Stunning Second Half Performance

CANTERBURY 51 OUNDLE 33

by David Haigh

A Canterbury side that looked almost down and out staged a magnificent second half revival to fight their way to this comprehensive victory. Trailing 28-7 at the break, the city side’s total domination of the next 40 minutes stunned title chasing Oundle with six tries and a lesson in discipline and game management. The visitors, who had overwhelmed National 2 East leaders Old Albanians the previous week, had every right to feel they had done another good job with four first half tries and a bonus point secured. A defensive lapse handed them an early lead through wing Rian Hamilton’s try and a Ben Young conversion. That attracted a swift reply when Frank Reynolds neat grubber kick saw Aiden Moss win the race for the touch down and Reynolds add the goal points, but Oundle took charge of the rest of the half. Their most efficient weapon, the driving maul, produced tries for Tevita Vaenuku and Anthony Maka and, in the closing minute, Hamilton registered his second, Canterbury being duly punished for overthrowing a lineout. The accurate Young topped up all three scores to put even greater distance between the sides. However, signs that Oundle’a confidence might have been misplaced were quickly flagged after the interval as Canterbury came out with a new mind set and made a statement with two tries in the first ten minutes. A quick lineout drill set up Tyler Oliver’s score, converted by Reynolds, and a yellow card for the visitors proved costly as the city side established themselves in attacking territory and scrum half Presley Farrance found the gap. Canterbury, curing many of the set piece problem that had plagued them in first half, kept up the pressure with another close quarter finish by Jamie Stephens, converted by Reynolds. Once again Oundle, shut down by an aggressive home defence, lost their discipline as Maka went to the sin bin for a high tackle and they paid the price as Canterbury went in front for the first time. Frank Morgan, fresh from the replacements bench, got the try. as the attack was spread wide. The badly shaken visitors hit back briefly through Matt Collins as they got a rare chance of a catch drive, but they had no more answers to a vibrant city side as Morgan bagged his second and Reynolds drove home the victory message with a penalty goal and a drop goal. In the final minute he added his fifth conversion when Tyler Oliver strolled over for Canterbury’s final try to crown a remarkable afternoon.

Canterbury: K. Heatherley, A.Moss, D.Tout, W.Waddington, L.Talbot, F.Reynolds, T.Williams, L.Young, J.Dengate, O.Frostick, C.McGovern, J.Stephens, J.Walker, R.Thomas, T.Oliver. Replacements; C.Oliver, P.Farrance, F.Morgan, J.De Vries, E.O’Donoghue