Author: David Haigh

THE HENLEY CHALLENGE

Posted on | by David Haigh

MATCH PREVIEW: HENLEY HAWKS

Saturday was our first victory against Bury in the last three seasons and the team had to dig deep, literally uphill and into the wind, to earn the win. Games hinge on key moments and our ability to win these, doing the right thing at the right times, proved to be the difference. Frank Reynolds had another great day off the tee, and when the Bury kicker was having a very different afternoon our fly half’s contribution was also crucial. We could have put ourselves under less pressure had we given away fewer penalties, especially in the open exchanges. This weekend we have the same referee and need to learn those lessons quickly.
Henley continue to have another good season currently sitting in 5th, one place ahead of their 6th place this time last year. With two games to go they will also be looking to finish strongly in their last home fixture of the season. We have had some great games at Dry Leas over the years, and with the sun expected to be out the stage is set for another. Our focus is on bringing the performance we know we are capable of.

Matt Corker, Head Coach

Pilgrims Final Day Flop

Posted on | by David Haigh

BECCEHAMIANS 63 CANTERBURY PILGRIMS 0

by John Mitchell

Pilgrims saved their worst performance of the season for their final Counties 1 Kent league game as they were comprehensively outplayed. Against a top three side it was expected to be a close contest but Canterbury’s non-tackling defence saw Beccehamians turn the contest into an embarrassing rout. By half time they were 25 points ahead and the nearest an ineffective Pilgrims had come to a score was a touchdown by Max Campbell which was ruled out because of a knock-on. Things became even worse after the break as the home side exploited quick ball to telling effect and ran in another six tries, three of them in a five minute spell midway though the half.
It was a disappointing end to an otherwise excellent season in which Pilgrims were unbeaten at home. They may want to forget this day, but hopefully will learn from it.
An eighteen game winning streak tells the real story of the champions who had a final record of Played 22 Won 20 Lost 2. Thank you to all our supporters and sponsors, without you we could not do what we do. Finally a special mention for Adrian Geddes who played in all twenty-two league games.

Frank’s Boot Was Crucial

Posted on | by David Haigh

CANTERBURY 29 BURY ST EDMUNDS 25

by David Haigh

Some victories are down to superior skills; some, like this narrow one from Canterbury, can be built on determination, plus a player who was able to harness a buffeting wind. The visitors may have won the try count by five to four but it was fly half Frank Reynolds, National 2 East’s leading points scorer, who made the difference in the end. He teed up the win with three conversions, two of them from difficult angles, and a penalty goal while his Bury counterpart, Ben Penfold, was off target every time. When the city side reached half time only seven points in front the odds seemed against them as a wind assisted Bury scored twice to edge ahead in the 56th minute. But Canterbury dug in, found fresh momentum in the final quarter, and produced two well worked tries for centre Will Waddington to regain the lead before fighting off Bury’s strong finish. It was the visitors who started the game on the front foot, too, finding gaps and sending full back Kodie Drury-Hawkins over for the opening try. Canterbury survived an early yellow card for Will Hunt, got on the scoreboard with Reynolds’ penalty goal and made the most of a superb break by Cameron Murray. When the flanker was stopped the ball was swiftly recycled for Alfie Orris to score at the corner. Reynolds converted and was on the mark again, this time from the opposite touchline, when a controlled driving maul brought the second try from prop Elliot Lusher. Before the break, however, fierce Bury pressure ended in a short range score by prop Ben Cooper and although Penfold missed an easy conversion their opening salvo in the second half spelled trouble for Canterbury’s chances. The tries came first from Number Eight Matt Bursey and after the forwards had done the heavy lifting the ball was spread wide for Penfold to make their fourth touchdown. It was now a test of the city side’s character and playing to their strengths they found a way. Waddngton’s tries came in the 62nd and 68th minutes and both had their roots in threatening catch and drives. With the defenders sucked in, crucial space was opened and together with some precise handling Waddington did the rest. The second try gave Reynolds a straight forward conversion and the city side a nine-point advantage to protect. Bury’s final flourish, a try by wing by Harry Simpson, came three minutes from the end to earn his side a second bonus point but Canterbury gave them nothing more and pocketed all five.

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

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v Bury St Edmund - 6 April 2024

Images may be subject to copyright- Phillipa Hilton

SATURDAY’S DOUBLE HEADER

Posted on | by David Haigh

MATCH PREVIEW: BURY ST EDMUNDS

The final block is upon is and we still have a great deal to play for. Sitting 7th in National 2 East, we know that there are potentially four teams within three points of us. When the final whistle goes on the 27th April if we want to feel proud of our progress this season the results in these next three games are very important. That’s why they call it the business end of the season.
We had the opportunity to go unbeaten in our last block of three games but fell at the final hurdle. Away at Old Albanians our defensive performance was below standard and the last two weeks we have been working on the things that bring our defence to life. I’m looking forward to seeing how the team builds on this progress tomorrow; we have shown what we can do in training but must transfer this to match day.
The other game at the Marine Travel Ground is happening straight after the final whistle of the 1st XV, when our Under 18 colts will take on Bury in Saturday’s double header. It’s a great opportunity to see the Canterbury 1st XV of the future.

Matt Corker, Head Coach

Last Gasp Victory

Posted on | by David Haigh

BROMLEY 26 CANTERBURY PILGRIMS 28

by John Mitchell

The newly crowned champions of Kent 1 left it to the last minute to save themselves from a second defeat of the season. Will Hilton’s penalty goal came to the rescue after Pilgrims saw a comfortable sixteen points half time lead whittled away by a resurgent Bromley. After falling behind to an early penalty goal Canterbury took charge of the first half and once they had worked some errors out of their system forged ahead when Gus Lister surged through for an excellent try. Hilton converted and quickly added a long range penalty goal. A second Bromley penalty goal cut into the lead but the last ten minutes of the half belonged to the visitors. A great individual try from scrum half Hector Valldares, converted by Hilton, was followed by the best score of the day from Sonny Trew-Neville. Bromley came out with all guns blazing in the second half. Within the first minute they had scored and converted before Hilton replied with another well taken penalty. Weak defending did not help as the home side struck again with an unconverted try and suddenly the score was 18-25. Then came the rain, sleet and wind and Bromley scored try number three. Again they missed the conversion but Pilgrims dug deep and should have scored at least two tries. But the home side defended well and with two minutes left they slotted a penalty to take the lead. It looked like Pilgrims had lost the game, but with 30 seconds left on the clock Hilton stepped up and, under immense pressure, made the winning kick.

On 6th April, Pilgrims go to Beccehamians for their last game of the season. The Canons, club’s 3rd XV, will travel with them looking for a victory which would make them Counties 5 Kent league champions

Poor Day At OA

Posted on | by David Haigh

OLD ALBANIAN 38 CANTERBURY 23

by David Haigh

This was a hugely disappointing performance from a Canterbury side that went into this game on the back of two convincing victories. After overturning an eleven point Albanian lead in the first half, discipline and focus deserted them and they lost to a team who scored six tries, were more assured and gave little away in defence. There were patches of good rugby from the city side but lack of ideas, handling errors and a failure of concentration raised serious questions about the way they approach their final three games of the season, all of them tough assignments. A Frank Reynolds penalty goal won an early lead but by the fifteenth minute they found themselves trailing. Albanian hooker Charlie Fleckney claimed two tries, both converted by Sam Jones, as the home side worked the phases for the first and exploited a catch and drive for the second. Canterbury’s response was to produce their best spell of the match before throwing all the good work away. Pressure built and points came from a second Reynolds penalty goal and his easy conversion when Alfie Orris finished off a series of close quarter drives. A knock on denied them another try but when Albanians Andrew Nurse was yellow carded Reynolds penalty nudged his side back into the lead. Faced with fourteen players it was a good time to strike again, but it was the hosts who did the damage. In a game littered with penalties Canterbury conceded two in quick succession which cost them tries. A clever lineout ploy left them flat footed as Haydn Barnes marched through a huge gap and back chat to the referee, a minute before half time, cost another seven points. Barnes, from a catch and drive, was the scorer again and Jones converted to make it 26-16 at the break. At the start of the second half the city side failed to come away with anything when camped on the Albanian line, kicked a ball out of their own scrum and conceded a fifth try. A missed tackle saw Nurse skate away for a score converted by Jones and it was back to playing catch up for Canterbury. They showed plenty of attacking intent but much of it was predictable and the home defence swallowed them up. Space was eventually made for Orris in the 66th minute and Reynolds kick from wide out was good. But a yellow card for Eoin O’Donohgue was another blow and Albanians finished their successful day with a late touchdown from Aaqil Attah. For Canterbury there were good contributions from Jesse De Vries and Cameron Murray but, as a team, they have plenty to reflect on if they are to retain their seventh place in National 2 East.

Canterbury: W.Waddington, G.Jones, F.Morgan, T.Best, A.Orris, F.Reynolds, P.Farrance, E.Lusher, N/Morris, D.Herriott, S.Kerry, J.De Vries, C.Murray, E.O’Donoghue, J.Stephens, Replacements: C.Macmillan, B.Cooper, W.Hunt, B.Law, T.Mackenzie

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v Old Albanian - 23 March 2024

Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

Let’s Make It Three

Posted on | by David Haigh

MATCH PREVIEW: OLD ALBANIAN
The big difference this season from the previous one is our ability to back up results and the momentum that allows us to build. The season that we were promoted by March we were a juggernaut rolling downhill and even on days where results shouldn’t have gone our way, we found a way to win. The best teams have an air of inevitability and this is a quality we have shown at different stages of the season, but is a tag that we want to wear constantly. For us to mix it with the top of the league we know losses have to be few and far between, to date Esher have only lost three times this season, and tomorrow we face Old Albanians who have been strong in this league for a long time. The last block of three games we were winless, this three game block we have the opportunity to win three from three but it will take a full 80 minute performance for us to achieve this.

The Pilgrims did it! The crowning glory for a fantastic season culminated in them winning the league at home on Saturday with two games to go. The pride in the players faces at the final whistle is a memory that I will cherish. They deserve all the credit for the commitment they have shown, and for me this was built on the results that they have churned out even when facing large personnel changes. Jon Foster, John Mitchell and Justin Loveridge have set the tone and created a team where lads develop as players and as men. Many players have progressed to represent the 1st XV and everyone who has pulled on a Pilgrims shirt this season has had a great rugby experience. Back to back league titles, what a year.o

Matt Corker, Head Coach

Pilgrims, Counties 2 Kent League Champions

PILGRIMS ARE CHAMPIONS

Posted on | by David Haigh

CANTERBURY PILGRIMS 28 ASHFORD 18

by John Mitchell

Pilgrims crowned their outstanding season with a victory that sealed the Counties 1 Kent title with two games still to play. To achieve it they had to come from behind before seeing off a robust challenge from East Kent neighbours Ashford. After losing their first game of the campaign the previous week Canterbury had to regroup. They fielded a squad showing seven changes and a slow start saw them thirteen points down after the first half hour. By half time. however, they cut out earlier mistakes, moved into a one point lead and took charge after the break. The game did not start well for the home side. Within three minutes Ashford took the lead with a push over try while a scrappy Pilgrims could not get their moves going as knock-ons and penalties frustrated them. The visitors pushed further ahead with a second unconverted try and when they added a penalty goal to open that thirteen point gap Pilgrims needed a response. Then things started to change. Good attacking play saw Gus Lister score an excellent try converted by Will Hilton. Wing Max Campbell’s individual effort brought another score and with Hilton again on target it gave Pilgrims a slender lead. The champions elect survived a ten minute sin binning for Harvey Furneaux and then gradually stamped their authority on the match in the second half. A great try by Jordan Constant, converted by Hilton, made it 21-13 and Sonny Trew-Neville got the fourth, bonus point touch down. Hilton’s successful kick made his side even more comfortable and although a resilient Ashford managed a late try the title was by then firmly in Canterbury’s grasp as they maintained a 100 percent home record.
John Grewar, making his second appearance of the campaign, and Gus Lister shared the Man of the Match award. Awards, made possible by our sponsors, also went to Jon Foster the Coach, Ben Cassidy the Physio, and thirty-nine-year old stalwart Dan Gill, who played in nearly every game. And a special mention goes to Adrian Geddes, the only player not to miss a game all season. This week Pilgrims are away to Bromley who are in fourth in the table.

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Pilgrims v Ashford - 16 March 2024

Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

CANTERBURY IN CHARGE

Posted on | by David Haigh

CANTERBURY 33 GUERNSEY RAIDERS 19

by David Haigh

Having put their mark on the game with nineteen unanswered points in the first half Canterbury eased to a solid victory which keeps them in seventh place in the National 2 East table. A late rally by Raiders, which brought them two well worked tries, was never enough to trouble a city side who kept the islanders at comfortable arms length. In the process their five tries earned a bonus point but it wasn’t until the end of the first quarter that the scoreboard got a move on. Frank Morgan scored the first of his two tries after 23 minutes but it was Guernsey, with a stiff breeze in their favour, who dominated the early territory and asked questions of the home defence. Their failure to crack it, the intensity of the tackling forcing them into handling errors, was to prove costly. A lineout turnover led to Morgan’s opener and having got the taste the Canterbury backs split Raiders open again three minutes later. Lewis Hillier batted down a try scoring pass illegally and it cost him a yellow card and his side a penalty try. Prop Elliot Lusher was in support of flanker Eoin O’Donoghue’s run to claim a third before half time and Frank Reynolds conversion stretched the lead further. Guernsey finally found a way to the line twelve minutes into the second half with a catch and drive score by Tom Ceillam, converted by Ciaran McGann, but it was treated as a minor inconvenience. Some of the rugby was untidy but it was Canterbury who held a clear edge and the balance was restored when they worked an overlap for Presley Farrance and Reynolds converted from wide out. The last five minutes of the game saw a flurry of tries, two for Raiders wing Ethan Smith, the first converted by McGann, as the island side went through some excellent phases. Sandwiched between those scores, however, came Morgan again to snap up a converted try and underline Canterbury’s good work after Will Waddington forced a Guernsey error.

CANTERBURY: W.Waddington, G.Jones (repl B.Law), F.Morgan, T.Best (repl B.Cooper), A.Orris, F.Reynolds, P.Farrance, E.Lusher, N.Morris (repl C.Macmillan), D.Herriott, S.Kerry (repl W.Hunt), C.Murray, A.Evans (repl T.Mackenzie), E.O’Donoghue, J.Stephens

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v Guernsey - 16 March 2024

Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

GUERNSEY: 2 PM KICK-OFF

Posted on | by David Haigh

After a tight first 40 minutes last week we came out in the second half and controlled the game, scoring 31 points and, if not for a lapse in concentration in the last minute, would have kept North Walsham scoreless in the same period. Our focus was to control the ball better than we had in the last three games and this was much improved, allowing us to build pressure and return to scoring some really good tries. Our maul was back to producing points and Nathan Morris is now up to an impressive fifteen tries for the season, the 6th best in the league and Frank Reynolds remains the highest points scorer with 226.

I have been talking to the players about the importance of results at the “business end” of the season and we are poised to improve on last year’s 10th place finish, but in this league nothing is given and we will have to continue to collect results from the last five games. Guernsey have found their stride after a challenging start to the season, winning four from the last six and tomorrow will be a tough encounter with both sides on the hunt for points. It’ an earlier than usual kick-off at 2pm.

Jesse De Vries has again been called into the Netherlands squad for their rugby Europe Championship 5th place final, match at Stade Française stadium in Paris. They are facing Germany and we wish him all the best in the final game of this year’s tournament.

The Pilgrims unbeaten run came to an end on Saturday, spanning 18 games which is an incredible achievement. The team was disappointed with the performance they put in against a Crowborough team that has only lost once at home this season. There is no time for us to feel sorry for ourselves as there is still a league title on the line, with one more win all that is needed to get the job done. Ashford travel to the Marine travel ground on Saturday and they won’t want to give up the points we need, so the team will have to bounce back and return to the level of performance that has been on show all season

Matt Corker Head Coach