Methody go straight in at the deep end

It was a rich slice of irony when the names of Methodist College, Belfast and Royal School, Armagh were drawn out of the hat to face each other today in the third round of the Renault Ulster Schools' Cup.For having been forced to sit on their handsduring the opening two rounds of the revamped tournament - the second-oldest cup competition in these islands - the two seeded schools must go head-to-head for a place in the quarter-finals, with Methody, the most successful school in the history of the tournament with 29 outright victories, travelling to Armagh.

The new-look tournament follows a two-year review by the schools committee of the Ulster branch intended to provide the genuine chance of silverware to teams of all abilities, from the traditional big guns of the cup to the smaller rugby nurseries.

The new format is aimed at avoiding mismatches, increasing the number of meaningful games teams play and giving more schools the chance of picking up trophies.

Today's action, which also sees the clash of two other traditional big guns, Campbell College, Belfast and Coleraine Academical Institution, at the Belfast school's Fox's Field ground, is the third seeded round.

In the first round, the eight weakest schools - based on results over the season - faced off to provide four winners for the second round, in which 20 teams joined the fray.

Today, the final four teams, Methody, RS Armagh, Ballymena and Dungannon, taste action for the first time.

Meanwhile six teams, including the first-round losers, will now compete in the Renault Schools' Trophy, a round-robin competition - Lurgan College, Boys Model, Antrim Grammar, Cambridge House, Strabane Grammar and St Columb's.

Second-round losers Banbridge Academy, Friends School, Portadown College, Belfast High School, Down High School, Dalriada, Larne Grammar School, Wellington College, Regent

House, Limavady Grammar School, Omagh

Academy and Carrick Grammar School will compete for the Renault Schools' Bowl, also in a league format.

As for the main event, Methody and Ballymena are favoured by many, with holders Royal Belfast Academical Institution having sent out an ominous warning to anyone who thought they would give up their crown lightly after booking their passage into the third round with a comfortable 41-5 away win over Omagh Academy.

Sullivan Upper reinforced their tag as dark horses with an 86-3 demolition of an outclassed Friends side. Irish Schools star Darren Cave ran in five of Sullivan's 13 tries on his way to a personal haul of 41 points.

Last year's beaten finalists, Wallace, comfortably swept Down High aside 46-0 to set up a heavyweight home clash with Royal School Dungannon, who are unbeaten since October.

Ulster Senior Cup

Ulster Schools Cup

Third round

Ballyclare v RBAI; Bangor Grammar v Sullivan Upper; RS Armagh v MCB; Portora v BRA; Rainey Endowed v Ballymena Academy; Wallace High v RS Dungannon; Campbell College v Coleraine AI; Foyle & L'derry College v Grosvenor.

(To be played today)