Category: 1st XV

Harry Drane joins from Pontypool

Summer signings

Posted on | by Denys Andrianjafy

The club has announced six new additions to the senior squad for the 2025/26 season. They include four prop forwards, one second row player and a centre/fly half. The front row recruits are headed by Harry Drane, from Welsh Super League side Pontypool, and he is joined by Dutch Under 20 international Maik Timmerman, Westcombe Park; Lewis Young, Saracens Academy and Carter Oliver, from Brighton. There will be fresh faces also in second row player Charlie Barker (Saracens Academy and England Under 19s} and utility back Luke Talbot, from Tonbridge Juddians, who is currently playing a leading role for Kent in their bid to win a third consecutive County championship title. Charlie and Lewis will join on season-long loans from Saracens.

Also on board is promising wing Harry Dean and the squad will be further boosted by the return of three long term injury victims, flanker Mo Pangarkar, prop Elliot Lusher and scrum half Cullen Daly. With the retirement of stalwarts Danny Herriott and Arron Cooper, Director of Rugby Taff Gwilliam has looked to add depth to his front row roster in view of the challenge faced by the Pilgrims side as they compete at Regional 2 level for the first time.

“We are delighted to have retained the whole of last season’s squad, retirees apart,” says Taff. “The new signings add depth and competition to our squad. With the Pilgrims now at level 6 it was paramount that we strengthened. Luke Talbot and Maik Timmerman are experienced at National 2 players with the potential to improve further. Harry Drane has been playing regularly at a very high level in Wales. The fact that Lewis Young and Charlie Barker are in Saracens senior Academy players speaks for itself. Carter Oliver is an investment for the future who goes alongside some talented home grown youngsters we have coming through such as Owain Collins, Max Campbell, Aiden Demery, Ollie Jordan Smith, Isaac Devine and Andrew Thomas to name but a few.

An exciting season is in prospect”

Four For Eoin As Tom Says Farewell

Posted on | by David Haigh

COLCHESTER 33 CANTERBURY 50

by David Haigh

Canterbury’s season ended as it started, with victory over a Colchester side which has failed to survive its first experience of National 2 East rugby. In an entertaining, but messy affair which produced thirteen tries, the city club started well, were rightly punished for making simple errors either side of half time, but then wrestled back control with three tries in the last eleven minutes. The player who enjoyed himself most was Canterbury hooker Eoin O’ Donoghue who scored four of the team’s eight touchdowns, the best a 50 metre sprint which killed off all those perceptions of plodding front row forwards. He opened the scoring from a trademark catch and drive after seven minutes and further tries followed for Garry Jones and Henry Kenny. Despite the league’s leading goal kicker, Frank Reynolds, having a rare off day, the lead looked comfortable. Colchester pulled one back when good work by their lively scrum half was completed by Brett Cutbush and converted by Jack Edwards, but O’Donoghue’s second, supplemented by Reynolds, earned the bonus point. It was in the closing stages of the half that Canterbury went into slipshod mode and paid the price. A neat offload put Danny Whiteman across the line seconds before the break and Edwards conversion cut the lead to eight. The city side made a poor start to the second half and an Edwards try drew Colchester closer. The pressure became suffocating when both Garry Jones and Danny Herriott found themselves in the sin bin and against thirteen men Colchester took the lead with a converted try from Cameron Kerr. O’Donoghue came to the rescue, scooping up a dropped ball and setting off for his long distance score, converted by Reynolds, but the pressure was still on. A Haydn Sykes’ try and Edwards’ conversion saw Colchester go back in front but Canterbury now showed their staying power as they regained control of possession. O’Donoghue got his fourth but the most popular try of the day was set up by Tom Best, playing his 319th and final game before going into retirement. It was a kick and chase which Tom Williams finished off under the posts. With Reynolds substituted, Best converted the try. A catch and drive saw prop Cameron Macmillan close out the game with the final touchdown and Best’s successful kick ended his distinguished club career on a winning and scoring note.

Canterbury: A.Moss, F.Morgan, H.Sloan, T.Best, G.Jones, F.Reynolds, T.Williams, D.Huntley, E.O’Donoghue, O.Frostick, H.Kenny, J.Stephens, C.Thomas, C.McGovern, T.Oliver. Replacements: D. Herriott, W.Waddington, W.Calder, J.De Vries, C.Macmillan.

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v Colchester - 26 April 2025

Photos may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

Canterbury Pack Late Punch

Posted on | by David Haigh

CANTERBURY 42 DORKING 35

by David Haigh

Two tries in the closing ten minutes from a rampaging Canterbury pack finally settled a pulsating game in which the result always hung in the balance. This victory guarantees the city club will end the National 2 East campaign in fourth place, their highest position for three seasons. It also extinguished Dorking’s hopes of taking the league title which now goes to Kent side Tonbridge Juddians. A magnificent crowd at the Marine Travel Ground had plenty to entertain them with some outstanding individual tries among the ten shared by the teams, the lead changing hands four times and a final home appearance for retiring Canterbury stalwarts Tom Best and Danny Herriott. In a cagey opening quarter, two Frank Reynolds penalty goals and a converted Frank Morgan try built a thirteen point lead. The try came from a Dorking handling error with Harry Sloan kicking the loose ball on to set up the score. That stirred the visitors and a powerful finish from lock Jasper King and the first of Henry Anscombe’s five conversions sparked the tit for tat nature of what followed. Next, came a great score from city full back Aiden Moss who returned a clearance kick by skewering every defender in a 45 metre run to the posts. Reynolds again obliged but by half time Dorking had crept into a single point lead. They made a catch and drive position pay with a try from Callum Watson and, two minutes before the break, full back Max Coyle matched Moss’s effort with a brilliant run and finish. There was further trouble for Canterbury after the restart when Dorking worked blind side space for wing Bryan Hotston’s try. Reynolds third penalty goal shaved three points off the visitors lead after Dorking skipper Will Scholes’ was handed a yellow card, a subtle shift in the the balance of pack power gave Canterbury fresh momentum and opened the way for Sloan’s try from a close quarter lineout. That brought an immediate response as Anscombe grabbed Dorking’s fifth touchdown to restore a five point lead, but then came the decisive late stages when Canterbury’s forwards took control. On 71 minutes a driving maul carried Tyler Oliver over the line, Reynolds converted, and with three minutes remaining they did a repeat performance as Eoin O’Donoghue’s try closed out an absorbing match.

Canterbury: A.Moss, F.Morgan, H.Sloan, W.Waddington, G.Jones, F.Reynolds, T.Williams, D.Huntley, E.O’Donoghue, O.Frostick, J.De Vries, J.Stephens, C.Thomas, C.McGovern, T.Oliver. Replacements: H.Kenny, D.Herriott, C.Macmillan, T.Best, W.Calder

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v Dorking - 12 April 2025

Photos may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

Hat Trick Day at Oxford

Posted on | by David Haigh

OXFORD HARLEQUINS 29 CANTERBURY 66

by David Haigh

A commanding performance in the Oxford sunshine brought Canterbury ten tries with hat tricks for Number Eight Tyler Oliver and centre Harry Sloan. Fast, 4G pitches clearly suit the city side as this was the second time this season they have scored over sixty points on the artificial surfaces. After conceding the game’s first try they gradually flexed their muscles, upped their pace to secure a bonus point by half time, then stretched away impressively after the break. They repaired the damage of the early set back with Eoin O’Donohue given space to send Frank Morgan over for the try and Frank Reynolds knocking over the first of his eight conversions. Quins briefly added to Ben Venede’s early score with a catch and drive effort by Jim Roberts, converted by Jamie Whitwell, but that was the last time they enjoyed the lead. Canterbury went to work in expert fashion, putting the squeeze on at the set pieces, carrying hard to create breaks and rattling in three tries in a five minute spell. Oliver, twice, and Garry Jones were the scorers. Quins, lively with the ball in hand despite their defensive problems, staged a mini revival with tries from Jamie Fox and Dave Manning and a Whitwell conversion, but by the end of the half Oliver had grabbed his third from a catch and drive and O’Donoghue’s touchdown pushed the lead to 38-24. From that position a Canterbury side with the breeze at their backs were totally dominant. The second half was full of things to admire, from Reynolds’ 50/22 kick which set up position for Sloan’s first try; the great angles run by the centre for his second and third scores and the effective contribution of the bench replacements. one of whom, Tom Best, had a hand and a foot in two scores. His recognition of space and accurate kick was chased down by Charlie McGovern for the tenth try. Before that, Quins got a consolation score through Ben Bodinham, after Oliver was yellow carded, but this was a day when Canterbury’s class told.

Canterbury: A.Moss, F.Morgan. W.Waddington, H.Sloan, G.Jones, F.Reynolds, T.Williams, D.Huntley, E.O’Donoghue, O.Frostick, J.Stephens, J.De Vries, C.Thomas, T.Mackenzie, T.Oliver. Replacements: C.McGovern, D.Herriott, C.Macmillan, T.Best, W.Calder

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Images may be subject to copyright – Les Gordon Photography

First Half Show Earns Win

Posted on | by David Haigh

BURY ST EDMUNDS 38 CANTERBURY 40

by David Haigh

Being on the wrong end of close run things has become Canterbury’s default position in recent games but here they reversed a sequence of four defeats by surviving a second half battering to complete a league double over the Suffolk club. How they came to be in trouble after establishing a 31-7 lead by half time will be top of the post match inquest. In the first forty minutes the city side played some of their most effective rugby of the season as pace, accuracy and flair brought four tries and a bonus point. After the turn round they looked a different side as they came under constant pressure from a motivated Bury who added five tries to their solitary first half score. Canterbury struggled for possession , created only one real try scoring opportunity and it was only the unfailing accuracy of fly half Frank Reynolds kicking, with three penalty goals, that saw them home. It was Reynolds who slotted the first three points of the game before Bury were taken apart. It started with ball spread wide from a catch and drive where Harry Sloan speared over. Next came a sharp break by Presley Farrance, finished by Frank Morgan, and the scrum half was again involved in the move which brought Harvey Furneaux a third try. When Bury made rare progress they gave a small hint of things to come, breaking off a maul for a try by James Harrison converted by Callum Hall. It seemed a minor blip when Jessie De Vries marched over under the posts two minutes before the break and Reynolds kicked his fourth conversions. Then the game was turned on its head by a Bury side determined to mark the start of the club’s centenary celebrations with a better show. They took just three minutes to strike through a catch and drive score by Finn McCartney and the pressure on penalty prone Canterbury very rarely eased. McCartney again, and Alex Earnshaw crossed, both converted by Hall, before Reynolds kept his city side ten points in front. Bury responded with tries by George Grigg-Pettit and, late on, a converted touchdown from George Loose. But it was not enough as Reynolds kept them at bay with a massive strike from half way and another nerveless kick five minutes from time.

Canterbury: A.Moss, H.Furneaux, H.Sloan, W.Waddington, F.Morgan, F.Reynolds, P.Farrance, D.Huntley, E.O’Donoghue, O.Frostick, J.De Vries, J.Stephens T.Mackenzie. Replacements: C.McGovern, D.Herriott, T. Williams, S.Rogers, T.Best

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v Bury St Edmunds - 15 March 2025

Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

SECOND HALF SLIPPAGE

Posted on | by David Haigh

CANTERBURY 18 OLD ALBANIAN 21

by David Haigh

A try in the final minute of the game condemned Canterbury to their fourth consecutive defeat as they let a first half lead of eighteen points slip away. It was a sobering experience for a city side that lost its way in a mixture of flawed decisions, basic errors and Albanians domination of the breakdown. The fall from grace frustrated a big crowd who watched Canterbury control the first forty minutes but never do quite enough with all their territory and possession. Head Coach Matt Corker admitted: “We left points out there ” and that hard fact came back to bite them. They started brightly enough and only an unlucky bounce robbed Presley Farrance of a score as he chased Garry Jones’ chip kick. The scrum half made amends for that in the ninth minute after Eoin O’Donoghue launched the initial break, the forwards piled in and Frank Reynolds converted. The city side went looking for more and, despite the loss of Jones with a ham string injury, they were constantly dangerous in the wide channels where debutant Harry Sloan caused Albanians defence all kinds of problems. He was part of the move that sent Harvey Furneaux over for the second try but although Reynolds conversion attempt hit a post he was to prove the only provider of more points before half time. Canterbury had their chances but failed to deliver and relied on the fly half’s two penalty goals. The visitors had hardly been a threat up to that point but all that changed in the opening minute of the second half. A lineout move and a missed tackle saw flanker Archie Radovanovic cross and Patrick Bishop convert. From there Canterbury failed to exploit their strengths, were turned over in possession all too easily and slumped into mediocrity. A punishing break by OA scrum half Bailey Thomas set up his side’s second try, scored by back rower Ben Alexander and converted by Bishop, and a Canterbury struggling to get front foot ball found themselves hanging on. As the clock ticked down they held up one attack over their own line but in the last play Thomas finished off a barrage of pick and go’s as he squeezed over. Bishop kicked his third conversion to remind Canterbury of how far they had fallen.

Canterbury: A.Moss, G.Jones, H.Sloan, W.Waddington, H.Furneaux, F.Reynolds, P.Farrance, O.Frostick, E.O’Donoghue, A.Cooper, J.De Vries, J.Stephens, C.Thomas, S.Rogers, T.Oliver. Replacements: C.Macmillan, H.Kenny, C.McGovern, T.Williams, F.Morgan

 

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v Old Albanian - 8 March 2025

Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

FIGHTBACK MAKES A POINT

Posted on | by David Haigh

BARNES 45 CANTERBURY 35
by Chris Fullbrook

A stunning second half fight back rescued Canterbury’s pride and a losing bonus point against the league’s second placed side. Trailing by 40 points at half time they were a revitalised team after the break as they hit Barnes with five tries. The city side were barely off the bus before they found themselves trailing to the first of six tries. Barnes started their onslaught after only three minutes when second row Ryan Nixon crashed over from close range. Handling errors in midfield then allowed the hosts to quickly counter-attack with a try from scrum-half Iago Davies under the posts. A regulation catch and drive try, finished by hooker Ethan Sikorski, was followed by further first half touchdowns for full back Elliot Haydon and another for Sikorski. With Haydon landing five conversions Canterbury’s prospects of taking anything from the game seemed bleak. However, whatever was said by Head Coach Matt Corker at half time awoke his side with hooker Eoin O’Donoghue crashing over five minutes into the second period. A rare visit into the Canterbury half saw Barnes’ Haydon scoring his second try of the game but the rest of the action belonged totally to the city side. Ollie Frostick powered over from short range, whilst replacement scrum-half Presley Farrance found a gap on the short side from the base of a five metre scrum. Canterbury’s second half dominance continued with flying Dutchman Jesse de Vries taking an offload from skipper Jamie Stephens before beating the home side’s defence with a mazy run from forty yards out. Aaron Cooper completed the comeback, diving across the line from a close-range ruck. The league’s leading points scorer, Frank Reynolds, added conversions to all the second half tries but Canterbury were left to rue errors and a slow start. The consolation was that four try losing bonus point and they retain their fourth spot in the National2 East table.

Canterbury: W.Waddington, G.Jones, F.Morgan, T.Best, H.Furneaux, F.Reynolds, T.Williams, D.Huntley, E.O’Donoghue, O.Frostick, C.McGovern, J.Stephens, C.Thomas, S.Rogers, T.Oliver, Replacements A.Cooper, P.Farrance, A.Moss, J.De Vries, H.Kenny

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v Barnes - 1 March 2025

Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

POWER AND ACCURACY COUNT

Posted on | by Denys Andrianjafy

CANTERBURY 23 TONBRIDGE JUDDIANS 46

by David Haigh

The league leaders gave Canterbury an impressive demonstration of accuracy and finishing power as they marched to this National 2 East victory. They built a winning platform in the first half, held off a spirited challenge in the third quarter then closed out the game decisively with three tries in the final ten minutes. An early lead for the city side, from a Frank Reynolds penalty goal, was quickly wiped out by a hat trick of tries by Juddians hooker Will Colling, all if them coming directly or indirectly from catch and drives as Canterbury paid the price of conceding penalties. Their troubles were compounded by injuries to full back Kurt Heatherley and wing Harvey Young, which meant a reshuflle of the back division, but after Colling had struck twice and the conversions failed , Reynolds kept them in touch with two further penalty goals. When Juddians pounced again with a third try, spreading the ball from a driving maul before Colling barreled over, the kick was again off target but two minutes before the break they worked a bonus point score for prolific wing Curtis Barnes and their first successful conversion opened a 22-9 lead. It was, however a newly energised Canterbury that emerged for the second half to put Juddians under sustained pressure. It brought them a try through Frank Morgan’s powerful finish and Reynolds conversion narrowed the gap to six points. But for all the territory they occupied and pressure applied in this dominant period the city side could not turn it into further scores. Handling errors were the chief culprit against an aggressive visiting defence and a Connor Lloyd penalty goal for Juddians disrupted the flow. Canterbury could not be faulted for effort but they faded and were ruthlessly exposed in the closing stages. A break in midfield left Howard Packman a straight run in; Lloyd spotted acres of space on the blind side of a maul to hand Barnes his second try and, as Canterbury gamely tried to attack, Charlie Self intercepted Reynolds pass to charge in for the seventh try. Lloyd converted all of them but there was last minute consolation for the city side when Sam Rogers, who worked tirelessly all day, forced his way over and Reynolds conversion ended a contest in which the title chasers were, unmistakably, the better side.

Canterbury: K.Heatherley, G.Jones, F.Morgan, W.Waddington, H.Young, F.Reynolds, P.Williams, D.Huntley, E.O’Donoghue, D.Herriott, C.McGovern, J.Stephens, C.Thomas, S.Rogers, T.Oliver. Replacements: T.Best, H.Furneaux, A.Cooper, O.Frostick, J.De Vries.

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v Tonbridge Juddians - 15 Feb 2025

Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

CANTERBURY 23 TONBRIDGE JUDDIANS 46

Winning Run Ends

Posted on | by David Haigh

WESTCOMBE PARK 22 CANTERBURY 18

by David Haigh

A six match winning streak came to a sticky and disappointing end in the Westcombe Park mud in a game where Canterbury enjoyed the bulk of the territory but could not find enough ways to outwit a solid defence. This clash of two in-form Kent sides was always going to be a tight affair but it was ‘Combe’s ability to absorb pressure and make the most of their chances that gave them the edge. They were helped by a poor start from Canterbury who conceded eight points in the first five minutes, through a long range penalty goal from Nathan Wyman and Cal Devine’s try. It was made by Combe skipper Nick Cooke who burst through some poor tackling before giving the flanker a clear run. Those early set backs jolted the city side into life and, aided by Combe indiscipline, they dominated much of the rest of the half. With a heavy penalty count in their favour they won plenty of field position but the match was into its second quarter before any points came via a catch and drive try by Sam Rogers. They missed out on a second try, the last pass going forward, but a Frank Reynolds penalty goal brought Canterbury level. Combe’s effective work at the breakdown in slowing down possession kept the city side at bay and two minutes before the break they conceded a second try. A penalty won the home side position and when the ball was worked into midfield more suspect defence allowed Cook to rumble over. Wyman converted to open a 15-8 lead. Combe built on that advantage in the 55th minute with try from centre Matt Harrison after a forward charge opened a gap. Wyman landed his second conversion and as the conditions condemned the game to a foot slog that fourteen point lead proved crucial. Canterbury fought back to dictate territory and probed, often promisingly, through the back division but never quite made a breakthrough. A yellow card for Ben Charnock left the home side short handed and the city side did make that count, building the phases for a Jamie Stephens try which Reynolds converted. The score came in the 63rd minute but despite continuing pressure the home defence stood firm and a late penalty goal from Reynolds, together with a losing bonus point, was the most Canterbury could salvage.

Canterbury: K.Heatherley, G.Jones, F.Morgan, W.Waddington, T.Williams, F.Reynolds, P.Farrance, D.Huntley, E.O’Donoghue, D.Herriott, D.Irvine, J.Stephens, C.McGovern, S.Rogers, T.Oliver. Replacements: C.Macmillan, A.Moss, O.Frostick, J.DeVries, H.Young

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v Westcombe Park - 8 Feb 2025

Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

HARD WORK AT WORTHING

Posted on | by David Haigh

WORTHING 25 CANTERBURY 29

by Chris Fullbrook

Canterbury extended their winning streak to six games but were made to work hard for it by National 2 East’s bottom club. It was the home side that struck first with hooker Harrison Dakin on the back of a five-metre lineout catch and drive but Charlie Spencer was unable to add the extras. A missed penalty by Canterbury’s Frank Reynolds was followed closely by the loss of Chad Thomas to a shoulder injury. Having re-grouped, the city side then scored twice within ten minutes, the first from in-form full back Kurt Heatherley, capitalising on a spilt cross field kick from Tom Best. The versatile Tom Williams, scrum half by trade but playing on the wing, got the second, cutting inside his opposite number and showing the defence a clean pair of heels to score under the posts. Reynolds added the extras to both tries. Worthing rallied and having had the lion’s share of the first half possession, fielded a missed touch kick before drawing in the Canterbury defence to send winger Spencer across in the opposite corner, but he was unable to convert to his own score. Only four points ahead at the start of the second half, Canterbury lost centre Tom Best to the sin bin for a team yellow card, having been on a warning from Referee Max Marshall from the previous half. However, it was the city side who scored whilst down to fourteen men after strong attacking from their forwards and quick hands out wide paved the way for the league’s top try scorer, Garry Jones, to add to his tally. Reynolds failed with the conversion but was on target with a penalty minutes later to stretch the visitors lead to twelve points. Canterbury now looked to be dominating the game but an interception and 80 metre run to the posts from Worthing skipper ack Forrest, plus Tom Derrick’s conversion, allowed the home side to get their heads up. When centre Derrick grabbed another try four minutes later Worthing were eyeing only their second victory of the season. The decisive score, however, went to Canterbury who were awarded a penalty try when home Number Eight Frank Taggart pulled down a close range maul, having entered from the side. Worthing ended the stronger of the two sides but were only able to add a further three points, a penalty goal from the boot of Derrick, to gain a much deserved second bonus point.

Canterbury: K.Heatherley, G.Jones, W.Waddington, T.Best, T.Williams, F.Reynolds, P.Farrance, D.Huntley, E.O’Donoghue, D.Herriott, C.McGovern, J.Stephens, C.Thomas, S.Rogers, T.Oliver. Replacements: A.Cooper, T.Mackenzie, D.Irvine, H.Young, M.Campbell,

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v Worthing - 1 Feb 2025

Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton