Academy primed for Schools' Cup final

BALLYMENA Academy coach John Andrews last night challenged his players to go out and carve their name in the school's illustrious sporting history.

The Galgorm Road school can win the Northern Bank Schools' Cup for only the third time if they overcome the challenge of Belfast Royal Academy in tomorrow's (Wednesday) final at Ravenhill (3pm).

It's 10 years since the Academy were last in the final, while you have to go all the way back to 1981 for the school's last triumph in the biggest competition in Ulster schools' rugby.

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If the usual duration of a school career for a pupil is seven years, that is four full generations of pupils who have never seen their side win the coveted trophy – a record that Andrews is keen to bring to an end.

"The semi-final win over Methody took a lot out of the players but on the plus side, it gave the boys so much confidence, to defeat a team who were unbeaten in Ulster for two years," John told Times Sport.

"They know what they have got left in their locker and they have gained so much self-belief from this cup run – now they have to produce one more performance on the same scale as the Methody one.

"With the style of rugby that the two teams play, it may even come down to who makes less mistakes on the day.

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"It all boils down to the fundamentals of team rugby – you need your forwards to give you a platform on which to build, your half-backs to control the game and your back three to not concede territory, all things which we managed to do well against Methody.

"In previous years, we have had players capable of winning a match on their own with a piece of individual brilliance but this year we have good players in a number of key positions.

"BRA have a big set of forwards with a powerful number eight and behind them, David Cartmill is a big, athletic centre who, if given time and time, will cause us problems.

"To win the Schools' Cup would be an incredible experience for the players and coaching staff and the run to the final has really lifted the profile of rugby in the school.

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"People who measure the school's success in rugby by the number of Schools Cups we've won will say that we've failed.

"But a lot of the philosophy of the school has been in developing players to go on and play at the highest level possible and to have the hunger to play rugby after they have left the school.

"That was certainly how the former coach Barry Coen looked at it and myself and Gavin Murray think the same way.

"Both ourselves and BRA are there on merit, having each beaten some very good teams, and it should be a great final," added Andrews, who reports a full-strength panel to choose from.

Ballymena Academy will wear a new white change strip for the final due to the colour clash with BRA.