Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Preliminary Round Preview December 2015 by Barney McGonigle

Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Preliminary Round Preview December 2015.

The Preliminary Round of the 2015/16 Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup will take place on Saturday 12^th December when Carrickfergus Grammar School host Strabane Academy.

Following a very successful season in 2014/15 the Carrickfergus Grammar School squad has experienced difficulties in the course of the current season. The squad, which experienced great success in the course of last season, has been decimated with just one player, Fionn McCormack, returning from last season’s starting xv.  Current captain, Nathan Fugard, scrum half, Nathan Doherty , back row forward, Mark Snoddy and second row forward, Aaron Stevenson, are the only other players remaining from the extended squad that experienced so much success in the 2015 Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup campaign . Carrickfergus Grammar School coaches, Neal Kennedy, Stephen Martin and Paul Baxter will look to these players to use their positive experiences from last season to take the team forward in a positive frame of mind as they prepare for the game against Strabane Academy. It has been a difficult season thus far for the Carrickfergus Grammar School team. Victories have been few and far between but with the onset of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup the Senior Squad will refocus and hope their talented experienced players will be able to guide the younger members of the team through what might prove to be a difficult encounter against Stabane Academy. A lot of hope will rest on the shoulders of their leading points scorer, Fionn McCormack as well as Jackson Smyth who is another key player in the Carrickfergus Grammar School team.

The Strabane Academy team is coached by Niall O’Donnell who has been fortunate in acquiring the expertise of James Doherty, Assistant Coach at City of Derry Rugby Football Club, to help him develop the talented group of young players at Strabane Academy. The Strabane team made a welcome return to the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup last season following a seven year absence. The Strabane Academy Medallion xv made it through to the final of the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Trophy last season and it is on the success of that squad that Niall and James are building their hopes for this and successive seasons. The “evergreen” Mervyn Moore and new member of staff, Steve Sargeant, also lend a guiding hand in the development of players at the Academy. They have some experienced players available to them for the forthcoming Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup campaign. Team captain is Thomas O’Flaherty who has been the top points scorer in the course of the season so far. He has been assisted ably by the Strabane Academy leading try scorers, Ralph Mealiff and Adam McElwee. Players such as Samuel Sproule, Gareth Glendinning, Ralph Mealiff and Peter Kirk have all benefitted in recent seasons from their involvement with Regional Ulster Schools’ Development squads. If these experienced players can bring out the best in their younger team mates for the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Preliminary game then it could prove to be a fascinating encounter against Carrickfergus Grammar School.

This game is scheduled to kick off at 12-00 noon on Saturday 12^th December.