​Wonderful Wallace's landmark Schools’ Cup win

The Kingspan Stadium showpiece showdown was a repeat of the 2020 meeting cancelled due to Covid but Wallace, having been defeated in five previous finals, had their powerful forward pack laying the foundations to outscore Armagh by four tries to two.

Armagh took the lead in the fourth minute as out half Evan Hughes slotted a long-range penalty after Wallace had infringed at the breakdown.

However, the lead was short-lived, Armagh conceded a penalty from the restart and Wallace kicked to the corner. From the lineout, the Lisburn school’s forwards had several probes at the line, out half Quinn Armstrong was stopped going over by a powerful hit from Simon Gray but Wallace weren’t to be denied as loose head prop Rio McDonagh barged over from close range but Josh Geddis failed to convert.

The lead changed hands again in the 10th minute as Armagh got their first try, following a sustained period of pressure Huges produced a great offload out of a tackle to put centre Cameron Cunnings over with the out half adding the conversion.

Walace went to their power game and it paid dividends with a second try on 17 minutes. The forwards patiently battered at the line and, after multiple phases, Armagh ran out of defenders, allowing hooker James Gould to surge over from close range and Geddis knocked over the simple conversion.

On 28 minutes, Gould was put into open space and rampaged close to the Armagh line. After several phases, McDonagh squeezed under a pile of bodies to touch down, but Geddis missed the conversion.

Armagh wasted a great chance in the final minute of the first half as they created an overlap but centre Nathan Hamilton couldn’t get the try-scoring pass away to winger Ryan Hamilton and Wallace went into the interval with a 17-10 lead.

Wallace started the second half strongly but, following more powerful work from the forwards, they were held up over the try line.

Wallace added their fourth try on 43 minutes, they were awarded a penalty following a fracas in midfield which was kicked to touch. The pack drove for the line before centre Luke Dillon exploited a gap in the Armagh defence to dart over and Geddis added the conversion.

Armagh set up a grandstand finish as captain Thomas Dougan scored a try with 10 minutes remaining. The Orchard County school kicked a penalty to the corner, from the maul hooker Charlie Reaney nearly went over but was stooped short, the ball was quickly recycled for Dougan to barge over but replacement Adam Harrison failed with the conversion.

Wallace should have put the icing on the cake with a fifth try two minutes from the end as a powerful run through midfield created a overlap on the right side but the backs, in their eagerness, knocked on.

Wallace winger Joshua Booth nearly added another try with the final play of the game as he pounced on a loose ball in midfield and sprinted for the try line but was bungled into touch.

ROYAL SCHOOL ARMAGH: T Morris, R Hamilton, N Hamilton, C Cummings, Z Majid, E Hughes, W Boyd; A Stinson, C Reaney, C Dale, H Dougan, J Reid, B Russell, S Gray, T Dougan (captain).

Replacements: M George, H Hutchinson, B Todd, I Kingston, F Starrett, R Finlay, A Harrison, M Watterson.

WALLACE HIGH SCHOOL: J Geddis, D Wilson, L Dillon, H Daniel, J Booth, Q Armstrong, A Stevenson;

R McDonagh, J Gould, O Fitzsimmons, R Ewing, M McCavery, B Moore, J Rodgers (captain), S Warwick.

Replacements: O Cole, D Macklin-Copeland, J Furphy, C Thompson, C Harper, J Curran, C Dawson-Stirling, E Harris.

Referee: P Martin