Canterbury Power Show

CANTERBURY 40 DORKING 7

by David Haigh

In condemning Dorking to their heaviest defeat of the season an in-form Canterbury gave notice that they are becoming serious title contenders. The top two National 2 East sides, Old Albanians and Oundle, must come to the Marine Travel Ground next month while third placed Bury St Edmunds host the city side on February 21st. It could be a defining period of the season and Canterbury will relish the challenge. In a blistering first half they took total control, scoring four converted tries, running up twenty eight unanswered points and wrapping up a bonus. The tone was set by scrum half Tom Williams who celebrated his 100th appearance by scoring the first two tries in a Man of the Match performance. From nervy starters, Canterbury became clinical finishers as Harry Sloan’s angled run cleared the way for Williams’ opener after 15 minutes. The century man needed no assistance for his second contribution, a great individual break and 35 metre dash ending under the posts. Poor discipline from Dorking, which cost them two yellow cards and damaging penalties, saw them next pinned back by a probing kick from Frank Reynolds and they gifted the city side a third try. An overthrown line out ball landed in the arms of Eoin O’Donoghue at the tail and he crossed the line unmolested. It was the hooker who also claimed the bonus point score as the influential Sloan produced another decisive thrust to set it up on the half hour mark. Canterbury’s domination was such that the visitors never entered the home 22 area until late in the half and If they were to get any sort of foothold in the match they needed to use the slope and breeze in the second period. Instead, Canterbury stunned them with a fifth try three minutes after the interval. Charlie McGovern, Kurt Heatherley and Presley Farrance combined beautifully to send Aiden Moss over. Reynolds failed with the conversion for the first time but he soon got the opportunity to make amends. Canterbury mauled and drove at close range and Farrance’s finish made the result a formality. A strangely lacklustre and battered Dorking did respond, briefly, with a try and conversion from fly half Tom Hardwick, but for the rest they were shut out as the city side powered to an impressive eighth win in a row.

Canterbury: K.Heatherley, A.Moss. H.Sloan, W.Waddington, L.Talbot, F.Reynolds, T.Williams, D.Huntley, E.O’Donoghue, O.Frostick, J.De Vries, J.Stephens, C.McGovern, R.Thomas, T.Oliver. Replacements: P.Farrance, C.Macmillan, F.Morgan, J.Dengate, J.Walker,