The Round Robin Stage of the Schools U16 Cup continued yesterday, when BRA U16 visited Ballyclare U16.
Report and images by Bob Given Photography
BRA were first to register on the scoreboard, when Rex Henderson kicked a penalty goal, to lead 3-0.
Playing into a strong cold breeze, Ballyclare replied with a Jacob Scarlett unconverted try in the left corner to lead 5 – 3.
Ballyclare continued to press and on 16 minutes Scarlett added another try, under the posts, converted by Matthew McCourt, to lead 12 – 3.
Following a series of penalties BRA moved up the pitch and Matthew McQuiston broke off a line out maul to score an unconverted try and reduce Ballyclare’s lead to 12 – 8.
It was very much one way traffic now, with BRA living off scraps and on 22 minutes Ballyclare’s Daniel Graham went over under the posts. McCourt added the extras, giving Ballyclare a 19 – 3 lead.
On the halftime whistle Scarlett competed his hat trick diving under the posts. McCourt converted to give Ballyclare a comfortable 26-8 lead at the break.
BRA went on the attack, after the break, and Johnny Beck squeezed over, in the left corner for an unconverted try to reduce the lead to 26 – 13.
Ballyclare continued to press and batter the BRA line, but the defense held firm, repulsing a series of phases for over 10 minutes, before breaking out. McQuiston drove over for his second for BRA, converted by Henderson, to further reduce the lead to 26 – 20 and it was game on.
Both teams strove for the decisive score and in the final move of the game Ballyclare engineered space on the right for Charlie Lloyd to slide in for a try. With the conversion failing, the final whistle sounded for a 31 – 20 victory for Ballyclare.
Both teams served up a ‘belter’ of a game!
