Category: 1st XV

CANTERBURY 39 WESTCOMBE PARK 22

by David Haigh

A goal kicking master class by Frank Reynolds under pinned this clear cut victory for Canterbury as they took the spoils from a typically physical Kent derby. The fly half ended the day with a personal tally of 29 points, made up of six penalty goals, three conversions and threw in a try for good measure. It was not all about one man, however, as the pressure piled on ‘Combe in the second half by the impressive city side gave Reynolds the chance to really put the boot in. After reaching the break with a slender three point lead Canterbury were able to control and contain in equal measure, score a further nineteen points and restrict the visitors to a solitary late try. This was a more disciplined performance by the city men after the trials of the previous week and this time it was Combe who were often on the wrong end of the referee’s whistle. Two yellow cards cost them points in the first half although they opened the scoring with a Toby Wallace penalty goal and it might have been more but for Reynolds announcing himself with a try saving tackle on ‘Combe scrum half Mikel Davies. His first penalty goal leveled matters and Canterbury then built a healthy 17-3 lead. Tyler Oliver completed a strong close quarter drive by the pack and when ‘Combe found themselves down to thirteen players, with Kyan Braithwaite and Sam Fombo in the sin bin, Reynolds darted over between the posts. It was Canterbury’s over ambition that brought the visitors back into contention when they turned over ball and full back Wallace went 60 metres for his converted try. There was another Reynolds penalty goal but on the cusp of half time Presley Farrance’s deliberate knock on cost him a yellow card and from the penalty an efficient catch and drive ended in a Fombo try, converted by Wallace. That, for long periods, was the last seen of ‘Combe as an attacking force as Canterbury, with the breeze and slope in their favour, took control. The penalty count grew and Reynolds landed two more before Canterbury’s third try took them sixteen points clear. It was a good one, too, as they spread the ball wide to the left, gave Garry Jones space to accelerate outside the defence and his inside pass saw Frank Morgan hold off all pursuers. Two more Reynolds penalties, five minutes apart, sealed the game before Nick Cook’s try gave Combe the last word. Neither side managed a try bonus point but this win lifted Canterbury to fourth place in the National 2 East table ahead of next week’s visit to unbeaten leaders Tonbridge Juddians.

Canterbury: K.Heatherley, G.Jones, F.Morgan, W.Waddington, A.Moss, F.Reynolds, P.Farrance, O.Frostick, E. O’Donoghue, D.Herriott, D.Irvine, J.Stephens, C.Thomas, T.Mackenzie, T.Oliver. Replacements: N.Morris, H.Kenny, D.Huntley, H.Young, T.Williams

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Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

CANTERBURY 36 HAVANT 31

by David Haigh

From a position of comfort Canterbury found themselves in a fight for survival before they came away with their fourth win of the National 2 East season to claim maximum points. The biggest battle, however, was with their own poor discipline as a red card for flanker Harvey Furneaux in the second half left them a man short for 30 minutes, and their problems were compounded by three earlier sin binnings. Havant, trailing by 24 points, exploited the situation with a hat trick of tries from hooker Sean Shepherd, the last coming in the 80th minute to earn his side a second bonus point. There was little sign of the upheaval to come when Canterbury, after a tight opening quarter edged by the visitors, built a 24-12 half time lead and two tries in the first eight minutes after the break pointed to a routine victory. They established that position of strength despite first half yellow cards for Dave Irvine and Garry Jones. A Frank Reynolds penalty goal got the city side on the scoreboard after only two minutes but conceding penalties cost them tries by Havant forwards Steve Jenkinson and Sam Vince and a Joel Knight conversion. Those scores sandwiched Canterbury’ s opening try when they picked off an overthrown lineout, won a penalty and Eoin O’Donoghue plunged over from the maul. Then Canterbury began to pull away as Aiden Moss finished off some precise handling in style and the impressive O’Donoghue peeled off a driving maul to register his second. The early second half strikes, as O’Donoghue sent Moss across the line on the overlap and Sam Rogers timed his pass perfectly for Max Campbell to go clear for the fifth try, seemed to have settled matters, particularly with Reynolds missing only one shot at goal. A yellow card for Henry Kenny was not welcome but in the 51st minute an isolated fracas broke out and Furneaux was singled out for punishment. Havant saw their chance and a Canterbury side still too often on the wrong side of the referee gave them plenty of scope to mount a massive offensive through their pack. Shepherd’s tries all came from powerful close quarter work and two conversions by Knight added to the pressure. Canterbury hung on, just, but left themselves with big questions to address.
Canterbury: K.Heatherley, G.Jones, F.Morgan, W. Waddington, A.Moss, F. Reynolds, T. Williams, A.Cooper, E.O’Donoghue, D.Herriott, D.Irvine, J.Stephens, S.Rogers, H.Furneaux, C.Thomas. Replacements: H.Kenny, O.Frostick, P.Farrance, M.Campbell, N.Morris

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Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

CANTERBURY 49 WORTHING 21

by David Haigh

Three wins from three make this Canterbury’s best start for several seasons and this time their control produced seven tries against a Worthing team still looking for a first National 2 East victory. The city side made a statement of intent as early as the third minute with a try under the posts from Harvey Furneaux after Number Eight Tyler Oliver, playing his 100th game for the club, made the initial dent in the defence. Frank Reynolds, faultless from the tee all afternoon, converted and although a couple of penalty goals by Charlie Spencer kept the visitors in touch, by half time Canterbury had stretched away with another three tries and secured a bonus point. An obstruction, a penalty and a catch and drive joined and finished by wing Garry Jones, brought the second touchdown and when Worthing’s Kieran Tomlinson was yellow carded they paid the price. The extra space was quickly exploited with a try for centre Will Waddington and although Spencer had landed his third penalty goal Canterbury had something spectacular up their sleeves. A minute before the break scrum half Tom Williams found space and pace near his own 22 area and arced round the defence for the outstanding score of the day which pushed the lead to 28-9. Faced with an uphlll task Worthing produced their own bit of magic four minutes into the second half. Canterbury were in full attack mode when they spilled ball in the shadow of the posts and Worthing skipper Jack Forrest made a punishing break before Spencer scored at the other end and converted his try. Soon, however, the city side were building further pressure and this time they made no mistake as Williams went blind from a maul and sent Jones over for his second try. A yellow card for Furneaux handed Worthing the chance of a catch and drive score for Jimmy Staples but Canterbury’s control of possession gave them the taste for more as Waddington collected a Reynolds chip and opened the way for wing Max Campbell to sprint clear for his first league try. Flanker Chad Thomas powered across the line from close range for the final touchdown and table topping Canterbury now face their sternest challenge when they fly to Guernsey on Saturday to meet another unbeaten side.

Canterbury: H.Young, G.Jones, A.Moss, W.Waddington, K.Heatherley, F.Reynolds, T.Williams, O.Frostick, E.O’Donoghue, D.Herriott, D.Irvine, S.,Rogers, H.Furneaux, T.Olive. Replacements, A.Cooper, N.Morris, F.Morgan, C.Thomas, M.Campbell

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Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

SEVENOAKS 14 CANTERBURY 27

by David Haigh

Canterbury lead the early National 2 East table with maximum points after a Kent derby victory which was set up in a dominant first half. At the break the city side were nineteen points clear and well in control but then had to dig in as Sevenoaks dominated possession and won the second half try count by two to one. That said, the result never looked seriously in doubt as Canterbury’s defence passed most of the tests and a breakout ten minutes from the end brought a bonus point try which sealed the result. They seized the initiative early in the game and scrum half Presley Farrance rewarded his forwards pressure by sniping over for the opening try after only twelve minutes. With ‘Oaks on the back foot the situation was ripe for exploitation but Canterbury’s biggest obstacle was their own lack of focus. Too often they lost the ball in contact and an over-anxious back line lacked fluency. A yellow card for home skipper Scott Sedgwick on the half hour, however, opened the way for a second try as wing Garry Jones joined a powerful rolling maul to make the touchdown. It wasn’t until the final minute of the half that another score came and again it was the pack that did the spadework before Chad Thomas plunged over for his first try for the club. Reynolds slotted a second conversion but there was a feeling that the team had left points out there. That became plainer as Sevenoaks began to get a strong foothold in the game but were never clinical enough to make best use of their possession. One the few clean line breaks of the afternoon was then made by city captain Jamie Stephens but the try went begging for want of a final pass and Canterbury had to settle for a Reynolds penalty goal. After that it was mostly a matter of containment. Sedgwick registered the home side’s first try, converted by George Montgomery, after 60 minutes, but even though Kurt Heatherley was sin binned Canterbury found a positive reply and an overhead pass saw Sam Rogers canter over unopposed. The closing minutes belonged to Oaks but their only success was Sedgwick’s second converted try, from a driving maul, when the game was beyond their reach.

Canterbury: H.Young, M.Campbell, A.Moss, F.Morgan, G.Jones, F.Reynolds, P.Farrance, C.Macmillan, E.O’Donoghue, D.Herriott, D.Irvine, J.Stephens, C.Thomas, H.Furneaux, T.Oliver. Replacements: O.Frostick, S.Rogers, N.Morris, K.Heatherley, T.Williams,

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Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

CANTERBURY 53 COLCHESTER 13

by David Haigh

This thumping victory gave Canterbury an ideal start to the new National 2 East league season. They dominated all areas as they crushed the league newcomers with a blast of seven tries. Although Head Coach Matt Corker said afterwards that there is still work to do he has plenty of talent at his disposal as he looks to smooth any rough edges. The city side’s forwards quickly took control and thirteen points in the first twenty minutes, through Cameron Macmillan’s catch and drive try and a conversion and two Frank Reynolds penalty goals, set the pattern. A Corey Button penalty goal put Colchester on the scoreboard but they were soon learning that life at a higher level will need serious adjustment. Their failure to contain a vibrant Canterbury backs division cost them dearly as Aiden Moss and Garry Jones scored converted tries to push the lead out to 27-3 at half time. The punishment was piled on early in the second half as two expertly marshalled catch and drives brought hooker Eoin O’Donoghue, who enjoyed an outstanding a game, a brace of tries. Colchester’s best spell was born of their ability to read Canterbury errors and a couple of unwise passes were intercepted to give the visitors rare attacking territory. Tries from Mike Stanway and Leroy O’Neil brought them temporary relief but in the last quarter it was business as usual for Canterbury. Frank Morgan sold a neat dummy to get his side’s sixth try and and a brilliant individual effort from replacement scrum half Tom Williams, which started in his own half, rounded off this impressive performance. Eighteen points from the boot of Reynolds, six conversions and two penalty goals, set last season’s top league points scorer firmly on his way once again.
Canterbury: H.Young, G.Jones, A.Moss, F.Morgan, M.Campbell, F.Reynolds, P.Farrance, C.Macmillan, E.O’Donoghue, D.Herriott, D.Irvine, J.Stephens, C.Thomas, H.Furneaux, T.Oliver. Replacements: N.Morris, O.Frostick, S.Rogers, T.Williams. K.Heatherley