Category: 2nd XV

DARTFORDIANS 36 CANTERBURY PILGRIMS 51

by John Mitchell

This was a severe test against a Dartfordians side who were unbeaten at home this season and still in the hunt for a promotion place. Thanks to late tries and the immaculate goal kicking of Will Hilton, which accounted for 21 of Pilgrims points with all six conversions and three penalties, they were able to hold off the hosts powerful challenge. The home side took an early lead with a pushover try, duly converted, but Pilgrims fought straight back. A trade mark snipe from Presley Farrance created pressure before Freddie Holland-Oliver scored. From the restart, poor reception and an awkward bounce saw the home recapture the lead through a good unconverted try, the conversion hitting the upright. With fourteen minutes gone Hilton slotted his first penalty and soon added a second to push his side one point ahead. Stan Bull made a welcome return after injury and came on for Dan Gill. A home player received a yellow card for not rolling away and from this one man advantage, Pilgrims started to take control. Only good defending by the home side kept them at bay but from a well won lineout they got a second try. Farrance, Tom Halliday and Max Campbell combined to send Jack Weaver over. Wingman Hector Valldares then made 70 metres with a superb run, off loaded to Sonny Trew-Neville who did the rest but for the second time the home side scored from the kick off. No one dealt with the high ball, another bad bounce and the home side went through to score an unconverted try. Next came an impressive Pilgrims score for Max Campbell wide on the right and despite Holland-Oliver’s yellow card for a scrum offence they were 34-17 ahead at the break. Although that looked comfortable it soon changed as Dartfordians took control of the scrums anf got on top. Two quick tries narrowed the gap to three points and the tension showed as tempers frayed. Hilton’s third penalty goal and Dan Gill’s return to bolster the pack steadied the Canterbury ship. Max Campbell wriggled free for his second touchdown and when a red card reduced Dartfordians to fourteen players they were made to pay. From a lineout Brandon Dunkerley fed Weaver who put in a great solo effort to claim Pilgrims sixth try. In a scrappy end to the game Harvey Furneaux was handed a yellow card, Dartfordians scored an unconverted try but Pilgrims had done enough to extend their winning run to seventeen.

Pilgrims: J.Weaver, M.Campbell, S.Trew-Neville, T.Halliday, H.Valldares, W.Hilton, P.Farrance, F.Holland-Oliver, B.Dunkerley, D.Gill, J.Grewar, L.Webber, A.Geddes, H.Furneaux, W.Hunt. Replacements: S.Bull, H.Fermor, J.Constant

DOVER 31 CANTERBURY PILGRIMS 43

by John Mitchell

Another great local derby, perhaps the best game of the season so far and a win that was not assured until the last few minutes after the lead had changed hands five times. Pilgrims started well, with a try from Tom Halliday after only two minutes, but for the rest of the first half it was a huge battle. Dover, with former Canterbury first team captain Martyn Beaumont master minding their response, hit back with two converted tries as Pilgrims gave up possession too easily. Back came Pilgrims and Jack Weaver went close but from a lineout five metres out it was flanker Adrian Geddes who drove through a huge hole for an unconverted try. Pilgrims regained a narrow lead when a great move found prop Adam Malik dodging tackles and delaying his pass until Halliday latched on to it for his second try. Tom Mackenzie then got a yellow card for a high tackle, Dover exerted more pressure and were back in front by four points at half time with an unconverted touchdown. They extended that lead with their fourth try early in the second half and at this point one could see the Pilgrims about to lose their 100% record. They faced, by far, the toughest challenge of the whole season. However, they began to exert pressure on the Dover defence, the penalty count racked up against the home side and Cameron Murray crashed through to earn the bonus point fourth try. Will Hilton found his scoring touch at last, to convert. Could this be the start of a comeback against a Dover side who were playing with great passion and commitment? A yellow card for the hosts gave Canterbury a one man advantage and Presley Farrance, player of the match, with a good run and a lovely disguised pass made a try for Max Campbell, converted by Hilton. The Pilgrims were once more back in the lead. It was Farrance again who set up the next score for Sonny Trew-Neville, converted by Hilton, to put his side in a winning position. But it wasn’t over. With Weaver and Will McColl both in the sin bin Dover struck with a great 70 yard converted try to close the gap to five points. It was down to the wire as Pilgrims ignored an easy penalty shot and three points but in the closing minutes Farrance combined with Campbell before Weaver powered through and Josh Richardson added the goal points to round off a magnificent match and double over Dover this season.

CANTERBURY PILGRIMS 38 DEAL & BETTESHANGER LIONS 17

By John Mitchell

A great game of rugby with local rivals Deal and Betteshanger giving unbeaten Pilgrims a real run for their money on Friday. evening It was not until late in the second half that the match was decided when fitness proved the difference. Despite an early injury to hooker Brandon Dunkerley, Pilgrims built a nineteen point lead before the Lions roared back. Within minutes Tom Halliday pounced on a loose ball and won the kick and chase to the line for an unconverted try. Next, a move was started and finished by Presley Farrance, with important assists from Adrian Geddes and Luke Webber, and Josh Richardson converted the try. The pressure didn’t let up and from a line-out quick handling by the backs saw Sonny Trew-Neville cross and it was duly converted by Richardson. From those reverses the visitors began a strong fight back. They had always looked dangerous and broke through twice before half time. Poor defending by the home side also played a part as the visitors scored converted tries, the second a pushover, which brought them to 19-14 at the break. Within minutes of the restart the impressive Will Hunt went over to earn Pilgrims their four try bonus point and Richardson duly converted. But they were then forced into defending for long periods and only a brilliant try saving tackle by Tom Mackenzie, after he had chased back 70 metres, kept the home line intact. Deal had to settle for a penalty goal when Max Campbell received a Yellow card at the subsequent ruck. It was now 26-17 but while the Lions were playing excellent open rugby they could not crack Pilgrims again. In the last quarter fitness would start to tell. It was leading try scorer Farrance who did the damage and as the pressure on Lions built he added two more to his season’s list which now stands at fifteen. Those touchdowns and a Will Hilton conversion sealed a great game with the scoreline flattering Pilgrims.

With the first team without a game next Saturday why not make the short trip to Dover where Pilgrims have another tasty league encounter. Kick-off is 2pm

CANTERBURY PILGRIMS 45 HEATHFIELD & WALDRON 22

by John MItchell

The last time these two sides met, back in October, it was a closely fought affair and although Pilgrims pulled away in the very late stages it was no different this time. On a sticky pitch the visitors sent out an early warning as they got a maul moving and scored a pushover try, which was converted. Canterbury soon got back in the game with some excellent passing and a slick move put Brad Law away for a try. It was quickly followed by a wonderful line break as Presley Farrance carved a huge hole in the Heathfield defence and Gus Lister came on to the ball at speed. Farrance converted the try and a second from Law soon followed. Another driving maul score saw the visitors eat into the Pilgrims lead and they came even closer with a successful penalty goal. That stirred the home side into action again and by half time they had established what seemed to be a comfortable position. A wonderful team effort put Adrian Geddes, who was having a stormer at flanker, away to score and a fifth came from a typical Farrance effort. Lister converted both tries to make it 31-15 at the break. Within 30 seconds of the restart the visitors charged down a poor clearance kick from Farrance to close the gap with a converted try and it stayed like that until the closing minutes. The game became scrappy and ill disciplined with poor ball handling and brilliant defensive work by Heathfield. Canterbury were close to what would have been the try of the season, but the ball was judged to have been held up over the line but in the final three minutes they scored twice. Farrance got both tries and Will Hilton converted them to ensure that Pilgrims stay top of Counties One Kent having now played 14 won 14. This week they travel to Dartfordians who are second in the league.

CRANBROOK 19 CANTERBURY PILGRIMS 43

by John Mitchell

This was never going to be an easy game for a much changed Pilgrims The first team had taken the captain and a number of other players, so it was all hands on deck and it was not until the second half that they took charge,
Things did not start well for the league leaders. Within four minutes Cranbrook took advantage of errors and missed tackles and powered through for a converted try. However, Pilgrims struck back quickly as good work by fly half by Presley Farrance saw him dive over for the first of his four tries.
Then came the penalties – six in ten minutes at one stage – and Pilgrims paid for their indiscipline. Cranbrook kicked three of them to go 16-5 in front and with Canterbury still making errors after half an hour things were not looking good.
Then it all changed as Pilgrims put together their best move of the day and Gus Lister sprinted through and converted his own his try. There could have been more as Pilgrims continued to press but they reached half time still four points in arrears. After the break the penalty count haunted Pilgrims again but luckily did not cost more points. However there was more trouble when, in quick succession, there were yellow cards for Korben Grant and Hector Valldares
and they were down to thirteen players.
Those set backs spurred the side to life and great pressure ended with Farrance scoring his second, converted by Will Hilton, to put the visitors ahead for the first time. Cranbrook levelled matters with a penalty goal but from that point Pilgrims took a firm grip on the game.
Man of the match Farrance went over for two more tries before the best team move of the day saw Josh Richardson cross. Sonny Trew-Neville was denied a score by an unsighted referee but he did not have to wait long. The outstanding Jordan Constant slipped the ball to him for the seventh and final touchdown and a couple more Hilton conversions helped the score past the 40 mark. The win kept the Pilgrims firmly at the top of the Counties 1 Kent table with a played 13, won 13 record. This coming weekend they meet Heathfield and Waldron at the Marine Travel Ground at 2pm.

Canterbury Pilgrims 60 Thanet Wanderers 24

by John Mitchell

A large crowd at this Friday night game, played in excellent conditions, were treated to a fast, open contest which yielded fourteen tries. Ten of them were scored by the unbeaten Pilgrims as they extended their winning run in Counties 1 Kent to twelve games with wing Adrian Geddes claiming a hat trick. It all started when Sonny Trew-Neville went on a 60 yards run and some swift recycling saw Dan Huntley cross for his first try for his new club. Pilgrims were up, running and off loading to great effect and by the half hour mark were 22 points in front. There was a lovey solo try from scum half Presley Farrance and Geddes had been sent across the line twice. Bottom of the table Thanet, relying mostly on forward power, fought back with an unconverted try after Roland Odunwu was sin binned and although Sonny Trew-Neville split the visitors defence again to register a bonus point fourth touch down the visitors produced their own brilliant solo moment to reach the break only seventeen points in arrears. Pilgrims started the second half on the front foot and tries from Luke Webber and Max Halliday took the game away from Thanet. They did suggest a brief come back with a converted try but when a great combined move gave Geddes his hat trick it removed any lingering doubts. Canterbury’s biggest concern was a serious injury to fly half Tom McMann who slotted four conversions and set up skipper Alex Evans for the ninth try with a grubber kick and a kind bounce before he was forced off. A yellow card for Geddes and a penalty try gave Thanet a deserved bonus point before Halliday rounded off the evening with a try converted by Gus Lister. Pilgrims next game is a visit to Cranbrook on January 6th.

Pilgrims: G .Lister, H.Valldares, S.Trew-Neville, J.Richardson, A.Geddes, T.McMann, P.Farrance, A.Malik, B.Dunkerley, D.Huntley, W.Hunt, L.Webber, R.Odunwu, T.Mackenzie A.Evans. Replacements: J.Everatt, D.Gill, M.Halliday.