Author: Denys Andrianjafy

CANTERBURY 52 NORTH WALSHAM VIKINGS 38

by David Haigh

Canterbury’s season ended as it began with victory over North Walsham but it took a spectacular second half performance to rescue a game in which the visitors at one stage led by 28 points. The Vikings went into this match needing a bonus point to guarantee their survival in National 2 East and they achieved it with four tries in the first 23 minutes as their skill and determination left Canterbury looking for an escape hatch. An attack masterminded by fly half Matt Hodgson and a pack effective at close quarters saw tries from Oliver Coates, Ethan Holmwood, Hodgson and Ryan Oakes. The city side’s only reply was an early score from Jesse De Vries after a powerful run through the defence. When wing Shaun Blyth piled on more pressure with a fifth touchdown and Hodgson nailed his fourth conversion the scoreboard read 33-5 and Canterbury faced a long and daunting road back. They took steps along it in the last ten minutes of the half, winning penalties, building pressure and finding two converted tries. Tyler Oliver crossed after hard work by the pack and Tom Best forced his way over by the posts. Conversions from Frank Reynolds raised hopes further. Best’s 50/22 kick minutes into the second half helped to turn those hopes into reality. From it hooker Sam Rogers, on his 250th appearance for the club, completed a catch and drive score which Reynolds converted and a revitalised Canterbury took control. By the hour mark they had wiped out the Vikings advantage and gone ahead through converted tries from prop Billy Young and a second by Oliver. The only blip on the march to victory came via a good Walsham score from wing James Riley which brought them back to within two points. It made no difference to confident Canterbury as full back Charlie Kingsman joined a driving maul to register his side’s seventh touchdown and in the last minute the city men signed off their season with a stunning solo effort from young flanker Harvey Furneaux. Acting as an emergency wing for the injured Frank Morgan he fielded a Vikings kick, spun, stepped and shouldered his way past three tacklers and raced 50 metres to the posts. It was a fitting finale to a huge team effort.

Canterbury: C.Kingsman, T.Halliday, W.Waddington (repl L.Hollidge), T.Best, F.Morgan (repl B.Cooper), L.Hollidge (repl F .Reynolds), B.Cooper (repl T.Williams), B.Young, S.Rogers (repl B.Dunkerley), D.Herriott (repl E.Lusher), D.Irvine, J.De Vries, J.Stephens, H.Furneaux (repl A.Evans, T.Oliver

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Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

HENLEY HAWKS 33 CANTERBURY 24

by David Haigh

This last away game defeat was fairly typical of Canterbury’s inconsistent National 2 East season. After looking confident and organised for 60 minutes, and scoring three tries which gave them a narrow first half lead, they handed the initiative to the Hawks. They came away with a losing bonus point with a try from the final play but that was small consolation after the earlier good work. It was disappointing after a bright start which took the city side ahead in the second minute when wing Tom Halliday scored from Lewis Hollidge’s probing kick. Hawks replied through Will Crowe, who finished smart work by his backs, and a Max Titchener conversion and penalty goal kept the hosts happy. However, it was the Canterbury forwards who looked the hungrier of the two packs and they satisfied that appetite in the best way. Dave Irvine crashed over from short range and when Hawks hauled down a driving maul illegally the penalty try opened a seven point gap. With Henley’s lineout wobbling and their back division well policed it all looked promising until penalties undermined the Canterbury effort. Hawks used one to put Rory Mason across the line shortly before the break. It was a warning Canterbury failed to heed as the penalties continued to flow from a referee who was unhappy with the set scrums and it was their undoing. Titchener bounced a successful penalty goal off the crossbar and as the city side regularly conceded field position they were punished with two catch and drive scores by hooker Morgan McCrae, Titchener adding a conversion. Those scores came in the space of five minutes and while Canterbury lacked the accuracy to make something of two good chances it was Hawks who had a grip. Titchener’s third penalty goal widened the gap to sixteen points but in the 80th minute Canterbury found a final flourish and Frank Reynolds’ try and conversion rescued the bonus point.

Canterbury: C.Kingsman, T.Halliday W.Waddington, T.Best, F.Morgan L.Hollidge (repl F.Reynolds), B.Cooper (repl T.Williams), B.Young, S.Rogers (repl B.Dunkerley), D.Herriott (repl E.Lusher), D.Irvine, J.De Vries (repl A.Evans), J.Stephens, H.Furneaux, T.Oliver.

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Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

CANTERBURY 41 GUERNSEY RAIDERS 24

By David Haigh

This was an emphatic victory for the city side and an important one, soothing their fears of being drawn into the National 2 East relegation scrap. After a stunning start which brought a 19 points lead they wobbled slightly under a Raiders revival before taking charge with an impressive second half performance. Six tries were shared between backs and forwards but the foundations of this success were laid by a pack which dominated the set pieces and put Canterbury firmly on the front foot. Hooker Eoin O’Donoghue led the opening burst with a try in the third minute and Guy Hilton was only five minutes behind him. The third score was an individual gem as flanker Cameron Murray marked his last appearance before a spell in Australia with a powerful break. Two conversions from Lewis Hollidge, looking totally at home in his switch to fly half, widened a gap which could have left Raiders in the rear view mirror but they shook off the early lethargy and hit back hard with three tries before the break, one converted by Owen Thomas. Prop Jacob Pinckney from close quarters, wing Antony Armstrong completing a move full of good handling and support work, and in the last minute of the half a Dan Morgan catch and drive score threatened Canterbury’s prospects. Would they lose confidence? The answers came quickly and ruthlessly as they cracked the Raiders defence twice in the first five minutes of the new half. Prop Billy Young surged over for his eleventh try of the season and Hollidge’s half dummy opened his own way to the line. He converted the Young try and as the forwards tightened their stranglehold Raiders were denied the ammunition to find a response. Mounting pressure brought a penalty goal for Hollidge and Tom Williams’ break had the crowd on its feet as his pace did the rest and Hollidge topped up the final try. Guernsey went home with a losing bonus point courtesy of a late catch and drive score by Tom Ceillam but this was Canterbury’s day.

Canterbury: C.Kingsman, G.Hilton (repl T.Williams), W.Waddington, T.Best, F.Morgan (repl G.HIton), L.Hollidge (repl F.Reynolds), B.Cooper, B.Young (repl E.Lusher), E.O’Donoghue (repl C.Macmillan), D.Herriott, D.Irvine, J.De Vries (rel H.Furneaux), T.Oliver, C.Murray, J.Stephens

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Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton