Royal School lads relishing Methody clash

DRAWING the reigning champions and the Danske Bank Schools Cup’s most successful ever side, Methody College, at the quarter-final stage is being seen as a challenge to be relished rather than feared at Royal School Dungannon.

Gareth McClintock’s men will tackle the 37-time champions at home later this morning and their head coach is counting down the seconds until his side get the rare opportunity to pit their wits against such illustrious company.

“This is an unknown entity for us but it is also for them. They haven’t been here to play us. At Pirrie Park it would be a very different occasion, particularly for us, so this is the time to have a go at them in the quarter-final,” beamed McClintock, who is hoping home advantage could help his side..

“I think, certainly myself as a coach and having been here for 10 years, I’m really happy with the draw.

“It’s a home draw, which is the most important thing when you get to this stage of the competition and also, when you get to this stage, you’re going to get one of the big boys at some point so it might as well be at the quarter-final stage and at home.

“It’s a big occasion for the boys, it doesn’t get much bigger than to get to play one of the most successful schools in schools rugby and it’s at our place so we can bring them down here and have a go at them.

“The boys are well up for it.”

Ahead of the game, McClintock is under no illusions that his side are the underdogs, but alongside home advantage, he believes the lack of pressure on his team could provide them a certain amount of freedom to perform.

“[Mehtody] have more to lose than us,” he acknowledged. “And I suppose, in reality, that’s the way we’re looking at it. We’re going into this as underdogs and I think we went into the last game as underdogs as well and you go in with that ability to go and have a go at them, try to spoil their game and try to do something special ourselves.

“So if it all comes together, then you know it can work out, but having a go at Methody down here is a big occasion for the boys and it brings a bit of excitement around the school.”

Confidence in sport is key and at present, the Royal School lads have plenty of it, having won all four of their previous cup clashes this season.

But they and McClintock know they will have to be at the best, particularly in defence on Saturday morning.

“We have confidence on the back of our four games this season,” he added. “In the group stags we only conceded 13 points and our defence, particularly in the last 20 minutes of the Ballyclare game was particularly impressive.

“We realise as a team, yes you have to score points, but in the Schools Cup you have to be able to defend and stop teams scoring particularly against a team like Methody because you’re going to have those moments when you hold them up over the line or before the line or you force them into a mistake.”