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Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Round Up Saturday 17th January 2015.
There were quite a number of games cancelled due to the prevailing weather conditions which existed at many schools on Saturday 17th January. However, some games did take place, including one game in the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2nd xv Cup, as well as three games in the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield.
In the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ 2ndxv Cup the Royal Belfast Academical Institution team recorded a resounding victory against the visiting Limavady Grammar School team.
In the Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield Friends’ School, Lisburn travelled to play Belfast High School. The Lisburn team came away with a very satisfactory 44-0 victory. Meanwhile, the Down High School Medallion xv recorded a well-deserved 29-0 win against the Coleraine Academical Institution Medallion. The Grosvenor Grammar School Medallion hosted the Portora Royal School Medallion team in game that finished in a 3-3 draw. The replay of that game should be scheduled for Tuesday 20th January.
The postponed Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Medallion Shield 3rd Round games involving Rainey Endowed School and Banbrdge Academy, Royal School, Armagh and Royal School, Dungannon, Limavady Grammar School and Portadown College, Belfast Royal Academy and Regent House and Dromore High School and Bangor Grammar School should be re-scheduled for Tuesday 20th January.
Five friendly games did survive the weather conditions on Saturday 17th January. Friends’ School, Lisburn travelled to play a Methodist College “Select” xv. Despite good performances from some of the younger Friends’ School players such as Curtis Dundas and Ryan Hall, the Lisburn team lost a very entertaining game by 51-35.
Close by, the Methodist College 1stxv was entertaining Christian Brothers College from Monkstown in Dublin. In another entertaining game, which saw the Methody team take control of affairs early on, the Methodist College team emerged as 26-18 winners. Josh Jordan opened the Methodist College account with a try which the impressive Robert Lyttle converted. The Methodist College 7-0 lead soon became 14-0 when Ben O’Reilly touched down for a try following good work from his backs. Robert Lyttle added the extras. The CBC Monkstown team came back with a drop goal, as well a converted try, to reduce the arrears to 14-10 at the break.
The second half saw the Methodist College captain, Saul Herdman, take advantage of a well-controlled driven maul by the Methody pack to touch down for an unconverted try and give his team a 19-10 lead. The CBC Monkstown team responded with a penalty, as well as an unconverted try, to reduce the deficit to 19-18. However, a second well-organised Methodist College driven maul, following a lineout, ended with Ben O’Reilly touching down for his second try of the game. Robert Lyttle added the conversion to secure the 26-18 victory for the Methodist College team.
Royal School, Dungannon travelled to play Antrim Grammar School and returned home with a resounding 43-0 win. This game turned out to be a useful run out both teams who will play their Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Trophy Quarter-Final games next weekend. The RS Dungannon team will travel to play Cambridge House under the lights at Eaton Park on the evening of Friday 23rd January.
The RS Dungannon team started this game strongly and had built up a 26-0 lead by the interval. The first score of the game came midway through the first half when Adam Cranston took advantage of a clever off-load to run in for a try. John Buckley converted the try to give his team a 7-0 lead. Five minutes later, Jonny Black ran in from forty metres to touch down for an unconverted try and increase the RS Dungannon lead to 12-0. Pressure from the RS Dungannon scrum led to a second try from Adam Cranston. John Buckley converted the try and the RS Dungannon lead was now 19-0. Just before the interval, the hard-working Peter Doran scored a try, which John Buckley converted, to increase the Royal School, Dungannon lead to 26-0 at halftime.
The Antrim Grammar School team came out at the start of the second half and put a lot of pressure on the RS Dungannon defence. They should have scored on a number of occasions only to be let down by the final pass. The RS Dunganon team recovered from the onslaught and Jonny Black touched down for his second try of the game to increase their lead to 31-0. A third Jonny Black try, converted by John Buckley, increased the RS Dungannon lead to 38-0 going in to the final quarter of the game. The final try of the game came from Archie Hanna who broke away from his half before he touched down for an unconverted try. This secured the deserved 43-0 win for the Royal School, Dungannon team.
Campbell College hosted St Andrew’s School from Dublin. The St Andrew’s School team won the game by 19-10.
Meanwhile, Wallace High School travelled to play a Blackrock College Development team in Dublin. The game was played at a great pace with both schools willing to move the ball at every opportunity. The Wallace High School team recorded an excellent 16-11 victory, one which maintained their undefeated run this season. Michael Smyth and Andrew Cardosi scored tries when they took advantage of good work from Neil Kilpatrick and Ryan Wilson. Ryan added two penalties to secure the Wallace High School win.
Sullivan Upper took the weekend off to travel to Portugal for a Training Camp in preparation for their forthcoming Danske Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup campaign.
Their scheduled game against Sullivan Upper has been re-organised for Wednesday 21st January at Osborne Park.
