Medallion Report 2022-23
A solid season for the Medallion XV, superbly led by Ulster U18 representative, Killian Brolly. The boys narrowly missed out on what would have been a deserved final, losing out in the semi-final by less than one score. Their most notable performance was against Wallace High School when Killian almost secured a victory before being tap-tackled in the last play of the game. Other notable performances were against Rainey, Cambridge House and Coleraine Grammar.
The front row places were occupied by Euan Lang, Conor Kelly-Carton, Chrstopher Smyth, Dillon Forbes and Adam Dunseath. All 5 of these boys worked very hard throughout the season and turned in many fine performances. Euan showed his strength in defence and in the scrum, Conor was one of the powerhouses in the team, always demonstrating his strength in both ball-carrying and rucking, and Christopher was the engine of the pack, his high workrate getting him around the park and making life very difficult for opposition teams. Christopher gets a special mention for the second most turnovers throughout the season. Dillon was excellent in defence, and won many key turnovers at rucks. Adam was another player who was solid in defence, showcasing his strength and rarely conceded metres in the tackle.
In the engine room of the second row we had two fantastic ball carriers in Jacob Baird and Graeme Rosborough. Jacob was one of the best workhorses throughout the season and scored some fantastic tries, showcasing his ball-carrying skills close to the line. Graeme played up from the U14 team, but never looked out of place, getting numerous Player of the Match awards. Ben Moore was also present in the second row. Ben made a lot of ground in attack, and was a great asset at ruck time and also in the lineout.
The wing forward berths were generally occupied by Alexander Steele and Lewis Lynch. Lewis loves the contact side of the game, hardly missed a tackle all season, easily won the most steals at ruck time, and gets a mention for the standout forward of the year. Alexander had a super season in the back row, especially at the lineout, winning most of our own lineouts and securing numerous steals in defence. Ross McNerlin also featured in the number 6 shirt, who stabilised the scrum well and his desire to provide for his team in defence was always top-tier.
At Number 8 we had our go-to ball carrier and captain, Killian Brolly. His strong running, superb tackling and desire to win, made Killian vital over the course of the season. Killian keeps the highest of standards and always has the desire to perform to 100% in every aspect of his game. He was the top try scorer for the season, and very fitting captain.
Our scrum-halfs were Noah Graham and Jack Howe. Noah has a great rugby brain and sporting ability, and always provided great service to backs and forwards with his passing ability. Jack was another player who played up from the U14 team but also never looked out of place, and his darting runs and aggression in defence made him vital to the Medallion squad.
James Rhodes wore the Number 10 shirt throughout the season, and succeeded well in leading and organising the team. Having the ability to step up and lead the back line when winning or losing provided much needed belief in some tough matches.
James Mackey and Antoni Zietala were the choices for centre, with James claiming the Most Valuable Player, and is easily one of the most exciting players with ball in hand I have seen, always being the player to go to in attack, knowing he would always make vital metres. Antoni found his place at outside-centre, and was one of the best tacklers in the team, and was deservedly awarded the Most Improved Player.
On the wings we had Luke Devine, Zack Moore, Olivier Jeanne, Ryan Henry and Harry Craig. All of these boys performed to a consistently high standard all season, proving to be tireless workers in both attack and defence.
The full-back position was occupied by Alexander Howe. Alexander is another player with a brilliant rugby brain who had a great sense of positioning to receive kicks and counter very successfully through return kicks or slaloming runs. Combining his cricket skills with rugby meant Alexander’s dropped catches at 15 were few and far between.
Finally, I would like to say what a pleasure it has been to work with this group of boys, and I wish them all the best for their transition into Senior Rugby. I would also like to extend my thanks to all of the parents who provided support through coaching, helping with first aid, and were the best cheerleaders from the sidelines.
B Cartwright
