2020: 2ndXVSchoolsCupFinal: MCB V RBAI: 11 March 2020

MCB 16-17 RBAI
EXTENDED HIGHLIGHTS
2nd XV Schools Cup Final - Pirrie Park - 11 March 2020
11 March 2020 - and perhaps the last rugby game played before the Covid 19 pandemic brought a halt to nearly everything (including the Schools Cup Final on 17 March which was to have been between Wallace and Armagh) - saw MCB and RBAI fight it out for the 2nd XV Cup on a blustery and wet day at Pirrie Park.
MCB scored early (1:55) out on the left wing (not converted) before RBAI did likewise (7:40) to make it 5-7. Inst followed that up with a forward dominated try soon after (9:10) to make it 5-12 before half-time.
As weather conditions worsened MCB scored early in H2 (9:50) with a well taken try on the right wing - but the conversion was too difficult - score 10-12.
Sustained MCB pressure over the next ten minutes forced two penalties within kicking range and their No 12 converted both - giving MCB a 16-12 lead with 15 minutes of the game remaining.
There followed a lot of effort particularly from the two sets of forwards but as the end of the game loomed into view the tension and the weather conditions contributed to a stream of handling errors.
With just a couple of minutes left some foul play just inside the MCB half on the right side of the pitch gave Inst a final chance to find a saving try.
Their forwards managed to keep control of the ball right up to the MCB try line.
The referee called a penalty for offside in a ruck just before RBAI managed to get the ball over the try line in a pile-up!
The referee hunted through the bodies and decided the ball had been held up - but with penalty advantage - so the play came back to the 5-yard line.
With the very last play of the game RBAI took a tap on the 5 but they had to withstand more tough counter-rucking from MCB and it took them a number of rucking efforts to get back close to the try-line again.
Finally (21.30) the RBAI open-side Thomas Johnston found a gap left open by MCB around the side of a ruck and jumped through for the try. The conversion was missed but it didn't matter and RBAI ran out winners in dramatic fashion 16-17.