Canterbury 38 Bishop's Stortford 1st XV 34

Canterbury RFC vs Bishop's Stortford RFC 1st XV

This was for the most part a scrappy match with errors by the bucketload offset by only occasional flashes of skill on both sides, with the home team probably just about deserving the narrow win on the balance of play. It was the visitors, though that started the better and, after an early long penalty shot by Tom Banks bounced out off an upright, they quickly forced a turnover and simple passing down the line was enough to stretch a sluggish defence and put George Cullen in for a try out wide after 4 minutes, to which Banks added a great conversion. With Stortford's lineout at sixes and sevens, Canterbury were allowed back into the game and what looked like a rather harsh penalty at a breakdown against Dan Elsom allowed them to open their account with 3 points after 14 minutes. Within 5 minutes they had added an unconverted try as some committed, straightforward running broke through some uncharacteristically weak Stortford tackling. After 28 minutes, though, Banks converted a penalty to retake the lead and four minutes later he repeated the achievement from a rather easier position, after a penalty against Stortford for a breakdown offence had been reversed for what appeared to have been some backchat. A poor dropout reception from the restart put Stortford immediately on the back foot and some more indecisive defensive play allowed a persistent Canterbury side to level the scores with a try out wide after 36 minutes. Stung into action, the visitors surged onto the attack and with 40 minutes gone, finally produced some incisive rugby via a forceful break up the middle by Rory Banks, who found Steve Ball in support for him to take the ball on and commit the last man before putting Cullen in under the posts for his second try. Tom Banks' conversion took the halftime score to 13-20.

Any hopes of the traveling Stortford supporters, that their side would pick up in the second half where they left off, were quickly dashed and within 6 minutes of the restart the scores were level again after Canterbury took advantage of some more indecisive tackles to offload all too easily to produce a try under the posts and an easy conversion. Within 3 minutes, though the Stortford lead had been restored, when they capitalised on a penalty for obstruction from the restart to put the ball through the hands and a forceful run up the wing by Johnny Neville allowed him to commit the last defender and give Will Simmonds a clear run at the line, which he exploited to the full to go under the posts. The visitors now enjoyed a rare period of controlled rugby and, having had a clear edge in the scrums throughout, were unlucky to have a freekick awarded against them for an early push at their own put-in on the Canterbury 22. The home side took full advantage and quickly forced a couple of penalties at breakdowns, the second of which was converted to narrow their deficit to 4 points. Almost immediately from the restart Canterbury, now playing with increased confidence, exploited some more diffident Stortford defence to burst down the left wing and a couple of well-timed passes saw livewire scrumhalf, Dan Smart in for his hat-trick try, a good conversion taking his side into a 3 point lead. This was soon stretched to 8, when a box kick from Canterbury was allowed - not for the first time - to bounce and this time the home side were blessed with a huge slice of luck as the ball bounced high, straight into the outstretched arms of their No 8, who needed only to pass to the winger unmarked outside for another unconverted try. Their lead was further extended on 29 minutes with a penalty goal, after Stortford were penalised at a breakdown and then conceded a potentially crucial extra 10 yards for backchat. This finally seemed to stir the Stortford team into some concerted action, culminating in Rory Banks - who had shown great energy throughout - blasting through three tackles to touch down close to the posts. Even the delivery of the kicking tee for the conversion now seemed take an age, but the kick was good and the deficit down to 4 points with still some 8 or 9 minutes left. The whole team now seemed to find more energy and went through a number of phases, taking them well into the Canterbury half. Unfortunately though, a penalty against the scrum at their own put-in - as both front rows went up, when Stortford applied the pressure - effectively took the steam out of this resurgence and the home team were able to play out the remaining few minutes for a hard-earned win.