The UAFC

On a brilliantly sunny Thursday afternoon amidst a fantastic crowd at Pirrie Park I watched a wonderful contest bewtween MCB and Sullivan Upper in the 4th round of the Medallion Shield. Both sides gave it everything and Sullivan walked away with the spoils in the dying embers of the game.
Any neutral who was present at the game will know who the best side was and they will also know that the standard of impartial reffing in the schools game from the Ulster branch is all but gone. If it was an AIL or senior rugby game Sullivan would have been at LEAST two players light for the majority of the second half but I take enormous pride in the way my son and his side played..they ran everything with ball in hand from everywhere on the pitch compared to Sullivans kick and chase.
Good luck to Sullivan n the future rounds but Willie Anderson and his backroom staff will know they got a 'get out of jail free card' on this occassion by a referee who disallowed a great first half Methody try and a knock on ( caught on video) for Sullivan's injury time winner.

didn't see the match - but to my understanding this sullivan side is one of the best they've ever had and have never been beaten by their methody counterparts all through the earlier years. So even if, as you claim, Methody were the better team on the day they can hardly claim to have been done over by a lesser side. I hate all this carping after a game is over. Each set of supporters will have seen things that they believe the ref got wrong. generally in the course of a match they even themselves out. And it is rare for the home team to get a harder time than the visitors.

Fair point pwrmoore and I guess I was carping a bit after a few too many glasses of wine and credit to them..Sullivan are an excellent,well drilled outfit who will be hard to beat. Sometimes wine and a keyboard would be better replaced by wine and a duvet! You are 100% correct as well in that both sets of parents/supporters will have a different slant on the reffing and perceived poor decisions when in reality you have to give the ref credit for what they do as it cannot be easy and I could certainly not step into their shoes.
I sincerely wish Sullivan all the best in the Shield this year as on and off the field this past two years they have been nothing but sporting and a credit to their school. To the Methody lads who lost so narrowly in a brilliant advert for schoolboy rugby...senior rugby starts from September this year...roll on!!

No problem beattiespastie - i was a bit wine-fuelled myself.

No problem beattiespastie - i was a bit wine-fuelled myself.

But still up and about early on Saturday morning - damn you're good

True about the (W) V (L) but YOUTUBE will also record the moment that Sullivan knocked on in front of the ref for their winning try!!...should have went to specsavers ref....

Beattiespastie wrote:True about the (W) V (L) but YOUTUBE will also record the moment that Sullivan knocked on in front of the ref for their winning try!!...should have went to specsavers ref....

Do they have a 4th official /TMO at schoolboy rugby now? Surely the ref has to call it as he sees it. You were quite magnanimous and gracious earlier - now you seem to have slipped back into bitterness.

Beattiespastie wrote:True about the (W) V (L) but YOUTUBE will also record the moment that Sullivan knocked on in front of the ref for their winning try!!...should have went to specsavers ref....

GET A GRIP!!!

My son was also playing in the \medallion hield for Bangor against Wallace. Their first try came from a line out awarded to Wallace from a penalty kicked into the corner. The kick went into the dead ball area but "their" coach who was touch judge gave a line out 5 metres out. They caught the ball and drove over the line for a try.

After the game I went over and shook hands with both Wallace coaches and wished them good luck in the next round.

Its a school boy game. Not the end of the world. Boys (and obviously parents!!!) have to learn how to lose as well as how to win. Both outcomes will come into play over the years ahead.

Imagine a team getting a decision and a bit of luck at Pirrie Park and it not being MCB

The medallion shield is very competitive this year and it will be interesting to see how it goes but the boys have to realise it is not the be all and end all and it is just the beginning of their rugby careers.

YoungMan wrote:` “When you win, say nothing. When you lose, say less.” as my old granny used to say

sound advice indeed.

Time this stupid thread was dumped

Beattiespastie wrote:True about the (W) V (L) but YOUTUBE will also record the moment that Sullivan knocked on in front of the ref for their winning try!!...should have went to specsavers ref....

seriously??? are you really coming on here to whinge like a football player about a hometown ref (favouring an away team )?? really??

grow a pair

Jesus wept.

How can our kids learn the sportsmanship of winning graciously and losing even more graciously when they have over expectant parents at ptichside and on tinternet whinging about school referees?


Hope some folks kids take the defeat as a life lesson not like the parents

Assuming the ref was a neutral (as I think they are in the Shield) then whether he was wrong or right in his decisions is only a matter of opinion albeit totally irrevelant after the event because there's only one opinion that counts - the refs!

As an exMcb player and parent I find this thread embarassing as the referee is so often the reason given by supporters of schools that have lost to MCB.

The lesson that kids have to take out of matches like last weeks is that sometimes you win sometimes you lose no matetr how well you play. They should all consider themselves fortunate to play in the MEd Shield at all - most schools players don't get the cahnce.

Calm down gentle folks,I cerainly was not trying to poke a big stick....I am proud to say I was at Ballymena Academy on Saturday morning supporting my sons mates team RBAI in a tight wee Medallion game that went right down to the wire...Ballymena played out of their skins after sustaining a nasty injury to one of their oung players ten minutes in...I am completely guilty of being angry rugby dad for a day or two but its passed now..honestly ( holding my head in shame and embarrassment..trust me!) Everyones sentiments are 100% spot on and rightly put me in my place...
Whats really brilliant is cheering your son on playing for Methody one day then two days cheering his RBAI mates on and chatting away with their parents who were great.Sometimes the blinkers come on and you lose sight of whats really important in the game of rugby and thats the taking part and enjoying it...good luck to all the schools this year and good luck to MCB away to a great CCB side this Saturday.