Author: David Haigh

SATURDAY PREVIEW

I can’t remember a time in my seven seasons at the club of going in 40-0 down at half time. We have had some tough days on the pitch, but this was new. I think after a day like Saturday there are many ways to review our performance and it is important which angle of reflection we choose. The players said it themselves after the game, there is no way we can forget how we played in the first forty. It is equally important not to gloss over what they achieved in the second half, something that no other team has accomplished against Barnes in a long time. Winning the second half 5-35, scoring seven converted tries against second in the league, is arguably as good as the first half was disappointing.

We spoke at half-time about not being satisfied coming off second best in all the micro battles of the game, believing in what we are capable of and remembering that we represent the club every time we pull on a Canterbury shirt. The strength of the reaction shows how much it means to the players to be part of this team and also what they are capable of. If we can iron out some of the small kinks the potential of this group remains very exciting.

With this being the business end of the season, when results decide league positions, tomorrow is an important game. Old Albanians sit eight points behind us, coming off the back of three wins, and it sets up Saturday as a decisive game in this round. We are focused on showing we can play as we did in the second forty minutes of last week, from the first whistle.

With their win against Dover, and tomorrow’s cancellation against Cranbrook, the Pilgrims only have two games remaining for them to maintain their position and be crowned Counties Kent One champions. It may feel very close but we will be taking nothing for granted when the tam return to action on the 22nd March, away to Heathfield and Waldron, before the final game two weeks later at home to Crowborough.

Matt Corker, Head Coach

Pilgrims 43 Dover 19

by Dan Gill

Pilgrims elected to play up the slope in the first half and imposed their game plan on the visitors from the outset. The early signs were promising as good handling following a Dover dropped ball saw the ball moved wide to Guy Hilton who made a strong break up the touch line and sent in form wing man Gus Lister racing away to score, making the conversion a formality for Owain Collins. Next, when Dover infringed just inside their 22 metre area, a tap penalty move was well executed before centre Harry Sloan crossed out wide.. Canterbury continued to look dangerous, particularly out wide, but it was the forwards turn to show what they were made of as a number of strong runs pushed Dover back before man of the match Isaac Divine picked up and drove through three defenders to add a third try. Dover looked to respond with some strong running and good handling but a mistake out wide saw winger Adrian Geddes collect the ball and outpace everyone to score the bonus point try which Collins converted for 24-0 lead. The visitors responded almost immediately and with Pilgrims looking to move the ball, ex Canterbury stalwart Martyn Beaumont intercepted a loose pass and cantered in to score. They added a second converted touchdown on the stroke of halftime as their busy scrum half burrowed over after a series of pick and goes to make it 24-14 at the break, It was Dover who started the second half brighter and after a ten minute stalemate, they got their third try in the corner after good handling saw them create a textbook overlap and reduce the gap to just five points The Pilgrims responded by introducing their replacements and it wasn’t long before momentum switched back their way with centre Tom Halliday making an instant impact on his return from long term injury. His driving run sucked in defenders and the Pilgrims backs spread the ball wide where Lister ran in his second try, topped up by the conversion. The hat trick followed after a well worked move saw him glide through a gap and dot down near the posts which allowed Collins to add the extras. Dover suffered a number of injuries and had to reshuffle but just as they mounted a promising attack, Pilgrims turned the ball over and the direct running Sonny Trew-Neville put the finishing touch to a solid display that keeps the team top of Counties 1 with three games to play. Next weekend the Pilgrims welcome Cranbrook to the MTG.

Pilgrims: Macmillan, Demery, Morris, Irvine, Hunt, Mackenzie, Divine, Evans, Valladares, Collins, Lister, Sloan, Trew-Neville, Geddes, G Hilton, Everatt, Fielder, T Halliday.

Beccehamians 20 Canterbury Pilgrims 27

by Dan Gill

Pilgrims travelled to Beccehamians keen to avenge last season’s humbling 60-point defeat on the same ground and this time it was a different story. The match kicked off with Pilgrims playing up the slope and immediately looking to implement their patterns of play when it would have been more prudent to clear their lines. This proved to be the case as the ball was turned over and Beccehamians busy open side flanker exploited space at the side of the ruck to scamper through and touch down for a converted score after only two minutes. The city side responded well and when Beccehamians conceded a penalty in front of the posts Owain Collins stepped up to slot the goal. From the kick off a strong burst from Adrian Geddes put Pilgrims on the front foot and when the ball was moved to the opposite wing Max Campbell went on a trade mark run that saw him beat four defenders. Quick recycling then saw Guy Hilton’s pass find second row man Henry Kenny who had too much pace and power for the defence and he touched down to continue his remarkable scoring run, having now claimed tries in his last five matches. Collins converted before adding a second penalty goal shortly after to open a six point gap.. Beccehamians remained a threat but the Pilgrims defence was back to its early season best with some big hits from skipper Al Evans, Kenny and Tom Mackenzie. The scrum was also proving a real weapon for the city side and the next score came from their good work. As Beccehamians pack retreated, it gave the backs time and space to send full back and Man of the Match Gus Lister through for an excellent first phase try. With half time looming Beccehamians hit back hard when the Pilgrims again left space at the edge of a ruck and a strong running lock dived over for an unconverted score to make 20-12 at the break The second half was a scrappy affair. Promising Pilgrims attacks were hampered by handling errors or infringements that allowed Beccehamians to relieve pressure and the first score went to the home side through a penalty goal. It left Pilgrims with a precarious five point advantage.. However, with the clock running down they finally made the game safe when prop Nathan Morris intercepted a wayward pass and cantered in from 25 metres to score under the posts and make Collins’ conversion a formality. In the last play of the game Beccehamians grabbed a third try to secure a losing bonus point but Pilgrims’ stay top of Counties 1 with four games to complete. They now have a week off before welcoming local rivals Dover to the MTG on 1st March.

Canterbury: Macmillan, Demery, Morris, Kenny, Irvine, Hunt, Mackenzie, Evans, Valladares, Collins, Geddes, Trew-Neville, G. Hilton, Campbell, Lister, Mills, Divine, Foster.

SATURDAY PREVIEW
One of the things I love about this game is that the scoreboard is not controlled by how much you can create but how much you can finish. When we played Guernsey at home in January we were the team with 30% possession and half as many entries into the attacking 22 metre area but walked away winners. Nearly all our opportunities resulted in points and this clinical edge paved the way to the win. On Saturday we were on the other side of the fence. We dominated possession and territory but came up short on the scoreboard. One area of our game that has moved on this season is our ability to convert pressure and opportunities into points. Our performance at the weekend has driven us to refocus on the founding elements of this improvement in what has been a good week of training.
We have all said that, after three long weeks on the road, it feels extremely good to be back at home on Saturday. With high-flying Tonbridge Juddians visiting the Marine Travel Ground we have an ideal opportunity to test ourselves against the best in the league.
The Pilgrims are also back in action when they travel to Beccehamians who sit in sixth and have a strong home record. We know there is very little room to manoeuvre at the top of Counties 1 and the Pilgrims are very aware of the challenge they face.

Matt Corker, Head Coach

SATURDAY PREVIEW
This block was always going to be a challenge. With three consecutive away games we were never going to have it all our own way and Worthing are a team far better than their league position would have you believe. Our intensity in the first half was well below what we had shown the week before against Havant and although we went in at half-time 10-14 ahead we had an honest review of our performance to that point. Two tries in the second half through good pressure in Worthing’s 22 metre area put us in a strong position, but an interception from their own five metre line, and a late penalty, meant that we needed to put in a strong defensive shift to close the game out. Being able to rely on our defence, when we need it most, has been a big shift this season and the effort and collisions in those closing stages ultimately earned us five points on the road.
Tomorrow, we travel to Westcombe Park, who sit immediately below us in the table. This local derby is always one for the diary and with both teams going into the game on the back of six-match winning streaks there is everything to play for.

The Pilgrims came through their crunch clash with Bromley, winning and taking the five points they needed. At 43-37 it was a high-scoring affair but winning such an important game was crucial and it keeps them at the top of the table going into the final run-in. Their fixture schedule is somewhat stop-start from this point. Including this Saturday, there are four weekends without a game for the Pilgrims between now and the end of the season. With only five games to play, maintaining form and momentum will be critical to them keeping hold of the top spot.

Matt Corker, Head Coach

Pilgrims 43 Bromley 37

by Dan Gill

Pilgrims took to the field knowing this was likely to be a season defining game against a very good Bromley side who had narrowly defeated them earlier in the league campaign. They elected to play up the slope in the first half which Bromley were quick to capitalise on, slotting a penalty goal for a scrum offence before adding the first try of the afternoon. They moved the ball wide to carve open the usually solid Pilgrims defence and score a well converted touchdown for a ten point lead, Pilgrims response was immediate and good interlinking play between backs and forwards created space for full back Guy Hilton to score out wide which was well converted by Owain Collins. Bromley were proving dangerous with ball in hand and another strong passage of play led to an unconverted score before the Pilgrims again pegged back the visitors. Jesse de Vries broke from a five metre scrum to force his way over for a converted score and bring the city side within a point. The final few minutes of the half were all Bromley as they moved the ball well to cut through the home defence and add a third try. More trouble followed thanks to a lapse in concentration by the Pilgrims. As they cleared to touch Bromley reacted by taking a quick throw in which saw them under the posts for a bonus point try and a 29-14 half time lead, This Pilgrims team, however, has demonstrated remarkable resilience on numerous occasions over the last three seasons and their second half display was another fine example. They came out firing and quickly added a penalty goal and a second try by Hilton before Owain Collins was singled out by the referee for ten minutes in the sin bin. But Pilgrims were now playing the slope well and coupled with set piece dominance were keeping Bromley penned in. Even though a man down, some impressive play saw Harry Chubb burst through to score and convert to give his side the lead for the first time. Harvey Furneaux then forced his way over to make it 38-29. Bromley came back with a try of their own, utilising a front of the lineout move to bring the game back to a four point margin before Pilgrims winger Sonny Trew-Neville added a sixth and decisive try. The closing minutes saw Bromley muster a strong response but the Pilgrims defence remained resolute and conceded only a penalty goal in the last play. That secured the visitors a second bonus point in what was a fantastically contested fixture. The bonus point victory keeps Pilgrims Top of Counties 1 with five games to play.

Canterbury: Frostick, Demery, MacMillan, Hunt, De Moubray, Geddes, Furneaux, De Vries, Valladares, Collins, Lister, Morgan, Chubb, Trew-Neville, G Hilton, Lusher, Divine, Fielder