Canterbury Dig Deep to Secure 15–10 Win Over Portsmouth Valkyries

Canterbury dig deep to secure 15–10 win over Portsmouth Valkyries

Written by Amber Waitimas

Canterbury travelled to face Portsmouth Valkyries and came away with a hard-fought 15–10 victory in testing conditions. A combination of long travel, limited recent match time, hard ground, heat, and a persistent wind made for a challenging afternoon, but Canterbury showed resilience and determination to secure the win.
The opening exchanges saw Portsmouth apply early pressure, and they were first to get points on the board after forcing a penalty inside Canterbury’s 22. Opting to take the points, Portsmouth slotted the penalty to take an early lead.
Canterbury responded well, with scrum-half Ella Jenkins spotting a gap around the breakdown and breaking the line cleanly. She offloaded to El Crowe, who powered over the try line to score Canterbury’s first try of the match and shift momentum.
Portsmouth struck back with their first try following a sustained period of pressure. A series of pick-and-go phases under the posts allowed them to cross the line, and with a straightforward conversion, they regained the lead.
Canterbury had an opportunity to respond shortly after when a Portsmouth penalty provided field position. Robyn Gulley, stepping up at fly-half, opted to take the points, but the kick was unfortunately pushed off target with the assistance of the wind.
Despite some attacking promise, Canterbury continued to struggle with accuracy beyond the second phase. However, their set-piece dominance, particularly in the scrum, provided a strong platform throughout, thanks to the efforts of Lizzie Deverson, Rosie Payne, Alex Mills, Amber Waitimas, and Emma Alleyne.
Defensively, Canterbury were resolute. Hannah Sandeman was outstanding in midfield, repeatedly denying Portsmouth’s centres the gain line, while the back three, including Lola Yuille-Clough, impressive on her first outing at fullback, dealt confidently with both attacking threats and the difficult conditions. On the wing, Alice Hayward delivered a flawless defensive display, earning Back of the Match with a series of dominant one-on-one tackles.
The forwards continued to put in a tireless shift, with El Crowe consistently breaking the gain line and putting Portsmouth on the back foot. Captain Lucy Relf then added Canterbury’s second try, picking up the ball from a pick and go on the try line and taking it on the blindside to score.
In the closing stages, Rachel Betteridge made a huge impact off the bench, bringing physicality with big carries, tackles, and scrummaging effort, earning Forward of the Match honours.
The decisive moment came in the final ten minutes, when El Crowe crossed for her second try of the game, extending Canterbury’s lead. From there, Canterbury managed the game intelligently, maintaining possession and controlling territory to prevent Portsmouth from mounting a final comeback.
Credit must go to Portsmouth Valkyries, who delivered a determined and competitive performance throughout and never let the game slip away easily.
While not at their clinical best, Canterbury showed grit, adaptability, and strong defensive organisation to secure the result, proving that even on tough days, they have the ability to dig deep and get the job done.