Category: Match Preview

SATURDAY PREVIEW

Last Saturday was tough one to take and one of my most disappointing in rugby. Six points across the two games was all that separated us from very different emotions. When I look in the mirror, I know we came up short and that has made processing our weekend so important. I can’t question the pride that every player had in wearing the Canterbury shirt, it was clear for all to see, but our execution at key moments sealed out fate. In big games small margins become deciding factors.

I said last week that this was the end of the season where destinies are decided and seeing the Pilgrims relegated by such a small margin, after a long campaign where we finished outside the relegation places, was another reminder of how unforgiving sport can be. I shared a quote on Tuesday from my new favourite Chinese philosopher. Confucius is credited with saying “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising ever time we fall”. It has been a long journey to get our Pilgrims playing at level 6 and this knock back won’t deter us from preparing the squad to return next season.

One of the most rewarding parts of this year has been watching our young players grow and develop. Seeing them progress, gain confidence and push toward national league level and beyond is exactly what we want this club to stand for. Creating an environment where players can arrive, improve, and realise their potential will always be at the heart of what we do.
My thanks must go to Mal Graves and Will Hilton who have worked hard with the team and Saturday’s result does not take away from their efforts all season. Dan Gill has also helped the Pilgrims wheels continue to turn as the Pilgrims team manager as well and notching up another handful of performances.

A big thank you as well to Tom Short, who has led the Cannons through another strong season, keeping them in Counties 3 Kent after last year’s promotion. Thanks to his work, there continues to be a clear and effective pathway between the Pilgrims and Cannons, which is incredibly valuable and not easy to maintain.

Against Barnes, the 1st XV made exactly the start we had prepared for and went into half-time in control, with Aiden Moss crossing for two tries on his final appearance for the club.
In the second half, however, a series of handling errors at crucial moments limited our ability to build on that lead. Combined with coming off second best in the set-piece, it shifted momentum and placed us under increasing pressure. Too often, that pressure was self-inflicte and the penalties we conceded gave Barnes the opportunities they needed to stay in the game. We held the lead until the very last play, which makes the outcome an especially bitter pill to swallow.

As a group we feel fortunate to have the opportunity this weekend to finish the season on a different note and put in a complete performance against Oxford Harlequins who visit the Marine Travel ground tomorrow.

I write this column every week, but as the season comes to a close its essential for me to recognise the people that the team could not function without.
Alex Veale has put up with me for another year and has developed new and inventive ways to captivate the players imaginations and focus on our attack. Even Clive has been involved in some of the demo’s!

Nathan Morris was coaching on the pitch until Christmas and since has been supporting our scrum virtually, maximising the use of technology at our disposal. Thanks to him, our young front row have continued to develop and he is constantly fielding questions for myself.
I must also thank our Director of Rugby, Taff Gwilliam, for all his hard work and support throughout the season. There is a great deal of work that goes into enabling the club to thrive and operate cohesively and Taff is at the heart of that.

Chris Fullbrook aka Vinnie, has continued to be in charge of many different roles including 1st XV team manager, fourth official, registration secretary, head of discipline as well many things in between. I am continually grateful for his knowledge and the amount of time his gives to the team, without it we wouldn’t be able to function.Thanks to Ernie and Darren for taking their annual cruise to Guernsey with a car full of kit! This makes all the difference and greatly simplifies our travel as a team on the day.

Charline Bannigan has been working his magic in the treatment room, supported brilliantly by Ben Cassidy, Leon Benning and Malek, our fantastic student from the University of Kent.

Thanks also to David Haigh, our ever-reliable press officer and matchday announcer, and to Rebecca Williams for leading our communications so effectively.
As a squad we will complete our annual review next week and as a 1st XV and Pilgrims this is the first time in recent seasons that we haven’t made obvious progress from a league table perspective. Irrespective of this, I have still seen a great deal of growth in the group and across the board we are doing things to a higher standard and in greater detail compared to this time last year. My immediate reflection is that this shows how keeping pace in the competitive landscape that we battle in each season is essential. For us to take the next step forward more is needed from every area and we will use pre-season to make sure we leave no stone unturned. That isn’t for now though.

For now, I have three final thank yous. Firstly, to everyone who has supported us throughout the season. We’ve shared some special moments at home — Oundle and Dorking stand out in particular — and those occasions are made even more memorable by the energy and passion from those on the sidelines.
We know that anyone who pulls on a Canterbury shirt is representing more than just themselves — they’re representing a community — and that’s something the players feel every time they step onto the field.

Secondly I would like to thank the committee for allowing me to lead the team for another season. Our Club continues to grow against the external prevailing winds and I am so proud to be able to contribute my own part to such a special community. I am fortunate to see how hard our committee works to make this all possible.

My final thank you goes to the players. Watching this group of young men develop, not just as players but as people, is something I never take for granted. Seeing the friendships they build and how they balance life with rugby at the centre of it all is a big part of what makes this team special and it’s clear to see the impact it has week in, week out. I’m incredibly grateful for the time, effort, and energy they invest into the team. It’s that commitment that makes this group what it is — a side that’s stronger together and far greater than the sum of its parts.

I hope you all have a great summer and I look forward to seeing you at the start of another exciting season in September.

MATT CORKER, HEAD COACH

MATCH PREVIEW

I call this the business end of the season and as this is when destiny’s are decided. I have been fortunate to be part of some big Saturdays in my time with the club but they don’t come much bigger than this one, with two massive fixtures back to back on the main pitch.
First up, the Pilgrims have their biggest game of the season, facing Dartfordians in a relegation playoff match that will decided which league we play in next season. Its 10th vs 11th at the Marine travel ground kicking off at 12 Noon and this is the type of fixture we have been preparing for. The journey the players have been on this season has propelled this group forward and that is why playing in Regional 2 next season is so valuable for us. Just because the stakes are higher than usual the road to success is always through a focusing on our own performance. The players know what they need to do and have prepared well this week.
The 1st XV will then follow with their own season defining fixture. A win against Barnes will put us in pole position to finish 4th with our game in hand to follow next week also at home against Oxford Harlequins. Barnes have beaten us in everyone of the previous seven games. This season We have overturned several records similar to this and having the opportunity to meet this last outstanding challenge is something myself and the squad are focused on.
The sun is going to be out, as it always is on sponsors day, and the stakes are high in both games, I wouldn’t miss this one if I were you.

MATT CORKER, HEAD COACH

MATCH PREVIEW

The stats tell a good part of the story from last Saturday. We had five entries into the Guernsey 22 area and scored five tries; ten of the starting 15 had double-digit tackle counts and Guernsey only won 50% of their lineout compared to our 85% in windy conditions.
This translates to us being ruthless in every attacking opportunity, we worked like dogs in defence and we shut down their lineout, taking away a big part of their attacking platform. All this after planes, one lad on a train and automobiles in the morning. There will always be things for us to work on and gifting Guernsey two intercept tries kept the scores close throughout. That said, it takes a big effort to go there and win and the players flipped our recent away form to give us and the many people who travelled to support the team a great memory.
The back-to-back home games waiting for us at the end of the season are something I have been looking forward to since pre-season; now that it’s become a three-game run it’s set to be a memorable few weeks. Esher arrive at the Marine Travel Ground needing points from their final two games to avoid the relegation play-off. We delivered one of our best performances of the season away at their place, but we know it will take more of the same on Saturday against a motivated side.

The Pilgrims were unfortunate not to come away with a win at Battersea, narrowly losing 12–7. They created plenty of opportunities through some excellent attacking play, but ultimately couldn’t convert enough of those chances into points.
There is still one final opportunity to avoid the relegation play-off. They travel to Sutton & Epsom needing a five-point win, while preventing the home side from picking up any bonus points. It’s a tough challenge but also a great opportunity to secure our place in Regional 2 for next season.

MATT CORKER, HEAD COACH

MATCH PREVIEW

It’s hard to remember a time when we have had three weeks in-season without a game. It’s felt unusual, but ultimately it has been a gift. At this stage of the year, bodies and minds are often weary after a long campaign and the final, most important, games can become a true test of resilience. To head into our final block fresh and recharged removes any excuses. Our focus is firmly on playing our best rugby of the season over the next four games.
When we review our season, our away form since Christmas will come under the microscope and digging into our last three away performances will be important. This weekend we travel to Guernsey for our final away fixture with a clear aim: to replicate the level of performance we have consistently shown at the Marine Travel Ground. On the road, Guernsey is a challenging place and only our best will be enough.
The Pilgrims face a huge fixture, away at Battersea. It would have been their final game of the regular season had the Sutton and Epsom fixture not been postponed until next week. Every point matters, with a 9th-place finish—and avoiding the relegation playoff—still within reach. Current ninth-placed Bromley take on Sutton and Epsom, who sit in eighth. The outcomes of both matches will play a significant role in shaping the final standings. After a week off and a strong week of training, the Pilgrims are ready to show they belong in Regional 2 next season.

MATT CORKER, HEAD COACH

MATCH PREVIEW – LONDON WESH

Our half-time team talk against Oundle was simple: we felt we were playing within ourselves and were not winning collisions, especially in defence. This meant we were playing the game Oundle wanted to play and the score reflected that.

The result speaks for itself, but the way the players changed the course of the match-by dominating collisions and imposing our game plan—was really impressive. It must be one of the best forty-minute performances I have seen from a Canterbury side. Scoring forty-four points in one half against the team sitting second in the league is a real achievement and shows just how dangerous we can be with the ball.

The challenge now is to take that performance on the road to London Welsh this weekend. London Welsh have had a challenging couple of weeks but still boast a 60% home win record. In our first meeting they finished strongly and ended the game within a score, even though we led 31–5 with just over fifty minutes played. Our home performances in the last five games are ones we are proud of, but our away form has not been equivalent. Tomorrow is a big test for the squad to prove we can play our game on any pitch.

The Pilgrims’ loss last Saturday to league leaders Sidcup was as close as the score line suggests, finishing 12–19. A great solo effort from Owain Collins gave the Pilgrims their second try, and a valuable bonus point, with the final play of the game. However, much of the second half was played in and around the Sidcup twenty-two. Sidcup’s defence was resilient and we failed to capitalise on the opportunities we created, which ultimately proved to be the difference between the two sides.

The Pilgrims have a rest this weekend and, with three games to go and only four points separating them from the safety of ninth place, every result will count when they return to action.

MATT CORKER, HEAD COACH

MATCH PREVIEW

I was really proud of the way the players wrestled back the lead against the best team in the league, but we are all gutted that we didn’t do what was needed to take the win. At the final whistle only one penalty separated the two teams. That is an achievement against a side which has only lost three times this season. There is merit in that but none of us signed up to be plucky losers.
The disappointment comes from the chances we didn’t take and two of Old Albanians’ three tries which, on review, we feel could have been avoided. I’m not overlooking some of the strong individual performances and I obviously loved the role our lineout played in the team’s resurgence. However, if we are going to break into the top three we have to beat the teams above us — especially at home where we have been strong for most of the season.
The only other home loss we have suffered this season came against this weekend’s opposition Bury St Edmunds. We left that fixture with very similar feelings to those we had last Saturday, losing by three points and conceding tries where we were the architects of our own downfall.
We travel to Bury this weekend fully aware of what we need to do to change our results against the league’s top sides. We know we are capable of it and this weekend we have the opportunity to prove it.
The Pilgrims recorded a much-needed win against a motivated Old Reigatians side. We didn’t have everything our own way but finished 19–14 winners. The result lifts the Pilgrims into ninth place and clear of the relegation play-off position. With five games remaining, it is all hands to the pump to ensure we finish the season there in April.

MATT CORKER, HEAD COACH