The Ulster U20 team travelled to Galway to play Connacht U20’s in the second of the U20 Inter Provincial games. Despite losing by one point against the Munster U20 team in their first outing, hopes were high that the team might get their campaign underway with a positive performance at the Sportsground. Alas, it was not to be! The Ulster team did take a 3-0 lead when Andrew Magrath struck a penalty with just five minutes on the clock. Following this, with the prevailing weather conditions impacting on both teams, the Ulster team displayed an unerring ability to give away penalties at critical times and in critical areas of the pitch. The Connacht team drew level at 3-3 when Simon Keller converted a penalty opportunity midway through the first period of play. Further Ulster ill-discipline presented Simon with another kickable penalty opportunity just before the interval. He was successful with his kick to send the Connacht U20 team into a 6-3 lead at the break.
The Ulster team came out strongly at the start of the second half and set about taking the game to Connacht. They controlled all aspects of the game in the early stages of the second half but could not find any way through a resolute Connacht defence. Seven minutes into the second half the Ulster team lost possession in the opposition half and the Connacht team broke out of defence. Their impressive full back, Tim Carroll, caused problems with his direct lines of running and when he was tackled a clever off- load to his winger ended with Michael Boland touching down for a try. Simon Keller added the extras to increase the Connacht lead to 13-3. The Connacht team then took control of the game and, midway through the second half, they launched an attack from a 5m scrum. Tim Carroll caused more problems for the Ulster defence and he scored an unconverted try to increase the Connacht lead to 18-3. The early part of the final quarter of the game saw the Ulster team play to something like their undoubted potential and the got some reward for their endeavours when the pack took advantage of a Connacht prop being sent to the “bin” A well organised driven maul ended with team captain, Adam McBurney, touching down for an unconverted try to reduce the deficit to 18-8 with seven minutes remaining. However, the Ulster team was unable to build on this and it was the Connacht team that now took control for the remainder of the game. Two minutes later Simon Keller struck another penalty to increase the Connacht lead to 21-8. The Connacht team then put the result to rest when their hard working second row forward, Cillian Gallagher, scored a try, which Simon Keller converted, to leave the Connacht U20 team as deserved 28-8 winners at the end of this game.
The Ulster U19 met their Connacht counterparts at the Sportsground venue on Saturday 12th September. The Ulster team was disappointed with their narrow loss against Munster in their previous outing and set out to get some reward from this game. Captained by the impressive Marcus Rea from Ballymena Academy, the Ulster team wanted to set their stall out early. They did so and went on to record an impressive 45-18 win. Nine minutes into the game the Portora Royal School winger, Robert Balacoune, scored his first of four tries when he ran out from his own half to outpace the Connacht defence and touch down for the try. Paul Kerr added the conversion to put the Ulster team into a 7-0 lead. Seven minutes later, the Ulster pack took a scrum ball against the head. The dynamic back row trio of Marcus Rea, Zach Jordan and Jonny McKeown combined to send Jonny over the line for a try. Paul Kerr converted to put the Ulster team into a 14-0 lead. The spirited Connacht team responded immediately and caught Ulster unawares at the restart. The visitors were penalised and the Connacht outhalf, Luke Carty, stepped up to convert the resultant penalty and reduce the deficit to 14-3. Connacht lifted their game and started to ask questions of the Ulster defence. The Ulster defence, with the midfield trio of Paul Kerr, Josh Jordan and Calum McLaughlin getting through a lot of work, successfully withheld the waves of Connacht attacks. Indeed, it was the Ulster that got the next score when Robert Balacoune finished off a flowing move with his second try of the game. The conversion kick was unsuccessful but the Ulster team now had a 19-3 lead after twenty eight minutes. The Connacht team converted another penalty kick through Luke Carty to reduce the arrears to 19-6 but the Ulster team finished the half strongly when Andy McGregor finished a well worked counter attack with a try. Paul Kerr converted the try to give the Ulster team a deserved 26-6 lead at the interval.
The Ulster team started the second half in an impressive manner. They went on the attack and Robert Balacoune completed his “hat trick” of tries when he finished off a flowing attack, again from his own half. The conversion kick was unsuccessful but the Ulster lead was now 31-6 with just two minutes of the second half gone. The Connacht team was not going to sit back and got reward for their endeavours when the hard working Luke Carty ran in for an unconverted try to bring the scoreline to 31-11 seven minutes into the second period of play. Two minutes later the Ulster team scored another try when Josh Jordan crossed the Connacht line following a good interchange of play involving both forwards and backs. Paul Kerr added the extras to increase the Ulster lead to 38-11. Shortly after this Robert Balacoune scored his fourth try of the game, which Paul Kerr converted, to increase the Ulster lead to 45-11. For the next ten minutes the Connacht team took control of the game but got no change of an Ulster defence that worked hard to keep their line intact. The final quarter of the game saw both teams attempting to gain control of the ball but mistakes from both teams impacted on the game. With the last play of the game the Connacht team scored a try through Colm De Buitler which Luke Carty converted. This ensured it was the Ulster team that celebrated at the final whistle with a deserved 45-18 victory under their belts.
Meanwhile Belfast Harlequin’s RFC was the setting for the Schools’ Interprovincial game between the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ team and Leinster Schools. Having beaten Munster Schools last week, Leinster were looking for a victory which would give them the Championship title in this truncated tournament, with Connacht Schools withdrawing. The Leinster team won this closely contested game by 12-9 but not before the Ulster team had really put them to the test. Leinster kicked off towards the pavilion end and the first action saw Ulster lock, Alastair Burke (Ballyclare HS), hit a great line and make good ground before the ball was moved wide to RS Armagh winger, Josh Agnew, who scorched up his wing to gain valuable ground for his team. Subsequent pressure saw a succession of penalties to Ulster who kicked to the corner and continued to press, only to be curtailed by an Ulster forward going off his feet resulting in a penalty to Leinster who were thankful to clear their lines. The referee’s whistle dominated the next phases of the game where the Ulster scrum was beginning to dominate. One mighty surge put the Leinster 8 back four or five metres, strangely not penalised by the referee. This relentless pressure eventually told when the Ulster centre, Callum Smith, opened Ulster’s account with a well-directed penalty to give his team a 3-0 lead. Both sides showed great enterprise after this and a great driving maul by Leinster was just held out. The scrummage continued to give problems and a visibly mystified Leinster loose head prop, Cathal Duff, was yellow carded on the half time whistle.
Sullivan Upper winger, Chris Jordan came on for Ulster and almost scored with his first touch as he just put a foot in touch as he went for the corner. The scrum continued to be a constant source of strength for Ulster and another Leinster collapse resulted in Callum Smith kicking another penalty to give Ulster a deserved 6-0 lead early in the second half. Leinster came back and a penalty for hands in the ruck allowed a kickable penalty to Leinster, but fly half Byrne elected to find the corner. This decision was vindicated when the Leinster pack carried captain, Caelan Doris, over for the first try of the afternoon. The subsequent conversion was good and the Leinster now had a 7-6 lead. To add salt to the wounds, Ulster hooker, Alexander Clarke was yellow carded for allegedly bringing down the maul. Ulster Centre, Calum Smith, missed a long range penalty but was successful minutes later with an easier effort to put his team into a 9-7 lead. Ulster held out well with fourteen men and, when Alexander Clarke returned, the scrum pressure told again on Leinster when they were free-kicked twice and then penalised in the scrum. This time tight head Eoghan Clarke was yellow carded. However, Leinster came back and were rewarded with an eminently kickable penalty but fly-half Byrne missed badly. They continued to attack and poor management by Ulster resulted in an overlap which Leinster lock and captain, Caelan Doris, exploited to go over for his second try. The conversion was missed and Ulster attacked to no avail until referee Ken Imbusch blew for full time.
This will undoubtedly be a major disappointment to the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ players who were unable to convert their pressure into points. Leinster become Interprovincial Champions and Ulster travel to Cork next Saturday for the second place play off against Munster.
The Ulster U18 team put on a very brave performance against their Leinster counterparts at Rainey RFC and were devastated when the Leinster team won a 31-28 thriller with a successful last minute penalty kick.
The Age Grade Inter Provincial games impacted greatly on a number of teams who played schoolboy friendly fixtures on Saturday 12th September. Chief among these was the Ballymena Academy team who played Wallace High School. With more than half their team unavailable due to the Schools and U19 Inter Pro games the Ballymena Academy team will have been delighted to defeat last season’s Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup finalists by 10-3. That “doyen” of Ulster Rugby referees, Mark Orr, added considerably to the game by astute use of the advantage laws and both sets of players expressed their appreciation of the referee’s performance after the game. The game which was watched by a large group of supporters, including the recently appointed Chairman of the IRFU Rugby Committee, former King’s Scholar’s RFC, Ulster and Ireland player, Ian McIlrath, was played at a high intensity by both teams.
In a tightly-contested game, Ballymena Academy started the stronger and were unlucky not to score in the opening five minutes. A line break from Ryan Malcolm created space for Alan Small but the covering Wallace defence stopped the Ballymena centre just short of the line. Following a period of sustained pressure scrum half, Conor Cosgrove, spotted a gap to touch down for the opening try of the morning. Bruce Houston added the extras to put the home team into a 7-0 lead. As the first half progressed, Wallace High began to dominate possession but the well-organised Ballymena defence was a match for the Wallace team’s aggressive running. Just before the half-time whistle, Ballymena could have increased their lead but a ‘double movement’ in the process of touching down denied Azur Allison the score.
In the second half, both teams continued to show a willingness to keep the ball in hand and this, along with the positive refereeing, allowed for long periods of entertaining rugby. Midway through the half, Ballymena were awarded a kickable penalty and Bruce Houston made no mistake to increase the home team’s lead to 10-0. Late in the game, Wallace replied with a penalty but Ballymena Academy finished strongly as the score remained 10-3 until the final whistle sounded.
