Royal Belfast Academical Institution earned a place in the Danske Bank Schools’ Cup Final after defeating Ballyclare High School 18-9 in their semi-final at Ravenhill on Monday.
The Royal Belfast Academical Institution team outscored their opponents by three tries to one with Iain Jones, Nathan Brown and Rory Bell all crossing the whitewash in response to three Jack Irvine penalties. CLICK HERE for 500+ Shots from the game
The game started at a frenetic pace with both teams wanting to spread the ball wide and offload at every opportunity. The majority of the first half was played in the middle third of the pitch but, despite Ballyclare High School enjoying most of the possession; it was RBAI who opened the scoring.
Left winger Rory Campbell collected his own Garryowen and produced a neat pass to inside centre Rory Bell, who, in turn, fed his right winger, Iain Jones. Iain set off leaving a trail of despairing Ballyclare High School in his wake and the speedster ran in from forty metres out to touch down for a try. Nathan Brown was unable to add the touchline conversion but the Belfast Inst team had a 5-0 lead, after just five minutes of the game and somewhat against the run of play.
Ballyclare High School responded well with captain, Jonny Darling, and prop, Paddy Reid, carrying strongly. This allowed their outhalf, Jack Irvine to orchestrate his attack very effectively. Indeed, Irvine almost created a try with a superb line break and pass to send fullback James Beattie down the touchline. James’s inside pass found James Greer, only for him to be ushered into touch five metres out Fraser Wright.
Jack Irvine did manage to register his side’s first points on the half hour mark when, after a mix up in getting a kicking tee onto the pitch for a penalty; he dropped a goal to reduce the arrears to 5-3. Jack was enjoying a purple patch at this stage causing great problems for the Belfast Inst defence. Another line break and another fine run should have put James McKee under the posts but the winger failed to hold the scoring pass. Despite the Ballyclare High School team enjoying the majority of territory and possession in the first half the teams turned around with the Belfast Inst team enjoying a narrow 5-3 lead at the break.
The Royal Belfast Academical Institution team started the second period well and scored another try five minutes after the break. Nathan Brown cut an excellent angle from a John McClure pass and sliced through the Ballyclare defence to touch down close to the touchline. Nathan was, once again, wide with his conversion attempt but his side now held a seven point advantage with the scoreline reading 10-3.
Jack Irvine and Nathan Brown traded penalties to take the score to 13-6 with just ten minutes left to play. The Ballyclare High School attack, with Jonny Darling, Paddy Reid and David Lawther featuring strongly, threw everything at the Belfast Inst defence. They got their reward with a third Jack Irvine penalty to take the score to 13-9 and to make it a four point game.
However, heroic defence from the entire Belfast Inst team as well as astute tactical kicking by outhalf, John McClure, kept the danger at bay and it was the Royal Belfast Academical Institution team Belfast that had the last say with a well-worked try from Rory Bell. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful but it was the Royal Belfast Academical Institution team that celebrated their hard earned 18-9 win at the final whistle and, with it, a place in the final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Final on Monday 18th March.
