Schools' Cup final for 'absolutely ecstatic' Campbell College after Belfast joy over Methody
Campbell College forwards coach Richard Boyd praised his side’s clinical finishing as they edged Methody by three points for 24-21 in the Schools’ Cup semi-final.
“That’s probably been a wee bit of our Achilles heel at times, actually,” he said. “Last time we played Methody in Portugal we were very clinical, we were the same again today...something we've worked really hard on over the past two or three weeks to make sure when we get into that score zone, we get the points on the board.
“I thought we showed real patience and maturity in there, we stuck to tasks and stuck to the game plan but, at key moments, we got points.
“In any cup game getting points at the right time is really important and that penalty in the second half just took us away to give us a wee bit of breathing space.
"But, credit to Methody, they come back at us and they show great resilience and fight as you'd expect from any team coached by Nicky (Wells).”
Boyd was delighted to edge the tight game and book a place in the St Patrick’s Day final against either RBAI or Ballymena Academy.
“I thought the boys really stood up there, it was a really tough match,” he said. “I thought Methody, as expected, very physical, came at us hard at the breakdown and the maul but I thought our boys showed real resilience.
"They stuck together...just really proud of the effort, how we stuck in.
“I just thought some of our Upper Sixth boys really helped to steer us home, that experience that they have and a lot of guys having experience here on this pitch before was important as well.
“Those who have played for us in the 18s and 19s has helped in terms of our prep, that experience to help us get us over the line.
“Really proud of the boys, I thought they were excellent and really stuck to the task.
“Campbell College want to be fighting at finals and semi-finals...that's where we want to be, it still means an awful lot to these guys.”
“They'll be absolutely ecstatic and then looking forward to the final now, they've trained hard right since we got together back in May, June last year and they've stuck to what we've put together in terms of our ethos and what we're about.”
CAMPBELL COLLEGE: (15-9) Leo Graham, Harry Wells, Paul Henry (captain) Rus Lovo, Jack Best, James Wells; (1-8) Caellan Doy Dolan, David Nelson, Connor McKinney, Raanan Potter, Charlie Best, Rory Adair, Ruairi Parks, Dante Noel Simmons.
Replacements: Dylan Armstrong, Tom Alexander, Harry Burrows, Theo Scott, Fraser Campbell, Ollie Larkin, Isaac Hatch, Zach Thompson
METHODY: (15-9) Peter Molloy, Sam Nixon, Peter Lindsay, Callum Largey, Isaac Bell, Louis Curran, Alex Turkington; (1-8) Louis Vericat (captain), Alex O’Hagan, Oliver McCay, Oliver Godfrey, James Reid, Ruairi Kennedy, Harry Doherty
Replacements: Noah Davey, Paul Stevenson, Hugh Waterworth, Zach Neill, Charlie McCleery, Zandrei Salazar, Brody Magowan Gould, Ranzi Qutterineh.