Zingari Match Report

Match Report. 7.11.26

Canterbury 5^th V Thanet 3rd

Canterbury5th 47 pts Thanet 3^rd  7 pts.

Canterbury Zingari came up against Thanet, old rivals for as long as anyone can remember in club history. A fixture that was always going to be full of incident regardless of the final outcome, and today  was not going to be an exception.  From the kick off the two packs were enveloped into a tussle, with the city side on balance having the better-quality possession that their backs exploited running the ball wide at every possible opportunity stretching the Thanet defence. First to benefit was the wingman Michael Howard followed by line breaks from centres Sam Price and Harry Goodrum putting the city side ahead with a comfortable halftime seventeen-point lead.

The Zingari well satisfied with their first half performance were soon to learn they could not afford to be complacent as Thanet came back at them from a line out a few meters from the city line. The Thanet forwards first secured possession from the lineout and expertly worked the driving maul over the city line, and with the following conversion had reduced the city’s margin to ten points. The likely hood of a shift of momentum was soon dismissed as Canterbury again used their backs to full effect. With Tony Carollo masterminding  the ball form the base of the scrum had the backs on the move again this time for the other wingman Will Talbot to make his contribution with a try out wide. Thanet did rally but their effort was cut short with some devastating tackling while their own defence looked vulnerable  with centre Sam Price spotting the gaps for the line break extending the lead. The forwards had their moment of glory as well as securing that all important possession set up a ruck a few meters from the Thanet line, for Craig Marsh to pick up and burrow his way over,. Setting the seal along with Rob Horan own try and conversions on a well-deserved and hard-fought contest.