Author: Becca Williams

Deacons step things up & worry TJ’s 3’s.

Posted on | by Becca Williams

Deacons step things up & worry TJ’s 3’s.

The sun came out for the last of the 171 weekends in Jan ‘26 as we welcomed TJ’s 3’s to the MTG. Being the only team playing at home we were excited to be back home but knew our opponents would be formidable. It’s been a tricky January where we’ve played the top 3 teams in our league on consecutive weekends. Such a tough schedule brings its own challenges has & we lost a few of our key players to injuries.

Calling up our teammates from across the Zingari, wider club, uni and Colts we fielded another team filled with youth, experience & greying hair and even had some subs to call on.
To our delight the ever capable Jake Upward & Dan Head were available in the back line alongside Herbie Bowler to bolster some serious talent in the pack with Milo Kubicki, Rueben Kerr, Freddie Philpot and Aidan Demery all making appearances for everybody’s favourite Canterbury team.

Losing the toss Canterbury received the kick off playing uphill on the Orchard pitch and started with good intentions. After a number of phases TJ’s got to show us what they had in their arsenal. They tested us across the pitch in the face of some fierce defending by the City boys, tackling hard and shutting down the TJ’s runners. After a prolonged period camped on the Deacons 5m line TJ’s struck first despite the defensive heroics.
It didn’t take long before the visitors found some space on the opposite wing and darted in for a second try, this time converted.

Chasing the restart the Deacons set about making sure TJ’s didn’t have it all their own way with some great carries from the forwards & strong presses against the counter attacks. The game was tougher than a Wetherspoons steak, so much so Oli Toms destroyed his boots through his blistering pace.
Following a strong Canterbury scrum and Dylan Coyle whipping the ball around for some phase play, Milo Kubicki spotted the gap and barrelled through fending off some defenders & setting up an easy conversion for Dan Head’s ever reliable boot.
We were off the mark at 7-12 and not much of the half left.

Sadly the next 12 minutes did not go in our favour. Fatigue set in, we lost some of the communication, focus and confidence that had seen us pull ourselves back into the game. TJ’s ran in a couple of quick, easy tries.

The half time Haribo was in dire need as the whistle went and we headed to the break 7-31 down. A few personnel changes on the cards – Piers Weigh had to stand down due to injury having had a superb game, Connor Langley joined at flanker and young superstar Kirk Taylor moved to fullback.

With Dylan & Herbie trading places we were ready for the second half. Unfortunately we didn’t realise it had already started and TJ’s seized the chance to score once more. Bugger.

So off we went again, chasing another restart worried it was history repeating itself, TJ’s with the wind in their sails and still with most of the half to go.
But once again, as with most of this seasons games the Deacons clicked & worked together. Freddie Philpot was instrumental in so many attacking runs (he also played in 3 different positions by the end of the game) & he deserved to score powering over the line.
Jake Upward & Dan Head controlled the defensive line and the attacking moves and once again the big man Milo got his second with some impressive footwork.

With Dan putting away the extras we found realised the scoreboard was at 21-31 & it was game on! TJ’s were rattled & set about pressuring us to try and find a crack in our defense. With tiring bodies & an empty bench they crossed our line once more but another missed kick saw us trail by 15 points with plenty of time remaining.

With a period where both teams made as many mistakes as each other, up stepped Freddie again tearing into the try area and stopping just short of between the posts to allow a simple conversion. Remarkably now 28-36 and the Deacons were chasing a massive comeback. With a converted try in it & 6 or 7 minutes on the clock (yeah, 6/7……) we were within range.

TJ’s were shook. They came back strong using territory and a well rehearsed set piece to their advantage. A strong rolling maul which (accidentally) collapsed leading to a penalty meant TJ’s were eventually able to cross our line again to take the score to 28-41.

We thought we were still in it, and wanted more. When the final whistle went we all celebrated, 2nd in the league had beaten 2nd from bottom. But the Deacons re-discovered their form & went to the sheds full of pride.

Back on St Valentines Day away to Leigh, lovers (hope it’s not a massacre!)

MOTM x2 – Carter Jefferys for work rate & Jake Upward for intensity

Tries –
Milo Kubicki x 2
Freddie Philpot x 2
Conv – Dan Head x 4

Pilgrims came off 2nd best in a game of 2 very contrasting halves.

Posted on | by Becca Williams

Dartfordians 34

Pilgrims 26

Pilgrims came off 2nd best in a game of 2 very contrasting halves.
The pilgrims travelled to Dartfordians with a number of absentees through injury which forced a number of positional changes in the back line which included flanker Tom Mackenzie stepping in to the centres.
The new combinations took time to click and this was exploited well in the first half by Dartfordians side who were well drilled and had a clear game plan to test the blind side before looking to spread the ball wide which they did 3 times in the first half to race into a 19-0 lead.
This spurred the pilgrims into action and the strong running of the forwards drove Dartfordians back up the slope on a number of occasions only for dropped balls or infringements at the breakdown letting Dartfordians off the hook. Pilgrims task was made even harder when they lost forward Mo Pangarker to injury on the 30 minute mark. Dartfordians kicked a penalty to the corner and drove over out wide to secure a try bonus point before half time and take a 24-0 lead. The pilgrims finally injected some fluency in their attack as they spent the final 5 mins of the half putting Dartfordians under constant pressure. They drove deep into the 22 with a driving maul from a lineout which Dartfordians illegally stopped just short of the line. The resulting penalty was tapped and the pilgrims looked odds on for their first score on the stroke of half time, only to be turned over in the act of driving over the line when a score seemed certain, Dartfordians cleared and the half ended with them leading 24-0.
Pilgrims came out firing in the second half, and with the advantage of the slope it didn’t take long for them to get points on the board. Dartfordians were on the back foot as the pilgrims surged forward and Dartfordians were adjudged to be offside in midfield, knowing he had an advantage flyhalf collins clipped a cross field kick from left to right which the pilgrims dotted down to score, 24-5.
The second soon followed when Gus Lister spotted an opportunity out wide and his exceptional long pass sent wing man Harvey Ingram on a powerful 70 meter run, he was eventually stopped just short of the Dartfordians line but scrum half Hector Valladares was on hand to pick up and dive over. 24-12.
Sensing the momentum shifting against them, Dartfordians became niggly, but it was the pilgrims who found themselves on the receiving end of the referees decisions as not 1 but 2 yellow cards were brandished within a minute- first industrious debutant flanker Mark Stone was yellow carded for handling a loose ball while offside before captain will Hunt was given a 2nd for what the referee described as an accumulation of offences. Being 2 men down with 20 mins to play disrupted the city sides flow and allowed Dartfordians back into the game. They quickly exploited the 2 man advantage to score their fifth try out wide to take the score to 29-12.
Still playing front foot rugby, the pilgrims were quickly back on the attack and good offloading led to a fine line break by flanker Max McCormack who beat a number of defenders to score, well converted by Lister 29-19. Dartfordians then got the decisive score against the run of play, pouncing on a loose ball and using their numerical advantage to move the ball wide and score their 6th try. 34-19.
Back up to full strength with less than 10 mins to play, the pilgrims were back on the front foot and pushing for a bonus point try of their own. Dartfordians were defending with great determination and thwarted a number of promising pilgrims attacks before wing man Mitch Fielder eventually dived over with the clock ticking down to bring the final score 34-26. Dartfordians held on for a deserved victory after their first half performance, the pilgrims will be looking to bounce back at home on 14th February when they take on old reigatians.

Canons Match Report

Posted on | by Becca Williams

It was a tough afternoon at the office for the Canons as the city side fell to a 52-15 defeat against table toppers Sittingbourne.

 

The Canons knew that they were heading into a physical battle against Sittingbourne, who saw their first defeat of the season the prior week, which provided added venom to the league leaders. Canterbury started positively, and took an early lead following a 45m penalty from Josh Lamb. However the uglier and heavier Sittingbourne soon bounced back for their first try following scrum dominance on a very muddy and boggy top pitch and pushed over from 5m. Within the next 10 minutes, it was déjà vu, as Bourne crossed for a second from another scrum.

Frustration hit the Canons, with silly penalties allowing the visitors to kick the ball into the corner and again maul over from short range. A yellow card followed for Fady Sheta following a no arms tackle, but despite being a man down, the Canons scored next following some good recycling and free flowing rugby. Finding space out wide, Lamb used good footwork to evade the defence and release Kel Katta to score. The conversion was successful and the deficit reduced to 9.  Sittingbourne had the last laugh of the half, again using their forwards to bully their way over and grab the bonus point try.

 

Despite the score line, Sittingbourne had picked up a number of injuries and the game felt in the balance at half time.  However, Sittingbourne rallied in the second half, and again the forwards used their size and power to wear down the Canons defence 4 more times.  The Canons ended positively, with the excellent Henry Carruthers finishing off a passage of excellent offloading to score a consolation.

 

Sittingbourne showed why they are top of the league and pushing for promotion into Counties 2. The Canons now have a 2 week break before travelling to old foes Old Williamsonians for a Valentine’s Day love in.

Canterbury Push League Leaders to the Limit in Hard Fought Home Clash

Posted on | by Becca Williams

Written by Amber Waitimas

 

Canterbury Women vs Dorking (Home) – 26–34

 

It was a well-anticipated home fixture for Canterbury Women as they welcomed league leaders Dorking, who have dominated the competition so far this season. With both sides looking to impose themselves early, the match delivered a high intensity, physical contest from the opening whistle. This fixture also saw six debut players feature for Canterbury’s ever-growing women’s team, highlighting the squad’s continued development.

 

Canterbury kicked off and immediately applied pressure, capitalising on handling errors from Dorking deep inside their own 15. On debut, Meghan Rhodes #3 reacted sharply at the breakdown, picking up loose ball before the forwards drove hard through a series of pick and go phases. The sustained pressure was rewarded when El Crowe #8 crossed for the opening try to give Canterbury a 5–0 lead.

 

Dorking responded to level the scores at 5–5 before adding further points to move ahead 5–10 and then 5–12. Despite this, Canterbury’s scrum proved a major strength throughout the match. Strong, dominant set-piece work consistently provided clean ball, allowing scrum-half and captain Lucy Relf #9 to deliver quick, accurate service and maintain tempo in Canterbury’s attack. Defensively, Emily Moriarty #15 made several one on one try saving hits, repeatedly shutting down Dorking’s attacks and keeping Canterbury in the contest.

 

From a penalty, Canterbury again turned to their forward power, building momentum through repeated pick and go phases before the ball was shifted cleanly through the backs and out to Robyn Gulley #12, who finished well to level the scores at 12–12. Gulley converted her own try. Shortly after, Canterbury were unfortunate not to be awarded a goal-line drop-out, with their hard defensive work leading to Dorking being held up twice over the try line. Dorking then took advantage to extend their lead to 12–17 and then 12–24 at half time.

 

Canterbury came out with renewed intent after the break. From another penalty, the forwards showed patience and control, with Kate Rutherford #19 grounding the ball after a sustained period of pressure. Robyn Gulley #12 added the conversion to reduce the deficit to 19–24. In the pack, Savannah Butt #6 delivered a standout performance, making several dominant tackles and securing key lineout wins, earning Forward of the Match.

 

Dorking responded to push the score to 19–29, but Canterbury refused to let their heads drop. A powerful 20 metre run from El Crowe #8 cut through the defensive line to score once again, with Robyn Gulley #12 converting to close the gap to 26–29. In the backs, Layla Little #13 was outstanding, running excellent support lines and repeatedly breaking through the Dorking defence. Her impact, alongside Robyn Gulley #12, saw the pair work effectively together to identify and exploit gaps, creating sharp attacking opportunities, earning Back of the Match.

 

Late in the contest, Dorking scored on the wing following a penalty to extend their lead to 26–34. A final penalty from the scrum brought the match to a close.

 

Players of the Match were particularly hard to select this week following strong performances across the squad. Forward of the Match went to Savannah Butt #6 for her dominant tackles and key lineout wins, while Back of the Match was awarded to Layla Little #13 for her excellent support lines and ability to break through the Dorking defence. The Women’s Team Sponsor’s Player, awarded by Joe Jupe from JAJ Signals, went to Emma Alleyne #5 in recognition of her consistent hard work across the park, strong attacking lines, and dominance at the breakdown.

 

Despite the result, Canterbury refused to accept defeat and proved why they are a strong team, testing Dorking in a well-contested match from start to finish. The coaching team are particularly proud of the performance and the squad’s commitment, maintaining intensity and hard work for the full 80 minutes of the game.

ACE Student Carter Set to Take Next Step Into Adult Rugby

Posted on | by Becca Williams

This Saturday marks an important milestone for our partner school, The Archbishop’s School, as pupil Carter takes the next step in his rugby journey by progressing into adult rugby.

Carter has been a standout figure within The Archbishop’s School’s rugby programme, demonstrating commitment, consistency, and a strong understanding of the game throughout his school career. His development over recent seasons has been a testament to both his work ethic and the high standards upheld within the school’s rugby environment.

As a key component of the programme, Carter has not only contributed through performances on the pitch but has also set an example off it — showing leadership, discipline, and a willingness to learn. These qualities have supported his transition and prepared him well for the physical and tactical demands of the adult game.

Carter, Playing for ACE

Speaking about Carter’s progression, David Elliott, Headteacher of The Archbishop’s School, and Adam Knoupe, Director of Sport and Head of Sport Academies, both highlighted the significance of this moment. They commented that it is “great to see the partnership between the school and the club come into fruition, and the realisation of our aspirations for a pupil of our school to access adult rugby, particularly with a high-level club such as Canterbury.”

Carter’s progression reflects the strength of the pathway created through the partnership between The Archbishop’s School and the club, providing talented players with clear opportunities to develop beyond school rugby and into the senior game.

Everyone connected with the school and the club wishes Carter every success as he embarks on this next chapter of his rugby journey. His achievement stands as a positive example of what can be accomplished through strong collaboration, ambition, and commitment to player development.

 

Top to Toe Fitness Canterbury: Opening February 2026

Posted on | by Becca Williams

We are excited to announce a fantastic new addition to the Marine Travel Ground: Top to Toe Fitness Canterbury, opening 2nd February 2026.

A new era of community‑driven fitness is coming to the city, bringing a fresh, inclusive approach to functional training, right in the heart of the Canterbury Rugby Club grounds.

A Gym Built Around People

Top to Toe Fitness Canterbury isn’t just another gym. It’s a space designed to help real people move better, feel stronger, and build confidence that lasts well beyond the walls of the gym.

  • Small group training for all fitness levels
  • Expert coaching focused on safe, effective movement
  • Supportive community where everyone is encouraged
  • Sustainable progress tailored to the individual

Whether you’re stepping into a gym for the first time or looking to train with more purpose, you’ll find a warm, welcoming environment where members genuinely lift each other up.

Open Seven Days a Week

Life is busy — your training shouldn’t add stress. With sessions available every day, you can build strength, resilience, and confidence at a pace that works for you.

Free Taster Sessions

To celebrate the launch, we’re hosting two free taster days: Saturday 31 January & Sunday 1 February

Come along, meet the coaching team, try a session, and get a feel for our community‑focused approach to functional fitness.

Book your session here

Top to Toe Fitness Canterbury
Canterbury Rugby Club
Merton Lane, Canterbury, CT4 7DZ

Deacons Match Report

Posted on | by Becca Williams

Medway 4’s vs Canterbury Deacons 17 Jan 26 Match Report

By the infamous Pete Demery

It’s difficult to score if you don’t have the ball……

Being possibly the most charitable team in the entirety of English rugby and to avoid an away walk over Canterbury hosted Medway at home for a second time this season as their pitches were unplayable.
Not realising that it’s polite to reciprocate our goodwill, the top of the table team decided to come to the City (the only City in Kent now) and practise scoring tries.

On paper we had a strong team but last moment changes and regular players out/away saw us cobble together forward pack with many playing out of position.
All season we’ve had a reliably strong scrum only challenged by a couple of heavy teams, so watching from the sideline without being able to throw some boots on and get involved was horrible.
Our backs line up was superb with pace, depth and handling ability to challenge any team in the league – our issue was getting our hands on the ball to release them.

We all know you can’t polish a turd, the scoreline speaks for itself. Medway had a game plan, they executed it extremely well and played to their strengths. In the first half the Deacons probably had the ball less than 5 minutes across the 40, there were flashes of brilliance but they fell short through lack of composure, confidence or both.
The end of the half was welcome relief with the Deacons behind requiring Haribo and a chat about where we could improve.

The second half saw some changes; and staring down the barrel of a nilling in our own back yard some tactical changes brought a higher level of intensity to the start.
Finally with some ball in hand the Deacons were able to disrupt and use the pace of the back line to go forward. A loose ball, some excellent footballing skills from Ed Exley and Denton dotted down to get us off the mark.
Captain & Birthday boy (21 again) Dan Head added the 2 with a tricky kick. The boys had their heads up again, there was the faintest whiff of a comeback on the cards……

Like a fart in a sauna the whiff quickly dissipated, Medway running another try past us with simple straight forward rugby. Nothing about the game plan involved flair or panache, just simple route one smash it up the middle style brutality. It worked though. Fortunately the Medway kicker was about as useful as a bald man’s comb & couldn’t get the ball anywhere near the posts to convert.
The away supporters had all the decorum of a bag of week old dog sick, chirping away without necessarily understanding the laws of the game.
So when Canterbury once again broke the Medway line and returning superstar Jake Upward got across the try line and Dan once again added the extras the Deacons hard work had paid off & the opposition supporters were quietened for a minute.

Medway finished with a flourish. The last try was hard to swallow but the Deacons were exhausted after 80 minutes of ferocious tackling having been subjected to relentless punishment. As always we stuck at it and gave everything for the badge and our team mates. We will bounce back.

Enjoy the win Medway, we hope it makes you happy. Dear lord, what a sad little life Medway. You ruined my day entirely just so you could have a little win.

POtM – Dan Head. For rallying the troops, kicking the points & leading from the front.
Mentions- Freddie Vion (tackling all over the place) James Newman, Matt Burchell for stepping up and in to all sorts of areas.
Also Dylan, Rob & Freddie again for playing all sorts of positions backs & forwards and Steve Rutt for putting on a shift for the first half against a horrible Medway pack.

We miss you Brad. Get well soon Ronnie & Matt.

Strong Home Performance Secures Bonus Point Win as Canterbury Women

Posted on | by Becca Williams

Canterbury Women 22

Medway Women 12

Canterbury Women secured a hard fought 22–12 bonus point win at home yesterday against a strong Medway side, marking our first home game of the year and extending our winning run to three matches. Games against Medway are always competitive, physical encounters, and this fixture proved no different, with both teams fully committed from the opening whistle. It is a rivalry we always look forward to, and Medway once again tested us across the park.

Canterbury set the tone early with consistent strong carries and excellent support at the breakdown, allowing us to maintain momentum and recycle the ball effectively. Lydia Ticehurst (#9) worked tirelessly at the back of the breakdown and scrums, moving the ball quickly to our pods or to skipper Kate Rutherford (#10), keeping Medway’s defence under constant pressure. The back three showed great cohesion throughout, supporting each other well under high balls and contributing with strong carries, offloads, and solid ruck security. Notably, Lola Yuille-Clough (#11) impressed with powerful runs and well timed hand offs that repeatedly gained ground.

The opening try came from winger Emily Moriarty (#14) after some clean hands along the back line, finishing confidently out wide. The second try followed from fullback Robyn Gulley (#15), whose trademark hand offs and physical carries saw her power her way under the posts. Canterbury continued to build pressure through the forwards, and after a series of hard carries, met by equally committed tackling from Medway, Lily Philpott (#7) forced her way through the defence to score our third try, again grounding the ball beneath the posts. Captain Kate Rutherford summed it up perfectly, noting, “Where there is a Lily Philpott, you’ll soon find an Inger Philpott not far behind,” with Inger Philpott (#2) able to celebrate the try with her daughter under the posts. The fourth and final try came from Robyn Gulley, securing her second of the match. Breaking the defensive line, she showed great awareness and skill to play the ball off the foot before collecting and finishing strongly over the line.

A disciplined team performance, combined with physicality and smart decision making, ensured Canterbury came away with a deserved bonus point victory and a strong start to the home fixtures this year.

Across the squad, every player put in a hugely physical shift, fronting up in contact and working for one another throughout the full eighty minutes. The impact players brought exactly what they are described as bringing, impact, lifting the tempo, adding physicality, and ensuring standards stayed high right through to the final whistle.

Players of the Match were particularly hard to select this week following strong performances across the squad. Forwards of the Match went to the mother and daughter duo Lily Philpott (#7) and Inger Philpott (#2), while Backs of the Match were awarded to Lydia Ticehurst (#9) and Lola Yuille-Clough (#11).

Off the pitch, it was a fun day had by all. A huge thank you goes to the bar and kitchen for their hospitality, amazing as always, and most importantly, to our supporters who came out in the cold to make noise for the women. Your support makes a real difference.

Pilgrims Match Report

Posted on | by Becca Williams

Pilgrims 26
Bromley 29

Pilgrims took to the field at the MTG on a high from their victory over league leaders Brighton last weekend, but were hampered by a number of unavailabilities within the squad leading to Tyrell Thomas, Alex Smith and Joel Poulter all stepping up to make their league debuts for the Pilgrims.
The visitors drew first blood when they scored from a pick and go after their well drilled backline- led by ex Canterbury back Harvey Young- moved the ball well to get in behind the home defence. Despite 2 strong tackles from Hunt & Devine, Bromley dived over for a converted score, 0-7.
The pilgrims kicked long and chased well and their aggressive defending forced Bromley into some illegal defending which allowed Hewitt to step up and slot the first pilgrims points of the day with a penalty, 3-7.
Bromley continued to threatened going down the slope with ball in hand and quickly added a second score which came from some slick handling that got their pacey winger the ball in space out wide and he eluded the covering pilgrims defence to score in the corner which was well converted by the Bromley centre, 3-14.
Again the Pilgrims responded with good attacking play of their own leading to a second penalty goal from Hewitt- 6-14.
A pattern started to develop as another Bromley foray into the pilgrims 22 led them to score their 3rd try despite some aggressive pilgrims defence, this time their otherwise exceptional kicker missing from out wide, 6-19. This was followed up when pilgrims visited the Bromley 22m with Hewitt adding his 3rd penalty to bring the HT score 9-19 with supporters aware the slope is usually worth 10 points.
Fresh from some words of encouragement from coach Mal Graves, the pilgrims came out for the 2nd half firing. The aggressive defence and direct running of back row men Isaac Devine and Max McCormack was giving the pilgrims plenty of front foot ball going down the Hill. The mis-firing scrum was now holding its own and gave the pilgrims a good attacking platform. Hewitt added a fourth penalty to make it 12-19 before they added their 1st try after powering over from close range to make it 19-19.
Bromley elected to go for goal when given the opportunity arose rather than kick for the corner which they had done previously. 19-22.
The Pilgrims were starting to impose their will on the game with the direct running and aggressive defence causing Bromley problems. A fine break by Prop Tyrell Thomas was followed up by some slick handling which saw the pilgrims score under the posts to take the lead 26-22.
The last 15 minutes saw both sides giving everything which resulted in a yellow card each, first to Bromley for a high tackle before The pilgrims were reduced to 14 with the clock ticking down as their aggressive defence was deemed to aggressive by the very good referee. With the final play of the game, Bromley sucked the home defence in with a series of forward runners before moving the ball out wide to score in the corner. They added the extras to take the win 26-29 leaving the pilgrims with a losing bonus point from an entertaining but ultimately frustrating afternoon at the MTG.

Match Report: Brighton 17 Pilgrims 24

Posted on | by Becca Williams

Pilgrims 24

Brighton 17

The Pilgrims travelled to Sussex to take on league leaders Brighton keen to improve on their poor showing at Gravesend before Christmas and avenge a heavey Home defeat at the MTG earlier in the season.
After a lengthy delay on the M2 the Pilgrims arrived 50 minutes before kick off which disrupted Coach Mal Graves’ warm up plans.
Brighton showed exactly why they are league leaders as they got the games opening score within minutes of the kick off as they showed slick handling to move the ball wide to score and take a 5-0 lead.
The Pilgrims regrouped under the posts and after a quick chat to tweak the game plan, produced arguably their best 30 minutes of rugby this season. The forwards were carrying with intent and the direct running and offloading of the backs asked Brighton questions they simply didn’t have the answers to. The first of 3 scores came when Fin Mason-Myers sensed an opening and darted through a gap at the side of a ruck and was able to out pace the covering defence to take the score to 5-7.
Great interplay from the pilgrims forwards and backs got in behind the Brighton defence with Orris’ sublime offload sending Hewitt clear-Brightons pacey back 3 got back to make the tackle but there was no one defending the back field when Mason-Myers kicked in behind- he out paced the defence to regather and score his 2nd and take the score to 5-14.
Pilgrims then added a penalty to make it 5-17 after a high tackle from Brighton presented a simple opportunity for 3 points which Hewitt slotted. Orris then showed his class by going on a powerful run that saw him beat a number of defenders after good work from Morgan and Collins. When he was finally brought down it was Mason-Myers on hand in support to race through and score his 3rd taking the score to 5-24.
On the stroke of Half time, Brighton reminded the pilgrims of their own threat when they skilfully moved the ball wide before a good running line from the number 8 saw him run through untouched to score 12-24.
The second half became a scrappy affair with the Pilgrims aggressive defence frustrating Brighton and an element of niggle entered the game. Brighton were first to fall foul of the referee’s ire when they received a yellow card for a high tackle before pilgrims Isaac Devine received a 10 minute rest for allegedly tackling a player after the whistle. It was during this period that Brighton scored the only points of the 2nd half, utilising their numerical advantage to score out wide to take the score to 17-24.
Pilgrims had chances of their own, notably following strong runs from de Vries and wing Mitch Fielder, and the decision to turn down an easy 3 points in favour of a pick and go that was turned over showed the young pilgrims side still have much to learn, but a first half attacking masterclass followed by and outstanding second half defensive effort ensured the pilgrims defeated current league leaders Brighton.

Team: C. Oliver, Bull, Gill, Nicholson, de Vries, Hunt, Devine, McCormack, Mason-Myers, Collins, Fielder, Morgan, Orris, English, Hewitt, Kubicki, Masaka, Ingram.