Friends’ U14s finish season with fine display

With a list of top playing rugby schools including Ballymena Academy, Methody, Ballyclare High School, Coleraine Inst, Bangor Grammar School and Wallace High School to name but a few, the Friends’ team were relishing the challenge to ascertain where they feature on the rugby map.

In the group stage the opponents were Coleraine Inst and Banbridge Academy and the aim of the Magheralave Road players was to win. After a slow start to the first game Friends’ found themselves 7-0 down to Coleraine Inst and with a few minutes left it seemed that the short term goal was not to be achieved. Despite having most of the possession and most of the territory the Friends’ team could not get the points on the board. With two minutes left on the clock the team displayed a mature tactical approach and forced Coleraine to give away a penalty just outside their 22m line. Quick thinking by centre Curtis Dundas caught the opposition off guard as he rounded the Coleraine winger and full back to go under the posts to score a fine solo try. It was duly converted by scrum half Adam Scofield.

In the next game against Banbridge Academy, Friends’ School again demonstrated why they have only lost four games in two seasons as they controlled the game at all stages. Outhalf David Stewart was quick to expose the fact that Banbridge had only a full back in defence as he kicked to the corners and pinned the Banbridge team in their 22. In a demonstration of their all round team ability winger Peter Drayne sprinted in from the half way line after a sweeping move involving forwards and backs. The second try came from forward dominated pressure when after chasing a kick, the forwards recycled the ball quickly for burly blindside Owen Becket to charge in from three metres out.

The aim of winning the group stages mirrored the season results with Coleraine and Banbridge going down to the Friends’ team 34-12 and 31-5 respectively. Although there was a plate and trophy competition for those teams who did not win their group, Friends were happy to be in the semi-final of the main cup along with Ballymena Academy, Down High School and RBAI.

In the semi against RBAI, the team gave away an early try to go 5-0 down but try of the day was scored by captain Curtis Dundas as some aggressive rucking by the Nial McCabe and Owen Beckett on the half way line produced quick ball for the strong centre to score under the posts. The space on the blindside of the ruck was exposed as he sprinted in from the half way line fending off three opponents in the process.

As the second half began the team remained composed and continued to exert their pressure while absorbing the Inst attack. In the final minutes Inst scored two carbon copy tries when uncharacteristically a tackle was missed by the Friends players and Inst progressed to the final by a 15-7 margin.

Despite not making the final, Friends’ coach Ivor Monaghan commented: “We were very happy to be invited to this prestigious tournament and are extremely pleased with our performance today. We have a small squad of 19 players to choose from each week and it is a credit to their commitment, effort and ability that they can compete with and win against such level of opposition.”

At the end of the day the Friends’ School “Player of the Tournament” was awarded to full-back Daniel Patterson.