Ballymena Academy memories in the past as Bryan Young plots Dalriada's Schools' Cup progress
Former Ireland and Ulster prop Bryan Young played in two Schools’ Cup finals for Ballymena Academy - now, as coach of Dalriada, he’s plotting to knock last year’s beaten finalists out of this season’s competition at the first hurdle.
“I was fortunate, I captained Ballymena Academy to a final at Ravenhill in 1999, got beaten by Campbell with Scott Young, Mike McComish and those sorts of boys,” said Young. “I got to the final the following year with Matt McCullough and Ian Humphreys against a Belfast Inst side that had Roger Wilson and Andrew Maxwell.
““From a period of underachievement in Ballymena Academy, rugby was starting to grow and Ballymena Academy have continued on with that with consistent level of performance and results in the Schools’ Cup, which is great to see for that north region.
“I had great experiences but just managed never to win the thing (but) going through that with lifelong friends was great.”
“I have great memories and great cup memories with Ballymena Academy, I always thought it would be good to draw Coleraine or Ballymena Academy at home.
“To get a chance to play against a top-six team is one that I want, I want them to test themselves and I want them to understand what it is like for them to be a top-six school, to compete against them and push them, to perform and see what happens.
“A home draw is crucial, especially with experience, our boys haven’t had to go to one of the top-six teams so trying to replicate that leading up to something is difficult.
“Ballymena always produce lots of players, I know John (Nichol) really well and I know the school really well, they fill the age grade with lots of talent, they get really good coaching.
“Our goal was to get into the last 16 and I firmly believe that my team is a top-16 side, we made it hard for ourselves to get in but we got in and now you get excited.
“You want to be home, but it is just the test against the best schools in Ulster, we’ll prepare well and we just want to go and perform and the outcome will be what it should be based on performance.”
Young knows the complexities of educational needs and trying to build a rugby squad at the school.
“It is really difficult, Dalriada is a high-achieving academic school and that is the priority, and I have always understood that,” he said. “It does have a massive impact on our intake, where the really good Ballymoney mini-players end up going to school, a lot of them will go to the grammar.
“It’s challenging and it is difficult for you to build a really strong senior group with three good years consistently but that is what it is all about.
“I want the kids to learn through sport, build resilience and find solutions for things because I feel that is very important in life moving forward.
“I accept the most important thing the school stands for and that is academics, we love sport and we love being successful in sport but not at the cost of that and it is up to me to bridge the gap as much as I can and make sure the kids have a really good experience through school and through sport.
“It is always challenging but we are looking forward now to a big last-16 Schools’ Cup match at home for the first time in seven years.”
He added: “In my first year at the school we beat Coleraine in the third round and then got Methody at home...that exceptional Methody team with Ethan McIlroy, they went on to win the cup but we gave them a hell of a game.
“That is all I ask the boys to do...give the best they can possibly give, you can either step back and be proud of that or you win.”
Dalriada had to beat Royal School Dungannon in their last group game to reach the knockout stages and Young is hoping with three games already under their belt will stand them in good stead.
“The groups provide a cup experience, our boys have had two away matches and one home match where they were under pressure,” he said. “They were beaten away by a good Banbridge side they had to get four tries and the bonus point and score points so that kind of prepares you for cup rugby a little bit...it doesn’t prepare you for a high-physical, high-quality intensive match week-on-week that the big six schools have.
“I have to manage my resources in ways to make sure I have my best available because that is the only way we can compete.
“It is going to be interesting and it is something that the boys are going to be really excited for and I’ll be excited for.”