Match Report: Zingari v Whitstable II

Match Report. 26.09.26

Canterbury 5^th  v Whitstable 2^nd

Canterbury 5th 38pts Whitstable 37pts.

In a nail biting finish the Zingari opened their season with the narrowest win possible. Both sides produced some open flowing rugby from the start with the Zingari having a slight advantage in the backs while Whitstable pack may have edged it at the set piece. However, it was the city backs who opened the scoring after some sharp handling split the Whitstable defence for Ben Waite to touch down for Canterbury’s first converted try. This was followed with Ross Elgar touching down after the forwards had punched a hole in the midfield for the backs to finish off. This looked as if it was all going to be easy for the city side , but Whitstable had other ideas, their forwards making the most of the slight  slope rallied and battled their way down field to claim two tries within minutes of each other, followed by a disastrous intercepted pass for  Whitstable to claimed a third. Canterbury compounded their own troubles giving away a penalty that set up Whitstable for a converted try, and just before halftime burst through the centre setting up a position a few meters from the city line before driving over for a clear fifteen-point halftime advantage.

The Second half saw the same pattern emerge with Whitstable squeezing in at the corner to increase their lead after the city defence failed to force the attacker into touch giving themselves a comfortable cushion. The Zingari had it all to do even with the slim advantage of the second half slope gave us a display of straight powerful direct running that seemed to do the trick, breaking tackles with recycled quick ball had the defence  split wide for Ryan Flockhart to sneak a converted try back. This was the way back with both forwards & backs adopting this tactic the holes began to appear, Brad Alchurch saw the gap with a charging run claiming back another converted try. Whitstable always dangerous again got back on the score sheet with another unconverted try, but the momentum had changed, and more of the same put Nick Creaser over the line from short range, and with Rob Horan conversions had put the city side within striking distance of the lead. With the clock running down the Zingari  put in a final effort camping just short of the Whitstable line before Jake Vowell broke through to give Canterbury a slender one-point lead. With the clock going into the red all would seem to be over, but Whitstable had other ideas, and with a final flourish they got to within striking distance of the city line.  Only to be thwarted  by late replacement Oliver Rutt with a bone crunching tackle on the line causing the ball to be spilled forward thus securing Canterbury the narrowest victory possible.