Letterkenny u18's will contest the Ulster Carpets u18 cup final in Ravenhill on May 13th for the second year in a row after an emphatic 64 to 7 home victory over Virgina RFC on Saturday. Armagh RFC will once again provide the opposition as they defeated Rainey RFC by 24 to 17 in a very tight encounter in Armagh. Ulster rugby will have viewed this game to be the real final with the winners going into the decider as hot favourites. Armagh defeated Letterkenny 19 to 12 in last years final. The teams have only met once since when the Armagh boys easily defeated Letterkenny in the league cup quarter finals. Armagh went on to win the league cup and have remained undefeated all season.
Letterkenny were impressive on Saturday but Virginia were understrength and lost their influential number 8 early in the game through injury. The home team scored ten trys with Peter Scott leading the count with 5 trys. Eunan Henry, David Ward, Ben Scott, James Roulston and Matthew Faulkner also scored one a piece. It was back in January 1994 since one player scored 5 trys for Letterkenny when a LYIT student called James Horan scored 5 against Newry. Horan went on to have a stellar career playing and managing Mayo GAA. There is no doubt that Scott also has some career ahead with the oval ball based on Saturday's performance. It was far from a one man show with the pack now hitting their potential and Faulkner at no 10 controlling the game with a variety of passing and kicking that was a pleasure to watch. Both wing forwards of Roulston and James Sweeney were outstanding and got through a mountain of work. Chris Green and David Ward were also exceptional in the tight exchanges.
Letterkenny now have three weeks to prepare for the final. There are many throughout Ulster rugby who feel that the final will be a formality for Armagh so Letterkenny will travel and make up the numbers at the very least and, similar to last year, be grateful to be allowed onto the hallowed and rock hard Ravenhill turf ! Squad on Saturday: David Ward (capt), Chris Green, Stephen Gibson, Joshua Fulton, Connor McMenamin, James Sweeney, James Roulston, Peter Scott,Jack mcGarvey, Matthew Faulkner, Ben Scott, Fionn mcGarvey, Eunan Henry, Connor Cannon, Bailey Loughlin, John Fogarty,Kieran Aitken, Jack Smeaton, Josh Carr and Louis Carson. Sent from my Samsung device