Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Fast start paves the way
Canterbury soothed their fears of being drawn into the National 2 East relegation scrap as they beat Guernsey Raiders 41-24 on Saturday, writes David Haigh.
After a stunning start, which brought a 19-point lead, they wobbled slightly under a Raiders revival before taking charge with an impressive secondhalf performance.
Six tries were shared between backs and forwards, but the foundations of this success were laid by a pack which dominated the set-pieces and put Canterbury firmly on the front foot.
Hooker Eoin O’donoghue scored the opening try in the third minute and Guy Hilton was only five minutes behind him.
The third score was an individual gem as flanker Cameron Murray marked his last appearance before a spell in Australia with a powerful break.
Two conversions from Lewis Hollidge, looking totally at home after his switch to fly-half, widened a gap which could have left Raiders in the rear-view mirror but they shook off the early lethargy and hit back hard with three tries before the break, one converted by Owen Thomas. Prop Jacob Pinckney from close quarters, winger Antony Armstrong completing a move full of good handling and support work and
- in the last minute of the half - a Dan Morgan catch-and-drive score threatened Canterbury’s prospects. Would they lose confidence? The answers came quickly and ruthlessly, as they cracked the Raiders defence twice in the first five minutes of the second half.
Prop Billy Young surged over for his 11th try of the season and Hollidge’s half dummy opened his own way to the line.
He converted the Young try and, as the forwards tightened their stranglehold, Raiders were denied the ammunition to find a response. Mounting pressure brought a penalty goal for Hollidge and Tom Williams’ break had the crowd on its feet as his pace did the rest and Hollidge topped up their final try.
Guernsey went home with a losing bonus-point courtesy of a late catch drive score by Tom Ceillam but this was Canterbury’s day.
The city club, who are 10th, are next in league action at Henley on April 15. Canterbury: Kingsman, Hilton, Waddington, Best, Morgan, Hollidge, Cooper, Young, O’donoghue, Herriott, Irvine, De Vries, Oliver, Murray, Stephens. Replacements: Williams, Reynolds, Lusher, Macmillan, Furneaux.