29 / 66
Neill Alcorn, Darren McGuigan and Neal Johnston
for their work in previous years as well as the 2016
coaching team of Zoe Templeton, David Chambers,
Charlie Farrell and manager Jemma Jackson. Thanks
also go to Portadown RFC and Armagh RFC who made
their facilities available for squad training sessions and
matches. A special word of thanks must also go to the
parents of the players who travel far and wide to enable
their daughters to train and play.
U18 GIRL’S INTERPROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP
RESULTS AND SCORERS.
Round 1:
Ulster 10 Leinster 5
Tries:
Neve Jones, Kelly McCormill:
Round 2:
Connacht 5 Ulster 34
Tries:
Neve Jones 2, Caoilinn McCormack, Leah
McGoldrick.
Cons:
Lisa Mullen 3.
Pen:
Lisa Mullen.
Round 3:
Ulster 20 Munster 8
Tries:
Claire Boles, Neve Jones, Brittany Hogan.
Con:
Lisa Mullen
Pen:
Lisa Mullen
ULSTER JUNIORS
Ulster found themselves with an exciting new coaching
team for the 2017 Interprovincial Series. New head
coach Richard Boyd of Coleraine was given the
opportunity to work with the best of the talent in the
Kukri Ulster Championship and brought in Michael
Ferguson to assist with the forwards and Robert Ford to
work with the backs. Six weeks of intensive preparation
would test the resolve of the new young playing squad.
With as many as twenty one new caps by the end of
the campaign, Ulster opened the series at Randalstown
RFC on Saturday 29th April against reigning champions
Munster, a team who are traditionally renowned for their
abrasive and physical style of rugby.
The Ulster forwards, led by Captain Chris Nash,
imposed themselves on the opposition pack in the first
quarter, with the lineout functioning particularly well
thanks to great work in the air by Josh Christie and
Brian Hughes. The large crowd had to wait twenty
eight minutes for the first points of the game. Scrumhalf
Allen McCluggage was aware of the space behind the
Munster defence, his kick turned their cover and winger
Mitchell McComb showed his footballing skills and pace
to touch down for an excellent try. McCluggage added
the points to give Ulster a well deserved 7-0 lead. Boyd
made use of his bench by introducing forwards Alan
Ferguson, Toby Mannus and Jason Gilliland as the
Ulster forwards continued to dominate their Munster
counterparts. However, Munster responded with a
penalty, and turned round only four points behind.
Despite a swirling wind in the first half, the conditions
appeared to favour Ulster as the second half kicked
off. Ulster gained the initiative early in the half, with
McCluggage kicking two penalties to increase his
team’s lead. The Ulster back row of Hughes, Andy
McKeen and the formidable Andrew Kelly got through
an enormous amount of work both in defence and
attack. With just minutes remaining, Ulster got
their reward when second row Christie showed his
athleticism to storm in from the 22 metre line for a well-
deserved try. McCluggage added the conversion. The
forwards laid a great platform for the team to play with
a high tempo and with a strong bench of replacements
to call upon to maintain that pace and intensity, Munster
struggled to match the Ulstermen who won by 20-3.
On Saturday 6th May, Ulster travelled to Ballina RFC
to play Connacht. Ulster flew out of the blocks and
produced a scintillating first half of rugby. Playing
against a stiff breeze, Richard Boyd’s side had a twenty
four point lead to show for their dominant opening
forty minutes. Back row Brian Hughes was on the end
of two flowing moves to touch down twice, with Mikey
Poskitt converting one of them to give Ulster a 12-0
lead after ten minutes. Not to be outdone, fellow back
rower Andy McKeen quickly got in on the try scoring
action, again converted by Poskitt. Powerful driving
play by the pack and some skilful interplay by the
three-quarters was proving too much for Connacht as
Ulster won the collisions and took all their opportunities.
Out half Bokkie Carstens having scored Ulster’s fourth
try, converted by Poskitt and half back partner Ryan
Garrett, controlled the game effectively as Ulster
continued to make light of the breeze. Ulster showed
some sterling defensive qualities leading up to the end
of the first period, with Gareth Beattie and Andrew Kelly
to the fore. Ulster unfortunately lost fullback Phil Cartmill
to injury just before the break but they already had the
four try bonus point in the bag with their line intact.
Connacht rallied in the second half and came back
strongly as they made a number of changes to their
starting XV. However, Mikey Poskitt kept the scoreboard
ticking over and nudged home another penalty. Out
half Carstens scored Ulster’s fifth try of the afternoon,
Poskitt again slotting the easy conversion to make it
34-0. Connacht did score a very late consolation try,
intercepting the ball close to their own line as Ulster
pressed yet again. They very nearly went the full length
of the pitch but for the determination of three Ulster
covering defenders. Connacht did manage to recycle
the ball and score in the corner for an unconverted try,
leaving the final score 34-5.
The following Saturday, 13th May, Ulster travelled to
Longford RFC to play Leinster in the final game of the
series. As in their previous two games, Ulster played
into a very stiff wind in the first half. The Ulster forwards
demonstrated very early in the game that they had
complete control in the set piece, with the Ulster front
row of Nash, Whitley and Beattie totally dominant in
every scrum. The Ulster forwards were also well on top
at the lineout, picking off a number of Leinster throws
and retaining their own possession.
On seventeen minutes a Leinster line-out in the Ulster
22 was under severe pressure but somehow they won
very scrappy possession and managed to get over the
line for the opening score which went unconverted.
Ulster responded straight away, putting huge pressure
on the kick-off to regain the football. Eventually, after the
ball had gone through a number of hands, Neil Brown
scored in the corner. The tough conversion into the
wind was missed. On thirty one minutes a huge hit
by Ulster just inside the Leinster half saw the ball spill
27
27