Rugby: Grammar progress to Trophy final

Larne Grammar 1st XV booked their place in the Schools’ Trophy final this week thanks to a 17-3 win over Friends’ School, Lisburn.

Both teams started well in front of a large crowd with Friends taking possession from the kick-off. However, it was then quickly turned over with good work from the Larne forwards including Sam McWhirter and Ethan Kerr with their early tackles. In the opening stages of the game, Friends took the lead through a well struck penalty from out wide to put them 3-0 up.

This soon changed when the boys from Larne took control of possession in the lead up to the break with the home pack dominating every scrum that came their way through both the front five and the backrow. This set up Larne to attack consistently inside the Friends 22-metre area. The Grammar missed a penalty opportunity allowing the Lisburn school where to advance up the pitch from the drop-out but they could not convert any opportunities with the opposition defence holding strong with tackle after tackle.

This forced the concession of a penalty and gave Larne the opportunity to advance up the pitch where No. 8, Callum Paton picked off the back of the scrum leading to an opportunity for full-back, Houston Saunderson, to slide into the corner to take Larne into half-time at 5-3 up.

After an evenly fought first-half, the Larne team stepped it up in front of their home crowd where they again put pressure on the Friends’ pack through scrums and Larne played most of the early stages of the second half in the opposition half.

They were soon rewarded when Ryan McAlister crashed over the line after very good forward work from the Larne pack. This went unconverted and Larne where 10 – 3 up.

Friends battled to try and overcome the outstanding Larne defence but they could not make an advance over the gain line and Larne turned over good ball with notable performances from Stephen Watts and McWhirter at ruck time.

Larne fly-half Robert McKinley later sent up a high ball which was collected by Saunderson who ran in for his second try of the game under the posts. McKinley then converted this try to put Larne into an advanced lead at 17-3.

In the closing stages of the game Larne dominated possession through a series of scrum turnovers and quick attacking ball but the Friends’ defence held their own and Larne gained a well deserved win at 17-3 to advance to the Schools’ Trophy final where they will play Omagh.

Great performances were put in by the whole Larne team, with Paton running hard lines and McWhirter scrumming well and gaining a number of turnovers, both giving man of the match performances.

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