Williams Hat Trick Is Derby Highlight

CANTERBURY 42 SEVENOAKS 37

by David Haigh

In boxing terms Canterbury’s first National 2 East victory of the season would have been called ‘a crowd pleaser’ with eleven tries on offer and the result never nailed down until late in the game. The club’s coaches, however, will have viewed it more as a frustrating nail biter as the city side were forced to battle back from an early seventeen point deficit and survive two yellow cards before they edged this Kent derby. For that they can thank scrum half Tom Williams for his hat trick of tries and the reliable boot of Frank Reynolds who converted all six Canterbury touchdowns. Sevenoaks ended the first quarter in total command with tries from Ed Shepherdson and Harry Martin, both converted by Ben Adams who had opened the scoring with a penalty goal. A misfiring Canterbury played into their hands but it was the pack who hauled them back into contention after 25 minutes, winning a penalty close to the posts where Williams sniped over. Number Eight Tyler Oliver was next across the line, making a decisive break and then completing strong forward work. A second Adams penalty goal quickly pegged Canterbury back but greater trouble came when replacement Harry Drane was yellow carded and the city side needed a touch of luck to survive to half time without further damage. Two minutes after the restart, and still operating with a man down, they went in front for the first time, working the close quarter phases before Harry Sloan got the try. It looked like a turning point but then came another sin binning, this time for Eoin O’Donoghue, and the visitors punished it with a second try from flanker Martin. When the hooker returned Canterbury took an important grip and pushed two scores ahead. Williams again found a gap close to the line and then raced clear for this third try to reward O’Donoghue’s break. However, a determined Oaks could not be shaken off and Adams’ astute chip and chase led to a converted try for wing Charlie Corrigan. With six minutes remaining Reynolds sealed what was a very ordinary Canterbury performance with his side’s sixth try, but a deserving Oaks won a second bonus point through an Adams touchdown in the final move of the match,

Canterbury: L.Talbot, H.Furneaux, H.Sloan, W.Waddington, F.Morgan, F.Reynolds,T.Williams, L.Young, E.O’Donoghue, O.Frostick, C.McGovern, J.Stephens, R.Thomas, M.Pangarker, T.Oliver, Replacements: H.Dane, K.Heatherley, C.Macmillan, J.Walker, J.De Vries.