Category: Match Reports

CANTERBURY 30pts HINCKLEY 24pts

by David Haigh

A red card for centre Tom Best three minutes into the second half could have dealt a fatal blow to Canterbury’s prospects but they rose to the challenge brilliantly to dig out a bonus point victory. Their fourteen men went on to outscore the first time visitors by two tries to one in that second half and in the process lift themselves above Hinckley in the National 2 South table. Trailing by four at the turnaround the city side found themselves in deeper trouble soon after Best was banished for foul play. Hinckley centre Shane Nixon punished them with his side’s fourth try as his strong, long range run left Cameron Coates an easy conversion and Canterbury, now eleven points adrift, with it all to do. They found a way through a mixture of positive mindset, grit and opportunism and after fighting to retake the lead they took charge of the last quarter. The city men eased their troubles with a catch and drive try from skipper Jamie Stephens and a smash and grab interception by wing Guy Hilton who stole the ball and ran the length of the field when Hinckley were looking highly dangerous. Those tries, both converted by Kyan Braithwaite, came in the space of four minutes and what Canterbury had they successfully decided to hold. Early in the game there was plenty of enterprise if not accuracy as the city men went into the lead with the first of hooker Billy Young’s two tries from driving mauls. Danny Herriot’s yellow card then gave Hinckley an advantage prop Sam Greening exploited to level matters and Aaron Florenstein pushed them ahead with another short range score. Canterbury hit back through a Braithwaite penalty goal and when Young peeled round another surging maul to touch down they were looking at a narrow half time bonus. Hinckley’s lively scrum half Ben Pointon made them think again as he shot through a hole in a lineout in the final minute of the half and Joe Wilson slotted the conversion. Those swings and roundabouts made for exciting stuff but the real drama was still to come. The sending off tested the city side’s resilience and they can be proud of a response which was crowned by Braithwaite’s late penalty goal after their breakdown battlers forced Hinckley to hold on to the ball illegally.

Canterbury: K.Braithwaite, G.Hilton (repl S.Sterling), F.Morgan, T.Best, D.Corcoran, F.Reynolds, D.Heads (repl B.Cooper), A.Cooper (repl J.Otto),D.Herriott (repl E.Lusher), R.Cadman, S.Churchyard, J.Stephens (repl A.Evans), W.Waddington, T.Oliver

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Images may be subject to copyright  – Phillipa Hilton

HENLEY HAWKS 12 CANTERBURY 10

by David Haigh

For much of this game Canterbury were the better side but were left with just two Dwayne Corcoran tries and a losing bonus point. Their failure to turn opportunity into points has become a recurring problem and here it surfaced again. Justice may have been done had they converted a last minute penalty but it proved too difficult. In hindsight, the decision to turn down two earlier and easier shots at goal proved costly in a tight contest that was high in commitment but short on quality.

Canterbury’s hunt for tries rather than points from the boot were misplaced and it was the Hawks, who got both their scores from driving mauls, who were better in that area. However, it was a penalty, the quick tapped variety, that saw the city side into the lead after 14 minutes as it paved the way for Corcoran’s first touchdown. Both sides were plagued by handling errors but it was the Henley forwards who eventually nudged them ahead, Canterbury conceded penalties, Hawks drove hard from the lineout, and lock Ben Harrison claimed the try. Cail Cookland’s conversion from the touchline was good but Canterbury survived further damage after Dave Irvine’ yellow card to end the half two points behind. The second forty minutes was a tale of frustration as Canterbury were in control for long periods but when Hawks did find a foothold they made it count. Another organised driving maul was topped off by hooker Tom Emery’s try but the city side rebuilt and their pressure was at last rewarded through good work by the backs. Kyan Braithwaite made space for Corcoran to dive over by the corner flag which left ten minutes to find a winning score. Canterbury came close, but not close enough.

Canterbury
K.Braithwaite, G.Hilton, F.Morgan (repl S.Sterling), T.Best, D.Corcoran,F.Reynolds, B.Cooper (repl D.Heads), A.Cooper (repl E.Lusher), B.Young (repl J.Otto), D.Herriott, R.Cadman, D.Irvine, J.De Vries (repl J.Stephens), W.Waddington. T.Oliver

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Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

CANTERBURY 21 BARNES 12

By David Haigh

It was the staying power of a Canterbury side, who came alive in the second half, that sealed this hard won victory. Trailing by twelve points at the break after failing to solve the puzzles set by the Barnes defence their determination was rewarded with three tries. They fell behind early on after being pinned on their own line and centre Peter Weightman powered over to leave Rob Kirby a simple conversion. The city side had plenty of territory and opportunity to put that right but lacked the accuracy and patience to turn it into points and a second Barnes score brought more hurt. Despite a fine, try-saving cover tackle by Dwayne Corcoran, the visiting pack completed the job by driving James Bloxham over the line from close range. There was no more damage but it left Canterbury with plenty of attacking problems to solve and twelve minutes into the second half they began to find solutions. A turnover was won, the ball spread wide and wingman Corcoran left the Barnes defence flat-footed as he cut inside to touch down by the posts. Kyan Braithwaite converted but the game was into the last ten minutes before Canterbury nosed in front. The visitors were under increasing pressure and it told when new boy Dave Irvine, making his home debut, charged down scrum half Miles Lloyd’s kick, gathered and scored. Braithwaite nailed the conversion for a vital two points. That looked precarious as Barnes fought back in the closing minutes but a great turnover and raking kick earned Canterbury a five metre scrum. It was a department they dominated throughout the game and this time their powerful eight man drive won a decisive penalty try.

Canterbury: A. Moss M.Halliday (repl F.Morgan), S.Sterling, K.Braithwaite, D. Corcoran, T.Best (repl F.Reynolds), B.Cooper, A.Cooper (repl E.Lusher), B.Young, D.Herriott, R.Cadman, S.Churchyard (repl D. Irvine). J.De Vries, W.Waddington, T.Oliver

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Images may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

LEICESTER LIONS 35 CANTERBURY 0

by David Haigh

This was the third time this season that Canterbury have been whitewashed and it left Head Coach Matt Corker frustrated at his side’s failure to score. After conceding three tries in the first sixteen minutes they mounted enough pressure to put themselves back in the game but could not translate it into badly needed points. In a crucial ten minutes at the end of the first half the inability to pierce a quick and organised Lions defence was pivotal to their chances but they made nothing of it. Canterbury had plenty of lost ground to make up in the Leicester mud as the Lions shot into that early lead. Fly Half Ben Young’s shrewd kicking led to early tries for wing Devon Constant and full back Alex Wilcoxon. Number Eight Ed Sumpter claimed the third from a driving maul, all converted by Young. When the city side got their hands on the ball they were poor at keeping it and the home side thrived. To their credit Canterbury improved as the half wore on but that blank scoreline was to follow them into the last 40 minutes. They had an equal share of territory after the interval and thought a surging maul had earned a try only for it to be ruled in touch. They could make nothing, either, of a flurry of yellow cards for the home side but by that time the ever dangerous Constant had made an interception and sprinted 80 yards for his second try. Canterbury’s troubles were compounded by injuries to Jamie Stephens, Tristan King, and Jessie De Vries and when back rower Simon Johnson grabbed Lions fith try, and Joe Brock added his second conversion, it gave Matt Corker many questions to ask of his squad before next week’s encounter with Barnes..

Canterbury: D. Corcoran, S.Sterling, W.Waddington, K.Braithwaite (repl F.Morgan), M.Halliday, R.Best, B.Cooper, B.Young, T.King (repl A.Coopr), D.Herriott (repl W.McColl), R.Cadman, S. Churchyard (rel D.Irvine), J.De Vries (repl G Hilton), J.Stephens, T.Oliver

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Photos may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton

CANTERBURY 52pts  BARNSTAPLE 22pts

by David Haigh

An eight-try blast from Canterbury put the warmth back into a chilly February day as they cruised to a comfortable victory. After edging into a nine point lead by half time they raised the temperature in the second half to dismantle an injury ravaged Barnstaple side that has struggled to make an impression all season.   The visitors were solid in defence in the early stages but after falling behind to an Aaron Cooper try from a driving maul they briefly took the lead through Jake Murphy’s penalty goal and a smartly worked touch down from Johnny Carter, to which Murphy added the goal points.  Canterbury’s ambition to keep the ball alive was freqently stalled by a lack of control but they were building pressure and on the half hour Danny Herriott sent fellow front-rower Billy Young in under the posts. Kyan Braithwaite landed his second conversion into the wind and late in the half added a try as the city side exploited space on the right.  The breeze may have eased after the break but Canterbury still had it in their sails and two tries in the space of four minutes took them into clear water. Frankie Morgan hit fly half Tom Best’s flat pass at pace to stroll over for the bonus point score before Best produced an individual piece of magic to register his side’s fifth try.  Barnstaple, however, were never short of spirit and when a good spell of pressure earned a yellow card for Aaron Cooper they took advantage with a try for hooker Gav Mitchell, converted by Murphy.   It was the last quarter of the game that fully exposed their frailties as a confident city side hit them with three more tries. Jesse De Vries, his first for the club; Tristan King from quick thinking at the front of a lineout and Will McColl’s bulldozing effort finished them off. Four more Braithwaite conversions took the scoreboard past the fifty mark while Barnstaple were left with only Carter’s last-minute try as consolation.

Canterbury: D.Corcoran, S.Sterling, F.Morgan, K.Braithwaite, M.Halliday (repl G.Hilton), T.Best, T.Williams (repl B.Cooper), A.Cooper  (repl W.McColl), B.Young (repl W.Waddington) D.Herriott, R.Cadman , S.Churchyard (rep J.De Vries), J.Stephens, T.King, T.Oliver

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Photographs may be subject to copyright – Phillipa Hilton