Month: September 2025

CANTERBURY 30 WESTCOMBE PARK 23

by David Haigh

A Kent derby that went down to the wire saw Canterbury snatch their third consecutive victory with a try from the last play of the game. That grandstand finish took the city side to fifth place in the National 2 East table but a battling ‘Combe outfit, which has now lost three matches in the final minute, must wonder how they can get across the line. They might have won this one had they not dropped a pass in the closing stages, but failure to exploit three Canterbury yellow cards and crack some excellent defending frustrated them.. A dismal start by Canterbury left them trailing by thirteen points in as many minutes. Failing to secure the kick-off they were swiftly punished with a try from former city centre Kyan Braithwaite. Charlie Fatoma converted and poor discipline presented him with two penalty chances which were duly dispatched. Canterbury had rarely left their own half but on eighteen minutes they produced a classy response. Attacking down the left, Frank Morgan and Harry Sloan handled sweetly before Tom Williams’ pace took him clear to the posts. Frank Reynolds converted and, importantly, never missed another kick at goal all afternoon. A close range try from Combe’s talented scrum half Mikel Davies put them temporarily back in the driving seat but at the break they were ahead by only five points as Reynolds calmly sliced the lead from two penalty chances. He kicked a third a minute into the new half but renewed pressure and an astute cross kick saw Ben Fryatt grab another unconverted score for the visitors. It was the work of a mauling Canterbury pack that brought the scores level, with hooker Eoin O’Donoghue making the touchdown, but in the final quarter they invited trouble when illegal tackles saw Mo Pangarker, Sloan and Williams banished at various stages for ten minutes. ‘Combe, however, missed their opportunity, gave away penalties and late on fourteen man Canterbury took their chance as they set up another powerful attacking maul. At the bottom of the pile as it drove over the line, as so often, was O’Donoghue.

Canterbury: L.Talbot, F.Morgan, H.Sloan, W.Waddington, H.Furneaux, F.Reynolds, T.Williams, L.Young, E.O’Donoghue, O.Frostick, C.McGovern, J.Stephens, R.Thomas, M.Pangarker, T.Oliver. Replacements: J.Walker, C.Macmillan, G.Jones, K.Heatherley, D.Huntley.

MATCH PREVIEEW

The last time we won away at Henley was in 2018. That day, a nineteen-year-old, baby-faced Jamie Stephens played at Number 8. The record shows he received a yellow card for a high tackle. Jamie’s memory of the event is that it was a case of mistaken identity and that Jimmy Green was the real culprit. Knowing Jimmy, there’s probably some degree of truth in that recollection!
Getting results where we haven’t in recent history is the only way we can change the course of our season and show the year-on-year improvement we’re working so hard to achieve. That’s what made last Saturday’s win such an important step forward. It was built on relentless defensive effort and a strong set-piece platform. We know it wasn’t a perfect performance and we came away with some key learnings and work-ons. But the lads’ commitment to the cause and the way they fought their way out of difficult situations is something to be extremely proud of.
The Pilgrims recorded another loss last weekend against Gravesend, who remain unbeaten and sit third in the league. Two of the Pilgrims’ first three games have been against teams in the top four, giving the team a valuable opportunity to learn how the best in the league operate. Performances have improved week on week as they fight to find their rhythm at the new level and this was evident last Saturday as they fought back to claim an important bonus point—their third of the season. The value of these points is clear as they sit ninth in the table, still to play all the teams below them. They enjoy a weekend off before facing Brighton at home next week.
The strength of National 2 is notably higher this season and the 1st XV roll into another exciting and challenging fixture. Westcombe Park visit the Marine Travel Ground on Saturday with a record of one win from three so far. This isn’t the full story, though: they sit level on points with us and just one place behind. They have scored more tries than their opposition in both of their defeats, losing on each occasion in the final play.
This is the second of our back-to-back home derbies, always great occasions as the battle for the title of Kent’s best team plays out. We are focused on taking another step forward and we know we’ll need to be at our best to earn it. A great game awaits — I can’t wait.

MATT CORKER, HEAD COACH

Pilgrims 27 Gravesend 43

by Dan Gill

Pilgrims are still looking for a first victory in Regional 2 but a second half fight back earned them a valuable losing bonus point. They started well and took the lead inside five minutes; the backs stretching Gravesend and opening a gap for Olly Ashley-jones to glide through. He was stopped short but a quick tap penalty was taken and after a series of drives by the forwards, Garry Jones dived over in the left corner. Ashley-Jones converted well from the touchline. The lead was short lived, however, as Gravesend leveled from a penalty kicked deep into the Pilgrims 22, and from the lineout drive the visitors peeled off to score a converted try. Ashley-Jones nudged Pilgrims back in front from a penalty goal and they looked to be asserting themselves but after another spell of possession, they kicked the ball dead when going for the corner. From the resulting scrum Gravesend moved the ball wide for their second converted score. Ashley-jones then was lost to injury and the resulting reshuffle took time for Pilgrims to adjust. Gravesend added a further catch and drive try then started to pull away. and by half time they had plundered three more tries, won a bonus point and built 31-10 lead. The Pilgrims started the second half brightly, but an error at the lineout allowed Gravesend to move the ball wide for a sixth try.
The young City side showed great character to come back into the game from this point. Great attacking phases and aggressive breakdown work saw the visitors reduced to fourteen after a yellow card, which Pilgrims duly exploited by moving the ball from one side of the pitch to the other before scoring. Gravesend added their seventh try when their centre cut a great line through some poor defending but the Pilgrims responded with a well worked third touchdown which was converted.
They were were now in the ascendancy and chasing a bonus point score which duly followed after great team play. Forwards and backs combined well to send full back Fraser Doig over on debut. It was another positive step in the right direction, but defensive mistakes again proved costly.

Pilgrims will look to bounce back after a week off when we welcome Brighton to the MTG on 4th October.

Canterbury: Oliver, Bull, Timmerman, Kenny, Hunt, Dengate, Devine, Evans, Lloyd, Ashley-Jones, Geddes, Carter, Jones, Valladares, Doig, Everrat, Mackenzie,Thompson.

HENLEY HAWKS 17 CANTERBURY 22

by David Haigh

A tough as teak defensive effort earned Canterbury a first National 2 East success at Henley for six years. Reaching the break seven points in arrears an assured second half performance, in which they tightened their discipline and scored three tries, saw them finish as deserved winners. After missing an early opportunity to take the lead the city side came under periods of intense pressure as they conceded penalties and turned over possession. But every time the Hawks came knocking they were denied entry and only allowed through the front door once. That came in the 29th minute after Henley’s Max Tichener and Frank Reynolds had kicked a penalty goal apiece. The work of the home forwards at last paid off as Nelly Kinninsburgh was driven over and Tichener converted the try but it was not all one way traffic. Canterbury’s best attacks were let down by dropped passes so it was their organisation and aggression in the tackle that saw them through to half time. They came out for the second half not only refreshed but in clinical mood as they scored two tries in the first ten minutes. It was Hawks who were now stacking up the infringements and feeling the pressure. Mo Pangarker powered over from close range for the first score, converted by Reynolds, and four minutes later fellow flanker Ryley Thomas’s touchdown took the city side into the lead. However, experience has shown that Henley do not surrender easily on their home turf and, despite being handicapped by a series of injuries, they exploited an indifferent kick to win territory and create a try for Oskar White. Tichener booted them back into the lead from the tee. They held on to it for ten minutes but a fine break by scrum half Tom Williams won position, followed by a yellow card for the hosts and a penalty which Canterbury punished with a catch and drive try from Eoin O’Donoghue and a Reynolds conversion. That proved decisive, although Henley came knocking hard again in the late stages. Despite losing Harry Sloan to a yellow card for the final six minutes the city side’s dominant scrum and defensive mastery ensured they gave nothing away.

Canterbury: L.Talbot, H.Furneaux, H.Sloan, W.Waddington, F.Morgan, F.Reynolds, T.Williams, L.Young, E.O’Donoghue, O.Frostick, C.McGovern, J.Stephens, R.Thomas, M.Pangarker, T.Oliver. Replacements: J.Walker, D.Huntley, K.Heatherley, C.Macmillan, J.De Vries

MATCH PREVIEW

The main thrust of what I said this time last week was that we wanted our attack to be better. Scoring six tries and accumulating 42 points was exactly what we wanted. We were much more clinical and hit 48 percent completion, just below the magic 50 percent. Even though we didn’t score a maul try it was much more threatening and created space for us in Sevenoaks’ twenty-two.

This all came after a slow start and going 0–17 behind. Being able to wrestle back momentum when it is going against you is an important quality of good teams and seeing the players dig deep and turn the ship around was really pleasing. Conceding the final try was disappointing and maintaining control when the game loosens up will be something we need to improve on. Tom Williams also had a good day at the office, bagging himself a hat-trick, which could have been four if not for a forward pass.

Our attention this week swiftly moves to Henley which has been a place of near misses. The last two seasons we have fallen short by a point on both occasions and for us to have a better season than we did last year, winning where we haven’t before is the only way to do it. Henley come into the game still unbeaten and I am expecting another close encounter.

The Pilgrims had another tough afternoon away at Horsham. Horsham were relegated last season from Regional 1 and are another strong team. There were lots of positives in the game, scoring 24 points away from home being one of them, and there is also plenty of learning. This weekend they play Gravesend at the Marine Travel Ground. The team are pushing hard in training and you can see the growth in the players. These are exactly the experiences that we wanted to give our players so they can develop whichever team they play for and they will be hunting down their first win on Saturday.

MATT CORKER, HEAD COACH