There is a full list of games scheduled for Saturday 27th November 2010 including the first game of the Northern Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup Round 1, Round Robin series when Lurgan College entertains Strabane Grammar School. The Strabane Grammar School team came through this series of games last season to play Larne Grammar School in Round 2. The great majority of that team has left school and it is a very inexperienced Strabane Grammar School team that will travel to Lurgan on Saturday. The Strabane team is selected from a very small number of boys attending the school but they always play with great pride, commitment and determination. The Lurgan team has the advantage of a victory against the Strabane team earlier in the season. In that game Greg Lyness, Steven Buckley and Nicky Moore were the stars of the show. If the Strabane Grammar School team can compete with these players, there could be a surprise result at the end of the game!
Portadown College recorded an excellent win against Sullivan Upper last weekend and this will give them great confidence when they host Down High School on Saturday. The Portadown team had the Busby brothers to thank for scoring most of their points against the Sullivan team but there were good performances from Josh McCullough, Adam McMaster and Thomas Halliday as well. They will need to repeat those performances if they are to compete against a Down High School team that has caused a few upsets this season. The back row battle could be the key to this game with Matthew McKeown a vital member of the Down High School team in direct opposition to the Portadown College No 8, Josh McCullough. Aaron Cairns, Stuart Orr and John Donnan bring representative experience to the Down High School team. They will expect to win this game!
Methodist College 1stxv has been enjoying a great deal of success in recent games. They are a very talented team with key players in key positions. The Methody pack has the ability to produce quality ball from set piece play. Their front row of James Harrison, Dan Kerr and Oliver McCollum is a hard working unit with Ryan Annett, Gareth Gracey and Rory Winters providing great support. Matthew McFaul and Mark Gribben ensure that the quality ball produced is effectively by the Methody backs. The Methody team will be subjected to a severe test of their credentials when they host Wallace High School on Saturday. The Wallace team has been inconsistent at times this season but with players such as David Scott, Jordan Heatley, Cal McIlwaine and Daniel Henry available, the Methody team should not underestimate their visitors.
Larne Grammar School host Carrickfergus Grammar School in an East Antrim “Derby” game. The Larne Grammar School team will hope to replicate some of the good form they displayed on their recent tour to Canada if they are to overcome the challenge provided by the rapidly improving Carrickfergus Grammar School team. Aaron Carter, Aaron McBride, Houston Saunderson and Billy Brown are vital players for the Larne Grammar School team. Much will be expected of them on Saturday. The Carrickfergus team has hit something of an injury crisis recently and will hope to have players such as Andrew Fulton, Marc Gordon and Jonny Moore available for the visit to Larne. If so, they will approach this game with confidence!
The Coleraine AI team has lost heavily in their previous two games despite playing with great commitment in both. They host a Dungannon Royal School team that will be brimming with confidence following their morale boosting recent win against Bangor Grammar School. The Coleraine AI team will hope that key players such as Stephen Best, Ali Ashgar, Paddy Farrell and Michael Poskitt will be able to take the game to the RS Dungannon team. The Dungannon team will want to get sufficient quality ball from Andrew Clingan, Derek Martin and their fellow forwards to allow Peter Nelson, Jacob McCammon and Gary Wong to cause problems for the Coleraine AI defence.
Banbridge Academy host Grosvenor Grammar School, the team they played in the Final of the Graham Trophy Tournament last weekend. That game finished scoreless but that scoreline is unlikely to be repeated on Saturday. The Banbridge team has influential players such as Chrissy Craig, Andrew MacConnell, Tom Jess and Michael Runciman all currently playing well. The Grosvenor Grammar School team will need to monitor them closely. The Grosvenor team relies heavily on a very physical pack with Mark Foster a key performer. Scott Irvine will punish any Banbridge mistakes with his kicking prowess while Peter Davidson will ensure that the Banbridge defence will be tested.
Sullivan Upper will be keen to ensure there is no repeat of the below par performance last weekend, when they lost to Portadown College, as they welcome a very competent Campbell College team to the Belfast Road venue on Saturday. Both teams are renowned for their attacking approach to the game and it should be an exciting encounter. The Sullivan team will hope that players such as Harry Eves, Ross Adair, Charlie Preece and Michael Scott can raise their games from last week if they are to compete with their close rivals. Rory Scholes, Rob Haldane, Moss Rogers, Glenn Bailie, John Creighton and Chris Farrell give the Campbell College team an attacking edge. The Sullivan defence will need to be well organised!
Ballymena Academy, despite a number of injury concerns, will feel confident regarding the visit of Foyle and Londonderry College on Saturday. Players such as Caleb Morrison, Sam McNabney, Timothy Patton, Peter Wallace and Jack Fleming are encouraged to play an attacking style of rugby and that will not change on Saturday. The Foyle team has recorded some excellent results this season and will approach this game positively. They will be keen to get back to winning ways after a number of recent setbacks. With players such as Simon Chi, Chris Campbell and Ian Vance currently playing well, the Foyle and Londonderry College team will be keen to cause an upset.
Royal School, Armagh will host a Belfast High School team that lost heavily in their last game. This will be a difficult encounter for Ryan McGonigle, Jake Toan, Matthew Huntley, Matthew Boyd and their Belfast High School team mates. The RS Armagh team has only lost once this season and will not expect to lose this game. Neil Faloon, Stuart Hooks and Harry Boyd are just a few of the experienced players available to the RS Armagh team. It will be a great surprise if they do not win this game!
Regent House have experienced difficulties in performing to the best of their ability in recent games. With talented players such as Nathan Burns, Steven Colwell, Willie Mayne and Stephen Deering available for their trip to Roughfort where they play Belfast Royal Academy, the Newtownards boys might expect to take something positive from the game. However, the Belfast Royal Academy team will be out to ensure that they do not! Ryan Clarke, Eoin Devlin, Matthew Robinson, Robbie Jamison and their BRA team mates will expect to record another win at the end of this game.
Friends’ School travel to play Bangor Grammar School with both teams keen to get back to winning ways having lost their previous games. The Friends’ team will hope to have Jonny MacCorkell, Aaron Bassett and Jamie Robinson back in action for the trip to Bangor. The Bangor team was shocked to lose at RS Dungannon last weekend. Craig Harper, Karl Lamont, the emerging Daniel Kennedy and their Bangor Grammar School team mates will not wish for a repeat performance against the Friends’ School team.
Dalriada will hope to have Andrew Skelton, Ben Henderson, Jonny McLaughlin and Jonny McMullan back from injury when they entertain the currently undefeated Ballyclare High School team on Saturday. The Ballymoney team seemed to be under par against Carrickfergus Grammar School in their last game, missing the experience provided by their injured players. They will need to be at their best on Saturday if they are to have chance of halting the Ballyclare High School juggernaut. The Ballyclare High School team should be at full strength and will look to the experience of players such as Jonny Holmes, Peter Kennedy, Andrew Butler and Jonny Darling to see them through this tricky encounter.
The Rainey Endowed team felt they were unlucky to lose against Belfast Royal Academy last week. The Magherafelt team will hope for better results when they play two tour games in the North East of England at the weekend. They will play games RGS Newcastle and Gosforth High School. Michael Dawson, Martin Connolly, Mark McErlean and their Rainey Endowed team mates will hope the tour will gel their young squad as they use the tour to prepare for the forthcoming Northern Bank Ulster Schools’ Cup campaign. Following the two rugby matches, the entire party will attend the Newcastle v Chelsea Premier League match at St James’s Park at the weekend.
Supporters will be welcome at any of the games which are scheduled to kick off at 10-30am on Saturday. Due to some schools hosting entrance test examinations on Saturday there may be changes to the scheduled kick off times. Schools should be contacted by supporters before departing for the games to establish the exact arrangements.
