By David Haigh
A Canterbury aspect that appeared virtually down and out staged an impressive second-half revival to struggle their option to a 51-33 victory over National League 2 East title chasers Oundle.
Trailing 28-7 on the break, the town aspect’s complete domination of the following 40 minutes surprised Oundle with six tries and a lesson in self-discipline and sport administration.
The guests, who had overwhelmed league leaders Old Albanians 45-14 the earlier week, had each proper to really feel they’d performed one other good job with 4 first-half tries and a bonus level secured.
A defensive lapse handed them an early lead via wing Rian Hamilton’s try to a Ben Young conversion.
That attracted a swift reply when Frank Reynolds’ neat grubber kick noticed Aiden Moss win the race for the landing and Reynolds add the purpose factors, however Oundle took cost of the remainder of the half.
Their most effective weapon, the driving maul, produced tries for Tevita Vaenuku and Anthony Maka and, within the closing minute, Hamilton registered his second, Canterbury duly punished for overthrowing a lineout. Young topped up all three scores to place even higher distance between the perimeters.
However, indicators that Oundle’s confidence may need been misplaced had been rapidly flagged after the interval as Canterbury got here out with a brand new mindset and made an announcement with two tries within the first 10 minutes.
A fast lineout drill arrange Tyler Oliver’s rating, transformed by Reynolds, and a yellow card for the guests proved pricey as the town aspect established themselves in attacking territory and scrum-half Presley Farrance discovered the hole.
Canterbury, curing lots of the set-piece issues that had plagued them within the first interval, stored up the strain with one other close-quarter end by Jamie Stephens, transformed by Reynolds.
Once once more Oundle, shut down by an aggressive house defence, misplaced their self-discipline as Maka went to the sin-bin for a excessive deal with they usually paid the value as Canterbury went in entrance for the primary time. Frank Morgan, contemporary from the replacements’ bench, received the strive because the assault was unfold large.
The badly-shaken guests hit again briefly via Matt Collins as they received a uncommon likelihood of a catch and drive, however they’d no solutions to a vibrant metropolis aspect as Morgan bagged his second and Reynolds drove house the victory with a penalty and a drop purpose.
In the ultimate minute he added his fifth conversion when Tyler Oliver strolled over for Canterbury’s seventh attempt to crown a exceptional afternoon.
Fifth-placed Canterbury return to league motion at London Welsh, who’re tenth, on March 14.
Canterbury: Heatherley, Moss, Tout, Waddington, Talbot, Reynolds, Williams, Young, Dengate, Frostick, McGovern, Stephens, Walker, Thomas, T Oliver. Replacements; C Oliver, Farrance, Morgan, De Vries, O’Donoghue.
