Composure Wins The Day

GUERNSEY 29 CANTERBURY 33

by Chris Fullbrook

Canterbury produced a determined and resilient performance to overcome a physical Guernsey side in an entertaining and hard‑fought encounter, showing composure at key moments to claim a bonus point victory. The match began with an early setback for the city side when Guernsey crossed for a converted try after sustained pressure. A loose Canterbury pass was intercepted and, although Max Campbell won the subsequent foot race, he was tackled in goal. Guernsey opted repeatedly to scrummage from penalties close to the line and Matt Creber eventually powered over and full back Tom Teasdale converted. Canterbury responded impressively. Their first try came after a flowing passage of play, sparked by Harry Sloan breaking the line and sending Ryley Thomas through a gap. Quick hands followed as the ball moved via scrum‑half Presley Farrance and Luke Talbot, before Thomas, who had continued to support, finished the move. Frank Reynolds’ conversion brought Canterbury level. Momentum swung further in the visitors favour shortly afterwards. A penalty kicked to the corner and the resulting catch‑and‑drive proved too strong for the Guernsey defence, with Jimmy Walker applying the finishing touch and Reynolds again converting.

The game then tightened, with Canterbury temporarily reduced to 14 men when Thomas was shown a yellow card midway through the first half. Guernsey made that numerical advantage count, capitalising on another loose pass which was intercepted before centre Jon Dawe raced in from 20 metres out. The try went unconverted and Canterbury reached the break leading 14-12 but now with gusting wind at their backs.

They began the second half brightly, a speculative kick from fly‑half Reynolds causing problems for the Guernsey fullback. His fumble allowed Reynolds to regather before feeding captain Jamie Stephens who set Max Campbell free. The wing showed outstanding pace to finish in the corner for the city side’s third try. Minutes later, Guernsey struck back; a midfield penalty was kicked to the corner and, from the ensuing line‑out, replacement hooker Tom Ceillam was at the back of the maul to bring this tight match to 17-19. The islanders continued to press and were awarded a penalty try following a scrum five metres out and Canterbury hooker Eoin O’Donoghue was sin‑binned. Despite being down a man, the side showed real character. to take back the lead. Defending inside their own 22, Guernsey attempted a clearance from the base of a scrum that was charged down by Stephens. He gathered, fed Will Waddington and the centre calmly popped a pass to Walker, who powered over for his second try of the afternoon, converted by Reynolds. Guernsey mounted a final push in the closing quarter and struck again through Dawe, who scored his second after a break from influential fullback Anthony Armstrong. The missed conversion kept the game finely poised at 29-26. With the match in the balance, Canterbury showed maturity in the final minutes and deep inside Guernsey territory, Reynolds kicked a penalty to the corner. The resulting ten‑man driving maul—backs and forwards combined—proved decisive, with O’Donoghue redeeming his earlier sin‑binning by grounding the ball for the fifth and decisive converted try

Canterbury: K.Heatherley, M.Campbell, H.Sloan, W.Waddington, L.Talbot, F.Reynolds, P.Farrance, D.Huntley, E.O’Donoghue, O.Frostick, J.De Vries, J.Stephens, J.Walker, R.Thomas, T.Oliver,. Replacements: J.Dengate, T.Williams, C.Macmillan, C.McGovern, A.English.