There was one Northern Bank Ulster Schools’ midweek fixture played when Campbell College hosted Bangor Grammar School at Fox’s Field. The Campbell College team played an exciting and expansive brand of rugby and won the game by a convincing margin. Rob Haldane, the Ulster U19 Captain, played at out half and had a great influence on the game. He scored tries, converted tries and created the try scoring opportunities for many of his team mates with astute decision making throughout the game.
An understrength Royal Belfast Academical Institution team hosted Methodist College at Osbourne Park on Saturday 20th October.
The home team took a 3-0 lead, after just three minutes of the game, when Nathan Browne converted a penalty opportunity from just outside his 22m line. Seven minutes later Adam Liddell scored a converted try for the Methody team to put them into a 7-3 lead. This was increased to 10-3 a short time later when the Methody team converted a penalty following a ruck infringement by the Belfast Inst team. Methody No 8, James Gallagher then scored a converted try midway through the first half to increase the Methody lead to 17-3. The Belfast Inst team responded positively and dominated the remainder of the first half. Their positive approach led to tries from the impressive Josh Atkinson and his backrow colleague, Andrew McGrath. Nathan Browne converted both to see the teams draw level at 17-17 at half time.
Ten minutes after the restart the Methody team regained the lead when James Gallagher, following a series of driven mauls, touched down for an unconverted try to take the score to 22-17. This was increased to 25-17 a few minutes later when the Methody team converted a penalty. With just tem minutes remaining Nathan Browne converted a penalty for the Belfast Inst team to reduce the arrears to 25-20. With just five minutes remaining Rudolph Benade took advantage of good work from his forwards and backs to run in for an unconverted try and secure a 30-20 victory for the Methodist College team.
Banbridge Academy hosted a Coleraine Academical Institution team that has been struggling for success in the early part of the season.
However, a much improved performance by the Coleraine team ensured they were able to record a hard earned victory. Banbridge Academy took an early 3-0 lead when Aaron Kennedy converted a penalty. This became 3-3 when Conor Shiels converted a penalty for his Coleraine AI team. The Banbridge team regained the lead when Aaron Kennedy was successful with another penalty attempt to see his team into a 6-3 interval lead.
This became 9-3 early in the second half when Aaron Kennedy was successful with his 3rd penalty of the game. The Coleraine AI team responded with a Peter Kidd try which was converted to take a 10-9 lead. Banbridge Academy then regained the lead when Aaron Kennedy was successful with another penalty to put his team 12-10 ahead with just ten minutes remaining. Just when the Banbridge team thought they were going to hang on for a famous victory Peter Kidd ran in for his second try of the game which ensured the Coleraine AI team recorded a 15-12 victory against a very determined Banbridge Academy team.
Grosvenor Grammar School dominated proceedings against Carrickfergus Grammar School and took a 34-0 half time lead.
Billy Gibson and Steven Marshall scored tries early in the game, one of which Stewart Baillie converted, to see his team into a 12-0 lead. The Carrickfergus team responded positively but the Grosvenor defence was well-organised and the Grosvenor line remained intact. Matthew Allen, Steven Marshall and Steven Kirk, with two, scored further Grosvenor tries. Stewart Baillie converted one to see the Grosvenor team into a secure 34-0 lead at the interval.
Second half tries from James McCaughey and a third from Steven Kirk, which was converted by Stewart Baillie ensured a comprehensive 46-0 win for the Grosvenor Grammar School team. This win will put the Grosvenor GS team into good form as they head to Scotland where they will play Dollar Academy and Loretto College.
Foyle and Londonderry College played Portora Royal School at the Springtown venue and played well enough to reverse an early season loss to the Portora team.
The Portora team took a 5-0 lead with an unconverted try from John Clarke. The Foyle and Londonderry College team responded positively at attacked the Portora Royal School defence at every opportunity. They ran in four unconverted tries in the course of the first half with Ryan Curry, James Perry, David Lapsley and Louis Fields ensuring the Foyle team took a 20-5 lead into the interval.
Foyle and Londonderry College extended this lead to 27-5 early in the second half when Louis Fields scored his second try of the game. Kyle Henderson added the extras with a successful conversion. The Portora RS team reduced the arrears to 27-12 when they scored a converted try. Kyle Henderson secured the win for the Foyle and Londonderry College team when he converted a penalty opportunity to see his team record a 30-12 win.
Ballyclare High School met a Wallace High School team that was short of quite a number of front line players who were unavailable due to injury.
The Ballyclare High School team started well with an early try from Eddie McKee. Jack Irvine converted the try to give his team a 7-0 lead. The Ballyclare team kept pressurising the Wallace High School defence and got rewarded for their endeavours when Michael Kirk scored an unconverted try in the corner to give his team a 12-0 lead. This became 19-0 just before the interval when Reuben Heyburn was assisted by his pack to score a try. Jack Irvine added the conversion to see his team into a secure 19-0 interval lead.
The Wallace High School team started the second half strongly and reduced the arrears to 19-3 when they converted a penalty. Midway through the second half, Ballyclare High School captain and Ulster U19 player, Jonny Darling, scored a try following a strong run from the base of a scrum. The try was not converted but the Ballyclare team had a 24-3 lead. Jack Irvine was successful with a penalty attempt to increase that lead to 27-3. With the last play of the game Jordan Grattan scored an unconverted try for the Wallace High School team to leave the final score reading 27-8 in favour of the Ballyclare High School team. A special guest at the game was Tommy Young, a former Head of Physical Education and Movement Studies at Ballyclare High School. After the game,Tommy presented the Man of the Match award to the Ballyclare High School captain, Jonny Darling.
Down High School made the long journey to Ballymena for a fixture that has been closely contested in recent seasons.
Saturday proved to be no different, with the away team proving to be well-drilled and organised unit. The first half was non-eventful in terms of points, with neither side able to establish dominance of territory or possession. Ballymena looked more likely to score a try, but the Down High defence was solid. Indeed, the away team could have taken a lead into the interval but narrowly missed a couple of penalty attempts.
The game opened up in the second half and Down High opened the scoring with a successful Patrick Wright three-pointer from just inside the Ballymena half to give his team a 3-0 lead. This seemed to inspire the home team to raise their game and they replied with a try when their captain, Chris Blackwell, ran a great line to touch down below the posts. Andrew Magrath added the extras and, was again successful moments later, when he converted a try by Josh McIlroy, following a decisive break by Duncan Maguire, to put the Ballymena Academy team into a 14-3 lead. At 14-3, with the game moving into the final minutes, Andrew Magrath slotted his first penalty of the morning to increase Ballymena’s lead to 17- 3. However, it was the away team who had the final say of the morning when their full back, Ryan Smyth, successfully gathered a well-placed cross kick to score an unconverted try in the corner and leave the final score reading 17-8 to Ballymena Academy.
Sullivan Upper travelled to play Portadown College hoping to extend their winning run and they ran up against a very dogged Portadown side on a pitch that seemed to inhibit the free flowing rugby both teams enjoy playing.
Sullivan went into a 12-9 half time lead with one try each from Zack Burkenshaw and David McMaster as well as a conversion from Mark Adair. The Portadown College team had Niall Davidson to thank for their points in the first half with his accurate kicking converting three penalty opportunities.
In the second half the Sullivan Upper dominance grew with their impressive scrum half, Charlie Burrows, causing problems for the Portadown College defence. Three further tries from Angus McCartney, Peter Cooper and Ross Todd as well as one successful conversion from Mark Adair kept the scoreboard ticking over. The Portadown College team asked questions of the Sullivan Upper defence in the second half but the Holywood boys were well-organised and in no mood to allow tries to be scored against them. For all their hard work, the Portadown team could only record a fourth penalty from Niall Davidson to leave the final score reading 29-12 in favour of the Sullivan Upper team.
Omagh Academy put on a very spirited performance against the Royal School, Armagh team when the teams met at the Campsie Playing Fields.
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The two teams were evenly matched in the first half and the home team came close to scoring on a number of occasions only to be thwarted by sound RS Armagh defence. The RS Armagh team eventually broke the deadlock when Daniel Ewart went over for a try which Alistair Wright converted to see his team into a 7-0 lead. The Omagh Academy team responded in a very positive manner and scored an excellent try when an Adam Beattie chip kick was gathered by Dean Henderson who ran in for a try. James Catterson converted the try to see the scoreboard read 7-7. On the stroke of half time the RS Armagh team regained the lead when Michael Thompson touched down for a try which Alistair Wright converted to give the visitors a 14-7 interval lead.
Omagh Academy started the second half strongly and reduced the arrears to 14-10 when James Catterson successfully converted a penalty opportunity. The home team kept pressing for further tries but was unable the break down a resolute RS Armagh defence. In the final stages of the game the RS Armagh team ran in two tries. Man of the Match, James Johnston, touched down for one while John McDonagh scored the second. Alistair Wright converted both tries, and kicked one penalty, to ensure a hard earned 31-10 win for the RS Armagh team.
The recent good run of results for the Friends’ School team came to an abrupt halt when the Lisburn team lost by 51-0 to a very well organised Belfast High School team.
Antrim Grammar School recorded an impressive 23-0 win against Larne Grammar School.
Despite the best efforts of Larne players such as Callum McKay and Rory McDowell, it was the Antrim Grammar School pack that laid the foundations for this win.
Rainey Endowed School and Limavady Grammar School should have met in Magherafelt but the game has been postponed until Wednesday 24th October.
On the same afternoon, RS Dungannon will host Belfast Royal Academy in a fixture postponed on Saturday 20th October.
