Danks Bank Medallion Shield semi-final
Down High 6 Ballymena Academy 27

Down High's record breaking Danske Bank Medallion Shield campaign came to an end on Saturday at the hands of a strong Ballymena Academy side. Having seen off Omagh Academy and Methodist College on their way to this semi-final clash the boys took to the field confident in their ability to cause a shock against their highly rated Co. Antrim rivals in the fixture played at Osbourne Park. 

Things didn't get off to a great start for Down as Ballymena made the most of a 5 metre lineout in the 4th minute of play to barge their way over for an early unconverted try.  A second Ballymena try followed on the 10 minute mark and severely tested the Down resolve but the boys in green responded valiantly and as the first half developed increasing chances came their way with great breaks from William Annett, Robin Wilson and Marcus Graham capturing the attention of the large crowd and giving Down significant territorial gains. Indeed all the Down pressure led to a number of penalties one of which, captain Patrick Browne was able to convert to reduce the deficit to 10-3. For the remainder of the half Down were resolute in defence with Lewis Canning amongst others mounting up a fantastic tackle tally.

In the second half Down were first to record a score as Ballymena indiscipline at a ruck 5 minutes in granted Browne a penalty which he slotted between the uprights. Further Down pressure and impressive carries from the likes of wing Harry Hitchens and prop Sam Rickard created two further penalty opportunities for Browne in the following 10 minutes but both drifted wide leaving the Ballymena lead in tact. 

On the 48 minute mark Ballymena made an incisive break through the Down midfield defence and after chipping the ball over the scrambling defence got a fortunate bounce of the ball which allowed them to run in for a converted score and  extend their lead to the point of no return for Down given the stage of the match. 

With the result now beyond doubt and Down obviously deflated by that fact, Ballymena were able to add two further tries before the end of the game. At the final whistle the Down boys were gutted knowing that at significant points in the game they had been very close to an upset. Despite this understandable disappointment the squad will reflect on a historic campaign that saw them go further in the competition than any previous Down High side.    
   

Down High medallion rugby squad produced a fantastic performance in their Danske Bank Medallion Shield quarter final replay to defeat Methody 15-12.  In the first half Andrew McCullough scored a try after some great handling by the backs and Paddy Browne added a spectacular conversion. 
Methody quickly replied and in the following 10 minute period scored two tries, one of which was converted.  In the second half Down managed a comeback scoring a try through Zac Ward and a well struck penalty from Browne.  In the final 15 minutes Down defended valiantly and pushed themselves enough to secure victory and a place in the semi finals. This is the first time a medallion side at Down High have achieved this feat. They will play Ballymena at Osbourne Park on Saturday 1st March. 

Danske Bank Medallion Shield: Round 4

Down High Medallion 17- 0 Omagh Academy Medallion

Having suffered the disappointment of an earlier postponent, the Down High boys set off to Co. Tyrone  with a bus load of supporters and injured players to face the mighty Omagh Academy. With Sam Rickard blasting out music from a set of speakers, the bus journey seemed shorter than it actually was and spirits were high but they knew that this match was not going to be easy.

Down started the fixture with a strong breeze on their backs. Early nerves were soon settled when 4 minutes after kick off, William Annett received a glorious pass to send him bundling through the Omagh defence for the first score of the game. Paddy Browne converted.

Omagh however did not give up easily and over the following 15 minutes their strong pack mounted several sieges into the Down half. Despite all these attacks the Down defence remained intact and they were eventually able to use the wind to clear their lines.

Around the 20 minute mark, Down High took their turn to assert dominance on their hosts and off a perfectly weighted pass from Paddy Browne, Marcus Graham was able to show his phenomenal speed to outpace the Omagh defence and score Down’s second try.

Again Omagh rallied and off a miss fielded Down kick came charging through to put sustained pressure on the Down High defence. However courageous mauling from the visitors saw Nathan Rogerson rip the ball clear of the Omagh pack and allowed Down High to clear their lines. Down went into half time 12-0 up but were aware that the wind would make it difficult to control territory in the second half.

As the second half got underway Omagh, as expected, played a smart kicking game and piled pressure on the Down defence. However the boys in green held firm and as they repetitively held Omagh out their confidence clearly grew.

Indeed mid-way through the half Down produced one of their best tries of the season so far. It got underway with Claytan Milligan battering his way up the middle of the park. The green pack arrived swiftly to secure ball and accurate passing from scrum half Terry Hutley saw the backs work the ball from one side of the pitch to the other where William Annett touched down his second try of the game.

From this point on Omagh, through their strong pack, continued to chase a score that would reduce the Down lead but the visitors stood strong.

Lewis Canning in the back row put in some fantastic hits and when Omagh ball was turned over Zac Ward displayed some impressive carries.  

When the final whistle blew, the Down lads let out an almighty cheer knowing their 17-0 victory had secured their place in the quarter finals of the Medallion Shield. That game will be played away to Methodist College this Saturday at Pirrie Park off the Ravenhill Road. A big Down High support would be both encouraged and appreciated. 

Down High's Medallions marched with heads high, out on to the dry pitch in Downpatrick to face the opposing boys from Dalriada.

After a narrow victory of 21-7 in a round robin competition in November which consisted of 30 minute matches, the Down boys were cautious of the opposition knowing that they could cause an almighty upset against back lines with weak defence. The game kicked off and within minutes, Down's pack got straight to what they do best and regained possession at the breakdown. Moments later, Down had been awarded their first try of the game.

Phase upon phase, the home side played beautiful rugby and managed to get multiple scores against a crumbling Dalriada side. Severe hits from Lewis Canning and many other influential tacklers led to various Dalriada players having to leave the field. A large home support helped the Downpatrick boys find their game and perform without error. Mesmerising ball play in the back line led to many confused faces on the opposition. It was this and strong performances at the set piece which allowed Down to finish the game with a confident win of 40-0.

Man of the match: Lewis Canning

24 -14 BRA Medallion

In perfect playing conditions the Down boys set out on a journey to North Belfast to commence battle against a strong BRA side. Down won the toss which led to skipper Patrick Browne placing the ball deep into BRA’s half. A large chase from the boys in green resulted in outstanding pressure on BRA’s back three. A stoppage in play due to a knock on from BRA led to Down securing the put in for the scrum. A clever number eight pick from Zac Ward led to a dive between the posts, putting Down five points up against the home side. Patrick Browne easily converted.

A few phases later, after strong rucking from the Down front row consisting of Michael Harper, Sam Rickard and Rory Horder, possession was secured by the Down High boys. Yet again it was Zac Ward to make a break down the left wing fending off many tacklers on his bombardment to the line. Browne failed to convert.

Down High were now winning by twelve points to zero. Great credit should be awarded to Claytan Milligan, Lewis Canning, Andrew McCullough and Jonny McCoubrey for ferocious tackling throughout. However, Belfast Royal had some gas left in the tank and managed to outwit the Down defence and score their first converted try. 

After an inspiring half time talk from the Down High coach Mr Carson, the boys with renewed vigour once again made their way onto the pitch knowing that BRA would be giving the second half their all. Tensions were high amongst the players but good discipline from both teams enabled the game to flow well. Great kicking from the skipper Patrick Browne and full-back William Annett offered Down High numerous opportunities to score. Eventually William Annett secured the third try after a few great phases of play from Down which Browne effortlessly converted.

Even though Down’s pack were by far the lighter, every lineout, maul and scrum was dominated by the boys in green. A magnificent team effort was put in place by a turnover at the breakdown leading to outside centre Jonny McCoubrey diving for Down’s final try of the match. Browne failed to convert. 

With three minutes left to play BRA dug deep and managed to find the inner strength to deliver their second converted try of the match. Commendation must be given to prop Michael Harper who unfortunately had to leave the field due to a leg injury after putting in a fantastic performance throughout. Man of the match went to Lewis Canning.

Medallion B Team Match Report

Down Highs B team had their first game of the year this weekend against BRA. The final result was a 17-0 victory for the Down High B’s after a hard fought match from both sides.

The match started with Down Highs wing, Angus Ferris, getting unfortunately injured but thankfully one of BRA’s subs came on for Down High. Angus was thankfully not badly hurt and later came back on.

The Down High boys took two tries in the first half after scrumhalf Ewan McCartney kicked it into touch numerous times on BRA’s 5-meter line. Down High won these lineouts, then powered through to the try line thanks too the two strong carries’ from Alasdair Ross and Thomas McGarry.

BRA came back hard and pushed Down High back to their 5-meter line but with superb defense in the back line with big tackles by Haslett and Brown, preventing BRA from crossing the try line. It was close but Down Highs forwards showed there strength by pushing them back in ruck after ruck until they finally managed to turn it over and was cleared by a solid kick by George McVeigh.

The second half was a back and forth between the two sides forwards with runs by Nathan Rogerson, John Mahon and Ryan Hull getting shut down by the defense of BRA. Down High were hard pressed in the scrums and rucks but BRA were kept at bay by solid tackles from Mark Herron and Thomas McGarry.

As it was approaching the end of the match Down High had pushed into BRA’s half. One last run was made by Alasdair Ross when the opening was spotted which secured Down High one last try which was converted by McCartney to bring the final score to 17-0 after a well fought game.

Man of the Match : Mark Herron

On the 12th of october, the Down High Medallion XV made the long bus journey up to Portadown on a crammed team bus. This was the first time that this side had played a Portadown College team so they approached the match with an air of caution as they had received a wake up call from Freinds in a mid-week fixture in which they narrowly won. However, the conditions were not in they're favour as the length of the grass in some areas of the pitch exceeded fifteen centimetres and flanked Lewis Canning had come across a golf ball in twenty two metre area during the team warm up. However, this didn't dampen the boys desire to win this fixture.

Down High received the kick off and after a shaky start they managed to go through a number of phases which led to the first try being scored by out half Paddy Browne. As the match progressed Down High where clearly shown as the dominant team but lost the ball in contact a few times which led to a number of scrums. However, there was no need to worry for the County Down side dominated every scrum due to a huge performance from the whole pack (particularly the front row) especially Nathan Rogerson who refused to take a backward step in each and every scrum. This dominance led to further trys from Zac Ward, Angus Ferris, William Annett, Andrew McCullough and Jonny McCoubrey. However, after a lot of Portadown pressure, they crossed the line to produce the first down point in this encouraging first half.

The second half began with Down High kicking deep into the Portadown half. Hard, first up tackles from Sam Richard, Rory Horder and Jonny Mccoubrey meant that Portadown where on the back foot for the whole match. The Down High lineout also functioned superbly well with Kaho Yim and Matthew Porter taking clean ball and presenting nicely for scrum half Terry Hutley. Porter also played supremely well in the middle of the park as he stole many balls from the Portadown forwards along with Clayton Milligan and Zac Ward. As the match progressed, the Down High backs where getting quick ball and where playing extremely well as they took the ball from depth and at pace. This go-forward ball led to some great trys from Clayton Milligan, William Annett and Ronan Patterson who moved up from a strong U14 side and played well. As the match drew to a close, Down High where playing some of the best and most exciting rugby they had played all season and a great try involving a backs move was ! scored by Andrew McCullough which finished off a great match from the boys in green.

The Down High coaches were very happy with the exciting and intelligent performance that the boys produced and the team where also thrilled about the manner in which they won. They look forward to the rest of the season.

Friends 7 Down High 14 Friends
This was a long anticipated game having lost to friends the previous year, Down High were looking for a good result. The first half began with Down High playing against the wind. Friends were a strong side as the play was mostly in the Down High half. The Down forwards pushed hard but to no avail as Friends were relentless. A strong kick from Paddy Browne was read by Friend’s number 11, who ran on to score the first try of the match, this was then converted. The Down High pack was dominant in scrums but they just could not seem to hold on to the ball. This was not the first half Down High wanted or needed.

A strong and encouraging talk from the coaches at half time brought Down High back with renewed vigour, the forwards were on fire with a great run from Zac Ward off the first kick, with quick ball from ruck Claytan Milligan used footwork to get himself over the line, this was then converted by Paddy Browne. 

With great tackling from Rory Horder and Kaho Yim Down High retained possession. Once again a great scrum from Down High with Sam Rickard and Michael Harper pushing hard gave another opening for an 8 pick, a great chance that was foiled by Friend’s great defensive line. Down High worked quickly to get the ball back with fearsome tackling, Down High advanced with many pick and drives. This brought Down High to Friends 5 metre line, a basic two vs one with Claytan Milligan and William Anett gave William the chance to dive over the line. This was then converted by Paddy Browne . With strong defence Down High held of the Friends attacks until the end of the game, with great play from Down High in the second half. 

Man of the match Claytan Milligan

Grosvenor Medallion 5- 52 Down High Medallion

After a flattering result the previous week against Larne Grammar School, the Down High Medallion squad travelled to Grosvenor hoping to carry a tough week of training onto the pitch. 

Paddy Browne began the match with a hanging kick deep into the Grosvenor pack with the Down High forwards following eagerly. Continuous pressure in Grosvenor’s half led to a charge down by Lewis Canning, which he finished himself to score the opening try. Browne converted with no difficulty.

A slow reset in the Down defence allowed Ben Davison to power over to bring Grosvenor back into the game. The try wasn’t converted.

Further tries from Claytan Milligan, Jack Gibson and Jonny Mccoubrey gave Down High the confidence to play quality rugby. Paddy Browne safely converted all of three of these tries.

Throughout the first half Grosvenor had their fair share of attacking chances, but a consistent brick wall defence made sure there were no more tries for the Belfast school.

The half ended as 26-5 giving Grosvenor plenty to talk about but coach Mr Carson was convinced that Down High could do one better in the second half.

The second half opened with smart attacking from Down High, eventually leading to a debut try from Andrew McCullough. William Annett is owed credit for his timing in the offload. Browne failed to convert.

Even though their attack was thriving, with many strong carries from Zac Ward, Down didn’t let their defence slip. The forwards managed to hold up Grosvenor’s attempts at scoring over the line whilst Jonny Mccoubrey, Sam Rickard and Lewis Canning made aggressive upfront tackles.

The tries continued to add to the scoreboard with Terry Hutley, Marcus Graham and Paddy Browne all getting over the Grosvenor try line. The fly-half converted all three closing tries. 

This match was won through the contribution of all 23 squad members with the forwards dominating a pack larger than themselves and the back line looking dangerous throughout the game.

Man of the Match: Jonny Mccoubrey and Zac Ward

Down High Medallion 48 -0 Larne Grammar Medallion

Down High's Medallions marched out of the changing rooms on Saturday morning to face the opposition from Larne. After many previous victories against Larne and no defeats, the Down boys wanted to keep that slate clean. 

The coin toss was won by Down, this led to captain Paddy Browne slotting the ball directly deep into Larne's forwards, the Down boys pressed up and it was Zac Ward to make the opening tackle. Within a few phases, the ball was stolen at the breakdown and Down once again had possession of the ball. Great handling skills by the backs were able to send the ball wide and run in the first try for Down. 

Great tackling off the scrum by Lewis Canning was putting the opposing halfbacks under pressure leading to many dropped passes. Larne struggled to hold on to the ball when they had crucial opportunities to spread the ball and score. Down's scrum was a major role in this game with many of which, Down High's Michael Harper was able to hook back and steal the ball for Down. 

Being early in the season and new to lifting in line outs, both teams were a little under pressure. However, solid lifts by Sam Rickard and Michael McDowell were able to send up players to steal the ball from the opposition. Many tries were scored during the game, by players such as William Annett, Lewis Canning, Jack Gibson, Claytan Milligan, Jonny McCoubrey and Marcus Graham however Larne did not quite manage to cross Down High's line. Special mention must be given to Jack Gibson as he managed to catch an in-play kick from Larne in his own 22 and manage to outpace the opposition the whole way back to their try line without even being touched. 

Man of the match:  Lewis Canning