IQ RUGBY PROVINCIAL TOUR MATCH:
Saturday, July 25 -
IQ RUGBY 12 ULSTER UNDER-19s 29, IRFU High Performance Centre
Scorers: IQ Rugby: Tries: Frank Maher, Henry Tanner; Con: Freddie Galitzine-Scott
Ulster U-19s: Tries: Josh McColgan 2, Adam Millar, Theo Scott, George Gamble; Cons: James McMillan 2
HT: IQ Rugby 7 Ulster U-19s 19
IQ Rugby's annual Provincial tour wrapped up at the IRFU High Performance Centre where Frank Taggart's young side faced the Ulster U-19s, who are preparing for the upcoming PwC U-19 Men's Interprovincial Championship.
With players travelling over from the United Kingdom, France, Dubai, and the Netherlands, the 2026 touring squad enjoyed a week of training, development and competitive match action in Ireland.
The IQ Rugby programme is designed to identify and support Irish-qualified players with the ability, ambition, and potential to progress through the Irish Rugby pathway.
This group, overseen by Taggart, fellow coaches John Clarke and Jordan Annett, and team manager Ross Finlay, had a first chance to play against their Irish-based peers in last Wednesday's Triangular Festival at Dexcom Stadium.
IQ Rugby got the better of hosts Connacht, winning 26-14, and lost their other game to Munster (40-12). They returned to their base at Clongowes Wood College before taking on Ulster on Saturday afternoon.
Exeter College's Henry Tanner captained the Irish-qualified selection from the front row, with eight of their starters only turning 17 this year, including five in the back-line.
A brace of tries from Ballyclare High School hooker Josh McColgan, with his first after little over a minute's play, put Ricky Andrew's Ulster outfit on course for a 19-7 half-time lead.
Terenure College's Frank Maher had briefly brought IQ Rugby level, before a maul effort from McColgan, and an unconverted score out wide from RBAI's Adam Millar.
Tanner, who was also part of last year's touring squad, hit back from a 45th-minute lineout drive, only for Ulster to cross twice more for a 17-point winning margin in the end.
Theo Scott, an Ulster Schools Senior Cup winner with Campbell College last March, drove over from close range, and George Gamble proved unstoppable on the left wing, just past the hour mark.
The five-try performance tees the Ulster U-19s up nicely for their opening Interprovincial game when they return to Dublin to play Leinster at Energia Park on Sunday, August 16 (kick-off 5pm).
Aaron Lowey won Ollie Worth's kick-off to set Ulster up for a strong start, with Sam Harper soon finding touch on the left to pin the opposition back.
IQ Rugby's four-man lineout failed to work out, the ball evading the fingertips of Callum McGee, and Ulster hooker McColgan pounced at the rear to score from eight metres out.
Following James McMillan's well-struck conversion, Tom Ravenscroft countered well from a kick, and the IQ Rugby half-backs knitted together some decent phases before Joel Irwin forced a turnover penalty.
However, Tanner pointed the way for his side with a couple of strong carries, the latter one seeing him put Will Kenny into some space. Ulster infringed and were soon behind their own try-line.
McGee secured the resulting lineout, and armed with a penalty advantage, Heryck Gallimore, Albie Robinson, and McGee drew IQ Rugby closer before Maher squeezed over in the 10th minute, allowing Freddie Galitztine-Scott to make it seven-all with the conversion.
It did not take long for Ulster to retake the lead. A knock-on from the restart, and a penalty for offside, had them back in the tourists' 22 for a lineout opportunity.
A well-directed maul duly delivered the goods, with McColgan finishing over the line to double his tally. McMillan's right boot had the measure of a tricky conversion for a 14-7 advantage.
Maher got his hand to the restart, giving IQ Rugby the platform to briefly build some phases in Ulster territory. Centre Ben Georgiou gained ground with a penetrating run through the middle.
However, Georgiou's opposite number, Josh McCaughey, popped up with a breakdown steal a couple of minutes later, setting up Ulster captain Jayden Irwin to charge through into the IQ Rugby 22.
The attack developed and space was created on the left for winger Millar to cross in the corner from McMillan's bouncing pass. Half-backs Harper and Worth had done well to create the chance.
Launched forward by a penalty won by Galitzine-Scott, IQ Rugby had the majority of the possession and field position during the final 10 minutes of the first half.
Despite that, Ben McMahon's promising break into the Ulster 22 was ended by an interception by the busy McColgan, but the likes of Galitzine-Scott and McMahon were beginning to get on the ball more in attacking situations.
When the final 35 minutes got underway, IQ Rugby's improved handling, and the direction and distribution provided by Eoghan Duncan and Elliot Young, saw them seize the early momentum.
After Ulster had dealt with the maul threat, IQ Rugby's Michael Keenan charged down a kick for a turnover, but fellow replacement Fergus Millar took an extra roll, close to the try-line, and was penalised.
Jack Saxton's quick feet, when running back a kick close to the left touchline, allowed Taggart's youngsters to immediately threaten again. They turned a penalty into a deserved try, as the backs joining the forwards in driving Tanner over.
19-12 was as close as they could get, though, as Ulster knuckled back down. Their bench brought plenty of impact, and their fourth try followed in the 51st minute.
Replacement Jacob McKeown was prominent with a lineout catch and a powerful carry, as IQ Rugby leaked a couple of penalties, and Scott reached over from a ruck to touch down.
Ulster were playing with increasing amounts of width now, also using their kicking game to good effect. In response, a scrum penalty got IQ Rugby moving again, with Belvedere College's Jack Moore getting the plaudits.
Nonetheless, Ulster used a subsequent breakout to seal the result. Peter Lyndsay and Joe Coates both showed their pace, and numbers on the left led to Gamble galloping over, with a strong hand-off along the way.
IQ Rugby lifted the pace for the remaining minutes, with Benji Patterson, Georgiou, and Danny Zimmern to the fore. There was no late reward, though, as Jayden Irwin and McKeown came through the middle to successfully smother a maul.
IQ RUGBY: Freddie Galitzine-Scott (Sedbergh School); Tom Ravenscroft (Berkhamsted School/Saracens), Ben McMahon (Trent College/Leicester Tigers), Ben Georgiou (Wellington College/Harlequins), Jack Saxton (Taunton School/Bristol Bears); Elliot Young (Bassaleg School/Dragons RFC), Eoghan Duncan (Maar RFC/Glasgow); Will Kenny (Glenalmond College/Mackie RFC), Henry Tanner (Exeter College/Exeter Chiefs) (capt), Alex Evans (Clongowes Wood College), Frank Maher (Terenure College), Callum McGee (Glenalmond College/Dunfermline RFC), Albie Robinson (JESS Dubai), Heryck Gallimore (Taunton School/Bristol Bears), Ronan Perkins (Bedford Modern School/Northampton Saints).
Replacements: Fergus Millar (Ipswich School), Jack Moore (Belvedere College), George Ravenscroft (Henley College), Harvey Butler (Skerries Community College), Michael Keenan (St. Alban's School/Saracens), Ben Morrissy (Solihull School/Camp Hill RFC), Rory Stacey (St. Bede's College, Bristol), Danny Zimmern (Whitgift School/Saracens), Benji Patterson (St. Joseph's College, Ipswich/Northampton Saints).
ULSTER U-19: James McMillan (Ballymena Academy); Aaron Lowey (Campbell College Belfast), Paul Henry (Campbell College Belfast), Josh McCaughey (Down High School), Adam Millar (Royal Belfast Academical Institution); Ollie Worth (Clongowes Wood College), Sam Harper (Omagh Academy); Noah Carson (Ballymena RFC), Josh McColgan (Ballyclare High School), Joel Irwin (Friends' School), Archie Graham (Dalriada School), Charlie Best (Campbell College Belfast), Jayden Irwin (Belfast Royal Academy) (capt), Cian McClean (Royal Belfast Academical Institution), George Gamble (Ballymena Academy).
Replacements: Alex O'Hagan (Methodist College Belfast), Reuben McIlwrath (Royal Belfast Academical Institution), Reuben Gibson (Royal Belfast Academical Institution), James Lennon (Virginia RFC), Theo Scott (Campbell College Belfast), Isaac Hatch (Campbell College Belfast), James Wells (Campbell College Belfast), Jacob McKeown (Sullivan Upper School), Peter Lyndsay (Methodist College Belfast), Joe Coates (Coleraine Grammar School).
Referee: Jack MacNeice (IRFU)
