2012 schools Cup.

[Beattiespastie]

Name the coach at MCB you know well as I stand by what I say,to suggest the comments of a coach can sway a referee to impact on a match to the extent you claim is ridculous. I don't think I have EVER been at a schools game when both sets of coaching staff have not voiced their grievances with ref's on certain aspects of the game. The issue with your remarks are that they are typical of the anti MCB brigade and completely unqualified. The better side won the game...period...and your remarks are an insult to all those young lads who have worked their backsides off since the beginning of this year to win games against good opponents like Ballymena and Campbell.Two away wins against two excellent sides suggests to me that Methody have a good,honest young side and knowing Niall Annette and Colin Martin they would never try and influence any ref. Incidentally are you aware that Ballymena's win over Methody at Pirrie a few weeks ago was officiated by a young ex Methody pupil in the full glare of the entire senior squad coaching team and I don't think there was much of an advantage handed to the home team?

[darkside lightside]

Beatties - should the MCB coaches talk to the ref at all at HT? Even just to compare notes on nasturtiums or classic cars?

[swatters]

bopeep, im an ex rbai man and even i feel your claims are ludicrous . Its crazy to claim that a schools success is based on harassment of officials.

[Bopeep]

Hopefully in the next MC B matches we will get a ref with a set who will make his own unbiased decisions, I never questioned the honesty of the players or the honesty of the coaches, but how the coaches influence the ref in the Ballymena game. I was there saw it with my own eyes and the penalty count in the first 10 minutes of the game was in the order of 10 to MCB and 1 for Ballymena.
With such a high penalty count against Ballymena the ref should have least spoken to their captain or even issued a yellow card for continual infringement. But nothing so explain how it changed so quickly after the discussion with the MCB coaches.

[swatters]

Thats all well and good but to claim that it happens in every game involving MCB is out there.

[Beattiespastie]

I see no issue with coaches and refs having a word as I said before I have seen every major school coaching set up do this at one stage or another. I feel that sometimes certain refs will penalize teams for repeat infringements and sometimes coaches want matters clarified so they can advise their young players..as we all know certain refs come down hard on certain aspects of the game and that focus is not always the same with every official which can lead to confusion at times.
Instead of making ludicrous statements about coaches influencing refs I suggest we ask why the Ballymena coach didn't pull his lads to one side after the third or forth penalty infringement inside 'ten minutes' and point out the error of their ways? We are all passionate about the sides we support and sometimes we let that passion cloud our judgement when our teams are beaten in big matches ( I was guilty of the same after last years Sullivan V MCB Medallion match and I regretted it.) Whoever wins the Medallion Shield will have won it on merit and a seasons hard work.

[Bopeep]

Well everyone have their own views I appreciate you are an MCB father and supporter and will stick up for your team. I still stand by what I saw and have seen in other games.

I hope the best team win on their own merits and not by the swaying of match officials.

Who is into the semis

[breakdown]

Semis of Medallion Shield? Wallace beat Sullivan 10-5 yesterday, Dromore/Portora game was called of, MCB beat CCB 11-6 i think and Coleraine Inst beat RBAI 6-3. More than likely the final will be Methody - Wallace.

Quarters of Schools Cup being played next weekend, likely semi-finalists being RBAI, Wallace, CCB and MCB

[ruckover]

Semis of Medallion Shield? Wallace beat Sullivan 10-5 yesterday, Dromore/Portora game was called of, MCB beat CCB 11-6 i think and Coleraine Inst beat RBAI 6-3. More than likely the final will be Methody - Wallace.

Quarters of Schools Cup being played next weekend, likely semi-finalists being RBAI, Wallace, CCB and MCB

How do you know Methody v Wallace won't be a semi? Wouldn't be making predictions till the draw.
Agree with the Schools Cup bit though.

[Beattiespastie]

On a lighter Medallion note it was good to see IN-TOUCH RUGBY and Rab Irwin continue unabashed with their unbiased coverage of anything Sullivan ...Willie Anderson actually showed a bit of humility as Rab interviewed him post match and actually almost conceded ( despite Rabs best efforts) that Wallace were actually the better side deserving of their win!

[AndyB]

Name the coach at MCB you know well as I stand by what I say,to suggest the comments of a coach can sway a referee to impact on a match to the extent you claim is ridculous. I don't think I have EVER been at a schools game when both sets of coaching staff have not voiced their grievances with ref's on certain aspects of the game. The issue with your remarks are that they are typical of the anti MCB brigade and completely unqualified. The better side won the game...period...and your remarks are an insult to all those young lads who have worked their backsides off since the beginning of this year to win games against good opponents like Ballymena and Campbell.Two away wins against two excellent sides suggests to me that Methody have a good,honest young side and knowing Niall Annette and Colin Martin they would never try and influence any ref. Incidentally are you aware that Ballymena's win over Methody at Pirrie a few weeks ago was officiated by a young ex Methody pupil in the full glare of the entire senior squad coaching team and I don't think there was much of an advantage handed to the home team?

Don't take the bait man!

Rise above the petty jealousy that is out there.

[Beattiespastie]

Moment of weakness!!....I should know better

[breakdown]

Wallace win 35-7, two from Jordon Heatley, 2 from Nathan McClatchey and 1 for Zac McCall.

Anyone know the other results??

[weejack48]

Ballymena Academy 12-15 Campbell College
Methodist College Belfast 48-3 Banbridge Academy
Royal Belfast Academical Institution 3-7 Ballyclare High School

Semi-finals
Wallace v Ballyclare
CCB v MCB

[breakdown]

Interesting to see RBAI out, with that draw I reckon it will be Methody - Wallace final. Methody seem the team to beat