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Esher Win First Test
CANTERBURY 26 ESHER 45
by David Haigh
The first pre-season game is always a test bed for club squads and this one, played in four twenty minute sessions, was no exception but went Esher’s way in the later stages. At the half way mark Canterbury, with their experienced combinations on view, had built a fourteen point lead and were giving the National One side plenty of problems. When changes were made in the last two run outs Esher’s strengths saw them dominate possession, seize on defensive errors and collect five unanswered tries. The visitors took advantage of untidy work at the back of a scrum to take an early lead with a converted try. Canterbury matched that when Presley Farrance’s tap penalty opened the way for Harvey Young to show his flair with a finish under the posts. It was the second session which saw Canterbury at their most effective as they controlled the set pieces and registered three scores. Head Coach Matt Corker will have been pleased with the way his side stuck to their game plan, before sending Eoin O’Donoghue crashing over, and the technical excellence of a driving maul which ended in Tyler Oliver touching down. Esher exploited a missed tackle to grab an unconverted try before the city backs handled crisply for a fourth score. With Frank Reynolds on target with three conversions the gap was 26-12 The introduction of new combinations and several young players shifted the action in Esher’s favour. By the end of the third session they were just two points behind, as Canterbury left gaps around the ruck and slipped tackles in mid-field. In the final twenty minutes the Surrey side had the momentum and opened up space clinically to create three more touchdowns.
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