Houston’s conversion stretched the Ballymena Academy lead to 13-0.The remainder of the first half saw the team’s reverse their roles with Ballymena dominating possession but Coleraine scoring points. Two penalties from Callum Smyth and an unconverted try reduced the deficit to 13 – 11 at half time.
Ballymena Academy started the second half strongly with Ryan Malcolm and Mark Thompson making breaks. A penalty to the corner was caught and driven with James McClean on hand to touch down. Bruce Houston added the conversion and, moments later, another penalty to take the home team into a 23-11 lead. Coleraine Grammar School finished strongly and deserved the final score of the game; a converted try leaving the final score reading 23-18 to Ballymena Academy.
On Saturday 3rd October Lurgan College hosted Wellington College in a very close game which the Lurgan College team won by 5-3. The Lurgan forwards, well marshalled by scrum half, Scott Wilson, laid the foundation for their strong first half performance. Following good work from Harry Simpson and Victor MacKenzie, the Lurgan College outhalf, James Patterson scored an unconverted try to give his team a 5-0 lead at the interval.
Wellington College played well in the second half but could not find any way through a well-organised Lurgan College defence. The did manage to convert one penalty opportunity through Glenn Morrow to leave the final score reading 5-3 in favour of the Lurgan College team.
Royal Belfast Academical Institution travelled to play Ballyclare High School in a game the Belfast Inst team won by 29-3. The game was played in perfect conditions with Belfast Inst dominating territory in the first half. The Inst captain, Charlie Fryers, scored the first try of the game to give his team a 5-0 lead. Winger Adam Gowdy then finished off a flowing attack to score a try in the corner. Michael Lowry added the conversion to increase the Belfast Inst lead to 12-0. This became 15-0 when Michael Lowry converted a penalty kick just before the break.
The Ballyclare High School team came back strongly in the second half but could not find any way through the Inst defence. David Whitten scored a third Inst try, which Michael Lowry converted, to increase the visitor’s lead to 22-0. The Ballyclare HS team then converted a penalty through Norman Hutchinson to take the score to 22-3. The Royal Belfast Academical Institution team then secured their 29-3 win with a try from “Man of the Match” Yasser Omar. This try was converted by Michael Lowry.
Wallace High School travelled to play Limavady Grammar School and returned home as 24-7 winners. Jonny Hunter, playing in the centre touched down twice for the Wallace High School team with Toby Kerr and Year 12 pupil, Jack Brown, scoring one try each. Matthew Pentland was successful with two conversion kicks.
The Limavady Grammar School team made the Wallace team work hard for their win. Their points came from a converted Mark Woods try.
The Rainey Endowed School team brought an abrupt halt to the early season successes experienced by the Portadown College team when the teams met in the Vinny Doyle Memorial Cup competition. The Rainey Endowed team recorded a 25-0 victory in a game they dominated for most of the time. Rainey had built up a 10-0 lead by half time with Ulster U19 prop, Anton Lupari, touching down for one unconverted try and Adam Hunter scoring a second.
The Rainey domination continued in the second half with Neal Hastings scoring twice and Anton Lupari running in for his second try of the game. All of these tries went unconverted but the Rainey Endowed School team was delighted with their 25-0 victory at the end of the game.
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Foyle and Londonderry College hosted a Royal School, Dungannon team which won the game by 19-14. The Royal School team controlled the game for long periods in the first half and had taken a 19-7 lead by halftime. Peter Doran took advantage of a miscue at a Foyle College lineout. He intercepted an overthrow just inside the halfway line and finished with a try under the Foyle posts. Aaron Perry added the conversion to put the RS Dungannon team into a 7-0 lead. The Foyle College backs showed great skill with any ball they did get and Thomas Cole scored a fine try, which was converted by Matthew Orr, to draw the score level at 7-7. The RS Dungannon team hit back with Peter Doran touching down for his second try. Aaron Perry added the conversion to see the RS Dungannon team into a 14-7 lead. The Dungannon team was winning the “Battle of the Packs” and, close to the break, Josh Fegan took advantage of an RS Dungannon driven maul to touch down for an unconverted try and give his team a 19-7 lead.
Foyle College stepped up a couple of gears with their performance in the second half. They did score early on when Mathew Alford outpaced his opposite number to score a fine try. Matthew Orr added the extras to bring the Foyle and Londonderry College team back into the game at 19-14. However, despite their best intentions there were no further scores from the home team which ensured a 19-14 win for the Royal School, Dungannon team.
The senior team players at Dalriada had a busy morning with two “Select XV’s” in action. The first game against Belfast Metropolitan College ended with Dalriada XV winning by 24-0. In what could only be described as a scrappy game the Dalriada team outscored the Belfast Met team by four tries to nil. Alan Montgomery scored the first try, which was converted by Stewart Moore, to give the Dalriada team a 7-0 lead. From the restart the Dalriada team went on the attack again. Following a number of phases the home team full back, Thomas Hunter, outwitted a despairing Belfast Met defence to score in the corner. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful but the Dalriada team now had a 12-0 lead. Shortly after this Alan Montgomery touched down for his second try of the game. Again, the conversion attempt was unsuccessful but the Dalriada team had built up a 19-0 lead at the interval.
Dalriada made a number of changes in the second half and it was one of the replacement players; centre Ross Fallows, who sealed the game for the Dalriada team. He cut a great line in attack to run in for an unconverted try in the corner which ensured the 24-0 win for the Dalriada team.
Meanwhile, the second Dalriada “Select XV” drew 7-7 in a closely contested game against Antrim Grammar School.
Belfast Royal Academy continued their recent run of good form with a 13-7 victory against Sullivan Upper. Michael Wilson kicked two first half penalties for the BRA team and, midway through the second half, Lewis Davidson ran in for a try. Ruari Meharg scored a try for the Sullivan Upper team and Rory Kilpatrick Kilpatrick converted the try.
An Omagh Academy “Select XV” entertained Carrickfergus Grammar School in a game the Omagh team won by 26-14. Scott Ballentine, Taine Lagan, Glenn McKinley and Matthew Bell all scored tries for the Omagh Academy team. Scott Ballentine weighed in with three successful conversion kicks as well.
For the Carrickfergus GS team Fionn McCormick was at the centre of all that was good about his team’s performance and displayed great creativity for the two converted tries his team scored.
Grosvenor Grammar School fielded a “Select XV” against Cambridge House in a game the Grosvenor team won by 20-11. The Cambridge House team took an early 6-0 lead with two successful penalty kicks. The Grosvenor GS team then scored two unconverted tries through Ethan Fitzsimmons and Ryan Ashfield. The Cambridge House team took an 11-10 lead into the break when they touched down for an unconverted try with the last play of the first half.
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The Grosvenor GS team started the second half strongly and regained a 15-11 lead when Mark Courtney ran in for an unconverted try. Both teams were playing positive rugby and it was the Grosvenor Grammar School team that scored the next try. A fine move from a lineout finished with scrum half, Jack Kennedy, nipping around the front of the set piece to touch down. The conversion kick was missed but the Grosvenor Grammar School team had recorded a 20-11 win.
The Banbridge Academy team, despite losing a game against Portora Royal School by 40-5, played quite well throughout the game. The Portora team scored three first half tries, two of which were converted, to take a 19-0 lead into the break. Conor Keys scored the first, Jack Rutledge the second with Matthew Dane scoring the third. Reece Smyton converted two of the tries.
Three second half tries, all of which were converted, gave the Portora Royal School team a 40-0 lead. Conor Keys scored his second of the game, as did Jack Rutledge and Matthew Dane. Reece Smyton converted all three. The Banbridge Academy team scored a consolation try when Ethan Cromie and Peter Heaney combined for Ethan to score an unconverted try leaving the Portora Royal School team as 40-5 winners.
Bangor Grammar School played Belfast High School in a tough game the Bangor team won by 19-14. Lewis Brett and Zack Kerr scored the first half tries for the Bangor team with Zack converting both tries.
Ten minutes into the second half Jamie Fulton scored an unconverted try for the Bangor Grammar School team.
The Belfast High School points came from Simon White and Richard McLean tries, both of which were converted by Simon White.
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