Category: Match Preview

What a difference a week makes. I was so pleased for the players that within a week they turned the disappointment of Sevenoaks into such a strong performance on Saturday. I obviously love a good lineout maul, and to see it produce five tries and really apply pressure on Tonbridge, was something I really enjoyed. I don’t think Nathan Morris minded getting on the score sheet four times either! There are still a few things for us to tighten up on, but we spoke in the week about getting the job done and the players did that without question.
Looking forward to the weekend, Esher will provide another strong test. Following their season in National 1, they will be keen to return at the first time of asking and have a squad to do so. We are stronger than the last time we played in Esher, and I can’t wait to see the players show what they are capable of. For supporters traveling to Esher please note that the entrance fee is £15

Matt Corker, Head Coach

Canterbury v Tonbridge Juddians

Last week was not the start we were looking for. Two defensive errors cost us 14 points, added to a handful of converted penalties and we ended one point behind. Alfie Orris’s fantastic solo effort at the death nearly snatched it for us but when reviewing the vast quantity of possession we had in the attacking 22, we were nowhere near clinical enough. We created some great line breaks and built pressure but came up with errors at crucial times. We had some very honest words in the post match huddle and changes have been made for this weekend to give other members of the squad a chance to show what they can bring.

Any fixture against Tonbridge always has an extra degree of excitement due to the local rivalry. We will be looking to fix the wrongs of last week and get our season started this Saturday.

CANTERBURY V GUERBNSEY

An enforced reshuffle in the back division this week. Fly half Frank Reynolds is recovering from illness but joins the bench replacements. Lewis Hollidge starts at Number10 and Tom Best returns at inside centre. Scrum half Tom Williams is another making a return after a successful trial for the the England Universities Sevens squad but flanker Sam Rogers misses out because of a ham string strain
Head Coach Matt Corker says: ”Leaving Old Albanians last week empty handed was very disappointing. We started the way we planned, dominating territory and playing at speed. However, we squandered too many opportunities on the OA’s five metre line and in the final ten minutes of the first half we stopped talking to each other and conceded three quick tries.
“The next 39 minutes of the second half was filled with composed attack and we pulled ourselves back to a score behind, before a moment of madness led to us conceding in the last play of the game. Our discipline did prevent us taking full control and some errors at the lineout also made it difficult to punish OA’s when they got on the wrong side of the referee.
“On reflection we did take a big step forward from Bury and the intent in training this week has been exactly what we need.
“Guernsey travel to Canterbury this weekend after a big victory last Saturday against Rochford and a good win against Dorking in recent weeks. This is an important game for us in terms of the league table and I am anticipating another great weekend of National 2 rugby. “

This week really feels like we are on the final approach of the season and we have some important fixtures on the horizon. For us to get the points we want at Old Albanians this weekend, we know we will have to put in a performance. Our focus over the last fortnight has been to reignite our strengths and getting back to the standards that we set in the games against Worthing and Tonbridge.

In our last game against Bury, territorially, we had the start that we had planned for with the first quarter of the game being played in Bury’s 22. We had a very honest review which was led by the players and it was painful to see how many chances we had squandered. We know if our accuracy and ability to execute our plan had been better we would have gone in at halftime with a very different score line. We know what we need to do, Saturday is about doing it.

We also had some news to celebrate this week, thanks to Chris Fullbrook’s knowledge of the league regulations the Pilgrims league table was adjusted and the Pilgrims have been crowned champions. The coaches and players have had a fantastic season and this has been the cherry on the top.

Matt Corker, Head Coach

Will Waddington returns to the squad after injury and replaces Sam Sterling who has been given a three match ban after his red card in the Barnes game.
Last week Barnes showed why they are third in the league. Another slow start and we were four tries down at half time. We can not give good teams a lead of this size and after two good scores early in the second half we showed that we were able to fight our way back. This was stopped in its tracks by errors in possession and ill discipline and the final scoreline left us feeling that we hadn’t given a good account of ourselves.
With five games to go we have talked about how we want to feel at the end of the season and the players are united in wanting to be proud of their performances and finishing the season on a high.
Saturday brings a milestone for one of our players and it will be great to see our captain, Jamie Stephens, run out for his 100th performance. I first met Jamie when I arrived in Canterbury and was coaching at the Langton. To see him progress from school rugby, to breaking into the first team and then to become the youngest first team captain has been a pleasure to be a part of. His achievements, in such a short time, are testament to his hard work and strong character. We are very lucky to have him as a key part of our club and whatever he decides to go on to achieve I know he will attack it in the same manner. It’s also a good excuse for us to all buy him a beer as well!.

Mett Corker, Head Coach

One of the league’s in-form sides come to the Marine Travel Ground and Barnes will provide a test of our resilience. A calf injury rules out Will Waddington so Charlie Kingsman takes the full back slot. Sam Rogers makes a welcome return to the squad after a long battle to regain fitness and is named among the replacements together with Tom Halliday. Head Coach Matt Corker writes: “We’ve had some tough Saturdays this season, where the score lines were not what we wanted but the Saturday result, regardless of the close margin was enormously disappointing. When I have reviewed the wins against Tonbridge, Worthing and Sevenoaks we look like a very different team when compared to the one who played Rochford, even though personnel are almost identical. Currently we thrive on the test that the teams above offer but we know that successful league campaigns are also about being able to win games that earn less attention. Credit must go to Rochford who won the physical battle. I will not share our missed tackle number as it is something we are all embarrassed by but it has given us a very simple focus for Barnes this weekend. Barnes have some powerful runners and play to those strengths, and we are very aware that this is something that we need to deal with. I have no doubt that all players that represent Canterbury are proud to wear the shirt, we as a group didn’t do it justice last week and Saturday is an opportunity for us to rectify that.”

A ham string strain rules out Tristan King from Saturday’s contest.   Harvey Furbneaux takes the vacant place in the back row where Tyler Oliver returns from injury in the Number Eight shirt.  Skipper Jamie Stephens moves to the second row as Jessie De Vries is unfit.  Tom Best,  who missed the victory at Tonbridge Juddians, is named among the replacements together with Alex Evans.  Head Coach Matt Corker writes: “If I zoom out to look at the last block of three games, there have been two great performances and one which is an important lesson for us. I believe that the games against Worthing and Tonbridge have shown what this team is capable of when we are at our best. The intensity that we showed, and the level of work that we were prepared to go through for each other defined the performances, as well as being what underpinned our success. The thorn on the rose was the Saturday we spent away at Dorking, which is the lesson that we can not afford to forget. We are privileged to play in a very competitive league and we have learnt what happens when we are not at our best. Sevenoaks were worthy winners when we visited them earlier in the season, and I have no doubt that this weekend’s fixture will be another strongly contested affair.”

Having taken over as leaders of Counties Kent 2 the Pilgrims travel to Westcombe Park seeking to keep their title push on track.  They face a pivotal game next Friday evening at The Marine Travel Ground when they meet third placed Dover in a re-arranged fixture which was postponed during December’s cold weather snap.

Tonbridge Juddians v Canterbury

This was the game that should have been the pre-Christmas ‘derby’ but the weather intervened. After last week’s low key performance, there are changes to the squad. Injury and work commitments rule out Tyler Oliver and Tom Best but there is a return for centre Sam Sterling who has recovered from the bug that has affected a number of the senior squad.    Long term injury absentee Charlie Kingsman makes the replacements bench, ironically against the same opposition when he sustained serious thumb damage.

Head Coach Matt Corker writes: “One of the reasons I love rugby is because regardless of how complicated we make it, in essence, it is a simple game. Last week we did not match Dorking physically so we conceded 50 points. The game is great at giving you simple feedback. We are a proud team, representing a proud club and we know we have a responsibility to do the shirt justice every time we have the privilege of putting it on. During the Covid season, we produced a statement of why we play at Canterbury RFC, and the reason that we all collectively come to Canterbury is because we are “Creating an Environment to be proud of”. I believe this to be true and if we want to be an environment to be proud of we need to show how much it means to us to be a part of that.

“The shining light from the weekend was the Pilgrims win against Sevenoaks. A great performance in an entertaining game takes them to the top of the league for the first time this season. They have a good run of games ahead with some big clashes on the horizon as we enter the business end of the season.”

Dorking v Canterbury

Leading into the game last weekend we talked about creating rugby memories, and the best ones being when you win. I think the players put in a performance to be proud of and did just that. Across the team we raised the bar and the belief the lads showed to fight back from a considerable deficit is a marker of a strong team. It was also a herculean effort off the field by so many people to ensure the game was played and relocate everything necessary to the Langton 4G. Its only through the hedge but that doesn’t make it any easier!

Our challenge this week is to back up last week’s performance with an even better one against Dorking. Our focus is to keep building on our strengths and I have challenged the players to bring their own energy and focus. Dorking are also at the top end of the league, and after winning by a score in the final play of the game at Merton Lane I am looking forward to another close contest.

The Pilgrims are having a great season in their first year in Counties 2 Kent. They sit second in the league and have a top of the table clash with Sevenoaks 2’s and the Marine Travel ground this weekend. Kick off is at 3pm and if you want to see a great game of rugby, I can guarantee it will be worth a watch as two teams fight it out to be top of the pile

Matt Corker, Head Coach