Ards 2nds made the short journey to Roughfort to play Academy 2nd XV. With Academy edging recent encounters, Ards last few performances in the league have provided optimism and the same performance against an Academy 2nd team who will always stand up and give a good stern test.
With unavailability and injuries this week, coach Simon Hamilton had a strong but forward dominant side named. In the forwards Aaron Bittles, Matthew Patton, Jimmy Gray and Michael Lytle returned to bolster ranks. Regent leaver Joel Clarke started at 9 with Ben Cooke at 10 this week. Trevor Devlin and Ryan Copeland found themselves the centre pairing this week with an athletic back three of Adam Coulter, Sam McClements and Matt McFarland. Josh Browne, Matt Drysdale and Matthew Wallace providing impact from the bench this week.

Ards kicked off the game, and immediately went to work in attack with only Academy’s good breakdown work preventing any further progress. Back to back penalties saw Academy go upfield and try to play in the Ards 22. Good fringe defence kept Academy at bay. From a scrum, good initial blindside defence from Ards kept Academy honest. Quick ball allowed Academy’s blindside to rumble over. Converted. 7-0.

From the kickoff, Ards began to get through the phases, with Patton, McClure and Lytle making good ground before Ards conceded a penalty. From the lineout, Academy utilised their runners in midfield, with good defence initially from the Ards forwards. An offside in midfield saw Academy extend their lead with a penalty kick. 10-0.

The kick off saw Academy kick the ball back into the Ards half, with Devlin running the ball back beating multiple defenders. Quick ball from Clarke saw Edgar, Copeland, Gray and Gawley get dominant carries in. From an academy turnover, the 10 as he did for the first half tried to probe in behind the Ards defensive line. McClements, McFarland and Wallace on tidying up duty on multiple occasions. From one such kick return saw Ards set up in the 22. Quick hands across midfield from Cooke, Devlin and Copeland released McClements on the wing deep in his own half who rounded two academy defenders on the outside and kicked ahead, a fortunate bounce saw McClements pick up the ball and score under the posts. Converted by Devlin. 10-7.

Suddenly, out of nowhere Ards began playing positive rugby with dominant forward carries leading to back to back penalties. With scrum half Joel Clarke finding touch, Ards used their dominant lineout maul to good effect drawing another penalty in the 22. The Ards forwards went to work in the tight exchanges with progress only halted by a lack of composure at the opportune moment. They wouldn’t be held out for long, from a kick return which found the hands of McFarland, Devlin and Gawley who made good progress back into the 22. More pick and goes from Ards drew a penalty which was taken quickly. Quick hands saw Ryan Copeland stopped just short, managed to get an offload away to captain Keir Edgar who found the try line after a long period of pressure. Converted again by Trevor Devlin. 10-14 HT

The second half started largely like the first, with Academy on the front foot, but good defence again by the Ards forwards and with Ben Cooke and Trevor Devlin communicating the attack and defence to good effect, Ards were beginning to take control of the tight exchanges defensively. This, in turn led to turnovers and the Ards backline started to find spaces on the outside with Copeland, McFarland and Wallace getting hands on the ball. From more dominant carries from the Ards front five, quick clear outs at the ruck the nous of scrum half Joel Clarke with a delicate chip over the defensive line into space in which Sam McClements caught the ball and strode away from the Academy defence to score his second try. Converted again by that man Devlin. 21-10.

Academy came more into the game from the kick off. An offside call lead to penalties in which Academy tried to utilise their lineout. Stoic defence kept them at bay time and time again. Another penalty lead to multiple pick and goes, with the Ards defensive line given a stern test in which entire team put in a defensive shift to cause Academy to knock on and Ards to clear their lines. However, a blindside move off a lineout saw the Academy winger score in the corner. Converted. 17-21.

From the kickoff, the Ardsmen went about their business with renewed optimism, dominant carries by the forwards, in particular Josh Browne, Aaron Bittles, Colin McClure and Ryan Gawley and the Ards back row in particular effectively removing any threats at the breakdown providing quick ball to the backline, with fly half Cooke plus Devlin, Copeland and McFarland again finding half breaks breaking the first tackle. Repeated offside penalties found Academy deep in their 22. Repeated tap and go penalties bombarded the Academy try line, with the Ards forwards effective pick and go game eventually providing wide open pasture for Trevor Devlin to top a fine game with a converted score. 17-28.

As the game came towards its conclusion, Academy tried their hardest to get something out of the game with the Ards defence causing mistakes and indiscipline. The dominant Ards lineout, with Gray and Lytle ruling the airtime providing ball for a dominant lineout mauls that made good ground upfield. Quick ball from Joel Clarke released the backline once again which drew a penalty to Ards which Devlin converted from in front to effectively seal the game for Ards. 17-31.

Academy battled till the end, with a few penalties in their favour finding field position but, Ards defensive line and breakdown work dominated the closing stages.