Ritchie McMaster's Campbell College relishing Belfast derby date across first Schools' Cup test
Campbell College – first-round victims to RBAI across each of the past two Schools’ Cup campaigns - face a different Belfast test this weekend when Ritchie McMaster’s players travel to tackle BRA.
Campbell have won the Subsidiary Shield across the last two season but McMaster, in his first season as head coach, wants a prolonged run in the main competition.
“It isn’t Inst this year – that would have been three years in a row - but it is a really tough challenge to head away to BRA (Belfast Royal Academy) in the first round...a team we have gotten to know pretty well over the last few years,” said McMaster. “We had a really tough ding-dong battle with them earlier in the season and they have a couple of really good rugby players, especially captain Conor McVicker.
“It is another big derby and games between any Belfast teams always attract a little bit more attention...it will give our boys something to get their teeth into and really focus the minds, our supporters will look forward to it as well.”
Campbell have won 10 of their 12 games going into the tournament and drew the last warm-up outing against Leinster’s Clongowes Wood.
“I’m really happy with how we have gone,” said McMaster. “I couldn’t be prouder of how the boys have applied themselves and we are in a good position to attack Saturday.
“We have a nice blend, just over half are Upper Sixth then a nice group of Lower Sixth, two or three fifth years...glad to have our captain Paul Henry back in the mix, he played for Ulster Schools last summer.”
It may be McMaster’s first campaign in the hot-seat but he has a wealth of experience personally and with the rest of the coaching ticket.
“I have been well supported by Richard Boyd, he’s doing the forwards and defence,” said McMaster. “I’m doing the backs and attack...we have a really good backroom staff, it has been a great year so far and it has been really nice to put my own stamp on things.
“We've all played in big Schools’ Cup games before...it's more about managing the expectation and the nerves of the boys as it is anything else.”
SCHOOLS’ CUP: Belfast Royal Academy v Campbell College, Royal School Dungannon v Rainey Endowed, Ballymena Academy v Portadown College, Regent House v Ballyclare High School, Sullivan Upper v Down High School, Royal School Armagh v Wallace High School, Friends v Methody, RBAI v Coleraine Grammar