Ulster Rugby Annual Report 2015 - 2016

In the Second Fifteen League Ballynahinch Seconds, with a 100% record, finished well clear of their nearest challengers Ballymena Seconds. Despite the presence of four A.I.L. Second Fifteens in the revamped Junior League, the Section One champions and winners of the Harden Cup were Ballynahinch Thirds who were chased all the way by Omagh Seconds. The winners of the other Junior Sections were Ballynahinch Fourths, Portadown Seconds, Ballynahinch Fifths and Belfast Harlequins Thirds, who fished joint top of Junior Four, Carrickfergus Thirds with nineteen wins from nineteen games and Dungannon Fourths. In the three Minor League Sections, the victors were Ballymoney Fourths, Clogher Valley Thirds and Ballynahinch Sevenths, the fifth Ballynahinch side to win its league. A complete listing of all league tables has been Ulster’s two highest ranked A.I.L. clubs met in the final of the First Trust Senior Cup. In a closely fought match, Ballynahinch defended the trophy which they had won last season, defeating Ballymena by nineteen points to ten at the Kingspan Stadium. Two nights previously, in an even tighter affair, Bangor had squeezed home by only two points against holders Instonians in the final of the Millar McCall Wylie Junior Cup, also played under the Kingspan lights. The closeness of this result, added to the fact that Instonians beat Bangor in both of their league matches before progressing to the Ulster Bank All Ireland Cup final, reproduced later in the report. Domestic Cup Competitions

provided ample evidence that there was very little to choose between the two sides. The Powerade Towns Cup, played at the Kingspan Stadium on its traditional Eater Monday in front of an excellent crowd, was also won by Bangor. Underdogs and surprise finalists Enniskillen, from Qualifying Two, looked to be down and out at half time. However, showing tremendous character, and no small amount of skill, they staged a fantastic second-half comeback and were only trailing by six points when the referee drew an end to proceedings, much to the relief of the large Bangor support. If ever there was a game which showed that Qualifying Rugby is alive and well, this was it. Congratulations to both sides. The following week, Cooke, losing finalists the previous season, recorded a 29-22 victory against Malone Seconds to win the McCrea Cup in another very entertaining game. For the third time in as many seasons, the Qualifying Three champions reached the final of the Gordon West Cup, and for the third time in succession they lost. Lurgan, who had finished sixty points behind Limavady in the league, shocked the league champions and defending cup holders by coming from behind to win a thrilling match by 32-31. In the final of the Crawford Cup, Section One side Ballynahinch Thirds proved much too strong for Banbridge Thirds from Section Two, while in the final of the Plate another Ballynahinch side, their Fourths, but up a creditable performance before going down to Omagh Seconds by only six points.

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