Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Blues off mark in style
Mal Graves marked his return with a try as Whitstable swept to their first win in Kent 2.
The player-coach was back in the starting line-up for the first time since sustaining a knee injury in April and popped up with the score which earned Blues their bonus point.
Whitstable’s win followed a defeat and a draw in their opening two games and Graves says the result proved what his players are capable of when they get the basics right.
Graves, whose team are now up to sixth, added: “The performance was much improved, we were up for it right from the start.
The pack were just more confrontational and aggressive, and the backs are starting to feel the benefit of playing together for the past couple of weeks.
“They followed the game plan and we just looked more coherent.”
Hooker Mark Harris scored the first of Whitstable’s four tries, going over following a driving lineout and fly-half Marck Olive added the second just before half-time, profiting from a neat break and offload by Josh Booty.
Second row Rob Hudson claimed the third, crossing in the corner after a good team move, with No.8 Graves making sure of maximum points when Booty put him away following a quick tap penalty.
Scrum-half Andy Huey had an excellent afternoon with the boot, kicking well from his hands as well as landing three penalties and two conversions while Booty again excelled at centre.
Newcomer Ryan Crane played well on his first appearance at prop and Graves said the whole pack looked better after a midweek scrum session under the eye of former first team prop Les Brown.
Graves said “I’m lucky to be able to tap into people like Les, who was a fantastic prop for us and a brilliant scrummager.
“Sevenoaks were a lot bigger than us but technically we looked better and that was as a result of the work Les did with the boys.”
Whitstable are away to bottom club Dartford Valley on Saturday.