Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
....but pratt says survival still aim
Despite extending their superb winning run to four games and reaching the top-six, Andy Pratt says Canterbury Rugby Club are only thinking about National 2 South survival.
The city club are the form team in the division after adding Saturday’s 31-27 victory at Redingensians – who had won their previous four – to the historic road success at Redruth, plus home wins against Henley and previously unbeaten leaders Chinnor.
Head of rugby Pratt said: “It was another nice win. It’s good to get on a run and it’s good for the confidence.”
He did, though, claim the victory in Berkshire had been a mixed display, adding: “There were some aspects I was not happy with. We took our opportunities though, which was something we weren’t doing at the start of the season.
“Most of the time we got up their end we came away with points. We showed guts at the end of the game too to see it out.”
After three wins in their first eight games, Canterbury have won four straight and are 13 points behind Bishop’s Stortford in second place.
Pratt said: “It’s nice to be in the upper half of the table but there is not a lot of distance between sixth, where we are, and third-bottom.
“We want to keep the run going, of course but we want to make sure we are in National 2 South next season. That’s the only thing we are thinking about.”
Pratt played down the significance of the run, adding: “As individual games, they are all good and winning at Redruth was memorable but once you get to Monday morning, it’s always the same, you start getting ready for the next one. There is no point dwelling on what’s gone.”
With rock-bottom Exmouth to visit the Marine Travel Ground on Saturday (3pm) and fifthbottom Barnes to follow a week later, hopes are high the run could be extended.
However, Pratt said: “Rugby has a habit of sitting you on your bum when things are going well. Exmouth might not have a lot of wins but they have come close a lot. They deserve to be at this level.
“I have seen footage of every team in the league and they all have strengths. They all deserve for us to prepare properly and make good plans to face them. We just need to worry about our own performance.”
Back-row Max Cantwell is set to make his return from an ankle ligament injury sustained in the defeat at Clifton in September.
‘We showed guts to see the game out’