Wallace's Derek Suffern relishing Schools' Cup final step in players' journey

The Lisburn school did share the title in 2020 when the final – against this year’s opponents – was postponed due to Covid.

That Wallace team in 2020 contained the likes of Scott Wilson, Charlie Irvine, Reuben Crothers, Nathan Doak and Ben Carson.

Now coach Derek Suffern is looking forward instead of looking back.

“It was disappointing for those guys individually," said Suffern of the Covid-impacted missed opportunity. “It is a testament to them how good they were back then.

"There are three, four, five of them on full-time contracts now.

"Charlie Irvine was in that group the year below and those guys have gone on to do good things with Ulster, so we are really pleased with that.

“Maybe some of the guys in this group can go on and do the same thing.

"There are quite a few of the guys who have played representative stuff.”

Suffern is keen to keep the attention on the current panel’s potential over the past.

“This group is on its own journey,” he said. “Five years ago doesn’t mean anything to these guys...they may have been potentially in the crowd.

“It is a totally new group on a new journey trying to achieve their own goals.

“I don’t think it is a monkey on the back (no outright win), it is a totally different year group.

"A lot of players who have come through the school are very good rugby players.”

“As the records show, it is very difficult to beat the Belfast schools...they are always in semi-finals and finals.

"So, no matter what side we have it is always tough to beat them.

“That is one thing that has stopped us winning those games...we have always been drawn against those schools.

"The ball is in our court now and we have an opportunity and this group is just driven to achieve its own goals.

“We are looking forward to the final on Monday, we have a good group of players here.

"Our Upper Sixth have been strong throughout the school.

“We have had three hard fixtures.

"One against Enniskillen away, the quarter final against RBAI at home and a semi-final against BRA.

"Three really good sides and I think we have come through all those games very well and obviously won them all and got ourselves to the final.

“I’m really excited and looking forward to the challenge that Armagh are going to bring.”

Wallace stopped RBAI’s bid for three consecutive titles in the last eight.

“That was a big day for us, they had beaten us in the last few years in semi-finals and stuff," said Suffern. “The excitement for that game around the school and within the player group was absolutely massive.

"And we produced a really good performance.

“We managed the game well, kicked very well and kept them at distance and put in a really strong defensive performance against a really top Inst team.

"And you don’t beat them very often, so we took great confidence from that, to be honest.”

Suffern was delighted with the ruthlessness of his side’s attack in the semi-final against BRA.

“I suppose the BRA performance we got five entries into the 22 and scored on five occasions and defensively we managed to hold them out for long periods,” he said. “They had a very good tactical kicking game against us.

"But I thought we coped very well and got a good result in the end.”

Suffern know the threats Armagh will provide.

“We played Armagh earlier in the year and while it was tight we won it in the end," he said. “We know them, the guys will have played them through school in the Medallion and bits and pieces.

"We know it is going to be a very good challenge.

“They are well-coached, it will be a tough challenge and we are looking forward to it.”

The Wallace pack has been instrumental in getting the side to the St Patrick’s Day decider.

“Our front row and back row are all representative players," said Suffern. “And they are certainly producing good performances.

“Our front row and their ball-carrying against BRA was very good, our backrow defensively just get through a lot of work.

"They are an intelligent backrow and a pleasure to work with.”

The semi-final squads listed were as follows:

ROYAL SCHOOL ARMAGH: Alex Stinson, Charlie Reaney, Cameron Dale, Harry Dougan, James Reid, Bailey Russell, Sam Gray, Thomas Dougan, Will Boyd, Evan Hughes, Zakir Majid, Cameron Cummings, Nathan Hamilton, Ryan Hamilton, Tristan Morris, Matthew George, Harry Hutchinson, Ben Todd, Isaac Kingston, Finlay Starrett, Reuben Finlay, Adam Harrison, Paddy Seweryn.

WALLACE HIGH SCHOOL: Rio McDonagh, James Gould, Ollie Fitzsimmons, Rhys Ewing, Michael McCavery, Ben Moore, Jon Rodgers, Sam Warwick, Alex Stevenson, Quinn Armstrong, Joshua Booth, Harry Daniel, Luke Dillon, Daniel Wilson, Josh Geddis, Odhran Cole, Daniel Macklin-Copeland, James Furphy, Charlie Thompson, Charlie Harper, James Curran, Corey Dawson-Stirling, Elliot Harris.