RBAI captain Fraser Cunningham confident defending champions have peaked ahead of Schools' Cup final

The Belfast city centre school are looking for a 35th win in the competition and Cunningham, who was part of last year’s dramatic injury-time victory over Campbell, knows what it takes to get over the line.

“I think we have shown what we can do throughout the whole competition, try to improve and get better every game,” Cunningham said.

“It is one of the things we try and do through the years, to try and get better every game and it has worked so far and see if it works in the final.

“I think that is the thing we have over other schools is that we really haven’t dipped; Banbridge had a really strong year, Wallace beat us earlier in the year and Campbell is a strong rugby school, so you have never had the dip in standards or a dip in intensity.

"We just really got into it from the get go, which was good,” he added.

“I don’t know if I’d say we weren’t challenged, but the amount of work that we put in during the week shows on whatever day we play, the work we do on a Monday, Wednesday and a Saturday is going to pay off in the end and it has done in the results.

“No disrespect to all teams, we have worked hard and come through those games.”

Ulster and Ireland full-back Will Addison has been part of the Inst coaching ticket this season and Cunningham feels he has brought a new dimension to the school’s back play.

“Will has been great in terms of the backs and getting us into that mindset that you have as a professional player,” he said.

“He has really helped us and upped the standard – credit to Will he has come in and completely changed the way some of the boys play as how we go about as backs and we are a completely different team as to what we were last year.”

Cunningham only transferred to RBAI in fourth year but does understand what the Schools’ Cup means to the school.

“I joined the school in fourth year, so I didn’t feel that pressure coming through Inchmarlo or the juniors,” he said.

“In 2017 I was at the final, you can see how much it means to the boys on the pitch and in the stand as well. There is a real culture around the school as well and it’s one of the things we talk about in the rugby club of how we need to uphold that culture and adhere to it.

“The pressure of having to perform is never really there, obviously there is an expectation that you perform on a weekly basis but if there are dips in standards or in performance you are not judged on those by anyone in the school. There is a real togetherness which brings you through that hard time.”

Cunningham feels playing GAA prepped him perfectly for rugby.

“I played a bit of GAA for Eire Og in Lurgan and I think that has really helped with my rugby, the fitness and physicality of it, it is a tough sport,” he continued.

“It definitely helps; the skills are transferable, catching and kicking the ball you are going to be able to do them from GAA and it has really helped.

“This year I have concentrated more on the rugby because the Ulster and Ireland stuff stretches over the summer, so I didn’t have much time to play Gaelic.”