Schools Cup Final: RBAI seal back-to-back titles

Royal Belfast Academical Institution made it back-to-back Schools Cup titles at the Kingspan earlier with a hard-fought win over Ballymena Academy.

Ballymena will point to chances missed in their first final appearance since 2010, as Ross Dillon’s second half try and Alex Place’s subsequent conversion proved to be enough for Jamie Kirk’s side to lift their 35th title.

In a rip-roaring opening 35 minutes of rugby, the sides couldn’t be separated – two tries and two conversions apiece, with RBAI, missing the opportunity to be in front at the break following an early missed penalty by Place.

However, Ballymena were arguably the better of the sides in the early exchanges, but they went behind after just five minutes as James Kerr produced a clever intercept and turned on the afterburners from inside his own half to touch down between the posts, with Place converting.

Place then missed what looked to be a simple penalty on 14 minutes and that seemed to give a well-organised and well-drilled Ballymena even more belief.

They duly got back on level terms three minutes later as Daniel Verco-Rogers powered through two tackles to get to the line, with Robbie Coleman doing the needful from the conversion.

Ballymena then took the lead for the first time in the match as Deion Fleming bulldozed his way over, with Coleman converting to put his side into a 14-7 lead with 10 minutes of the half remaining.

However, RBAI always look threatening when they did get into the scoring zone and, after a concerted spell of pressure, they got back on level terms as Adam Boyd – whose brother Jacob scored the winning try in last year’s final – stretched out an arm for Inst’s second try of the match, with Place converting to leave the sides deadlock at 14 points apiece at the break.

Ballymena should have gone in front 15 minutes into the second half when captain Michael McClean won a foot race with Kerr, but just as he was waiting for the ball to settle on the ground, Vercoe-Rogers slid in but appeared to knock on and the try was ruled out.

They would live to rue that as RBAI went ahead once again 13 minutes from time. Despite resolute Ballymena defence, replacement hooker Ross Dillon was able to find a gap to get over – and with Place’s excellent conversion from the left, Inst took a 21-14 lead into the final 10 minutes.

They managed to see that out by forcing Ballymena into a number of mistakes as the game drew to a close.

MATCH STATS

RBAI: (15-9) Joshua Gibson; Alex Place, Fraser Cunningham (captain), Charlie O'Connor, James Kerr; Charlie Gray, Callum Soper;

(1-8) Zak Molyneaux, Euan Paterson, Blake McClean; Loughlin Sweeney, Milo Carter; Lorcan Donnelly, James Clark, Adam Boyd

Replacements: Ross Dillon, Reagan Lath Amou, Rory O'Connor, Scott McElhinney, Patrick McEvoy, Luke Gibson, Ben McCausland, Connor Patton

Ballymena Academy: (15-9) Sean McKay; Ben Neely, Daniel Vercoe-Rogers, Alexander Carson, Michael McLean (captain); Robbie Coleman, James McIlroy;

(1-8) Matthew Wright, Callum Mustoe, Deon Fleming; Conan Scullion, Joshua Gallagher; Harry Lamont, Reece Williamson, Charlie Hargey

Replacements: Ben Millar, Joshua Harvey, Henry Casson, Daniel Hayburn, Matthew Cahoon, Reuben Allen, Mark Glenn, Callum Irvine.

Referee: Chris Busby

RBAI

Tries: James Kerr, Adam Boyd, Ross Dillon

Conversions: Alex Place (3)

Ballymena Academy

Tries: Daniel Vercoe-Rogers, Deon Fleming

Conversions: Robbie Coleman (2)

Attendance: 7,877