Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Round Up Saturday 5th November 2016
With most schools still on their half term break there were no midweek games played prior to fewer than usual schoolboy friendly games played on Saturday 5th November.
Methodist College hosted Rockwell College from Munster in one of their many regular fixtures against schools from other provinces. Having lost recently to Christian Brother’s College, Cork the Methody team was determined they would not be losing successive games against another of Munster’s finest! And so it proved to be with the Methody team, having built up a 12-0 lead by the interval, going on to win the game by 19-7.
The Methodist College team took a 5-0 lead when Alexander Cairns got the touch down for an unconverted try following a well-constructed driven maul from the pack following a lineout. That became 12-0 in the lead up to half time when Mathew Neill touched down for a try which was converted by Paul Kerr.
The Methody team continued to dominate the game in the second half and their lead was extended to 19-0 when Cameron Kelly took advantage of good work from Thomas Gallagher and Matty Loane to finish with a try. Paul Kerr was successful with the conversion. The Rockwell College team did get some consolation for their input to the game when they scored a converted try with just minutes of the game remaining.
Wallace High School entertained Portadown College in a game the Wallace High School team won by 28-7. In a closely contested first half the Wallace High School team took a 7-0 lead when Gary Dillon scored a try which was converted by Matthew Pentland. The Portadown College team responded with a try from their industrious centre, Dylan Nelson, which was converted by Matthew Neill, to draw the score level at 7-7. Portadown College then hit the upright with a well struck penalty just before half time.
The second half saw the Wallace High School control territory and possession for long periods of time. They were rewarded with three tries through Jamie Manderson, Stephen Courtney and Peter McRoberts. Matthew converted all three tries to secure the 28-7 victory for the Wallace High School team.
Ballymena Academy travelled to Dublin where they played Terenure College in a close encounter the Ballymena Academy team won by 20-17. The game was played in perfect conditions on the recently acquired Terenure College 4G pitch. The home team took an early 5-0 lead when a break down the blindside of a ruck finished with an unconverted try. Ten minutes later the Ballymena Academy team took a 7-5 lead when an excellent break from Stewart Moore was finished off with a try from Conor Agnew which was converted by Bruce Houston. The Ballymena team increased this lead to 12-5 when Angus Kernohan displayed his versatility by latching on to the ball at the back of a driven maul and touching down for an unconverted try. The Terenure team then scored an unconverted try, following a clever play from a lineout, to leave the Ballymena Academy team with a 12-10 lead at the break.
The Ballymena Academy team dominated proceedings for long periods of the second but wasted number of try scoring opportunities through untidy handling. Ten minutes from the end they did manage to put to together a flowing move which was finished off in superb style by Mark Thompson who beat three defenders before running in for an unconverted try to give his team a 17-10 lead. The Terenure team responded immediately and scored a converted try through Sam Dardis to draw the score level at 17-17. With the final play of the game the Ballymena Academy team was awarded a penalty, which was duly slotted over by Bruce Houston, to ensure his team won the game by 20-17.
Enniskillen Royal Grammar School hosted Belfast Metropolitan College in a game the Enniskillen RGS team won by 31-7. The Belfast Met team took an early 7-0 lead before Reece Smyton reduced the deficit to 7-5 when he touched down for an unconverted try. Alex Holder then gave the Enniskillen RGS team a 10-7 lead when he finished off a flowing move and ran in for an unconverted try. This became 17-7 when Adam Boles scored a try, which Reece Smyton converted, just before the break.
The second half saw the Enniskillen RGS team continue to dominate and they scored two more tries through Angus Keyes and Alex Holder, who touched down for his second try of the game. Reece Smyton was successful with both conversions to secure the 31-7 win for the Enniskillen Royal Grammar School team.
Rainey Endowed School travelled to play Royal School, Dungannon and came up against a very determined RS Dungannon team that won the game by 38-14. The Rainey cause was not helped by the loss of key players prior to the game and in the opening exchanges of the game. The RS Dungannon team had built up a 17-7 lead by half time and opened their account when Joseph Cashel took advantage of good work from his pack at a lineout to carry the ball over the Rainey line and touch down for an unconverted try to give his team a 5-0 lead. Adam Hunter then scored a try for the Rainey team, which he converted, to put the visitors into a 7-5 lead. Clever game management from the RS Dungannon half backs, Luke McMullan and Adam Evans, forced the Rainey ES team into conceding a lineout close to their line. A successful driven maul following the lineout finished with Josh Patton touching down for an unconverted try to give his team a 10-7 lead. This became 17-7 just before the break when Jono Shrestha showed great strength and determination to pick the ball from the base of a ruck and dive over for a try. Luke McMullan added the conversion with a fine kick.
The second half saw the RS Dungannon team maintain the pressure on the Rainey ES pack. Another lineout close to the Rainey line finished with a second Josh Patton try, which was converted by Luke McMullan, to increase the RS Dungannon lead to 24-7. James Gamble then scored a fine try under the Rainey posts, which Luke McMullan converted, to give the home team a 31-7 lead. The Rainey ES team then took advantage of some slack RS Dungannon defence. They created an overlap which Ciaran Doyle finished off with a try. Adam Hunter was successful with the conversion to reduce the arrears to 31-14. However, the RS Dungannon team had the last say in the game when a flowing attack was finished off by Luke McMullan who ran in for the try. Luke converted his try to secure the 38-14 win for the Royal School, Dungannon team.
Regent House hosted Cambridge House in a game the Regent House team won by 24-11. In the first half the Regent House points came through tries from Robbie Johnston and Robert Hull, both of which were converted by Robbie Johnston. James Bovill converted a penalty kick for the Cambridge House team to see the Regent House team take a 14-3 lead into the break.
In the second half the Regen House team scored unconverted tries from Jack Smith and Robert Hull. The Cambridge House team kicked a penalty from James Bovill and scored an unconverted try from Jack Wilson which ensured the Regent House team finished the game as 24-11 winners.
Dalriada School took the half term break as an opportunity to travel to Barcelona where they played two games against local opposition.
In their first game they defeated the BUC Rugby U19 team by 58-0. They scored ten tries with Thomas Hunter getting four, Luke Pollock getting three and Dennis Posternak, Lewis Henry and Henry Ross all touching down for one try each. Matthew Mulligan added one conversion with Thomas Hunter successful with four.
The second game was against the Hospitalet Rugby Club U19 team and the Dalriada team won this game by 50-10. In this game Thomas Hunter scored a hat trick of tries with Matthew Kennedy, Dennis Posternak, Scott Gamble, Luke Pollock and Griffin Philipson all touching down for one try each. Thomas Hunter capped a fine personal tour performance with five successful conversions.
