Month: February 2023

Match-Report-Sidcup-2nds-V-Pilgrims

Match report V Sidcup 2nds

Posted on | by Denys Andrianjafy

Won 8-62 (H-T 3-17). 

The pilgrims travelled to Sidcup at the weekend to continue their charge towards the league title. Another must win game saw the home side start well and were 3-0 up within the first three minutes from a penalty in front of the posts. Pilgrims came straight back with some good attacking play, but just could not get things going! A mixture of good and bad. Pilgrims won a scrum, against the head, a great drive by New Father, Alex Evans, to get the ball to Captain Dan Gill, who showed a great dummy pass, to cross the try line to score, only for Olly Ashley-Jones to crash the ball against the upright, 3-5 with thirteen minutes gone.

Sidcup fought back, and some poor defending allowed them to make good ground and to score what they thought was a try in the far corner, but a brilliant bit of defending stopped a certain try. Adam Malik came on for Will McColl. Olly was making some probing kicks, and getting good bounces, causing the home side problems, Vaughn Meredith stole the ball, again, and dodged through for a try, this time converted by Olly, 3-12 Pilgrims were still not in top gear, but they were wearing down the home side.

Then a moment that Presely Farrance will not want to remember on his debut. He was held down at the back of a ruck, and on getting free he lashed out at the culprit, with an open hand, and received a straight red card, with less than 30 minutes on the clock. A great pity, as he was having a really good game, someone to watch for in the future, once he has served his ban. Canterbury, would have to play 50 minutes with 14 players! In the remaining time left before half-time Adam Malik scored his first try for the Pilgrims, but Olly missed the conversion, 3-17. The half-time team talk was going to be important.

A great second half team performance then ensued. A great run by Vaughn Meredith saw his get the ball to Tom Halliday for the first of his four tries, this one under the posts so Olly had an easy conversion, 2-24, and this got Pilgrims the bonus point they needed. More pressure from the visitors,  Meredith playing well, Will ‘Bacon’ McColl making ground whenever he got the ball, they just could not get hold of him, it took three players at least to stop him, so gaps opened up. Luke Webber went on another of his rampaging runs and slipped the ball to Vaughn Meredith for his second try, duly converted 3-31. Sidcup scored an unconverted try, 8-31.

Brandon Dunkerley went on a surging run, passed to Ross Howard who gave it to Halliday, try number two, after an excellent run, unconverted, 8-36. It was then Olly’s turn to go on a great run, but he was tackled by their star played, who must have stopped at least 6 tries with superb tackling, on the twenty-two. Halliday got his hat-trick after a superb piece of work from second half star, Ollie Finn, converted by Olly Ashley-Jones, 8-43.

Luke Webber, the supporters ‘man of the match’, then scored a try, converted by Olly, 8-50. Jake Dengate was running the extra mile to support lone runners on many occasions, this proved vital at times, he, Sam Rogers, Jack Weaver and Jake Upward were all have good games, a true team performance with a player down! But it was not over, the away side piled on the pressure, Tom Halliday got his fourth, Olly converted, 8-57. Alex Evans went on another bulldozing run and gave the ball to Ross Howard to score out wide, this time not converted, 8-62, and the Pilgrims stay at the top of the league, one point ahead of Sevenoaks, with five to play.

This weekend they travel to 8th placed Westcombe Park before they play Dover 1st XV on Friday 24th under lights at the Marine Travel ground, at 7:30 in the evening.

Scorers:- Olly Ashley-Jones 12pts, Tom Halliday 20 pts, Vaughn Meredith 10 pts, Dan Gill, Adam Malik, Luke Webber and Ross Howard 5pts.

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Pilgrims v Sidcup

Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton
Match report TJs V 1st XV

Match report – Tonbridge Juddians V Canterbury 1st XV

Posted on | by Denys Andrianjafy

TONBRIDGE JUDDIANS 29  CANTERBURY 31

by David HaighCanterbury snatched victory with a try in the final minute of this terrific Kent derby. It was a pulsating end to a game that swung first the city club’s way and then, in a  fiercely contested second half, to aresurgent Juddians. After overhauling Canterbury’s  fourteen point half time lead the home side thought they had won it through Tom White’s 79th minute penalty goal.  But one minute can be a long time in rugby and a committed Canterbury hurled themselves back into attack, kept the ball alive skillfully and fly half Frank Reynolds squeezed over by the corner flag.  To add to the tension there was a consultation between the referee and his assistant before the score was justly awarded.   After the capitulation at Dorking the previous week there was a new steel about Canterbury’s approach and the return of long term absentees like Tristan King, Sam Sterling and, from the replacements bench bench, Charlie Kingsman, gave Matt Corker’s squad a more balanced look. They fell behind to an early try from TJs centre Duncan Tout but hit back with three of their own and gave nothing away in defence before thebreak. A dominant lineout and clever turnovers served them well. Cameron Murray finished off a precise handling move for the first score, hooker Nathan Morris completed a catch and drive and, in the last minute of the half, skipper Jamie Stephens crashed through despite Canterbury losing Sterling to the sin bin. The first 20 minutes of the second half put the city side through their sternest test.  They defended brilliantly but lost Jesse Dr Vries to a yellow card and by the hour mark it was all square as the TJs backs produced tries for Bryan Hotston and Howard Packman, both converted by White. Having come through the fire Canterbury’s composure paid off as they worked a fourth, bonus point touch down for front row man Eoin O’Donoghue and Reynolds made his third successful conversion.  That seven point advantage was quickly wiped by the home side as Josh Van Buuren powered over the line and White brought the sides level again. When the experienced fly half nervelessly landed that late penalty goal it seemed like job done but Canterbury still had  last clear message; never write us off.Canterbury: W.Waddington, G.Hilton, S.Sterling, L.Hollidge (repl C.Kingsman), F.Morgan, F.Reynolds, B.Cooper (repl T.Williams), B.Young, N.Morris (repl E.O’Donoghue), D.Herriott (repl C.Macmillan), D.Irvine (repl N.Morris),  J.De Vries, T.King (repl H.Furneaux), C.Murray, J.Stephens

Match preview TJs V 1st XV

Match Preview – Tonbridge Juddians V Canterbury 1st XV

Posted on | by Denys Andrianjafy

Tonbridge Juddians v Canterbury

This was the game that should have been the pre-Christmas ‘derby’ but the weather intervened. After last week’s low key performance, there are changes to the squad. Injury and work commitments rule out Tyler Oliver and Tom Best but there is a return for centre Sam Sterling who has recovered from the bug that has affected a number of the senior squad.    Long term injury absentee Charlie Kingsman makes the replacements bench, ironically against the same opposition when he sustained serious thumb damage.

Head Coach Matt Corker writes: “One of the reasons I love rugby is because regardless of how complicated we make it, in essence, it is a simple game. Last week we did not match Dorking physically so we conceded 50 points. The game is great at giving you simple feedback. We are a proud team, representing a proud club and we know we have a responsibility to do the shirt justice every time we have the privilege of putting it on. During the Covid season, we produced a statement of why we play at Canterbury RFC, and the reason that we all collectively come to Canterbury is because we are “Creating an Environment to be proud of”. I believe this to be true and if we want to be an environment to be proud of we need to show how much it means to us to be a part of that.

“The shining light from the weekend was the Pilgrims win against Sevenoaks. A great performance in an entertaining game takes them to the top of the league for the first time this season. They have a good run of games ahead with some big clashes on the horizon as we enter the business end of the season.”