Outgoing legendary Methodist College Belfast coach David Wells could not have asked for a more mouth-watering send-off when his side runs out in today's Ulster Schools' Cup final against arch rivals Royal Belfast Academical Institution at Ravenhill. The two Belfast schools have won the second oldest rugby competition in the world 56 times between them, with Methody (29 victories) two ahead of Inst at the top of the all-time winners' list.
And victory for Wells' side would be the fairytale finish for the most successful coach in the history of the tournament, having guided Methody to 10 cup triumphs in 13 finals, with one shared title. Wells' first triumph came against Inst in 1974 - the start of two hat-tricks under his tutelage ('74-'76 and '89-'91).
"I'm delighted to be going out in a cup final, every final is special for the whole school and I haven't prepared any differently for this match," said Wells, who last guided his side to a cup triumph in 2001 when they narrowly defeated Inst. "It will be a hugely emotional day for me, a great day, but more importantly it is about the boys and the school."
Inst coach Brian McLaughlin, who has been helping Ireland coach Eddie O'Sullivan with rucking and continuity drills with the national side over the past two seasons, admits the Ulster school scene will miss Wells' commitment and passion for rugby. "We beat them narrowly earlier in the season and we're expecting another hard game. If you asked the guys in either school what their dream final would be they'd say Inst versus Methody - and we're hoping to make it an entertaining match," he said.
METHODIST COLLEGE: C Fenton; O McMurray, S Morrow, S Campbell, K Corrigan; R Blake-Knox, J Trotter; G Ferguson, P MacMahon, J Denny, J McMullan, D Annett, R Hamilton (capt), M Hashim, D Johnson. Replacements: R Kirkwood, C Quinn, J Graham, A Sproule, A Gerard, A Jackson, M Robinson.
ROYAL BELFAST ACADEMICAL INSTITUTION (probable): J Scott; C Irwin, E Layard, D McCormick, R Fegan; L Creighton, D Drake; S McMullan, S Douglas, M Spratt, A Glass, R Lusk, M Young, J McCullough, A Watt. Replacements: (from) M Gallagher, P Karayiannis, A Bingham, M Sinclair, M Blakley, D Harris, D Glover, M Blackwood, M Jones.
