Author: David Haigh

Not Quite Good Enough

Posted on | by David Haigh

CANTERBURY 20 BARNES 29

by David Haigh

After the previous week’s woes this was a better performance from Canterbury but not quite good enough to unseat the title chasing visitors. Approaching the final quarter with a five point lead the city side seemed handily placed but it was Barnes who took took control, added two tries to secure their bonus point and effectively shut down the game. It was a disappointment after solid first half defence restricted Barnes to a Kyle Beattie penalty goal and a catch and drive try from Cameron Ruddock. Try scoring chances were sparse as both sides were guilty of poor ball retention but a Frank Reynolds penalty goal got Canterbury on the scoreboard and with wind and slope to help them after the break the odds on a win were shortened. They started to look a decent bet as Reynolds punished a scrum offence with his second penalty and only five minutes into the half added the conversion to Ben Cooper’s try to take his side in front for the first time. Number Eight Tyler Oliver made the break and gave his scrum half the scoring opportunity. It was Barnes power at the maul that edged them back in front six minutes later as Matt Humphreys claimed their second catch and drive touchdown, converted by Beattie, but Canterbury were quick to counter. Quick hands opened up the left channel for Frank Morgan’s try and a touchline conversion from Reynolds was more good news. But that was the last we saw of Canterbury as an attacking force, apart from the odd break from much too deep. Barnes brought shrewd game management to their play, denied the city side any decent field position and their strengths produced tries for wings Jacques Birch and Paul Webb. Both scores had their origins in that effective maul. They opted to release and spread the attack wide for Birch’s try and scrum half Josh Davies sniped off the back of another close quarter drive to send Webb cruising over. Beattie nailed both conversions to guarantee Canterbury were denied even a losing bonus point.

Canterbury: W.Waddington, G.Jones, F.Morgan (repl W.Hilton), T.Best, B.Law, F.Reynolds, B.Cooper (repl P.Farrance), E.Lusher, E.O’Donoghue (repl N.Morris), D.Herriott (repl D.Huntley), J.De Vries, J.Stephens, A.Evans (repl T.Mackenzie), C.Murray, T.Oliver

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v Barnes - 17 Feb 2024

Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

Weekend Focus

Posted on | by David Haigh

CANTERBURY v BARNES

One year later and although the margin was slightly smaller, we came away from Dorking with a very familiar taste in our mouth. Losing to good teams is something that we have to process and learning these lessons is how we will grow as a team. This opportunity is lost when we don’t produce anything near the plan, or we don’t meet the minimum level of physicality that is necessary to win in this league. The frustration is that when we do get to these levels we are match for anyone, but talk is cheap and we only measure ourselves by what we put on tape each Saturday.
Our focus for this week is clear; with another strong opposition visiting the Marine Travel Ground on Saturday we are concentrating on what we need to individually contribute to the team performance for us to win. Five per cent off mentally and you are miles off on the scoreboard; if that is the lesson that we learn from Dorking the disappointment won’t be in vain. We will only know when we see what we put on tape this weekend.
The Pilgrims came through their hardest fought win of the season at third place Dartfordians. The depth of the squad is being tested, as it is this time of the year, and the team battled through to finish on top, scoring over fifty points. With five games to go, only a couple of wins will secure the Pilgrims the league title in their first season at this level. The team know they will not come easy as they try and achieve something very special.

Matt Corker, Head Coach

Hilton Boots Pilgrims To Victory

Posted on | by David Haigh

DARTFORDIANS 36 CANTERBURY PILGRIMS 51

by John Mitchell

This was a severe test against a Dartfordians side who were unbeaten at home this season and still in the hunt for a promotion place. Thanks to late tries and the immaculate goal kicking of Will Hilton, which accounted for 21 of Pilgrims points with all six conversions and three penalties, they were able to hold off the hosts powerful challenge. The home side took an early lead with a pushover try, duly converted, but Pilgrims fought straight back. A trade mark snipe from Presley Farrance created pressure before Freddie Holland-Oliver scored. From the restart, poor reception and an awkward bounce saw the home recapture the lead through a good unconverted try, the conversion hitting the upright. With fourteen minutes gone Hilton slotted his first penalty and soon added a second to push his side one point ahead. Stan Bull made a welcome return after injury and came on for Dan Gill. A home player received a yellow card for not rolling away and from this one man advantage, Pilgrims started to take control. Only good defending by the home side kept them at bay but from a well won lineout they got a second try. Farrance, Tom Halliday and Max Campbell combined to send Jack Weaver over. Wingman Hector Valldares then made 70 metres with a superb run, off loaded to Sonny Trew-Neville who did the rest but for the second time the home side scored from the kick off. No one dealt with the high ball, another bad bounce and the home side went through to score an unconverted try. Next came an impressive Pilgrims score for Max Campbell wide on the right and despite Holland-Oliver’s yellow card for a scrum offence they were 34-17 ahead at the break. Although that looked comfortable it soon changed as Dartfordians took control of the scrums anf got on top. Two quick tries narrowed the gap to three points and the tension showed as tempers frayed. Hilton’s third penalty goal and Dan Gill’s return to bolster the pack steadied the Canterbury ship. Max Campbell wriggled free for his second touchdown and when a red card reduced Dartfordians to fourteen players they were made to pay. From a lineout Brandon Dunkerley fed Weaver who put in a great solo effort to claim Pilgrims sixth try. In a scrappy end to the game Harvey Furneaux was handed a yellow card, Dartfordians scored an unconverted try but Pilgrims had done enough to extend their winning run to seventeen.

Pilgrims: J.Weaver, M.Campbell, S.Trew-Neville, T.Halliday, H.Valldares, W.Hilton, P.Farrance, F.Holland-Oliver, B.Dunkerley, D.Gill, J.Grewar, L.Webber, A.Geddes, H.Furneaux, W.Hunt. Replacements: S.Bull, H.Fermor, J.Constant

Canterbury Second Best

Posted on | by David Haigh

DORKING 42 CANTERBURY 22

by David Haigh

In the lead up to this game Canterbury Head Coach Matt Corker challenged his squad to show they were capable of matching the top clubs in National 2 East. At third placed Dorking they failed to make their case against a side whose greater sharpness and accuracy produced seven tries. That try count was bettered only by eight yellow cards dished out by an official who was a stickler for the letter of the law but the flow of the game often suffered in consequence and it was Canterbury who paid the greater price on the scoreboard. After a bright start and a Frank Reynolds penalty goal, tries from Fraser Mosley and Jonny Ellis, and a Henry Anscombe conversion, gave Dorking the lead but a burst by Alex Evans and a corner flag try for Cameron Murray pegged them back. Then came yellow cards in quick succession for Jamie Stephens and Shay Kerry and the home side cashed in on penalties and superior numbers with tries from wing Will Sanders and lock Jasper King. Before half time it was Dorking’s turn to see yellow but any Canterbury chances were squandered as they were turned over in good positions and trailed by fifteen points at the break. The march to the sin bin soon got under way in the second half and with Tyler Oliver and Alfie Orris doing time Dorking began to pull away. The back division, crisp and certain in using possession provided by a mobile pack, did the damage with tries for scrum half George Jackson and centre Tom Howe before the final quarter. By comparison, Canterbury’s efforts to spread the attack looked clunky and in the 67th minute Dorking Number Eight Finn Osborne crowned an impressive display with his side’s seventh try. The hosts were handed the last two of those annoying yellow cards and the city side were able to register late, face saving scores through a penalty try and an overlap opportunity taken by Nathan Morris, converted beautifully by Reynolds. An Anscombe’s penalty goal completed Dorking’s points haul but had he produced a better day with the boot the victory would have been even more emphatic.

Canterbury; W.Waddington, G.Jones, F.Morgan, T.Best, A.Orris (repl B.Law), F.Reynolds, T.Williams (repl B.Cooper), E.Lusher E.O’Donoghue (repl N.Morris), D.Herriott (repl D.Huntley), S.Kerry, J.Stephens, A.Evans (repl T.Mackenzie), C.Murray, T.Oliver

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v Dorking - 10 Feb 2024

Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

WE NEED TO BE READY

Posted on | by David Haigh

DORKING v CANTERBURY

Sometimes it’s just about getting the job done. Last time out against Worthing, taking an early lead through a penalty was a solid start but we followed it up by conceding two scores. We still have gains to make in defence. Our reviews still leave us with the feeling that we can go up a level in this area, but the new laws have brought a shift in the game at our level. The same weekend we played Worthing, 11 of the league’s 14 teams scored 24 points or more, 9 over 30. This trend is definitely higher than we saw last season but our focus is on how fast we can move when defending. The quicker we set, the sooner we can get off the line to pressure the opposition. This is something that we will continue to work on as we aim to set high standards for ourselves.

The real story of the day though was the manner in which the players regained control of the game, even if we left it a little later than my blood pressure prefers. The belief and execution in the closing minutes to increase the pressure to an inevitable crescendo, marked the day with the result that we wanted. Good teams have the ability to get the job done and sometimes that means winning ugly. This is something that we haven’t achieved recently and coming out on the right side of a close encounter is still a strong positive from my perspective.

If we learnt anything when we played against Dorking last season, we know when we turn up at their ground, we need to be ready. Last year we were not and we conceded over 50 points, including five tries within thirty minutes. Despite their result last weekend, Dorking sit third for good reason and for us to come away with a win we know we will have to be at our best.

The Pilgrims march on and came out on the right side of their own close encounter last Saturday at Dover. The lead changed hands throughout the game and the Pilgrims finished on top to walk away with a 31-43 win. This week see’s them travel to third place Dartfordians for what will be an important result for both teams.

Matt Corker, Head Coach

Derby Double For Pilgrims

Posted on | by David Haigh

DOVER 31 CANTERBURY PILGRIMS 43

by John Mitchell

Another great local derby, perhaps the best game of the season so far and a win that was not assured until the last few minutes after the lead had changed hands five times. Pilgrims started well, with a try from Tom Halliday after only two minutes, but for the rest of the first half it was a huge battle. Dover, with former Canterbury first team captain Martyn Beaumont master minding their response, hit back with two converted tries as Pilgrims gave up possession too easily. Back came Pilgrims and Jack Weaver went close but from a lineout five metres out it was flanker Adrian Geddes who drove through a huge hole for an unconverted try. Pilgrims regained a narrow lead when a great move found prop Adam Malik dodging tackles and delaying his pass until Halliday latched on to it for his second try. Tom Mackenzie then got a yellow card for a high tackle, Dover exerted more pressure and were back in front by four points at half time with an unconverted touchdown. They extended that lead with their fourth try early in the second half and at this point one could see the Pilgrims about to lose their 100% record. They faced, by far, the toughest challenge of the whole season. However, they began to exert pressure on the Dover defence, the penalty count racked up against the home side and Cameron Murray crashed through to earn the bonus point fourth try. Will Hilton found his scoring touch at last, to convert. Could this be the start of a comeback against a Dover side who were playing with great passion and commitment? A yellow card for the hosts gave Canterbury a one man advantage and Presley Farrance, player of the match, with a good run and a lovely disguised pass made a try for Max Campbell, converted by Hilton. The Pilgrims were once more back in the lead. It was Farrance again who set up the next score for Sonny Trew-Neville, converted by Hilton, to put his side in a winning position. But it wasn’t over. With Weaver and Will McColl both in the sin bin Dover struck with a great 70 yard converted try to close the gap to five points. It was down to the wire as Pilgrims ignored an easy penalty shot and three points but in the closing minutes Farrance combined with Campbell before Weaver powered through and Josh Richardson added the goal points to round off a magnificent match and double over Dover this season.

Tough Victory For Pilgrims

Posted on | by David Haigh

CANTERBURY PILGRIMS 38 DEAL & BETTESHANGER LIONS 17

By John Mitchell

A great game of rugby with local rivals Deal and Betteshanger giving unbeaten Pilgrims a real run for their money on Friday. evening It was not until late in the second half that the match was decided when fitness proved the difference. Despite an early injury to hooker Brandon Dunkerley, Pilgrims built a nineteen point lead before the Lions roared back. Within minutes Tom Halliday pounced on a loose ball and won the kick and chase to the line for an unconverted try. Next, a move was started and finished by Presley Farrance, with important assists from Adrian Geddes and Luke Webber, and Josh Richardson converted the try. The pressure didn’t let up and from a line-out quick handling by the backs saw Sonny Trew-Neville cross and it was duly converted by Richardson. From those reverses the visitors began a strong fight back. They had always looked dangerous and broke through twice before half time. Poor defending by the home side also played a part as the visitors scored converted tries, the second a pushover, which brought them to 19-14 at the break. Within minutes of the restart the impressive Will Hunt went over to earn Pilgrims their four try bonus point and Richardson duly converted. But they were then forced into defending for long periods and only a brilliant try saving tackle by Tom Mackenzie, after he had chased back 70 metres, kept the home line intact. Deal had to settle for a penalty goal when Max Campbell received a Yellow card at the subsequent ruck. It was now 26-17 but while the Lions were playing excellent open rugby they could not crack Pilgrims again. In the last quarter fitness would start to tell. It was leading try scorer Farrance who did the damage and as the pressure on Lions built he added two more to his season’s list which now stands at fifteen. Those touchdowns and a Will Hilton conversion sealed a great game with the scoreline flattering Pilgrims.

With the first team without a game next Saturday why not make the short trip to Dover where Pilgrims have another tasty league encounter. Kick-off is 2pm

Stephens’ Late Winner

Posted on | by David Haigh

CANTERBURY 36 WORTHING RAIDERS 33

by David Haigh

A try from skipper Jamie Stephens in the final minute gave a resilient Canterbury the maximum spoils. It was a dramatic end to a game in which neither side established proper control and lacked basic discipline which was reflected in seven yellow cards. Before the late Stephens winner eight tries had been equally shared but Raiders were in the lead for long periods. It was the dominance of the Canterbury scrum that kept them in check and played a key part in the victory. A Frank Reynolds penalty goal put the city side in front, a lead they never regained until the 68th minute. Worthing gave themselves a platform with two tries, the first a catch and drive score from Jack Lake and the second by centre Harrison Sims who enjoyed the missed tackles on his way to the line. Tom Derrick had an easy conversion. It was past the half hour mark before Canterbury broke Raiders stranglehold on territory. The back division were not in great shape but when a penalty brought a catch and drive chance the forwards obliged through a score from Alex Evans. It took Raiders just two minutes to reply as more poor defending handed Derrick a try which he converted. Before half time the city scrummagers came to the rescue, shunting Raiders over their own line where Evans pounced again. Reynolds slotted the goal but it still left Canterbury four points behind. The visitors pushed further ahead in the second half with a close range try from prop Ben Featherstone and a Derrick conversion but in the final quarter Canterbury stirred. Forward pressure brought a close range finish for Shay Kerry and there was now a renewed pace in their attacks. The most fluent effort of the day from the city backs gave wing Garry Jones the chance to break and send Frank Morgan clear for the converted try which won back the lead. Any good feeling might have evaporated five minutes before the end. With Tom Best in the sin bin – no sympathy from the officials on his 300th appearance – Worthing’s catch and drive finished by Sims could have been a clincher. But Canterbury do not give up easily, building intense pressure which produced a flurry of yellow cards for Raiders, and when Stephens planted the ball against a post in that last act they could celebrate the win, scruffy as it was.
Canterbury: W.Waddington, G.Jones, F.Morgan (repl B.Law) T.Best, A.Orris, F.Reynolds, T.Williams (rep B.Cooper), E.Lusher, N.Morris (repl S.Rogers), D.Herriott (repl D.Huntley), S.Kerry, J.Stephens, A.Evans (repl C.Murray), E.O’Donoghue, T.Oliver.

Looking For The Double

Posted on | by David Haigh

CANTEBURY V WORTHING RAIDERS

After two tough games to start the year, fifty points on the road at Wimbledon last week was the perfect remedy. Among the eight tries we scored were some of the best of the season, with one being shortlisted for National league try of the week. A long term project has been to increase the speed that we attack with. When we get this right it has become a powerful weapon and you can see from the similes on the players faces how much they enjoy it. Wimbledon have averaged nearly four tries per game this season so, regardless of their league position, they know how to test the opposition. On review, we still need to move forward the efficiency of our defence as conceding six tries will not leave us as the winning side very often. The understanding in this area is getting better week on week but we still need to focus on the speed we are able to set our defence. The quicker we’re set, the quicker we can get off the line.
This weekend brings up a landmark for one of the club’s longest serving players. Tom Best makes his 300th appearance in the game against Worthing, something that is very rare and spans a 14 year career with the 1st XV. It is impossible to get anywhere near this many appearances without a serious and sustained level of commitment and the club continues to benefit from Tom’s competitiveness and experience. Here’s to the next 300! He will be working hard to help us complete a double over Worthing and the squad shows only one change. Shay Kerry returns to the second row in place of Jesse De Vries who, sadly, is absent because of a family bereavement.
The Pilgrims, like a lot of the country, had a week off last weekend due to a frozen pitch. They return to action against Deal and Betteshanger under Friday night lights. The Pilgrims Friday night games have been great occasions and there’s always an extra level of excitement. I have no doubt it will be another ripper and definitely one not to miss.

Matt Corker, Head Coach

Pilgrims Friday Date

Posted on | by David Haigh

The unbeaten Pilgrims kick-off this weekend’s league rugby programme at the Marine Travel Ground with a Friday evening clash against East Kent rivals Deal & Betteshanger. Kick-off is 7.45pm and admission is free. Due to a frozen pitch at Dartford last Saturday Pilgrims Counties 1 Kent top of the table encounter with second placed Dartfordians was postponed and will now be played on February 10th..