Author: David Haigh

CANTERBURY 28 HENLEY HAWKS 21

by David Haigh

There is no such thing as a free lunch this season in National 2 East and Canterbury were made to work hard for a sixth straight victory. In a game which had plenty of industry, but would have brought frowns to a quality control department, they nevertheless scored four tries, claimed maximum points and move up to fourth spot in the league. Against a Hawks side occupying a chair at the lower end of the table, there was little of the city club’s pre-Christmas fluency on display and it was the visitors who were pressing hard for the draw in the final stages. Canterbury made a bright start, with a try after three minutes, as Henley conceded a penalty and Tyler Oliver touched down from a catch and drive. Frank Reynolds converted and, like his Hawks counterpart Max Titchener, went on to add goal points to all the tries. Titchener started by converting an equalising score after 13 minutes when hooker Spencer Hayhow plunged over from a maul, but the game settled into a shapeless affair for the rest of the half. Individual lapses, messy lineout work from both sides were too frequent but Canterbury reached the break seven points in front. That was down to powerful finishing by centre Harry Sloan after a patient build up from the pack, but they missed out on two other occasions while Hawk’s Zack Taylor was in the sin bin. Luke Talbot was held up over the line and then good, scrambling defence forced an error in the same corner. The start of the second half was a repeat of the first, with Canterbury grabbing an early try from flanker Ryley Thomas after Hawks wing Oscar Busby was yellow carded, but sparking a swift reply from Henley. The city side infringed and from the penalty
Hawks worked a try for centre James Leach. At the start of the last quarter the city side found some cohesion, pinned Henley on their own line and scrum half Presley Farrance completed a series of pick and go’s to open a fourteen point gap. However, it was the visitors who took the late initiative and, when Oliver was sin binned, Hayhow struck on 67 minutes with his second try from a catch and drive. Canterbury hung on precariously, but Henley’s serious pursuit of more than a losing bonus point was frustrated in the last play of the game. A penalty award opened the way to a prime attacking position: however, skilful work from Reynolds prevented Titchener’s kick from going into touch and you had to feel that had saved the day.

Canterbury: K.Heatherley, G.Jones, H.Sloan, W.Waddington, L.Talbot, F.Reynolds, P.Farrance, D. Huntley, E.O’Donoghue, O.Frostick, C.McGovern, J.Stephens, T.McKenzie, R.Thomas, T.Oliver. Replacements: C.Macmillan, J.Walker, J.Dengate, A.Moss, T.Williams

SEVENOAKS 17 CANTERBURY 39

by David Haigh

A confident Canterbury continued their march up the league table with a fifth straight victory which was as clear cut as the scoreline suggests. They go into the New Year sitting in fifth place in National 2 East after dominating this Kent derby in all areas. A potentially tricky fixture on paper proved to be a different story on grass, with the city side’s five tries earning them maximum points and denying ‘Oaks a single Christmas gift. They set the tone in the first half, building a 19-3 lead and, when under pressure, defending so well the home side could make no impression. Ben Adams kicked Sevenoaks into an early lead with a penalty goal but it was soon surrendered to a penalty try for illegally puling down Canterbury’s driving maul. That cost them seven points and a yellow card which was punished further by a second Canterbury try. Scrum half Presley Farrance, who knows a gap when he sees one, was the scorer. In the second quarter, the hosts worked hard to win territory but failed repeatedly to tear down the defensive curtain and four minutes before the break, were shown the way by Canterbury’s mobile lock Charlie McGovern. His chip, chase and try between the sticks was converted by Frank Reynolds. Early in the second half the city forwards mastery of the breakdown saw Reynolds add another three points from a penalty and when ‘Oaks finally did find a try it just spurred a clinical response. After Zak Jones’ score, converted by Adams, it took Canterbury only three minutes to strike again. Wing Garry Jones blasted through midfield to bring finishing power and Reynolds quickly followed the conversion with his second penalty goal. For an out played Oaks, 22 points behind, there was no way back, despite Cam Cummings creating a neat, converted try with his kick and chase. But the last word went to Garry Jones as Canterbury moved the ball sweetly through the hands to send him over at the corner. Reynolds then topped off the team’s impressive afternoon with a successful conversion.

Canterbury: K.Heatherley, G.Jones, H.Sloan, W.Waddington, L.Talbot, F.Reynolds, P.Farrance, D.Huntley, E.O’Donoghue, O.Frostick, C.McGovern, J.Stephens, J.De Vries, R.Thomas, T.Oliver. Replacements: C.Macmillan, T.Williams, J.Dengate, O.Hewett, T.McKenzie

MATCH PREVIEW

In my time at the club, we have never won away at Esher, and don’t be fooled by their current league position. They are still a strong side that has suffered a bad run of injuries — something we can certainly empathise with. The difference in this group in recent weeks is that, no matter what happens, they remain composed, stick to our plan, and win the physicality battle. Going 14–0 down in just over five minutes would rattle some teams, but the players showed how much they have grown, closing the gap almost immediately before delivering a ruthless second-half performance. Getting better every week is our sole focus, and the players continue to deliver improvements across all areas of our game.
The Pilgrims recorded another excellent home victory, scoring the winning try with a minute to go despite receiving an early red card and being reduced to 12 men at one point. They have now won five of their last seven matches, lifting them to eighth in the table. It is gritty performances like last Saturday’s that have been at the heart of the recent change in results. In a tightly contested Regional 2 South East, only ten points separate 11th and 4th, so we know we must continue to pick up results to remain in this part of the table. The Pilgrims travel to Gravesend for their final game of 2025, looking to maintain their current trajectory.
The 1st XV travel to Sevenoaks for our Christmas derby, which is always a fiercely competitive fixture. The players are well aware of what it will take and are fully focused on finishing the year on a high.
As this is the final fixture of 2025, it is also a good time to reflect on the past 12 months. Looking across the men’s teams, it feels like everything is moving in the right direction. The Canons and the Pilgrims are both adjusting well to their new leagues, and the first team has built momentum with the opportunity to finish the year on a winning run. None of this would be possible without the unrelenting support we receive from the club’s sponsors, volunteers, and supporters. From myself and all the teams, we are incredibly grateful to you all. I hope you are able to enjoy a very Merry Christmas, and I look forward to seeing you in the New Year.

MATT CORKER, HEAD COACH

ESHER 29 CANTERBURY 33

by David Haigh

A text book lesson on how to dig yourself out of deep holes, then take command, saw Canterbury extend their winning run to four games and lift themselves into the top six of the National 2 East table. In an outstanding second half performance, they came from fifteen points behind, scored three tries and showed both discipline and composure to close out the game. The first test came early in the day as Esher scored twice in the opening five minutes. Number Eight Leo Thornton broke tackles to set up the first of three touchdowns for wing James Botterill and Esher swooped again, exploiting a handing error before Connor Ganley powered over. With two conversions from Alex Wainwright a shaken city side had urgent repair work to do and started with a ninth minute try from scrum half Tom Williiams, who sniped across from their first serious attack. A Wainwright penalty goal made life harder, but at the end of the first quarter Alfie Orris speared through the Esher defence and Frank Reynolds’ second conversion brought balance to the scoreline. It was either side of half time that trouble brewed again for Canterbury through the dangerous Botterill. His tries in the 35th and 45th minutes, plus a Wainwright conversion, took Esher into a 29-14 lead; the first score from a good move, the second down to Canterbury’s failure to deal with a kick from Pierre Thompson. It was from this point, however, that an impressive City pack took charge of the key areas and it brought well deserved rewards. A Garry Jones run built pressure leading to a Tyler Oliver try. Next, came a magnificent driving maul where wingman Jones joined in to claim the score. With both tries converted Canterbury were still a point behind but their focus never wavered. Nine minutes from the end, skipper Jamie Stephens rounded off his pack’s close quarter power with the fifth try to complete one of the best wins of the season.
Canterbury: L.Talbot, G.Jones, A.Moss, W.Waddington, A.Orris, F.Reynolds, T.Williams, D.Huntley, E.O’Donoghue, O.Frostick, C.McGovern, J.Stephens, J.Walker, R.Thomas, T.Oliver. Replacements: H.Sloan, J.De Vries, P.Farrance, L.Young, C.Macmillan

CORKER’S VIEW

Last Saturday, I told the team that we only want to take forward steps from here—and the win over Guernsey was certainly another one. In what was arguably our best performance of the season, we restricted them to a single intercept try and kept them scoreless for the entire second half. We scored five tries of our own, four of which began from possession inside our own half, with the other score a well-taken maul try. It was clear how proud the players were, especially as they brought to life several areas we’ve been working hard on in training. It was also great to see players returning from injury making a strong impact.

The Pilgrims came within a last-minute conversion of earning an away draw at Beckenham, and had we been more clinical in the first half, could have taken even more from the match. The team is really beginning to understand what it takes to win at this level and the growth in performance has been evident. The next step is improving our execution in key moments, particularly in the opposition’s twenty-two. This week we welcome Horsham to the Marine Travel Ground. Horsham have only one more win than the Pilgrims and the reverse fixture earlier in the season — our first away game — was one where we felt we didn’t show our best. We’ll be aiming for a very different performance this time.

The 1st XV travel to Esher looking to make it four wins on the bounce. It hasn’t been a successful venue for us in recent years; we know the level of performance required to earn a result that keeps us moving forward.

MATT CORKER, HEAD COACH

CANTERBURY 34 GUERNSEY 8

by David Haigh

The third win in a row, a hat trick of tries for hooker Eoin O’Donoghue and a maximum return of five points made this a good day at the office for Canterbury. It is clear, also, they enjoy working at home, having lost only once at The Marine Travel Ground this season and after a flurry of three tries in the first twenty minutes never looked in much danger of defeat. Guernsey took an early lead through full back Callum Roberts’ interception try but were a side lacking bite and were quickly found out. Wing Alfie Orris, making his first appearance after a preseason injury, set Canterbury on their way as he fielded a kick on half way, powered through a hesitant defence and support runner Aiden Moss cantered over from Presley Farrance’s pass. The visitors were quickly under pressure again as Canterbury put the ball through their hands at every opportunity and a sweeping attack on the left flank was completed by the ever alert O’Donoghue. His second try was delayed, briefly, by an exchange of penalty goals from Guernsey’s Ciaran McGann and Frank Reynolds but, from the restart, the city side struck again. This time it was Moss who made the decisive break and O’Donoghue stepped past the last defender, leaving Reynolds to land his second conversion. They thought Harry Sloan had bagged a fourth try, but were called back for an earlier infringement and had to be content with a 22-8 half time lead. It took 19 minutes of the second half before the bonus point touchdown was added. That was down to some dogged resistance from Guernsey and failings in the city side’s accuracy. When the score came it was a trademark catch and drive which gave O’Donoghue his opportunity. Guernsey, denied possession by superior lineout skills and the home side’s ability to turn over ball, continued to battle but could do nothing to counter more impressive handling in the 67th minute. Skipper Jamie Stephens surprised everyone with a turn of foot which ended under the posts and Reynolds converted. Two further scoring chances were mangled in the scrappy closing minutes but it would be harsh to criticise an ambitious display from this Canterbury side.
Canterbury: L.Talbot, G.Jones, A.Moss, W.Waddington, A.Orris, F.Reynolds, P.Farrance, D.Huntley, E.O’Donoghue, O.Frostick, J.Stephens, C.McGovern, J.Walker, R.Thomas, T.Oliver. Replacements: L.Young, H.Sloan, T.Williams, J.Dengate, J.De Vries.

MATCH PREVIEW

Oxford Harlequins away gave us the opportunity to back up our win against London Welsh and the players put in a strong performance in challenging conditions. Through a dominant set piece and effective ball movement, we secured the bonus point by half time. Even though the second half was less eventful, we finished as 19–42 winners.
That’s not the whole story, though. We lost both Jamie Stephens and Eoin O’Donoghue early in the second half and Mo Pangarker followed shortly after scoring his try. Ryley Thomas played the final ten minutes in the second row and Presley Farrance shifted to Number 6. Even with all this disruption, the last ten minutes showed the true character of this team. Despite the game already being won, the lads were stubbornly defiant and refused to give Oxford a losing bonus point. I thought it was important to share that final defensive play with the team at training last night. The character they showed is something to be proud of and a great sign of how our defence has progressed this season.
The week off also gave me the chance to watch the Pilgrims play live for the first time this season. It was great to see Jesse De Vries, Alfie Orris and Harry Sloan all return from recent injury layoffs—and all come through the game unscathed. And what a game it was. To go twenty-one points behind and still come out on top 30–26 shows how this team is rising to the challenge of Regional 2. The second-half performance is where the match was won, and when the final whistle blew you could see what it meant to the players—and to coach Mal Graves. The Pilgrims now have four wins from their last five games as they travel to fourth-place Beckenham looking to continue their strong run of results.
After a week off, the 1st XV welcome Guernsey Raiders to the Marine Travel Ground. Guernsey sit one place and two points ahead of us as we begin the final block of the year. With only three games to go before the Christmas break, we know how important it is to continue our recent run of results. Fixtures with Guernsey are always closely fought affairs and we know it will take our best to get the win

MATT CORKER, HEAD COACH

Oxford Harlequins 19 Canterbury 42

by Chris Fullbrook

Canterbury travelled to Oxford Harlequins on the back of mixed results but managed to put that behind them with a strong performance in poor weather conditions, but with the hosts having an artificial grass pitch, the playing surface was excellent. The city side have a good history of playing on plastic pitches and after an early onslaught, Eoin O’Donoghue broke free from a routine lineout catch and drive to score the first of his side’s seven tries. With Canterbury in the ascendancy, fly half Frank Reynolds barreled over from close range but was unable to convert his own try. O’Donoghue bagged another catch and drive score before a midfield break from Jimmy Walker and a clever kick ahead from Reynolds, allowed Luke Talbot to win the chase and touchdown and Reynolds add the extras. Despite an uncharacteristic off day with the boot, Reynolds was influential elsewhere and was on the end of some good support play to register his second try which took his side into the shelter of the changing room at half time with a 27-7 lead. Oxford’s only response had been a converted try, on the 30 minute mark, from Ben Jenkins, converted by Tom Cooke. With the weather easing after the break Canterbury hoped to continue their dominance but a dropped ball and stubborn defence from the home side, who twice held up surges over the line, denied the city side. Losing both captain Jamie Stephens and O’Donoghue to injury was another factor in keeping the second half scoreless for 15 minutes. Eventually Number Eight Tyler Oliver made the breakthrough his side was looking for with a try, this time converted by Reynolds.
With Canterbury reduced to 14 men for repeated infringements, the home side took advantage and Jenkins’ second try was again converted by full back Cooke. The city men replied immediately with Mo Pangarker finding a gap to bundle over. Forced to make several interchanges Canterbury then lost shape and momentum, allowing a strong Quins finish and a third try by Harry Burn. Reynolds’ late penalty goal brought up the 40 mark but as the home side chased a much-deserved bonus point, stout defence, where Ryley Thomas was excellent all day, kept them out and rounded off a much needed win for the Canterbury side.
Canterbury: L.Talbot, G.Jones, A.Moss, W.Waddington, O.Hewett, F.Reynolds, P.Farrance, D.Huntley, E.O’Donoghue, O.Frostick, C.McGovern, J.Stephens, J.Walker, R.Thomas, T.Oliver. Replacements: H.Drane, T.Williams, M.Pangarker, O.Collins. J.Dengate.

MATCH PREVIEW

On the stroke of fifty minutes, we scored our fifth try against London Welsh and were comfortably ahead 31–5. We had navigated the first ten minutes of the second half—a period in recent weeks where we have often let the momentum swing away from us—and we had executed the plan we had prepared.
A combination of penalties, turnovers, and lineout errors saw us concede three tries in fifteen minutes, narrowing the gap to a single score and increasing the pressure on us. There was some excellent defence in the final passages of play and a great lineout steal from Charlie McGovern in the final minutes sealed the victory.
This was a much-needed win after our recent results, but there are some important lessons we must learn. As I have said many times before, there are no bad teams in this league and London Welsh have experience from leagues above, including the Championship, in their ranks. Controlling a game’s momentum is crucial if we are to continue winning and how we hand over possession to the opposition is at the heart of coming out on top.

Our attention now shifts to Oxford Harlequins this weekend, the last fixture of this three-game block. The shorter blocks we are now into are helpful in offering regular rest breaks, but it remains essential to stay focused. Oxford are a high-energy side who will play from anywhere and we travel knowing that we must be on high alert to contain their attacking threat.

The Pilgrims are also back in action with an away fixture at Sidcup, who sit second in the table. Winning their last three games has given the team renewed confidence and they are looking forward to the test that Sidcup will offer.

MATT CORKER, HEAD COACH