No Easy Victory

CANTERBURY 28 HENLEY HAWKS 21

by David Haigh

There is no such thing as a free lunch this season in National 2 East and Canterbury were made to work hard for a sixth straight victory. In a game which had plenty of industry, but would have brought frowns to a quality control department, they nevertheless scored four tries, claimed maximum points and move up to fourth spot in the league. Against a Hawks side occupying a chair at the lower end of the table, there was little of the city club’s pre-Christmas fluency on display and it was the visitors who were pressing hard for the draw in the final stages. Canterbury made a bright start, with a try after three minutes, as Henley conceded a penalty and Tyler Oliver touched down from a catch and drive. Frank Reynolds converted and, like his Hawks counterpart Max Titchener, went on to add goal points to all the tries. Titchener started by converting an equalising score after 13 minutes when hooker Spencer Hayhow plunged over from a maul, but the game settled into a shapeless affair for the rest of the half. Individual lapses, messy lineout work from both sides were too frequent but Canterbury reached the break seven points in front. That was down to powerful finishing by centre Harry Sloan after a patient build up from the pack, but they missed out on two other occasions while Hawk’s Zack Taylor was in the sin bin. Luke Talbot was held up over the line and then good, scrambling defence forced an error in the same corner. The start of the second half was a repeat of the first, with Canterbury grabbing an early try from flanker Ryley Thomas after Hawks wing Oscar Busby was yellow carded, but sparking a swift reply from Henley. The city side infringed and from the penalty
Hawks worked a try for centre James Leach. At the start of the last quarter the city side found some cohesion, pinned Henley on their own line and scrum half Presley Farrance completed a series of pick and go’s to open a fourteen point gap. However, it was the visitors who took the late initiative and, when Oliver was sin binned, Hayhow struck on 67 minutes with his second try from a catch and drive. Canterbury hung on precariously, but Henley’s serious pursuit of more than a losing bonus point was frustrated in the last play of the game. A penalty award opened the way to a prime attacking position: however, skilful work from Reynolds prevented Titchener’s kick from going into touch and you had to feel that had saved the day.

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