Disappointing First Home Loss

CANTERBURY 40 BURY ST EDMUNDS 43

by David Haigh

A dominant visiting pack, poor discipline and questionable choices all contributed to this narrow Canterbury defeat, their first home loss of the National 2 East season. They made a flying start, with two tries in the first six minutes, reached half time nine points ahead, but were unraveled by two quick Bury tries at the start of the second half. So what went wrong? Three yellow cards, all for technical offences, did them no good – three of Bury’s six tries were scored while players were in the sin bin. Of equal concern will be the team’s performance at the set scrums and in the breakdown areas where they were second best. The quick fire opening brought tries for Harvey Furneaux and Henry Kenny, both converted by Frank Reynolds. A Bury handling error, a kick ahead and a long chase saw Furneaux score. For the second, lovely handling sent Garry Jones clear before his kick was collected by an unchallenged Henry Kenny, but is was Kenny who was first to see yellow. Bury capitalised on the extra man with a catch and drive touchdown from hooker Ollie Walliker and Ben Penfold landed the first of his five conversions. One of too many turnovers lead to wing Andy Denham cutting into the Canterbury lead again with an unconverted try. There was a swift reply, the excellent Jones making the running for Tom Williams’ converted score, before another yellow, this time for Presley Farrance, gave Bury the chance to put Tom Hoppe across the line. On the cusp of half time Canterbury turned a penalty award into a converted try for Eoin O’Donoghue and the lead looked secure, but in the first session of the new half Bury turned the game on its head. In the opening minute a turnover won possession to set up centre Hoppe’s second try and a Penfold penalty goal gave them the lead. On 52 minutes Matt Hema snapped up his side’s fifth score from a poor kicking decision in dangerous territory. At the start of the final quarter, the city side regrouped and a Jamie Stephens close quarter try, converted by Reynolds, brought them back into contention at 35-36. However, an under pressure scrum leaked penalties, front foot ball was sparse, prop Lewis Young joined the sin binners and Hema’s second try followed shortly. Canterbury did find some late momentum but a Jones touchdown was not enough to ease the disappointment, only partly relieved by two bonus points.

Canterbury: P.Farrance, G.Jones, L.Talbot, W.Waddington, H.Furneaux, F.Reynolds, T.Williams, D.Huntley, E.O’Donoghue, O.Frostick, H.Kenny, J.Stephens, C.McGovern, R.Thomas, T.Oliver. Replacements: T.Mackenzie, L.Young, J.Dengate, J.Walker, A.Geddes