Game 5: ERGS U13 22 vs. Rainey Endowed School 17
The fifth game of the season started was well fought between Enniskillen Royal Grammar School U13s and Rainey Endowed School. Both teams lined up with strong tacklers and hard running ball carriers spread through their lines. Enniskillen elected to kick off and Cameron Smith got the game running. Rainey secured the ball and fought their way up the pitch to the Enniskillen 22 through a series of rucks and line breaks. They lost the ball forward however and Enniskillen won their own scrum and regained much ground in a similar way.
Harvey Little and Louie Burns continually battered through Rainey defences and Tadgh Hambly continually sought to bring his back line into play. James Trotter and Alex Howe both ran well with the ball in hand and the wingers Jake Woods and Harry Parkinson also carried the ball further up the pitch.
The first try went to Enniskillen and the conversion saw them go 7 points up but Rainey soon came up with an answer to take it to 7-5. Billy Thompson and Will Kennedy were always visible in their efforts to tackle players and regain possession. Enda Love, James Morrison and Baden Johnston all played intelligently and sought to maintain Enniskillen momentum wherever possible.
Both teams scored once more in the first half. Rainey converted their score to leave the score boards level going into the break.
Patrick Williams at full back started the second half with some good tackling that stopped the initial Rainey attacks. With Daniel Balfour, Matthew Conlon and Thomas Coulson coming onto the pitch Enniskillen had the advantage of fresh legs and got another score to give themselves the lead. Isaac Johnston and Rhys Ritchie also contributed as Enniskillen moved to 22-12 after Noah Quigley made a surging run up the park.
The Rainey team recovered however and despite some good tackles scored once more to leave the final score at 22-17.
Enniskillen came out firing on all cylinders after the break and Jake Woods and Harvey Little both got scores finishing excellent phase play by both the forwards and backs. Alex Howe added two points to these tries with an excellently taken conversion.
Dungannon Royal School are the next opponents.
