Schools' Cup pride driving force in 'bottom 10 per cent' Armagh's Royal bid to build on rich history

The Orchard County students face Wallace High School in the St Patrick’s Day decider on Monday and coach Jonny Gilliespie feels the group games only helped his side sharpen up for the knockout phase of the high-profile competition.

“We were in it and we came through okay with no injuries,” he said. “It probably helped us this year because it got us into cup mode really early.

"So to come through it with three wins and a clean bill of health was really important and that allowed us to hit the ground running against Down High at the end of January once the knockout stuff kicked off.

“Maybe playing three games stood to us, I don’t know...we’ll have to analyse that at the end of the season.

"But it was good to get the cup campaign off the ground nice and early.”

Six of Armagh’s nine cup victories came in the first eight years of the competition and on Monday they will have a chance to surpass Coleraine and become the most successful school outside the Belfast big three in the tournament’s history.

“We don’t take days like that for granted, we are probably in the bottom 10 per cent of schools in terms of numbers,” said Gillespie. “So we have to maximise what we have.

"We have had to wait a wee while...2020 didn’t happen (due to Covid when Royal School Armagh and this year’s opponents, Wallace High School, were scheduled to meet in the final).

“So we have had to wait since 2004 (for the chance to play another Schools’ Cup final).

“There is no weight or expectation of pressure on us, it is just another game of rugby.

"And we’ll do our very best to win it.”

Gilliespie got his game plan right for Rainey Endowed in the last four.

“In fairness to Rainey, to beat Ballymena Academy at any level at any time is significant because they would have a little bit of cup experience and nous at that level, so to win that was huge for Rainey,” said Gillespie. “They came in with huge energy and expectation to put in a performance and they had the attributes to win the game.

"And our analysis on them was everything went through 10, he was an excellent kicker and his game-management was good.

"But we had a plan for that.

“What probably helped us on the day was we scored really early, that settled us and probably transferred a little bit of pressure back on to them.

“I was pleased with how we kicked on in the second half and handled the occasion quite well.”

Armagh have had plenty of practice on the artificial surface that they will encounter on Saturday.

“We have done a lot this year at Meadowbank and did a joint session at Newforge with Sullivan, so we try to pepper that in during the season as and when we can,” said Gillespie. “A local Irish League football club, Loughgall, have a 3G training area which they have been kind enough to let us use.

“We have had plenty of exposure to it and it probably suits us the way we try to play in terms of width and keeping the ball alive.

"It’s good to practice on it and we enjoy playing on the surface.”

Gillespie feels his side stand as underdogs going into the final.

“We’re very respectful of Wallace and what they have done...they have had some phenomenal results and they have beaten us already this season,” he said. “So they start in my eyes as favourites.

“That is up to us to close that gap and we will have a plan, of course.

"And we’ll just take the first 10 minutes and see how things go.

“They have four Irish schoolboys in their pack, they have lots of good athletes and they play good rugby and ‘Suff’ (coach Derek Suffern) has them well-drilled.

“We are there to execute our plan and be the best possible version of ourselves that we can be, we are under no illusions that it is going to be really tough.

"But we are excited for the challenge...this is why you play the game and train.

"To test yourself against the best and I think Wallace probably are this year...so let’s see how we get on.

“Once the first whistle goes it’s over to the boys, we just want to make ourselves proud, the school and the community proud.”