Match Report: Lordswood 2nd v Canterbury 5th

Match Report. 04.10.25

Lordswood 2^nd v Canterbury 5th

Canterbury 5th 34pts.  Lordswood 2^nd  19pts.

By John Scurr

The Zingari away to Lordswood 2nds with a much-depleted side due to player unavailability did not stop them   giving one of their best performances of the season. Although it took some time for the city side to settle conceding an early try after Lordswood broke from a ruck virtually unopposed to go under the posts for an early converted try. This was followed fifteen minutes later with Lordswood’s powerful centres breaking through for another converted try that began to make things look ominous for the city side. The Zingari however were becoming more confident and had adapted to playing in some unorthodox positions went on the offensive with a series of swift handling attacks that first put Dillon Coyle through a gap for the city’s first converted try. This was followed a few minutes later with a break on the right for Rob Horan to touch down in the corner reducing the deficit to just two points. The momentum was beginning to turn and Canterbury were going to make the most of it with another move finished off out wide to sneak ahead with a slim three-point lead. As the game went into the last few minutes of the half Canterbury mounted their best attack of the afternoon working the ball within the Lordswood twenty-two before Tony Carollo angled run from deep to split the defence to score under the posts, and with the following conversion the Zingari had established a ten-point lead.

The second half saw the Lordswood powerful backs  and using what little slope there was on the pitch to career their way down field touching down in the corner reducing the city lead. This was their obvious intension only to be met with resolute tackling often stopping the attack on or behind the gain line forcing the speculative kick down field often returned with interest with some elusive running. This pattern pertained for most of the half with Lordswood  having little success  against this solid tackle wall before being caught behind with a thumping tackle that led to a turnover ball scooped up and fed to James Read who forced his way through a scattered defence to go over near the posts, and give Rob Horan the simple conversion. Lordswood  came back but again were caught behind their gain line just outside their twenty-two and infringed in an attempt to retain the ball, at this point the Canterbury skipper stepped in to calm things down indicating for the posts for Horan to seal the match with a well struck penalty much to the relief of his exhausted forwards who had given everything.