Despite the fact that all schools are enjoying their half term break there are still a number of games involving schools in Ulster scheduled for Saturday 30th October.
The Royal Belfast Academical Institution team stole the headlines last weekend with their 23-18 win against their Belfast rivals, Methodist College. The Belfast Inst team will head down the motorway on Saturday 30th to face a RS Armagh team that has started the season strongly. Both teams lost players last Saturday to Ireland Age Grade Screening camps and both teams will be hoping to be at full strength for this encounter. RS Armagh will have Stuart Hooks, a regular try scorer in the past two seasons, back in the fold for this game. He forms a dynamic duo in the RS Armagh back row with Neil Faloon and both players will want to have a positive input to the outcome of this game. They will look to players such as Timmy McNeice, Robbie Magowan, Peter Eves and Matthew Clarke to assist them in this challenging encounter.
The Royal Belfast Academical Institution team will have Michael Kilpatrick back for the visit to Armagh. Players such as Zach Welshman, Kevin McLean, Nathan Dougan, Michael Mairs and Paddy Bell have been central to the success that their team has experienced so far this season. They will travel to Armagh with a very positive frame of mind. Having defeated a Methody team last week, the Belfast Inst team will see themselves as favourites to defeat the RS Armagh team on Saturday.
Methodist College had five players missing from their line up against Belfast Inst due to injury as well as the Ireland Age Grade camps in Dublin. They will hope to have Ryan Martin, Gareth Gracey, Mark Gribben, Rory Winters and James Harrison back in action for their trip to Cashel, Co Tipperary where they will play against Rockwell College. This has been a long standing fixture for both schools and one which is eagerly anticipated by the players and coaches involved. The Rockwell team has had a mixed season so far in terms of results. The Rockwell team will look to the Munster representative experience of players such as Stephen Maguire and Shaun Horgan to stem the flow of the Methodist College attacking tide.
Campbell College will hope to have players such as Charles Gallagher and Rory Scholes back from injury as they prepare to play a strong Oakham School team. The Campbell team will hope that John Creighton and Chris Farrell can replicate the positive performances they put in at the Ireland Schools’ Screening camp as their team looks for a victory against the talented Oakham team.
Banbridge Academy had been winning games until recently. They are a talented side who can make life difficult for any opposition team. Players such as Tom Jess, Andrew McConnell, Chris Craig and Michael Runciman have impressed with their performances this season. They will need to impress once again on Saturday when they host a well organised King’s Hospital team from Dublin on Saturday. The King’s Hospital team has a hard working squad from which to select. Players such as Luke Satchwell and Brian Du Toit bring Leinster Schools’ representative experience to their team. They will provide a severe test of the Banbridge Academy credentials in this game.
Rainey Endowed School will hope to have the services of the experienced Luke Steele and Damian McMurray available for the visit of Cambridge House on Saturday. The Rainey team defeated Omagh Academy last Saturday and had to rely on the services of Jamie Burrows and Martin Connolly to see them safely through that tricky encounter. These players got great support from emerging talent such as Aaron Murphy and Michael Dawson during that game. They will hope for more of the same when they entertain a Cambridge House team that cannot still quite believe they did not defeat Dalriada last Saturday. Timmy Small, Matthew Harkness, Jonny Simpson, Jordan Robinson and Kieran Bowes all impressed with their work rate against Dalriada. If they can produce the same on Saturday, they could expect to get a win in Magherafelt!
The Regent House team has found wins hard to come by in recent games. They have played some attractive rugby but have come up short when it comes to scoring points. They have talented players available to them including Stephen Colwell and Nathan Burns. They will see the visit of Limavady Grammar School on Saturday as an opportunity to get back to winning ways but the Newtownards boys would be foolish to underestimate the visitors. The Limavady team had a big win against the touring Scarborough College team in their last game. Players such as Ryan McColl, Conor Crampsie, Nathan Barr, Simon Olphert and Stuart Hull bring attacking prowess to the Limavady team. If the Limavady team can get sufficient quality possession against Regent House on Saturday, there could be a shock result on the cards!
All games are scheduled to kick off at 10-30am but supporters should check arrangements with the schools before setting out for the games. Supporters will me made welcome at all these games.
