Author: Denys Andrianjafy

OLD ALBANIAN 29  CANTERBURY 21

Canterbury are still without a league point as they slipped to a second narrow defeat which leaves them in the depths of the National 2 South table.   Once again it was a case of what might have been in a performance that was good at times but spoiled by their own carelessness.

Twice the city club took the lead with well-worked tries; twice they allowed Albanians to claim the restarts and swiftly rub out the advantage with scores of their own.  Those basic failures and missed opportunities in the second half were to prove fatal. It was frustrating because Canterbury were always in the hunt once the game opened up after a nondescript first twenty minutes in which the home side dominated territory.  Dan Watt kicked them into the lead with a penalty goal but Canterbury’s first real pressure brought a clever, sniping try from scrum half Tom Williams which Frank Reynolds converted. The joy of that lasted under two minutes. At the restart Albanian wing Alex Ricci claimed the ball almost unchallenged, sprinted away to score and Watt’s conversion made the error more painful.

With both sides willing to run the ball the action was easy on the eye compared with the kick fests we have seen at higher levels and by half time Canterbury had reclaimed the lead. A yellow card for Ricci was quickly punished as full back Kyan Braithwaite rounded off a sweeping attack and Reynolds increased the margin to four points. Albanian backs got into their stride eight minutes into the second half, slick hands bringing a powerful finish by Tom Mills, with Watt again converting, but Canterbury found a different route to success.  A driving maul broke Albanians with Tristan King claiming the try and Reynolds adding a third conversion. It could have been a vital score. Instead, that second failure of the basics and lessons unlearned saw Albanians grab the restart, march downfield where Morgan Thompson hammered his way over the line.  Watt made the kick good and with ten minutes left on the clock Canterbury’s hopes took a dive when Tyler Oliver was yellow carded.  The home side went for the kill and it duly came with a bonus point try for back rower Ben Charnock.

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Images subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

BURY ST EDMUNDS 30 CANTERBURY 22

By Andy Rogers

Given an unprecedented and enforced delay of eighteen months it was of huge credit to both sides that they served up a thoroughly entertaining National 2 South game. The disappointment for Canterbury was finishing on the wrong end of the scoreline after leading at halftime.

In the end it was defensive failures that undid that earlier good work. Despite conceding a first-minute try Canterbury came back to score three of their own before the break. The first saw a steal on the Bury 22 metre line allow Number Eight Tyler Oliver to juggle the ball and touch down.Next was the turn of impressive tight head prop Danny Herriott, in his first start for the club, who took advantage of a dominant line out and burrowed over from close range. It was left to young scrum half Tom Williams – who may have been many peoples man of the match – to score the best try of the game.

Another line out win saw Williams dummy at the base before drifting through the Bury defence to dab down untouched under the posts. Bury replied with a penalty from their ever reliable full back Charlie Reed but with another Canterbury debutant – fly half Frank Reynolds – landing two conversions – and astutely kicking for position when called upon, the city club seemed well set to consolidate their 19-10 half time lead. Bury had other ideas. Directly from the restart, Canterbury’s lack of defensive nous out wide gave Bury winger Mick Stanaway a simple try. Reed converting again. To their credit the young Canterbury side responded positively, moving the ball wide and forcing the home side into some desperate defence. But when a fourth try seemed odds on Bury wing Levi Roper intercepted to run the length of the pitch before putting skipper Matt Bursey in under the posts. That score proved critical because at 27-19 Canterbury were now chasing the game. Reynolds did reply with another penalty but with Bury’s Reed adding three points to complete a perfect kicking performance it was enough to seal the result. Still there were positives for the coaches to work on. The line out and set scrums were impressive. The new half back partnership of Reynolds and Williams looks promising. Lock Jesse De Vries knows how to put in a shift and skipper Jamie Stephens never took a step backwards.

It is the defensive shape in the wide areas that needs immediate attention.

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Images subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton