Schools’ Cup: Belfast High School Rugby Notes: I XV 42 v Larne Grammar School Rugby I XV 5: Report & Pictures

BHS hosted Larne Grammar in the second round of the Northern Bank Schools Cup on Saturday in what turned out to be a hard fought match.

BHS would have started the game as slight favourite’s but Larne were here to do battle and battle they did. The first half was nip and tuck with both sides showing some Schools Cup nerves in the handling department. As in their last game BHS’s pack were performing well in the scrum and had Larne under pressure on both their own ball and Larne’s. BHS took the lead from a penalty that was converted by High Schools No.10 Adam White for the lead. Not long after the restart Larne were awarded a penalty for hands in the ruck and from a good distance out they decided to have a pop at goal. Larne’s No.11 Aaron Carter struck the ball well but just pulled it to the left of the posts. High School had two more shots at goal from penalty’s which BHS No.10 took very well to go into halftime 9 – 0 to the good. CLICK HERE FOR 45 PICTURES Courtesy of Gary Benson & Report. High School still on edge due to Larne’s no quarter attitude start the second half still the more dominate side but were made to fight hard for anything they got. The first try of the game came not long into the second half, when after several phases the ball broke to BHS second row Lewis Benson who made a surge for the line, Larne seemed to have driven him back but he burst out of the ruck and needed all of his 6’ 5’’ frame to stretch to line and touch the ball down. You could see the relief in the faces of his High School team mates as they literally pick him off the ground. Adam White made no mistake with the conversion to make 16 – 0 to BHS. That score seemed to release High School and shortly after BHS’s top try scorer No.13 Jordan Garford ghosted outside the Larne defence and powered to the line. The conversion was missed to make the score 21 –0. Larne now were struggling to cope with High School and it was not long after that BHS No.8 Ryan McGonigle scored a great solo try. From outside the Larne 22 he got the ball powered through numerous tackles and people hanging of him to score close to the posts. This time Adam White added the points to take it to 28 – 0. High School started to make some changes and it was one of these that got the next score for High School. After great work and dogged persistence from Adam White breaking into the Larne 22 he offloaded well to Jonnie Joffroy who with still some work to do scored between the posts. The conversion was successful and High School looked to have sealed the win. No one told Larne that though and to their credit they were the next to score. After the ball was spread out the backs great work was done by Larne No.15 Houston Saunderson who missed two players to release No.13 Luke Brownlee who with lots to do scored a great try for Larne. The Conversion was unsuccessful and the score was now 35 – 5. There was one more try in it for High School, the ball came out the backline and High School full back Robbie Reid cut a great line inside and must have thought he had made it himself but was caught just short of the line he offloaded and with Ryan McGonigle missing the pass it fell luckily to Adam White who beat a couple of defenders to score. He converted with the last kick of the game to make the final score 42 – 5 to BHS. Larne fought well and the score does not show how hard they fought throughout the game. Adam white will be well pleased with his day missing only one kick and a points total of 22 pts. as will Capt. Ryan McGonigle with the win. BHS now face a home tie against Bangor Grammar at BHS in the next round which should be good as there was only a few points in it when they met earlier in the season. Come and watch!!!