There were very few games Ulster Schools’ games played on Saturday 3rd November due to the half term holiday break.
Portadown College hosted Wallace High School with both teams able to give extended squad members a run out due to a number of regular players being unavailable because of injury. Wallace started strong retaining ball and quickly imposing their patterns on the game. However, the organised Portadown College defence held firm and thwarted the early Wallace High School attacks. Wallace eventually broke through for Cal McIlwaine to run in for a try which was converted by Ryan Moore to give his team a 7-0 lead. Portadown College railed around and were rewarded with a straight forward penalty which was converted by Niall Davidson to reduce the arrears to 7-3. Against the run of play, and with his team defending their line, the Portadown College right winger, Jack Orr, intercepted a pass which seemed certain to lead to a Wallace try. Jack ran the length of the pitch to score a try which was converted by Niall Davidson to put the home team into a 10-7 lead at half time.
Further Wallace pressure saw them begin to dominate further in the second half and they scored tries through Jacob Stockdale, Conor Guiney and Max Trouton who touched down twice. Ryan Moore added three conversions to put his team into a 33-10 lead. The Portadown College team scored their second intercept try of the game when Niall Davidson secured a loose Wallace High School pass to run in for a try. Niall converted his try to leave the final score reading 33-17 at the end of the game.
Royal School, Armagh played Sullivan Upper in an exciting, high scoring game. The Sullivan Upper team started well and scored two first half tries through Harry Harper and David McMaster. Mark Adair converted one of the tries to give his team a 12-0 lead. The Royal School, Armagh team responded with a try from their full back, Luke Crozier. Ali Wright converted the try, as well as a penalty, to leave the score reading 12-10 in favour of the visitors at half time.
The second half was another tight affair and Sullivan went into a 19-10 lead with a try from Angus McCartney which was converted by Mark Adair. Armagh responded with two unconverted tries from Matthew Hooks and Toby McAlpine to take a 20-19 lead with only a six minutes remaining. Sullivan came back strongly and, when their Northern Bank Ulster Schools hooker, Scott Finlay, scored a fine individual try which was converted by Mark Adair to give his team a 26-20 lead with three minutes remaining, it looked as if it was going to be a Sullivan Upper win. However, the RS Armagh team had other ideas. Darryl Morton, just back from the National U18 Schools’ Talent Camp at Clongowes Wood College, picked up from the base of a scrum to power over for a try. Ali Wright added the extras to give his team a 27-26 lead. Ali then had time to convert a penalty in the final few hectic seconds to secure a 30-26 win for his Royal School, Armagh team.
Coleraine Academical Institution hosted Foyle and Londonderry College in a game that saw some excellent rugby from both teams. The Coleraine AI team started the game strongly with most of the possession in the early stages of the match. They controlled the play and pinned the Foyle College side back into their half. However, with seven minutes gone and after an infringement at the ruck, the Foyle out-half, Kyle Henderson, used his big boot to put the away side into the Coleraine AI 22m area for the first time. A penalty infringement at the ruck gave Kyle the opportunity to convert the penalty and give his Foyle College team a 3-0 lead. This didn’t stop the home side from playing their rugby and, after sustained amounts of pressure in the opposition half, the ball came to Coleraine out-half, Conor Shiels. Conor drifted and dummied through the Foyle College line to score his first try of the season in the corner. The try was not converted but Coleraine AI now had a 5-3 lead. Shortly afterwards Conor ran in for his second unconverted try of the game to put his team into a 10-3 lead. Coleraine started to play better rugby and they took play deep into Foyle College territory. From a line-out Ryan Boyd carried the ball to within ten metres of the Foyle line. The ball was recycled quickly and Conor Shiels was able to dummy through the line once again to dot down beside the posts to wrap up a first half hat-trick for the Coleraine Inst outside half. Conor converted his try to give his Coleraine AI a 17-3 lead. In the dying stages of the half, Foyle were presented with an opportunity with a scrum outside the Coleraine AI 22m area, after a knock-on in contact. Following a number of phases, the Folye College team attacked on the blind side to score their first try of the game through Patrick Leeson. Kyle Henderson added the conversion to leave the half time score reading 17-10 in favour of the Coleraine AI team.
The second half saw the Coleraine AI team dominate proceedings and they ran in five unanswered tries. Thomas Pethick took advantage of poor Foyle College defence to run in for an unconverted try and give his team a 22-10 lead. Peter Kidd instigated and finished off the next try which Conor Shiels converted to put his team into a 29-10 lead. Joel Stanbridge took advantage of good work from Jonny Crowe to run in for a try. Conor Shiels converted the try to increase the Coleraine AI lead to 36-10. Joel Stanbridge scored another try for the Coleraine AI team when Peter Kidd and Mark Gordon combined to provide him with the opportunity. Conor Shiels was successful with the conversion to see the Coleraine AI team take a 43-10 lead. Joel Stanbridge completed his hat trick with another fine try. Conor Shiels added the conversion to see the Coleraine AI team emerge from the game with a 50-10 win.
Campbell College went for a short tour to England where they played the famous Oakham College team. Despite being down by 23-3 at stage of the game the Campbell College team emerged as 32-32 winners. Rob Haldane, Josh Fullerton and Jack Owens were among a number of impressive Campbell College players against Oakham.
