Category: 1st XV

GUERNSEY 10 CANTERBURY 34

by Andy Rogers

It’s often said there is no such thing as a free lunch and so it turned out on this trip to Guernsey which is always a massive challenge, made harder still by the wind and rain battering the island on Saturday. Facing the worst of the conditions in the first period Canterbury played controlled rugby against bullish opposition with the back row and influential No 8 Tyler Oliver always in the thick of things. So it was against the run of play when after 20 minutes Canterbury were penalised for offside at the breakdown and from the resulting line out Guernsey second row Lewis Hillier was driven over.
That early momentum seemed to be drifting away further when Cameron Murray was singled out for ten minutes in the sin bin after some mild argy bargy with the Guernsey forwards. However, these setbacks appeared to galvanize a Canterbury side who continued to play the conditions with control, astute kicking and no little skill.
On thirty minutes and down to 14 players they drew level. It was the unlikely figure of fly half Frank Reynolds who emerged from the bottom of a driving maul to claim the touch down. When he converted his own score it was the start of a virtuoso performance from the Number Ten who went on to net two tries, two penalties and four conversions for a personal haul of 24 points. Reynolds then added a penalty goal before half time leaving Canterbury with a slender five point lead but still with a serious second half job to do.
With Reynolds pulling the strings it turned out to be a lead they would not surrender, but any suggestion that this was a one man performance would be way off the mark.
With fifteen second half minutes played prop Cam Macmillan drove over for the side’s second try and five minutes later lock Dave Irvine was rewarded for an afternoons hard graft by adding another to take the score to 27-5
Guernsey were not finished though. Spurred on by a noisy crowd they continued to take the game to the visitors and with 10 minutes remaining their tricky fly half Owen Thomas broke the cover to put centre Ciaran McGann over for a try which went unconverted.
It proved to be much too little too late for the home side leaving the final word to man of the match Reynolds. Playing with confidence, Canterbury went looking for a bonus point try. Wingers Alfie Orris and Garry Jones both went close after some lovely interplay with Will Waddington before forward pressure saw replacement scrum half Ben Cooper gather a loose ball to set up Reynolds who dummied and outpaced the cover to race under the posts.
A fitting end to a fine individual performance but, more importantly, an impressive display from a Canterbury squad who played the difficult conditions with a level of skill and control which augurs well for the testing run of league games to come.

Canterbury: W.Waddington, G.Jones, F.Morgan, T.Best, A.Orris, F.Reynolds, T.Williams, C.Macmillan, N.Morris, W.McColl, D.Irvine, S.Kerry, J.Stephens, C.Murray, T.Oliver. Replacements: E.O.Donoghue, E,Lusher, B.Cooper, A.Moss, S.Rogers

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Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

NORTH WALSHAM VIKINGS 10 CANTERBURY 54

by David Haigh

Six second half tries swept North Walsham aside as Canterbury’s domination of possession and territory took its toll on the league’s basement club. The first half ended with the city side, despite having massive overall control, just six points in front but after the break they shook the journey to Norfolk out of their system and brought fresh, match winning energy and purpose to their work. The bulk of Canterbury’s first half points came from the boot of fly half Frank Reynolds who kicked three penalty goals and converted a 26th minute catch and drive try from Tyler Oliver. A young and out muscled Walsham side nevertheless put in a great defensive shift and when a rare attacking chance came they took it. An intercepted pass and slick handling sent wing Tawanda Kendemawa clear for a try, converted by Ross Magnus, who added a penalty goal in the final minute of the half. However, any hopes of a first league victory the Vikings may have entertained were rapidly destroyed as Canterbury raised the intensity from start of the second half and never let go. The hosts were targeted by a superior pack that served up as stream of possession from the set pieces and now turned it into points with four close range tries. Lock Shay Kerry got the first four minutes after the restart but it was in the final quarter that the tries flowed. With the ball carriers making constant inroads Jamie Stephens, twice, and Will McColl made the touchdowns. Late in the day the attack was spread wider and overlaps created scores for wings Alfie Orris and, finally, Garry Jones. Four more conversions from Reynolds made sure the fifty mark was passed as Canterbury took maximum points to consolidate their seventh place in the National 2 East table.

CANTERBURY: W.Waddington, G.Jones, F.Morgan, T.Best, A,Moss, F.Reynolds, T.Williams, C.Macmillan, N.Morris, D.Herriott, D.Irvine, S.Kerry, J.Stephens, C.Murray, T.Oliver. Replacements: E.O.Donoghue, W.McColl, A.Orris, B.Cooper, S.Rogers

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Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

CANTERBURY 25 WESTCOMBE PARK 19

by David Haigh

After falling behind three times Canterbury came up with a winning try six minutes from the end as they overcame cold rain and wind to take four points from this typically tight Kent derby. In the testing conditions the quality of the rugby was a tribute to both sides but it was the performance of the city club’s pack in the second half that gave them a crucial edge. Their domination of the set scrums at times put ‘Combe under huge pressure and although it did not produce the points it should have it was key to the territorial battle. Combe took an early lead in the game after Canterbury failed to find touch with a clearance kick and they made the most of the possession. Centre Tom Vickers dummied his way through a defence short on numbers and Nathan Wyman converted. Canterbury, battling into the wind, kept losing the slippery ball in contact but drew level after 21 minutes. A lineout drive and plenty of pick and go put skipper Jamie Stephens over between the post, leaving Frank Reynold an easy conversion. They soon found themselves behind again, conceding a penalty at the breakdown which gave ‘Combe the opportunity to drive Sam Fombo across for the try, Wyman again converting. In the final minute of the half a Reynolds penalty goal cut the deficit to four and after the break the city club soon started to fire the shots. Four minutes in, Stephens blasted over again from short range, Reynolds was on target and the lead recaptured. In the 20 minutes that followed it was Canterbury who were dominant as the visitors scrum imploded but some fine defence kept them pointless. How costly that might have been was apparent when Combe seized on a dropped ball, wing Kieran Thompson hacked upfield and only a brave effort from Will Waddington prevented a score. But the scrum five metres out went to Combe and Number Eight Nick Cook found a blind side gap to put his team two points in front again. However, Canterbury soon reapplied the pressure and a yellow card for former city player Kyan Braithwaite saw Reynolds’ penalty win back the narrowest of leads and that rampant pack then produced an impressive and important score. A huge driving maul which motored 2O metres ended with prop Cameron Macmillan making the touchdown. A relieved Head Coach, Matt Corker, praised his team for the way they kept coming from behind. “It was a tough win but that is what derby games and league rugby are all about” he said.

Canterbury; W.Waddington, G.Jones, F.Morgan (repl A.Orris), T.Best, A.Moss, F.,Reynolds, T. Williams, (rep B.Cooper), B.Young (repl C.Macmillan), N.Morris (repl E.O’Donoghue( D.Herriott, D.Irvine (repl S.Rogers), S.Kerry, J.Stephens, C.Murray, T.Oliver.

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Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

Barnes 39 Canterbury 22

by Andy Rogers

With four enforced changes in the back division from last week’s narrow defeat against league leaders Dorking this was always going to be a difficult encounter against a confident second placed Barnes. However it wasn’t cohesion that was lacking in a disappointing first half display as Canterbury failed to exert sufficient pressure from their large and experienced pack, not helped by early injuries to second row Shay Kerry and hooker Nathan Morris, both having to leave the field within the first 20 minutes. Instead Barnes stole the early initiative and Canterbury had no answers to their offloading master class. Three tries in the first 20 minutes, including a brace from elusive winger Paul Webb, had Canterbury on the ropes and with Kerry and Morris now off the pitch Barnes secured their bonus point score before half time. It came via a 20 metre driving maul before dancing fullback Cameron Roberts was released to squeeze over in the corner. Trailing by 24 to nil at half time a response was required and to a point Canterbury delivered. Frank Reynolds kicked a simple penalty early on before Barnes stretched their lead with a catch and drive try from flanker Ethan Harbinson. With the game seemingly beyond them Canterbury were now taking the initiative and two tries followed. First a fine finish from winger Jack Weaver; then centre Lewis Hollidge rounded off perhaps Canterbury’s best attacking move after a lovely line break from Eoin O’Donoghue. Barnes kicked another penalty but Canterbury were at last building some pressure and with the hosts repeatedly infringing it cost them three yellow cards. Centre Frank Morgan capitalised from a subsequent penalty with a try from a line out catch and drive, converted by Reynolds, and with 15 minutes still to go Canterbury could suddenly sniff a losing bonus point. Barnes were to score again to take the score to 39 to 22 but with the clock ticking down the city side were on the front foot again but missed their chance of a fourth try. It went wrong as they opted for a quickly taken tap penalty when a kick to the corner and an attacking lineout might have been more productive, so they left with nothing
Canterbury: T.Best, T.Halliday, F.Morgan, L.Hollidge, J.Weaver, F.Reynolds, B.Cooper, B.Young, N.Morris, D.Herriott, S.Kerry, D.Irvine, S.Rogers, C.Murray, J.Stephens. Replacements: E.O’Donoghue, C.Macmillan, T.Williams, J.Dengate, P.Farrance

CANTERBURY 31 DORKING 36

by David Haigh

Canterbury’s habit of playing second half catch-up gave National 2 East league leaders Dorking plenty to think about but it was the visitors defensive strengths that eventually saw them maintain their unbeaten record and take home a bonus point win. Two tries in the first ten minutes after the break gave the visitors a 22 point lead and the game seemed to be in their pocket. But the city side, as they had the previous week, found a second wind and four minutes from the end Shay Kerry’s converted try had closed the gap to eight points. It was tantalisingly close but not quite enough although continuing pressure won a penalty and Canterbury took the pragmatic decision to kick it and claim a second bonus point. Dorking, with the confidence of five wins under their belt, took an early lead through a Henry Anscombe penalty goal and Fraser Mosely’s converted try before Canterbury got their act together. Two sniping tries by scrum half Ben Cooper, the first from a maul, the second after a strong carry from prop Billy Young, newly returned from the collapsed Jersey club, kept them in the hunt but Dorking were still good value for a 24-14 half way lead. Their scores were made by former Canterbury forward Will Scholes and wing Will Sanders with Anscombe topping up both tries. They built impressively on that advantage early in the second half with a catch and drive try by hooker Jonny Ellis and a seering long range run from wing Toby McCrae who outpaced every one on his way to the line. Canterbury were left with that old cliche ringing in their ears ‘a mountain to climb’ but after McCrae’s brilliant effort they quickly began the ascent. Within two minutes Aiden Moss collected a clearance kick, speared though and Alfie Orris finished off after good link work with Jamie Stephens. Reynolds converted and Canterbury kept on coming, It was now that Dorking’s defenders dug in and under intense pressure repelled all attacks. When Canterbury exhausted the unproductive catch and drive route they finally made the breach as Kerry muscled his way over the line from a tap penalty, too late however to influence the result.

Canterbury: A.Davies (repl F.Morgan), A.Moss, G.Jones, L.Hollidge (repl T.Best), A.Orris, F.Reynolds, B.Cooper, P.Holland (repl B.Young), N.Morris (repl E.O’Donoghue), D.Herriott, S.Kerry, J.De Vries, J Stephens, S.Rogers, T.Oliver (repl H.Furneaux)

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Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton