Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Round Up Saturday 7th October 2023.
As well as the final remaining Group Stage games in the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Cup and Shield competitions taking place on Wednesday 4th October, the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup competition got underway with three games taking place on Saturday 7th October.
On Wednesday 4th October all of the final remaining group stage games in the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Cup took place.
In the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Cup Group A game, the Ballymena Academy U16 team hosted the Dromore High School U16 team in their final Group A game.
The Ballymena Academy team won the game by 19=3.
Also in Group A, Wallace High School, the current holders of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Cup, hosted the Methodist College, Belfast U16 team in their final Group A game.
Wallace High School won the game by 33-7-a result that ensures they are the winners of Group A of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Cup.
Everyone involved with this game was delighted to have the game refereed by Mark Orr, now in his 40th season of refereeing Ulster Schools’ competition games.
In the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Cup Group B Campbell College, Belfast played Royal Belfast Academical Institution in a “winner takes all” game.
Campbell College, Belfast game through the game with a comfortable 34-7 win.
In the same group the Belfast Royal Academy U16 team played the Sullivan Upper School U16 team in their final Group B game and won the game by 26-12.
The final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Cup, featuring Wallace High School and Campbell College, Belfast, will take place at 2-30pm on Wednesday 18th October at Pirrie Park.
In the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Shield the last remaining group stage games also took place on Wednesday 4th October.
In the Danke Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Shield Group A the Larne Grammar School U16 team played the Regent House School U16 team and won the game by 50-10.
This result ensures the Larne Grammar School U16 team has won the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Shield Group A.
In the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Shield Group B the Ballyclare High School U16 team played the Limavady Grammar School U16 team and recorded a 47-7 victory.
This result ensures the Ballyclare High School U16 team emerge as winners of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Shield Group B.
The final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ U16 Shield, featuring Larne Grammar School and Ballyclare High School, will take place at 2-30pm on Wednesday 18th October at the Belfast Royal Academy JC Picken Playing Fields at Roughfort.
In the same group, the Omagh Academy U16 team hosted the Dalriada School U16 team and won the game by 22-10.
On Saturday 7th October the 2023/24 Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup competition got underway when three games took place to establish the final entrants into the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Group Stage games to be played on/before October 21st, November 18th and December 9th.
Carrickfergus Grammar School played Antrim Grammar School and had to work hard before recording a well-deserved 14-5 victory.
The Antrim Grammar School team took an early 5-0 lead when their prop, Eoin Byrne, burst through to touch down for an unconverted try.
The Carrickfergus Grammar School team regrouped and, following a number of periods of pressure in the Antrim Grammar School half, they forced the Antrim team into conceding a number of penalties. Ellis Branagh converted two of the penalty opportunities to see his team into a 6-5 lead at the break.
Following good work from Jacob Craig, early in the second half, Joshua Oluwatula burst through the Antrim Grammar School defence to touch down for an unconverted try to give his Carrickfergus Grammar School team an 11-5 lead.
One further penalty from Ellis Branagh secured the 14-5 victory for an elated Carrickfergus Grammar School team.
This result means that the Carrickfergus Grammar School team will enter Group E of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup and will play Group Stage games against Banbridge Academy on October 21st, Limavady Grammar School on November 18th and Ballyclare High School on December 9th.
Antrim Grammar School will now enter the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy competition in January.
Lurgan College played Strabane Academy in a very closely contested game from which the Lurgan College team emerged at 19-17 winners.
The Lurgan College team took a 5-0 lead when Sam McCullough touched down for an unconverted try.
The Strabane Academy team replied immediately with an unconverted try from Nathan Russell to draw the scores level at 5-5.
A Daniel Wilson try, converted by Ben Maxwell, then took the Lurgan College team into a 12-5 lead at the break.
A second Nathan Russell unconverted try, early in the second half, saw the Strabane Academy team reduce their arrears to 12-10.
The game was being played end to end and the Lurgan College team extended their lead to 19-10 when Tom Stevenson crashed over for a try, which was converted by Ben Maxwell.
The spirited Strabane Academy team got some reward for their considerable endeavours when Felix Foley outstripped the home defence before touching down for the try. Johnny Orr added the extras to see the final score reading Lurgan College 19 Strabane Academy 17.
This result means that the Lurgan College team will enter Group A of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup and will play Group Stage games against Enniskillen Royal Grammar School on October 21st, Omagh Academy on November 18th and Royal School, Armagh on December 9th.
Strabane Academy will now enter the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy competition in January.
Wellington College, Belfast hosted Grosvenor Grammar School in a game which ended with the Grosvenor Grammar School team recording a 41-0 victory against a very spirited Wellington College, Belfast team.
Despite the scoreline, the young and inexperienced Wellington College team had some impressive performances throughout the game from players such as Max Downing, Luke McCauley, Finn Ritchie, John Valeixo, Jake Hoyle and Krys Martna.
The Grosvenor Grammar School points came through a hattrick of tries from “Man of the Match” Steffan Buick, a brace of tries from Matthew Meredith and individual tries from Shea Taggart and Ross Miller. Ross was also successful with three of his conversion kicks.
This result means that the Grosvenor Grammar School team will enter Group C of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup and will play Group Stage games against Foyle and Londonderry College on October 21st, Rainey Endowed School School on November 18th and Belfast Royal Academy on December 9th.
Wellington College, Belfast will now enter the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy competition in January.
As well as the three Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup games, quite a few 1stxv friendly games, as well as one Memorial Cup game, were played on Saturday 7th October.
At 1stxv level Belfast High School was scheduled to have played Ballyclare High School but the game has been postponed until Wednesday 11th October.
Belfast Royal Academy played a Wallace High School that was returning to action following their recent training camp in Sale.
The Wallace High School team won the game by 36-3 against a very determined Belfast Royal Academy team for whom Frank Davis kicked one penalty.
The Wallace High School team scored five tries with Carter Thompson, Matthew Dickson, Quinn Armstrong, Alex Stevenson and Callum Johns touching down for one try apiece. Lewis Stevenson was successful with one penalty kick as well as four conversion kicks.
Cambridge House Grammar School played a Royal Belfast Academical Institution “Senior Select” xv and won the closely contested game by 24-19.
The Cambridge House points came through two tries from Scott Steele, one try each from Justin Mark and Josh Dobbin, who was also successful with two conversion kicks.
Among the Royal Belfast Academical Institution players who impressed in the course of this game were Luke Nelson, Jacob Boal and Jonah Park.
Campbell College, Belfast hosted Regent House School and got back to winning ways with a comfortable 26-10 victory.
The Campbell College team scored four tries through Rian Davis, Ollie Park, Jed Dornan and Scott Gray. Henry Ralston added three successful conversions.
The Regent House School points came through one try from Daniel Moore and one penalty, as well as one conversion, from Evan McGonigle.
Dalriada School, entertained another Royal Belfast Academical Institution “Senior Select” xv in a game the Royal Belfast Academical Institution team won by 33-17.
Among the players who impressed on the Royal Belfast Academical Institution team were Jamie Beattie alongside their hard-working backrow trio of Lorcan Donnelly, Luke Beattie and Scott McElhinney.
The Dalriada School team scored two tries through Jack McAuley and the impressive Luke Stewart. Gabriel Stubbs-Carton added one conversion with Paddy Cramsie adding one conversion as well as one penalty.
Down High School played Larne Grammar School and won the high scoring game by 36-26.
Alex Watson scored a hattrick of tries with Ryan Connolly scoring two tries for the Down High School team. Ben Cassidy added the extras to four of the tries as well as kicking one successful penalty.
Larne Grammar School, with players such as Aaron Johnston and Charlie Patterson to the fore, scored four tries through Ryan McDowell, with a brace, Ethan Anderson and Charlie Wilson. Ethan Duncan was successful with three of his conversion kicks.
Limavady Grammar School hosted Coleraine Grammar School and finished off this extremely close encounter with a hard-earned 13-12 victory.
James Mackey scored the Limavady Grammar School try with the talented James Laird weighing in with one conversion as well as two penalties.
The Coleraine Grammar School team, with the talented Clark Logan impressing with his performance at scrum half, scored two tries, Clark scored one try with Archie McClenaghan touching down for the second try. Clark was also successful with one conversion kick.
Methodist College, Belfast hosted Ballymena Academy in their annual Young Memorial Cup game and had to work hard before emerging from the game as 24-19 winners.
Tyrese Abolarin, who impressed with his performance in both the 2nd and back rows, touched down for two Methodist College tries with Oliver Neill and Rudy Jordan running in for one try apiece. Techin McGarvey and Jack Tindal each added one successful conversion.
The Ballymena Academy team was intent in attacking at every opportunity with the ball in hand. They scored three tries and, but for a few handling errors in the Methodist College “Red Zone”, might have had a few more. Callum Mustoe, James McIlroy and Ben Neely scored one try apiece with Robbie Coleman and Reuben Allen each kicking one successful conversion.
Following the game, Mrs Jenny Lendrum, Principal of Methodist College, Belfast, congratulated both teams on their performances before presenting the Young Memorial Cup to team captain, Oliver Neill, who impressed during the game with his performance in the Methodist College backrow alongside Scott Harrower and Tyrese Abolarin.
Rainey Endowed School played Enniskillen Royal Grammar School and maintained their recent run of good form with a 14-5 victory.
The Rainey Endowed School team scored two tries through James Cappell and Charlie McConville with Owen O’Kane adding the extras to both.
Jamie Morrow touched down for an unconverted try for the Enniskillen Royal Grammar School team.
Royal School, Dungannon played Omagh Academy and recorded a relatively comfortable 22-0 victory.
An unconverted first half try from Nathan Hamilton gave the Royal School, Dungannon team a 5-0 lead at the interval,
The RS Dungannon team took greater control of both territory and possession in the course of the second half. A second unconverted try from Nathan Hamilton and a brace of tries from Ben Hazlett, one of which was converted by James Gibson, secured the 22-0 victory for the Royal School, Dungannon team at the no side whistle.
Sullivan Upper School and Bangor Grammar School played a game in Holywood which the Sullivan Upper School team won by 35-0.
The Sullivan Upper School team impressed with their attacking style of play. Winger, Max Readman, scored two tries, with hooker, Joss Davidson, outhalf, Hamish Johnston and centre, Harry McKeown, each touching down for one try. Hamish capped a fine morning’s display when he was successful with all five of his conversion kicks.
