Ulster Age Grade and Ulster Schools’ Round Up Saturday 13th September 2014
As well as the Age Grade Inter-Provincial Fixtures against Leinster there was almost a full list of Ulster Schools’ fixtures played on Saturday 13th September.
AGE-GRADE GAMES: Ulster Rugby U20S, U19S, U18S Schools & Clubs
The Ulster U19 team got the Inter-Provincial games against Leinster of to a start when the teams met at Belfast Harlequin’s RFC. Having recorded a hard earned 24-17 win against Connacht in their opening encounter, the Ulster U19 team lost this game by 40-13. Despite positive performances from players such as Conor McIlmurray, Conall Boomer, Gareth Little and Alistair McIvor there was little the Ulster team could do to prevent the Leinster team from controlling the game for long periods of time…. CLICK HERE for pictures.
The Ulster U20 team played their Leinster rivals at the Kingspan Stadium and kept their hopes of an Inter Provincial title alive with a hard earned, but well deserved, 15-10 victory. Sam Arnold opened the Ulster U20 account when he ran in for a try with just five minutes on the clock. Sean O’Hagan added the conversion to give the Ulster team a 7-0 lead. The Leinster team was able to get back into the game when Adam Leavy took full advantage of a poor clearance kick and lack of kick chase from Ulster to run in for a converted try and draw the score level at 7-7. The Ulster team then made two clean line breaks but denied themselves scores by putting the ball to ground on both occasions. The Leinster captain, Charlie Rock, was marshalling his troops well as the Leinster team pushed to take a lead in the game. However, it was the Ulster team that finished the first half more strongly when Sean O’Hagan kicked a penalty to see the Ulster team into a 10-7 lead at the break.
The second half saw the Ulster team make a tactical change with Jack Milligan replaced Sean O’Hagan in the No 10 jersey. Ulster continued to create chances only to be let down, on a number of occasions, by the final pass. The Leinster team took advantage of a lack of discipline by Ulster at the breakdown. They converted a penalty opportunity to draw the score level at 7-7. However, it was the Ulster team that went on to stretch the Leinster defence with a series of attacks on the Leinster line. They got their just rewards when Sam Arnold scorched in for his second try of the game. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful but the Ulster U20 team had done enough to win the game by 15-10…. CLICK HERE for pictures
The Ulster Schools’ team travelled to play the Leinster Schools’ team, taking part in their first Inter-Pro game, at St Mary’s RFC, Templeville Road in Dublin. In a great game of representative schoolboy rugby, honours were even when the game finished in a 17-17 draw. In an exciting game the Leinster team took a 7-0 lead when their left winger, Jordan Larmour, touched down for a try with just five minutes on the clock. The conversion was added by the Leinster captain, Tim Foley. Ulster drew level seven minutes later when Philip Hylands took full advantage of good work from his captain, Jonny McKeown, to touch down for a try which Robert Lyttle converted. They took a 14-7 lead six minutes later when Jack Howard ran in for a try which, again, was converted by Robert Lyttle. Leinster player, Jack Kelly ran in for two unconverted tries to see his team into a 17-14 lead at the interval.
The second half saw no points scored until twenty five minutes into the half Robert Lyttle converted an Ulster penalty to draw the score level at 17-17. Leinster had the opportunity to “steal” the game but Tim Foley was wide with a penalty opportunity to leave the final score of this dramatic game reading 17-17.
The Ulster U18 Clubs’ team played their first Inter-Provincial game against Leinster U18’s and ended up on the wrong side of a 60-3 scoreline. The game, played at Navan RFC, saw the Ulster team start brightly but were not clinical enough to finish off a number of opportunities they created. The Leinster team gained great confidence from this and went on to capitalise on a number of unforced errors by the Ulster team.
The Ulster Age Grade teams will all play against their Munster counterparts on Friday19th/Saturday 20th September. The U20’s will play at Garryown RFC, Dooradoyle, Limerick at 7-00pm on Friday 19th. The U19 team will play at 2-00pm on Saturday 20th at the UCC Grounds, The Mardyke, Cork. The Ulster Clubs’ and Schools’ U18 teams will feature in a “Double Header” against Munster at the Kingspan Stadium on the afternoon of Saturday 20th. Support at these games would be greatly appreciated by all the teams.
Schools Games:
Perhaps the school “Match of the Day” featured Methodist College and Sullivan Upper when the teams met in a “Re-Run” of last season’s Ulster Schools’ Cup Final. Both teams had players involved in the Ulster Schools’ and Ulster U19 games against Leinster with the Methody team losing somewhere in the region of nine players to the representative teams. Sullivan Upper won a very closely contested game by 12-10. Sullivan Upper took an early 7-0 lead with a try from Jonny Betts which was converted by Callum Jeffrey. The Methody team responded with an unconverted try from Ollie Cairns to reduce the arrears to 7-5. Back came Sullivan Upper with a try from Jack Cummings. The try was not converted but the visitors now had a 12-5 lead. However, the Methody team rallied once again and it was that man, Ollie Cairns, who took advantage of some great work from his pack, who got the touch down. The conversion attempt was unsuccessful but the Methody team had reduced the arrears to 12-10 just before the interval.
The second half was a closely contested affair with both team creating opportunities for scores. However, both defences held firm to ensure it was the Sullivan Upper team that recorded a hard earned 12-10 victory at the end of the game.
Royal Belfast Academical Institution 1stxv travelled to Dublin to play Belvedere College and the team was delighted to come away with a 24-0 victory. An early penalty from scrum half, TJ Morris gave the Inst team a 3-0 lead. Then team captain, Lewis McNamara, got in on the act when he touched down for a try which was converted by TJ Morris to give the Belfast Inst team a 10-0 lead at the interval.
Second half tries from Ryan McComiskey and Ethan Harbinson, both of which were converted by TJ Morris, ensured the Royal Belfast Academical Institution team returned from the North Dublin venue with a well-deserved 24-0 win.
The Belfast Inst 2ndxv travelled to play Omagh Academy and lost narrowly to the Co Tyrone team by 22-17. The Omagh Academy team controlled affairs for most of the first half, taking a 14-3 lead into the interval. They scored two tries through Adam Stephenson and Andy Monteith. Adam converted both tries to see his team into a 14-0 lead. The Belfast Inst team responded with a penalty following an Omagh Academy infringement at a ruck. The penalty kick was successful to ensure the first points of the game for the Belfast Inst team.
Both teams came out for the second half determined to play with the ball in hand. Adam Stephenson scored his second try of the game for the home team to give them a 19-3 lead. The visitors then hit a purple patch and ran in for two converted tries to reduce the arrears to 19-17. The Omagh Academy team secured their victory when Adam Stephenson converted a penalty opportunity to leave them as 22-17 winners.
The Omagh Academy team played five debutants in the course of the game Timothy McKeown, Dean Kane, James Longwell, Fintan Lagan and Caleb Charters all impressing with their performances.
The Royal Belfast Academical Institution 3rdxv travelled to play Lurgan College in a game the Lurgan College team won by 45-3. The Lurgan College team scored seven tries in the course of the game. Lurgan captain, Matthew Laird touched down twice as did Matthew Logan. Jamie Hunter, Jonny Hunter and Harry Webb all ran in for one try each. Full back, James Patterson, was successful with five of his seven conversion attempts.
Regent House hosted Rainey Endowed School in a game the home team was winning by 17-0 when the game was stopped. It was a young emerging Rainey team, with six Year 12 players making their 1stxv debuts that travelled to Newtownards for the game. The Regent team controlled the opening phases of the game but the young Rainey players will have benefitted from the experience.
Portora Royal School hosted Foyle and Londonderry College in a game the Enniskillen team eventually won by 26-12. The Portora RS team had opened up a 14-0 first half lead with tries from tight head prop, Marcus Crawford, and full back, Robert Balacoune. Outhalf, Andrew Lendrum was successful with both conversion kicks.
The Foyle College team mounted something of a comeback in the early stages of the second half. Winger Jack McNeill outpaced his opposite number to run in for an unconverted try and reduce the deficit to 14-5. Then the Foyle captain, Alex McDonnell, scored a great try under the Portora RS posts. Alex converted the try to bring the Foyle College team back into the game with a scoreline reading 14-12. At this stage the Portora RS stepped their game up somewhat and ran in two tries with Robert Balacoune and Marcus Crawford each touching down for their second try of the game. Andrew Lendrum was successful with one conversion to ensure a 26-12 win for the Portora Royal School team.
Banbridge Academy and Portadown College played out a training game scenario with the Co Down team running in three tries against the one try scored by the Co Armagh team. Ben Nixon scored the first Banbridge try with Jordan Mount and Corin McCluskey touching down for the other two. Niall Davidson scored for the Portadown College team.
Both team used extended squads with Jay Pinion and Shane Honeyford impressing for the Banbridge Academy team.
Grosvenor Grammar School hosted Dalriada School at the Cameronian Drive venue. The home team won a hotly contested first half by 7-5 before the power and strength of the Dalriada team took charge of the game which finished with a 37-7 Dalriada win.
The home team went 5-0 down early in the first half but came back strongly when Mark Johnston finished off a determined run with a try. Daniel Martin was successful wth his conversion kick to put the Grosvenor GS team into a 7-5 lead. This lead might have been extended had the young Grosvenor GS team finished off some opportunities they had created. However, the Dalriada defence remained intact leaving the scoreline reading 7-5 in favour of the home team at the interval.
Despite the best intentions of Grosvenor GS players such as Adam Skelton, Mark Johnston, Taylor Pollock, Daniel Martin and James Rae, the home team had no real answers to the attacking ploys of the more experienced Dalriada team in the second half. The Ballymoney team scored four second half tries, three of which were converted, along with two successful penalty kicks, to ensure their 37-7 victory.
Belfast Royal Academy hosted Ballyclare High School at the JC Picken playing fields at Roughfort. In a very closely contested game the visitors eventually emerged as 23-19 winners. Ballyclare High School opened their account with a penalty from Owen Hutchinson to give his team a 3-0 lead. The Belfast Royal Academy team replied with a converted try to see the Academy team into a 7-3 lead, a lead they held until the interval.
The second half saw the visitors regain the lead when Owen Hutchinson converted two penalty kicks and Harry Burke ran in for a try which Owen Hutchinson converted. The Belfast Royal Academy reduced the deficit to 16-12 when they scored an unconverted try. Ryan McIlwaine then increased the Ballyclare HS lead to 23-12 when he made a great break before dotting down for the try. Owen Hutchinson converted the try. Close to end of the game the Academy pack made the most of a series of picks and drives before touching down for a converted try. However, it was a case of “too little, too late” as it was almost the last play of the game which saw the Ballyclare HS team emerge as 23-19 winners.
Wallace High School hosted Ballymena Academy in a game that saw both team weakened with a number of players on Inter-Provincial duty with Ulster Schools and Ulster U19’s. The first half was a closely contested affair with Wallace taking a 7-0 lead at the interval through as try from Ikenna Nzewi which was converted by Matthew Pentland.
The second half saw the Ballymena Academy weakened by the loss of players to injury. The Wallace HS team enjoyed controlling both territory and possession for large parts of the second half. Matthew Pentland kicked a penalty and then played a big part in the lead up to tries for Ryan Garnham and Ikenna Nzewi. Neither try was converted but it was the Wallace High School team that finished as deserved 20-0 winners.
Carrickfergus Grammar School hosted the much vaunted Coleraine Academical Institution team in a game the Coleraine boys had to work hard before recording a 26-12 victory. The Carrickfergus GS started well and took a 5-0 lead when Christian Robinson displayed great power and pace to run in for an unconverted try. This increased to 12-0 when, once again, Christian Robinson, outpaced the visitor’s defence to run in for a converted try. Just before the interval the Coleraine AI got some inspiration from their pack. Quality possession was produced and the quick ball landed safely in the hands of Connor Skuce. Connor showed great power and panache before running in for a try which Callum Smith converted to reduce the deficit to 12-7 at the interval.
The second half saw the Coleraine AI team take control of the game. Ollie McDowel scored a try following a charge down. Callum Smith was unsuccessful with the conversion but the score was now 12-12. Callum then ran in for a try which he converted to put his Coleraine AI team into a 19-12 lead. This became 26-12 when Connor Skuce ran in for his second try of the game. Callum Smith was successful with the conversion to ensure the 26-12 win for the Coleraine AI team.
Royal School, Dungannon hosted a Friends’ School missing a number of key players. The Dungannon team controlled the game for long periods of time and won comfortably by 33-5. The RS Dungannon team scored four first half tries through John Buckley, Peter Doran, Archie Hannah and Josh McKee. John Buckley was successful with three of the four conversion kicks to give his team a 26-0 lead at the break.
The second half was a much more closely contested affair with the Friends’ team scoring an unconverted try shortly after the restart. The Friends’ team won excellent ball from a lineout which enabled the Friends’ backline to display the ability they have. Space was created for Ryan Hall to touch down for a try in the corner. The Friends’ defence tightened up greatly in the second period but there was little they could do to prevent a combination of plays from Jim Meng and Josh McKee which put Josh in for a try. John Buckley converted the try to seal the 33-5 victory for the Royal School, Dungannon team.
Josh McKee, Jim Meng, John Buckley and Thomas Downing all stood out for the Dungannon team while Ryan Hall, Kirk McGrady, David Newell and Daniel Patterson all contributed greatly to the Friends’ School second half revival.
The Royal School, Armagh team played an exhibition game against the Armagh Rugby Club U18 team. The game was played in a very exciting manner by both teams with the game flowing at all times. The RS Armagh team won the game by 31-10. They ran in five tries with David Agnew touching down twice. Chris Jennings, Johnston Chow and Kenny Graham scored one try each with Gareth Hooks adding three conversions.
