Month: March 2023

Match report Zingari V Ashford 3rds

Match Report Canterbury 5th v Ashford 3rd

Posted on | by Denys Andrianjafy

Canterbury 27pts. Ashford 3rd 24pts.

The city took on a strong Ashford side that tested Canterbury in their bid to remain top of their table. It was the city that stuck first with a typical charging run from Brad Alchurch touching down in the corner to open the account, but Ashford were not overawed by this early score and probably had their best passage of play of the game breaking through for two trys in the twentieth and twenty seventh minute. Canterbury tightened up with their forwards taking charge in the loose making ground before Matt Capper finished off near the posts, and Jerome Swan to slot the conversion to give the city a slender two-point half time lead.

The second half started well for Canterbury with Jack Rougham out of the blocks breaking the Ashford defence for a well taken try, both sides now were locked in the battle of the forwards with the city having the slight edge in the amount of turnover ball thanks to the contribution of Alex Acaster and the pack. This gave their backs the opportunity to exploit a stretched defence making the pressure pay with a try from Leon Goode putting clear water between the two sides for the first time. The city pack was holding up well both in the set piece and the loose, but a moments lack of concentration and a well-executed move put Ashford back in contention with a well taken converted try. The Zingari had to do it all again with the forwards working their way into striking distance of the Ashford line before eagle eyed Justin Lello spotted a half gap on the blindside of a maul to dive in the corner. This score was needed as Ashford throwing everything into the closing minutes were rewarded setting up a maul a few meters from the Canterbury line then sending the ball wide outstripping the cover to touch down in the corner, too late to alter the outcome but demonstrated the hard-fought nature of this contest. Maybe a closer win than the Zingari would have liked thanks to the competitive nature of Ashford, but a small significant step to their league title ambitions.

Try
Brad Alchurch 1
Matt Capper 1
Jack Rougham 1
Leon Goode 1
Justin Lello 1
Conversion
Jerome Swan 1

Jesse V Park House

Match Report Pilgrims v Park House

Posted on | by Denys Andrianjafy

Won 24-8 (H-T 19-3). Eoin O’Dongahue 15, Jesse De Vries 4, Adrian Geddes 5.

The Pilgrims needed to bounce back from the home loss to Dover from last week. Dropping from first to third was not what Canterbury had wanted. This game was so important. With eight
enforced changes is was not going to be easy, 5 in the backs!

The game started well for the home side, Pilgrims putting some good attacking moves together, and early pressure was rewarded with a try scored by Eoin O’Donaghue after good work from Max
Halliday and Adrian Geddes. 5-0, alas Jesse De Vries could not convert.

Park House came straight back at the home side, only good defending kept them out, with excellent tackling from Jake Dengate, throughout the game. Presley Farrance was having an excellent game at scrum half, and Ollie Finn, the ‘supporters player of the day’, played well in a number of positions, as later injuries meant that he had to move around to cover.

Jesse was kicking well for territory, but a few line-outs went begging! Max Halliday went off with a hamstring injury, this will mean his misses the rest of the league season! From a penalty just short of the park House try Line, Eoin drove over for his second try, this time converted by De Vries, 12-0. More park Pressure, who always looked dangerous, resulted in a penalty, which they duly
kicked. 12-3. Just on the stroke of half time Eoin drove through to score his third try for Jesse to convert. At half time the home side lead 19-3. One more try was needed to get the much needed
bonus point.

The second half was a half of errors and scrappy play, the pilgrims spent too much time in their own half defending a hard working Park House team who started this game one place behind in
fourth place. A yellow card to Park, gave Pilgrims the lift they needed. Adrian Geddes, a young player, who has made great progress over the last few weeks, scored an unconverted try, 24-3.
The game was closer that the score was suggesting. From another scrum, an area that Park House were dominating, they broke and scored an unconverted try, 24-8. What seemed like a short
second half ended with a much needed win. A very gutsy team performance, with everyone making an important contribution to the end result. Results elsewhere took Canterbury up to
second, level on Points with local rivals Dover. If both sides remain undefeated in their last two games, Two East Kent sides could be going up to Counties One.

This coming weekend the Pilgrims travel to play Maidstone 1stXV, for another must win game.

View Match photos

Canterbury Pilgrims vs Park House

Images may be subject to copyright – Ken Matcham
V Barnes

Match report – Canterbury 1st XV V Barnes

Posted on | by Denys Andrianjafy

CANTERBURY 15 BARNES 38

by David Haigh

This was a frustrating Canterbury performance as they gave Barnes a head start and then were too inaccurate to sustain a threatened second half revival. Conceding four tries before the break to one of the league’s in-form sides left them struggling for credibility and although they lifted the tempo of their game in the third quarter too many basic errors killed off the challenge. The visitors went ahead after only three minutes as their backs exposed the Canterbury defence all too easily for Jordan Souter’s try. A Frank Reynolds penalty goal pegged that back but it took a confident Barnes only a minute to fashion a second try scored by wing Paul O’Dell. A penalty gave the visitors the territory for a third score, this time a close quarter finish as lock James Bloxham crashed over and Simon Keller’s second conversion pushed the lead to a comfortable sixteen points. Canterbury did settle more at this stage and while they threatened little in attack the deficit looked manageable if they could hold on to half time. Those hopes were dashed when Dave Irvine went to the sin bin for a deliberate knock-on and the penalty conceded put Barnes where they wanted be. Hooker Alex March drove over, Keller converted and the bonus point was in the visitors pocket. How important that score became was highlighted when Canterbury engaged a higher gear after the break. They played with pace and ambition, which paved the way for a good try by Guy Hilton, and going into the last twenty minutes forward pressure made another inroad with an Irvine try and a Reynolds conversion. But all that effort was undermined by dropped passes and possession turned over in contact. Barnes re-asserted control in the late stages with tries for Cameron Leigh and Chris Stegman and a Keller conversion, while Canterbury’s woes were compounded by Sam Sterling’s red card for an illegal tip tackle

Canterbury: C.Kingsman, G.Hilton, S.Sterling, L.Hollidge (repl T.Halliday), F.Morgan, F.Reynolds, B.Cooper (repl T.Williams), B.Young, N.Morris (repl C.Macmillan), E.Lusher (repl D.Herriott), D.Irvine, J.Stephens, H.Furneaux, C.Murray (repl S.Rogers) T.Oliver

View match photos

v Barnes - 4 Mar 2023

Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

Match-Preview-V-Barnes

Match preview – Canterbury 1st XV V Barnes

Posted on | by Denys Andrianjafy

One of the league’s in-form sides come to the Marine Travel Ground and Barnes will provide a test of our resilience. A calf injury rules out Will Waddington so Charlie Kingsman takes the full back slot. Sam Rogers makes a welcome return to the squad after a long battle to regain fitness and is named among the replacements together with Tom Halliday. Head Coach Matt Corker writes: “We’ve had some tough Saturdays this season, where the score lines were not what we wanted but the Saturday result, regardless of the close margin was enormously disappointing. When I have reviewed the wins against Tonbridge, Worthing and Sevenoaks we look like a very different team when compared to the one who played Rochford, even though personnel are almost identical. Currently we thrive on the test that the teams above offer but we know that successful league campaigns are also about being able to win games that earn less attention. Credit must go to Rochford who won the physical battle. I will not share our missed tackle number as it is something we are all embarrassed by but it has given us a very simple focus for Barnes this weekend. Barnes have some powerful runners and play to those strengths, and we are very aware that this is something that we need to deal with. I have no doubt that all players that represent Canterbury are proud to wear the shirt, we as a group didn’t do it justice last week and Saturday is an opportunity for us to rectify that.”