Royal School Armagh will host Wallace in the last 16 of the Schools’ Cup on the penultimate Saturday in January.

The tie is a repeat of last year’s final which the Lisburn school won, and Armagh coach Jonny Gillespie is just happy his side came out of the hat first.

“Looking forward to it, glad it is at home, that's always preferable,” he said. “We know Wallace quite well, we played them recently, so we're excited for the challenge, it should be good.

“There hasn’t been a big turnover in personnel from the side that reached the St Patrick’s day decider last season.

placeholder image — Royal School Armagh and Wallace High played each other in the Schools' Cup final this year

“Not too bad, as usual, six or so have gone and in that, real quality, but we've been going okay this year. The boys have stepped up quite well, I wouldn't call it a transition year, but the players that have come in have all cup experience.

“So, we're excited with the group that we have. We're looking forward to getting some good work done over Christmas, then we'll see where it takes us in January and February.”

Gillespie won’t be using last year as a motivating factor for the current crop of players.

He added: “Park it completely. It was the same last year – people wanted to talk about 2020 which had no meaningful impact on anybody involved in either squad.

“Once full-time went on Paddy’s Day last year, that was it done and dusted. [We will] review it obviously but that will be a completely different team with different threats and different opportunities, as we will to them.

“It's done and dusted, we won't speak of it again.”

After a difficult fixture list Gillespie knows his side will be ready for the defending champions in the new year.

“We've had five really tough games back-to-back, away from home – probably narrow losses – but all okay, we’re there, or thereabouts.

“We've refreshed our fixture list this year because we're seeded again.

“We had a good experience down in Belvedere. We've ran Inst reasonably close, we’ve ran Wallace reasonably close, but all away from home.

“We know we're not a million miles away from where we'd like to be, but at the same time, we know Wallace will be a huge threat come last-16 and they'll be very well coached, as usual.

“We're going okay, but there's lots we can improve on this too,” Gillespie added.

“Our fixture list is dynamic, it changes year-to-year. We play top six, we play non-top six, we play Dublin, we play teams from Limerick, and that all adds into the tapestry of the season and the different levels of experience.

“The Wallace fixture now just sits in isolation. We'll build up as we normally do, we'll prepare for them in the normal way.

“To be honest, it's important to take a bit of downtime over the next two weeks and not work too hard now because you don't want to play and lose a cup in December. It's still six weeks away.

“There's loads of time, we've got to get physically ready, we've got to make sure boys are working in school, doing their bits and pieces to keep their academics up.

"Come the last 16, I have no doubt both schools will be ready to go.”

Draw for last 16 to be played on or before Saturday, January 24:

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