Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Round 2 Previews Saturday 7th January 2017
There are seven Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Round 2 games scheduled for Saturday 7th January 2017.
Belfast High School will host Limavady Grammar School at their Shore Road base in a game the Belfast High School players will see as a real test of their Cup credentials. The Belfast High School players are coached by the experienced duo of Michael Rainey and David Scott. The coaching staff receives great assistance from Matthew Jess and have appointed their former pupil and former Ulster player, Mark McCrea, as their S&C coach. With the experience and expertise of the BHS coaching team coming to the fore there is no doubt the players will be well prepared in terms of good physical and mental condition for the challenges presented by this game. They have already recorded an early season victory against the Limavady Grammar School team which could give them the psychological edge in this game. The Belfast High School team captain, Simon White, who is also the team’s leading points scorer, will be hoping that players such as Scott McDowell and Ryan Gibson will be in a position to add to the impressive try scoring record they have achieved so far this season. The Limavady Grammar School team will need to be disciplined anywhere inside their own half as quite a few of Simon White’s points this season have come from his trusty boot converting penalty opportunities from anywhere inside the opposition half. In Cameron McKimm the Belfast High School team has a player attracting the interest of the Ulster Rugby Talent ID Department. The Belfast High School team has achieved a 50/50 success rate in terms of victories in the course of the current season. They will see their Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup 2nd Round game against Limavady Grammar School as an opportunity to improve upon that.
The Limavady Grammar School team is coached by Chris Nash and Brian Hughes and the squad has responded well to some of the innovative ideas being handed down to them by the coaching staff. Early season injuries have impacted upon the squad which has seen some twenty seven players were the 1stxv jersey so far this season. It is hoped there will be a full set of players from which to select the final twenty players for their Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2nd Round game at Belfast High School. Team captain, Rohan Mulligan, leads his team effectively and has been delighted to see the improvement shown by his squad in the course of the season so far. The squad has contained a mixture of youth and experience with the experienced Jim McCartney, a member of a well-known North West rugby family, being the leading point’s scorer so far this season. The leading try scorer for the Limavady Grammar School team has been Gurpatap Sandhu whose younger brother, Arshdeep, has been emerging as a player to be watched. David Brown, a Year 12 No 8, has gained valuable learning experiences having been involved with the Ulster Schools’ U17 squad earlier in the season. Another set of brothers, Lewis McKee, and his brother Christopher, have been key members of the Limavady Grammar School squad for the past two seasons. Lewis is also Head Boy of the Limavady Grammar School. He has proved to have been a valuable leader in the team with his performances against teams such as Dalriada and Enniskillen Royal Grammar School earlier in the season worthy of note.
This Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Round 2 game is scheduled to kick off at 11-00am.
Banbridge Academy will host their near neighbours from Dromore High School in a Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Round 2 game that is sure to fire the imagination of the Mid- Down Schools’ Rugby supporters on January 7th. The Banbridge Academy squad, coached by Brian Leslie, Roy Stevenson and Andrew Craig, has had a difficult season so far. Injuries to key players have not helped in terms of preparation for this local “derby” Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup 2nd Round game. However, the Banbridge Academy coaches have been phlegmatic in their approach and have used the circumstances to blood some younger players by giving them 1stxv experience. Despite not winning many of their games the team has managed to pick up a number of morale boosting victories in the lead up to their Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup campaign. Team captain, Toby Baxter, will be well aware of the pressures his team will be under when this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup fixture takes place. He will be relieved that quite a few of his injured colleagues should be available for selection for this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup game. Toby will look to his leading try scorers such as Chris Patterson and Robbie Mathers to take the lead in this game. He will receive great support from his fellow flanker, Jonny McIntosh, who has displayed impressive form all season. Chris Patterson and Ross Cartmill form an effective half back partnership with centre, Troy Pinion, another player to watch.
The Dromore High School team will create a little bit of history when they take to the pitch against Banbridge Academy in their Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup 2nd Round game on January 7th. The players will be the first set of pupils from Dromore High School to participate in the Ulster Schools’ Cup competition-the second oldest rugby competition in the world. Coached by Josh Pentland, who is assisted by the experienced Gareth Bronte, the Dromore High School team will set out to make the most of the experience. The team had a great start to the season but a couple of injuries to key players knocked their positive results back somewhat. However, the signs are that the injury situation will be cleared up in time for game at Banbridge. Team captain, Ben Martin, is an exciting player who leads his team with great aplomb. He is an outstanding place kicker who enjoys nothing more than to set off from his fullback position in an attempt to exploit any weaknesses in the opposition defences. As well as leading the Dromore High School School rugby team Ben is also Head Boy and captain of the 1st X1 soccer team. Ben Heath is another player who will need to be monitored by the opposition defence as his bullocking runs from his No 8 position have seen him lead the try scoring charts at Dromore High School. During the summer age grade season Ben played for the Ulster Club’s U18 team. Aaron Lyttle has had his talents recognised by his selection for the Ulster U17 team. Aaron will get plenty of advice from his brother, David, who won a Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Medal with the victorious Royal Belfast Academical Institution last season. Richard Dickson in the Dromore High School 2nd Row is another player attracting the interest of the Ulster Rugby Talent ID Department. The Dromore High School team will probably enter this competition as underdogs but they are coming from a rugby environment where many of the players have experienced success in other Ulster Rugby competitions.
This Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Round 2 game is scheduled to kick off at 10-30am.
Foyle and Londonderry College will host Regent House School in the 2nd Round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. It has been a difficult season for the Foyle College team with coaches, David Funston and Ian Orr, having to deal with a series of injuries stretching back to pre-season. The loss of their outstandingly influential young outhalf, Conal Gill, during a pre-season warm up, was a particularly severe blow. However, both David and Brian are hopeful that by the time the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup comes around they will have all of their players available for selection. Team captain, Thomas Cole, will look to the experience and try scoring ability of players such as Jake Quinnell, Matthew Alford and Killene Thornton to assist him in getting the Foyle and Londonderry College team over the line in this this game. Killene Thornton is the leading point’s scorer for his team this season. He is a very accurate place kicker who will be only too happy to exploit any Regent House ill-discipline. Keelan Coyle is another player whose impressive performances have been picked up by the Ulster Rugby Talent ID Department. His performance in this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup match could be vital to the final outcome of the game.
The Regent House School team, coached by Nick Gamble, who is assisted by the evergreen Mervyn Tweed and Matt Busby, has experienced a mixture of results in the course of the current season. Captained by Kyle Van Geisen, a young prop who experienced great success when he played for the Ireland U18 3 Nations team against France and the England Home Counties last March, the Regent House team has the ability to play some attractive rugby. Players such as Jack Smith, Robert Hull, Aaron Migan and Ethan Bradley have benefitted from the positive approach and have been amongst the leading try scorers on the Regent House School team this season. There are two sets of brothers on the team with Andy and Ewan McCracken and Josh and Matty McFarland adding greatly to the camaraderie within the squad. In Robbie Johnston the Regent House School team has an outstanding talent whose leadership and playing skills were recognised earlier in the season when he successfully captained the Ulster Schools’ U17 squad. He will provide great assistance to Kyle Van Geisen in the course of this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup 2nd Round game.
This Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Round 2 game is scheduled to kick off at 11-00am.
The Friends’ School, Lisburn team will be aware of the strength of the Antrim Grammar School team when the teams meet in the 2nd Round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. The Friends’ School team recorded a close early season victory against the Antrim Grammar School team but, since then, quite a few of the Friends’ School squad members have been side lined due to long term injuries. The Friends’ School coach, Stephen Robinson, who continues to receive assistance from the evergreen Norman Gamble and S&C input from the youthful Peter Weir, as well as technical direction from the experienced Hugh McCaughey, will be hoping that his injury worries will have somewhat reduced before making his final selections for this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup 2nd Round game. The Friends’ School captain, Adam Milligan, has led his team well this season. The team has achieved some notable results but the injury list has impacted upon some of their performances. Adam will look to players such as Ben McCaughey and Bradley Mulholland who have been the top try scorers, to continue with their try scoring exploits when it comes to Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup time. Ben has also been deadly accurate with his goal kicking duties throughout the current season. Curtis Dundas, as well as being Deputy Head Boy in the school, has represented Ireland on the successful U18 Seven-a-Side team while George Pringle played on the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ team in the Inter- Provincial series earlier in the season. Ross Stewart is a prop forward who has been involved with the Ulster RDS programme while the emerging talents of Henry Tolerton, Connor Hall, who is joined by his younger brother Alex on the team, and David Stewart are being closely monitored by the Ulster Rugby Talent ID Department. If all these frontline players are free from injury and available for selection the Friends’ School, Lisburn coaching staff will approach this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup 2nd Round game in a more positive frame of mind.
The Antrim Grammar School team should not be in any underestimated by the Friends’ School team. Robin McKenna, as team coach, can call upon the considerable experience of Mark Hermon and Michael Duncan to assist him with the preparation of this talented group of Antrim Grammar School players. Team captain, Dean McCrory, who is also a talented Go-Karting enthusiast, will have his players well revved up for this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup encounter. He has led his team to some impressive victories this season and will feel that with a little bit of luck they might have beaten the Friends’ School team earlier in the season. That game was played without the services of the experienced JJ McKee who was on Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ duty that day. Dean and JJ form an effective 2nd Row partnership and have been the leading try scorers for the Antrim Grammar School team. Winger, Niall Lawrence and flanker, Dylan McGreevy, have been among the try scorers as well and these players will have to be closely monitored by the Friends’ School defence. Dylan McGreevy and Dylan Woods have both impressed with their performances in the Antrim Grammar School back row this season. Callum Hull is an excellent place kicker and he forms an effective half back partnership with Ben McKnight. Callum has also been involved with the Ulster Schools’ U17 Regional Development Squad. Callum McComb is a young Year 12 player who seems equally at home playing in either the centre or on the wing. The Antrim Grammar School coaching staff will hope to have their prop forward, Jack Francis, fully recovered from an elbow injury sustained earlier in the season. A fully fit Antrim Grammar School team has the potential to cause problems for the Friends’ School, Lisburn team.
This Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Round 2 game is scheduled to kick off at 10-30am.
Portadown College will host Wellington College in the 2nd Round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. The Portadown College coaches, Andrew Symington and Paul Heasley, feel they have a useful blend of both youth and experience at their disposal with seven Year 12 players, six Year 13 players and ten Year 14 players involved in the squad. Their results this season are sitting 50/50 in terms of wins and the Portadown College camp would see this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup game as one which is eminently winnable. Stewart Hodgen is an effective captain who leads from the front. He is an excellent No 8 who forms an effective back row trio with Jordan Taylor and Scott McDowell. Stewart is one of twelve Portadown College players who have experience of playing in previous Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup campaigns. Matthew Neill has been in excellent goal kicking form throughout the season and he will be keen to add to his growing reputation in the course of this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup game given the opportunity to do so. Centre, Dylan Nelson and winger, Christopher Thornberry, have been among the leading try scorers for the Portadown College team this season as has 2nd Row forward, Alistair Gilpin. Brothers, Drew and Brett Flack, have impressed with their attacking prowess in the course of the season so far. There are successful Ulster Schools’ Cup genes in the Flack brothers as Dad, Ian, was a member of the all-conquering Grosvenor (High) Grammar School team that won the Ulster Schools’ Cup in 1983. Drew and Brett will be looking for opportunities to add to their growing reputation in the course of this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup 2nd Round game against Wellington College.
The Wellington College team has experienced more than it’s far share of ups and downs in the course of the current season. The team, coached by Peter Chambers, a former Ulster Schools’ Cup winner with Regent House, who is assisted by the experienced Latimer Adair and Gareth Montgomery, has recorded some excellent victories, two of which came in the course of their half term tour to Portugal. The team is captained by their hard working No 8, Aaron Nelson, who is assisted by Owen Martin and Calum Stewart in a very effective Wellington College backrow . He has other experienced forwards such as James Blanchflower, Jacob Thomas and James Milligan in the frontrow with Niall McGrath and Matthew Long in the second row to call upon. Players such as Adam McCluskey, Eoghan White and Marcus Smyth call the shots in the Wellington College back division. Eoghan White is a very accurate goal kicker who forms a great centre partnership with Thomas Lorimer. Their leading try scorer, Marcus Smyth, always seems to threaten from his full back position any time he gets the ball in hand and he receives great support from his back three colleagues, Jack Diver and Lewis Moore. Half backs, Adam McCluskey and team vice- captain, Luke Harris, like to keep the Wellington College pack on the front foot while trying to ensure their high scoring outside backs see as much quality possession as possible.
This Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Round 2 game is scheduled to kick off at 10-30am.
Lurgan College will host a Strabane Academy team that has come through to the 2nd Round of the Danske Bank Ulster schools’ Cup following a deserved victory against Carrickfergus Grammar School in the 1st Round of the competition. The Lurgan College team, coached by Kyle McCallan, will not make the mistake of underestimating the opposition as they prepare of this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup encounter. They were bitterly disappointed to leave the competition at this stage last season and will be doing their best to ensure their name is in the cup for the draw for the 3rd Round. The team has won eight games in the course of the current season and when all their players are available for selection the feeling in the Lurgan College camp is that they are more than a match for most teams. Team captain, Victor MacKenzie has led his team from the flanker position. He has been among the leading Lurgan College try scorers with hooker, Lewis Lawson, and No 8, Reuben McCreery, regular try scorers as well. Reuben is a young No 8 who has attracted the attention of some observers of the schools’ game as a definite emerging talent. Perhaps the real jewel in the Lurgan College crown is that of Head Boy, Scott Wilson! Scott is the leading point’s scorer in the course of the current season. Most of the points have come from his trusty boot but he has scored a few tries from his scrum half position. The Strabane Academy defence will need to monitor him closely.
The Strabane Academy team is delighted to be in the 2nd Round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. It is only a few years since the team lost by a large margin in the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 3rdxv Cup. Great credit is due to all involved with the development of rugby football in the school that the team has reached this stage of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup in the course of the current season. Niall McDonnell, as head coach, receives great support from his Principal, David Hampton, who, in his time, played in a number of Ulster Schools’ Cup games himself. Niall receives great assistance from fellow coaches James Doherty, Adam Bratton and Steve Sargent in his work with players throughout the school. The Strabane Academy team is captained by their hard working flanker, Oran O’Neill. Oran is a player who leads by example and he is determined his team will give a good account of themselves when they host travel to Lurgan College in the 2nd Round of Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. It has been a somewhat challenging season for the Strabane Academy team but their hard work, on and off the pitch, has seen them improve their performances in the course of the season so far. Adam McElwee and Arun Mehan have troubled opposition defences with their try scoring exploits and Ralph Mealiff has scored a lot of points with his place kicking duties throughout the season. A number of players such as Ralph Mealiff, Jordan Mealiff, Peter Kirk and David Shaw have been brought to the attention of the Ulster Rugby RDS programme and these players have benefitted from that. Jonathan Gamble and Jack Sayers are emerging talents within the Strabane Academy set up. All of these players will all be hoping to give off their best when they meet the Lurgan College team.
This Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Round 2 game is scheduled to kick off at 11-00am.
Larne Grammar School had to work to the very end of their Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup 1st Round game before emerging as victorious against the dogged Cambridge House Grammar School team. That win has seen the Larne Grammar School team earn the right to play the Dalriada School team at home in the 2nd Round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. The Larne Grammar School team, coached by the experienced Graham Cloke, has had to deal with a long list of injuries throughout the current season. This has greatly impacted on their season in terms of success in their games but it is hoped that they will have a full strength squad from which to select for their Danske Bank Ulster School Cup game against the Dalriada School team. The Larne Grammar School captain, Barry Mc Fall, better known to his team mates as BJ, is a great leader who is the leading point’s scorer for the Larne Grammar School team this season. His vice-captain, Adam Maguire, gives great support to the captain and has impressed with his try scoring ability as well. Key players such as Dave Moore, Scott Weatherup, Lee McKee, Steve Topping, Robbie Simpson, Morgan Wharry, Jonny Farquhar and Sam Wood will all be hoping to be available for selection for this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup game. It was a late Sam Wood penalty that secured the win for the Larne Grammar School team in the 1st Round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. Emerging talents such as Scott Kane, Jason Ward, Jack Hill and Aaron Gallagher have adapted readily to the demands of 1stxv rugby with Scott and Jack members of a lively Larne Grammar School back row unit. 2nd Row forward, Scott Holst, not only brings brawn to his position but brains as well. Scott is hoping to go to Cambridge University next autumn. The Larne Grammar School players possibly see themselves as underdogs for this game but they will, undoubtedly, go all out to ensure they come away with a victory from this game.
The Dalriada School team, coached by Rab Gregg and Benjy Van Der Byl, will be hoping to emulate the success of their 2015/16 colleagues who reached the semi-finals of last season’s Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup. It might seem a tall order for the current Dalriada School team but there is a real work ethic in this Dalriada team who have a good number of players who bring experience to the team having returned from last season. The team is captained by Dennis Posternak who was part of the successful Ulster U19 squad earlier in the season. Dennis is surrounded by attack minded backs in the Dalriada School team. Full back, Thomas Hunter, is a player who leads the Dalriada School try scoring charts this season. As well as being the leading try scorer so far this season Thomas is also a first class place kicker as is Jack Elliott. Peter Wright is a very talented winger and in Ross Fallows the team has a player with pace to burn. It has been a season of mixed results thus far for the Dalriada School team. A mid-term tour to Barcelona did a lot for the Dalriada team in terms of the development of individual, unit and team skills. Team bonding exercises were an important aspect of the tour and the coaching staff will hope this Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup game will provide the opportunities for their players to express themselves fully. While the main strength of the Dalriada School team would appear to be in their back division there is one young player who seems to be able to adapt to playing in either the forwards or the backs on the Dalriada School team. Conor Clarke is a talented sportsman whose athleticism has seen him play in the second row, in the centre and on the wing in recent times. His father, Darren, was a more than accomplished schoolboy rugby player whilst a pupil at the Royal School, Dungannon during the mid-1980’s and might be an interested spectator at this game.
This Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Round 2 game is scheduled to kick off at 10-30am.
