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Back To Winning Ways
CANTERBURY 41 NORTH WALSHAM VIKINGS 12
by David Haigh
A muscular afternoon from the Canterbury pack brought to an end a run of three defeats as the city side served up a dominant second half. Four of their six tries were scored by the forwards and it was the collective power of the scrum that won them the fifth through a penalty try. After a tight first half Vikings, the basement side of National 2 East, got a mauling as they struggled with Canterbury’s catch and drive and domination of the set pieces. They got an early warning eight minutes into the game when Nathan Morris, that serial finisher of the catch and drive, registered the first of his two tries and Frank Reynolds converted. Walsham, however, came into this match with the confidence of a good victory over Henley the previous week and were soon testing the Canterbury defence with their all out attacking style. They worked a good try for scrum half Connor Dudley after finding space on the right and continued to keep everyone in a black and amber shirt on their toes. Reynolds slotted a penalty goal to give his side a five point lead at the break but only after Vikings full back Benjy Hewitt had been held up over the line. On the resumption the momentum shifted dramatically to Canterbury as the forwards, in strong arm mood, needed only two minutes to send lock Shay Kerry over. Any lingering doubts about where this game was going were then put to rest as they scored twice in as many minutes. With the Vikings in full retreat a collapsed scrum cost them the penalty try and, next, a fine break by Number Eight Jamie Stephens was capped with an athletic finish from Jessie De Vries. On the hour mark the productive driving maul provided Morris with his fifteenth try of the season, leaving Reynolds to kick his third conversion. The backs finally got among the scorers seven minutes from the end as wing Garry Jones put in a strong effort at the corner and for the out-muscled Vikings came the consolation of a last minute touch down by Tawanda Kandemwa and a good conversion from Ross Magnus.
Canterbury: W.Waddington, G.Jones, F.Morgan, T.Best (repl B.Law), A.Orris, F.Reynolds, P.Farrance (repl B.Cooper), E.Lusher (repl D.Huntley), N.Morris (repl T.Mackenzie), D.Herriott, S.Kerry, J.De Vries, C.Murray (rep A.Evans), E.O’Donoghue, J.Stephens.
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