Armagh Royal 1stXV vs ERGS
28 September 2019
Three years ago Armagh Royal won the Ulster Schools Medallion Shield, (U16s), that team has now matured into favourites for this season’s Ulster Schools Cup. Playing at home against a younger ERGS team, Armagh’s rugby demonstrated the benefits of those years playing together. They retained possession well and, with their heavier pack and slicker backs, they looked the stronger side in the early part of the match.
During the first quarter the referee awarded a penalty against ERGS for “foul language” and the home side kicked for touch deep into Enniskillen’s half. From the line-out they set up a series of drives for the line. ERGS successfully defended 10 phases before the Armagh’s loose head powered over the whitewash. Their out-half converted for an early 7 point lead.
For the next 10 minutes the two sides tested their opposing back three with kicks behind the back line. In retrieving one kick, ERGS full back, Stuart Brown, weaved his way up to halfway. From the ensuing ruck ERGS moved the ball wide through their hands, first to one wing and then back to the other where their captain, Robbie Mills, managed an athletic off-load out of the tackle to his number 8, Callum Smyton. Smyton easily evaded the full back and ran in from 40 metres. Out-half, Eddie Keys, made good the conversion to level the score at 7 all.
Armagh struck back when their out-half put a penalty kick down inside the visitor’s 5 metre line. From the line-out the home side moved the ball through three quick phases before their powerful number 8 drove over for their second converted try. While the first half finished with some scrappy play by both teams it was Armagh who made the territorial gain. Once they were down on the ERGS line they didn’t let the opportunity slip and, led by their two props, they forced their way over for another try. Their out-half converted and the score at half time read Armagh 21, ERGS 7.
The second half opened with ERGS playing some expansive rugby only to be let down by handling errors before they could turn good play into points. Armagh were more clinical and scored a fourth try when their speedy left wing chased a kick from his outside centre. He overtook the two Enniskillen centres to touch the ball down just ahead of them. The conversion was missed and the game continued with ERGS maintaining an aggressive, attacking rugby. They mixed forward and back moves with some deft kicking and soon had Armagh pinned inside their 22m line. The pack pounded the home try line before going wide through two long passes by Matthew Balfour and Eddie Keys to leave right wing, Sam Balfour, just enough room to dart through for a try in the corner. Keys kicked a long-range effort from the touch line to bring the score to 26 points to 14.
Just when the visitors could see the possibility of a late comeback Armagh close the door with another well worked try. They moved the ball to alternative wings before out-flanking ERGS to score an unconverted try and leave a 17 point gap between the teams. ERGS will have taken some consolation from the final try, a training ground beauty! From a scrum just inside the Armagh half the two Enniskillen centres appeared to run a simple dummy switch but Keys picked out full back, Brown, coming fast from deep. Brown raced through the gap left by the Armagh centres, who had tracked their opposite numbers, and he finished the move by rounding the unfortunate Armagh full back to score ERGS third try.
The final score was 31-19 for Armagh who were deserved winners. They were a well-rounded, mature side with a wide armoury of attack options and a solid defence. ERGS might well cite the journey, the absence of a couple of key players and the delicate sensibilities of the referee, (who ended up awarding two more penalties and a yellow card against ERGS for “foul language”), but in truth, Armagh were the stronger side on the day and justified their position as Cup favourites. Despite this, ERGS competed well and showed more than enough to suggest that, come the end of the season, they could, very possibly, close that gap.
ERGS Try scorers:- Callum Smyton, Sam Balfour & Stuart Brown.
Conversions:- Eddie Keys (2)
