Royal Belfast Academical Institution 22 Royal School Armagh 26

Wednesday afternoon’s semi final was a much more thrilling affair with Royal School Armagh holding on to secure a deserved 22 – 26 win in a raucous Ravenhill.

The Armagh team started the match in some style and raced to a 14 – 0 win thanks to early tries from Matthew Reaney and captain Jack Treanor, both converted by Zac Thompson.

A shocked RBAI, who were pushing for a 100% win season, responded with a 26th minute penalty from Robin McIlveen before scrum half Niall Armstrong nipped over, close to half time, for try off the back of a scrum. McIlveen added the conversion to take the score to 10 – 14 in Armagh’s favour at the break.

Armagh extended their lead at the start of the second half with Ryan O’Neill crossing after a period of sustained pressure. Thompson converted to rattle the scoreboard along to 10 – 21.

RBAI came storming back with an unconverted try from Jude Postlethwaite to take the score to 15 – 21 but Armagh once again opened up a two score gap when Nicholas Jennings found the line to give Armagh a 15 – 26 lead with 15 minutes remaining.

Connor McCormick crossed and McIlveen converted, with 5 minutes left, to set up a barnstorming finish from the Belfast side but the Orchard County boys held on to record a 22 – 26 win in this thrilling encounter.

RBAI: Bradley McNamara, Jamie Mullan, Robin McIlveen, Angus Adair, Jude Postlethwaite, David Lyttle, Niall Armstrong; Ethan Sloan, Connor McCormick, Jared Wait, Daniel Eakin, Tim Lyons, AJ Hussell, Jack Magee, David McCann (C). Replacements: Rory Adair, Robert Curry, Stuart McAuley, Tom Lavery, Alexander Weir, Marco Manso, Kyle McComiskey, James Heyburn.

RS Armagh: Michael Campbell, Oliver Webb, Zac Thompson, Matthew Reaney, Nicholas Jennings, Romain Morrow, Charlie Worth; Jack Chapman, Jack Treanor (C), Jonny Agnew, Ryan Finlay, Samuel King, Aaron Woods, Graham Crawford, Ryan O’Neill. Replacements: Sam Rainey, Adam Edgar, Archie McAlpine, Jude Roberts, Josh King, Alex Johnston, Callum Whiteside, Peter Taylor.

GALLERY BELOW

Pictures below from Bob Given Photography

---