Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Round Up Saturday 26th November 2016
There were two midweek friendly games, as well as a number of Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Cup, Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 3rdxv Cup and Plate and one Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield Round 1 game played midweek, in the lead up to a list of fixtures, including one Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield Round 1 game, scheduled to have been played on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th November.
On Monday 21st November the Ulster U18 Club team played Bangor Grammar School in a game the Ulster team won by 18-5. Daniel Young scored an unconverted try for the Bangor Grammar School team.
On Tuesday 22nd November the 2016/17 Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield competition got underway when Strabane Academy hosted Wellington College. The Strabane Academy team had built up an 8-0 lead going into the last five minutes of the game with an unconverted try from Tom Gallagher and a penalty goal from Daniel McCrossan. The Wellington College points came from two unconverted tries from their hard working No 8, Dylan O’Brien, which sealed their 10-8 victory.
On Wednesday 23rd November, in an exciting game in Lisburn, Friends’ School defeated Bangor Grammar School by 38-17. The Friends’ School team had built up a 19-5 lead by the interval with a hat trick of tries from Ben McCaughey who finished three great counter attack plays from the Friends’ School team. Ben was also successful with two of his conversion kicks. The Bangor unconverted try was scored by team captain, Charlie Blair.
The second half was a similar story with the Friends’ School team launching wave after wave of effective attacks. They scored three further tries through David Newell, who touched down twice, and Bradley Mulholland. Ben McCaughey added two more conversions to put his team into a 38-5 lead going into the last ten minutes of the game. The Bangor GS team rallied somewhat at this stage and scored two late tries through Matthew Agnew and Daniel Young. Daniel was also successful with one conversion to leave the Friends’ School, Lisburn team as convincing 38-17 winners at the no side whistle.
On the same afternoon Belfast Royal Academy hosted Banbridge Academy and Foyle and Londonderry College hosted Limavady Grammar School in the last of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Cup Round 1 games. Belfast Royal Academy defeated Banbridge Academy by 22-0 while Limavady Grammar School defeated Foyle and Londonderry College by 26-17.
The draws for the second round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Schools’ Cup and the first round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Plate are as follows-)
Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Cup-2nd Round Draw
Regent House School v Down High School
Sullivan Upper School v Methodist College, Belfast
Portadown College v Belfast Royal Academy
Limavady Grammar School v Wallace High School
Friends’ School, Lisburn v Campbell College, Belfast
Lurgan College v Royal School, Dungannon
Omagh Academy v Ballymena Academy
Royal Belfast Academical Institution v Coleraine Grammar School
Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Plate-1st Round Draw
Larne Grammar School v Belfast High School
Grosvenor Grammar School v Banbridge Academy
Dalriada School v Bangor Grammar School
Strabane Academy v Ballyclare High School
Royal Belfast Academical Institution/Bye v Rainey Endowed School
Foyle and Londonderry College v Enniskillen Royal Grammar School
Wellington College v Campbell College/Bye
Methodist College, Belfast/Bye v Royal School, Armagh
These matches must be played on/before Wednesday 11th January 2017.
In the last of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 3rdxv Cup Round 1 games Methodist College, Belfast 5thxv hosted Portadown College 3rdxv. In an exciting high scoring game the Methodist College team eventually emerged as 34-31 winners.
Meanwhile in the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 3rdxv Cup 2nd Round the game involving Omagh Academy and St Columba’s College, Stranorlar was postponed due to a frozen pitch. In the games that were played Dalriada School 3rdxv hosted Methodist College, Belfast 3rdxv in a game the Methodist College team won by 53-3, Ballymena Academy 3rdxv hosted Ballyclare High School 3rdxv in a game the Ballyclare High School team won by 29-7 and Royal Belfast Academical Institution 4thxv hosted Royal School, Armagh 3rdxv in a game the Belfast Inst team won by 56-0. Sperrin Integrated College will play Rainey Endowed School 3rdxv at the Meadowbank Arena on Monday 28th.
In the first round of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 3rdxv Plate, joint holders Ballyclare Secondary School were unable to play Royal Belfast Academical Institution 5thxv because of a frozen pitch.
Omagh Academy played Rainey Endowed School in a floodlit fixture on Thursday 24th November. The Omagh team won the game by 17-5 but the Rainey ES team, with seven Year 12 players on board, made the Omagh Academy team work hard for their win. The Omagh team dominated most aspects of play in the first half but could find no way through a well-organised and resolute Rainey ES defence. The Rainey team had limited scoring opportunities during the first period of play and the score was 0-0 at the interval.
The second half began and a James Longwell intercept, followed by a clever off-load to Fintan Lagan, ended with Fintan touching down for a try under the Rainey posts. Kyle Beattie added the conversion to put the Omagh Academy team into a 7-0 lead. The Rainey team responded immediately and a training ground move from a lineout finished with Bryn Davies touching down for an unconverted try to reduce the arrears to 7-5. Kyle Beattie then converted a penalty kick to put the Omagh Academy team into a 10-5 lead. Rainey came back strongly but could no way of crossing the Omagh line. With last play of the game the impressive Nathan Sides broke through the Rainey midfield and passed the ball to Oscar Nelson who was running a great support line. Oscar finished off in style with a try, which was converted by Kyle Beattie, to secure the hard earned 17-5 win for the Omagh Academy team.
The two Ulster Schools’ friendly fixtures due to have been played under floodlights on Friday 25th November featuring Sullivan Upper playing Campbell College at CIYMS Rugby Club and Banbridge Academy playing Grosvenor Grammar School at Banbridge Rugby Club were cancelled due to the pitches being frozen.
Despite the difficult weather conditions a number of schoolboy 1stxv friendly games, as well as one Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield Round 1 game, did take place on Saturday 26th September.
Ballyclare High School hosted Dalriada School in a game the Ballyclare team won by 32-0. The Ballyclare HS team had built up a 17-0 lead by half time with two tries from Jack Black, the first of which was converted by Adam Clarke, and one try from Owen Kirk.
A second try from Owen Kirk, as well as one try each from Jake McVicker and Roy Chestnutt, in the second half secured the 32-0 victory for the Ballyclare High School team.
Larne Grammar School recorded a 35-7 victory over their near neighbours from Carrickfergus Grammar School. The Larne Grammar School team scored five tries through Kyle McConnell, Dave Moore, Jack Hill, Liam Slaughter and Jacob Swan. Jonny Farquhar was successful with all five conversion kicks.
The Carrickfergus Grammar School points came from a Josh Clements try which was converted by Daniel Curley.
Antrim Grammar School recorded a morale boosting 26-0 win against Wellington College when the teams met on Saturday 26th. Second Row forward, Dean McCrory, scored a try in the first half, which was converted by Callum Hull, to give the Antrim Grammar School team a 7-0 lead at the break.
In the second half the Antrim Grammar School Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2nd Row forward, JJ McKee, scored an unconverted try to increase the Antrim GS lead to 12-0. The Antrim centre, Dale Morrow, then scored a try, which Callum Hull converted, to give his team a 19-0 lead. Close to the end of the game the Antrim GS winger, Niall Lawrence, ran in for a try, again converted by Callum Hull, which secured the 26-0 victory for the Antrim Grammar School team.
Wallace High School and Methodist College, Belfast played out a closely contested game which the Wallace High School team won by 12-5. Matthew Pentland converted an early Wallace HS penalty to give his team a 3-0 lead. Chris Larmour then scored an unconverted try for the Methodist College team to see them into a 5-3 lead. Matthew Pentland then converted two further Wallace penalties to see the home team into a 9-5 lead at the interval.
In the second half the only points came through another Matthew Pentland penalty which secured the 12-5 victory for the Wallace High School team.
In the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield Round 1 game Cambridge House Grammar School defeated Carrickfergus Grammar School by 50-5.
1stxv friendly games scheduled for Saturday 26th featuring Regent House and Belfast Royal Academy, Down High School and Ballymena Academy, Limavady Grammar School and the Royal Belfast Academical Institution 2nd xv and Lurgan College and the Royal Belfast Academical Institution 3rdxv were all cancelled due to frozen pitches.
The game involving Royal School, Dungannon and Coleraine Grammar School has been re-scheduled for the Meadowbank Arena on Monday 28th November at 5-30pm.
