RUGBY: Dromore HS open campaign with a win

In front of their enthusiastic supporters, the players all attempted to play positive rugby throughout the game.

The first score of the game came from the Dromore High team when they won the ball at a lineout and drove the resultant maul a full 20 metres before Peter O’Connor touched down for the unconverted try.

The game ebbed and flowed with both teams working hard at set piece time as well as at the breakdown.

The Belfast Inst team looked threatening at times with the ball in hand but got no change out of a well-organised and disciplined Dromore High defence.

That was until the RBAI scrum half, Bradley McNamara, exploited a rare gap and ran in to score. Angus Adair, one of a number of Ulster U16 RDS players on show, stepped up to convert the try which gave his team a 7-5 lead at the break.

The second half was an equally closely contested affair with both teams determined to play with the ball in hand.

The only thing that separated the teams in the second was a penalty awarded to Dromore following an Inst infringement at the breakdown.

The Dromore High captain, Ben Martin, took full advantage of having the wind behind him and he slotted the penalty over to give his team an 8-7 lead near the end of the game.

The Belfast Inst team responded positively and launched a series of attacks.

However, the Dromore defence scented victory and displayed great defensive qualities which ensured it was the Dromore High team that celebrated their 8-7 victory as the whistle blew.