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Belfast Live
Belfast Live
Sport
Gareth Fullerton

Antrim Grammar School creates history under 'Mourinho' rugby coach

Antrim Grammar School has created a little piece of history with some help from their very own 'Special One'.

The school recently beat Limavady Grammar in the semi-finals of the Ulster Schools' Medallion Bowl, coming out on top in a thrilling 20-19 victory at the AGS Arena.

The win also saw Antrim Grammar reach a final for the first time in the school's proud history.

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The progress this year has been phenomenal under the coaching of the newly dubbed 'Antrim's Mourinho' Pete Campbell, who heads up their Medallion team.

And all that hard work came to fruition in the semi-finals, with Tom McNeilly slotting over a last-gasp penalty to send the watching crowd into a frenzy.

"Moments like this don't come around often, but under the watchful eye of our passionate Director of Rugby Mr Orr, the Antrim Grammar School community should get used to days like today, as there is a lot more to come," said Mr Campbell.

"We look forward to the Bowl final after half-term and we hope as many of our local community can come along and cheer on our players when they take on Coleraine Grammar at Foyle College.

"This was about Antrim Grammar Medallion XV making a little bit of history and creating a memory that will go with them for life. They were most definitely 'in the Arena'."

Antrim Grammar went ahead through Jonah Woolley try, but a strong Limavady side struck back and converted to move ahead 7-5.

The home side struck back through Woolley again and Tom McNeilly converted to make it 12-7, then on the stroke of half-time Limavady scored again to leave the sides locked 12-12 at the break.

In the second half, Antrim struck first following a slick move that saw Adomas Blazauskas finish off a great set-piece and moved them into the lead 17-12.

A determined Limavady forged ahead when they scored under the posts, leaving an easy conversion to move them into a slender 19-17 lead.

It looked like it was going to be one of those days for Antrim until a late penalty to the wide right of the posts was awarded to the hosts, and McNeilly was the hero, slotting over to cap his MoTM performance.

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