Total Est attendance 1200+
Game: Schools’ Cup Ulster Quarter-Final
Players: Conor Shiels & Joel stanbridge
In a top flight schools’ game to decide a semi final place in the Ulster Rugby Schools’ Cup (29 players on the current Ulster Rugby squad played in the schools’ cup) Conor & Joel comment post game, below the interview is the official match report
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Coleraine Academical Institution had to work hard before they emerged as 10-9 winners against Ballyclare High School when the teams met in the Quarter-Final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup at the Castlerock Road venue.
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The Ballyclare High School team had the wind advantage in the first half and controlled the game in the opening quarter. Matthew McDowell was successful with a penalty kick to give his Ballyclare High School team a deserved 3-0 lead. From the restart Coleraine put in a sustained effort which proved difficult for the Ballyclare side to compete with. Multiple powerful runs from Coleraine AI forwards drew in the Ballyclare defence which allowed the Coleraine back three of Jake Scott, Brad Dempster and Johnny Crowe the opportunity to make good ground. This enabled the Coleraine AI side to play with the ball on the front foot and apply pressure to the Ballyclare defence for the first time in the game. Some great handling from the home back line resulted in number eight, Joel Stanbridge, making hard yards. He drew the last Ballyclare defender to great effect and passed to Mark Gordon who ran in to touch down for an unconverted try to give his Colerane AI team a 5-3 lead. The Ballyclare HS team captain, Matthew Brolly, asked his team for an all-out effort and they certainly did not disappoint. Ross Heyburn, Ross Johnston, their try scoring hero of the previous round, Ryan McIlwaine, young No 8, Jack Magee and James Beattie all asked questions of the Coleraine AI defence at this stage of the game. Mathew McDowell was successful with his second penalty of the game to give the Ballyclare HS team a 6-5 lead. More Ballyclare HS pressure resulted in another Coleraine AI offence at the breakdown. Mathew McDowell was successful with his third penalty kick to see his team into a 9-5 lead at the break.
With the half time team talk ringing in their ears a different Coleraine side entered the second half. Now playing the game with greater intensity and at a much higher level Coleraine AI began to exert their dominance on their opponents. A great run from the Coleraine captain, Conor Shiels, in which he was stopped only a matter of feet from the Ballyclare line, led to a powerful carry from the supporting Coleraine AI prop Andy Moore. Andy took a number of Ballyclare High School players with him as he touched the ball down for an unconverted try to put his team into a 10-9 lead. Ballyclare High School recovered from this set back and laid siege on the Coleraine AI line. However, some great defending followed from Coleraine AI, with the pick of the tackling coming from Mark Gordon, who played outstandingly well with a “Man of the Match” performance. This prevented Ballyclare from regaining a foothold in the game. With only a matter of seconds remaining the home team was awarded a penalty kick. The kick was missed but it was irrelevant as the Coleraine AI team had done enough to record a hard earned 10-9 victory at the end of this tense Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Quarter-Final game.
