Enniskillen Royal Grammar Schools’ Medallion side will begin their Medallion Shield campaign this Saturday when they host Down High School at Eisenhower Playing Fields.

Preparations for the competition have gone well for coach Jonny Magwood and his players and he is hopeful that they will be able to go on and put their name in the hat for round four, when the big guns will make their appearance in the competition.

“Down High would have played similar opposition to us in the build up to the competition and I think we would maybe have beaten those sides a bit more comprehensively so we should fancy our chances of winning the game. We have also played some of the bigger teams so that should stand to us,” he commented.

ERGS might not have the biggest squad in the competition but as Magwood explains, it is a tight knit bunch.

“We would have a small group of players but although this is my first year with them, they have been together as a group for three years and they have a really good understanding with each other. I’m also that year group’s head of year and that also helps,” he added.

Given the weather this week, conditions are likely to be heavy on Saturday and Magwood believes that will suit his team.

“Based on the weather so far this week it will probably be a forwards game and our forwards are a very tight unit. We would be very strong on set pieces and we would hope that we will be dominant. Then when we get the ball out to the backs we have a couple of wingers who are very good finishers,” he stated.

And what about the competition as a whole?

“Look, it is about one game at a time and performing on the day but last year the boys would have been very competitive so we would feel that we would possibly be ranked fifth or so although a lot just depends on the draw. The focus though is just on the Down High game,” he concluded.