Canterbury Women's Rugby - match reports 2006-07

Sunday 4 March 2007
Canterbury 5 – Ashford 0 @ Ashford RFC

Canterbury women realised some of their potential as they took on Ashford last Sunday. Typical English weather set the scene with the game kicking off in driving wind and rain. Having lost in their previous encounter at home earlier in the season, Canterbury were keen to prove themselves and supporters were not disappointed. Handling in the muddy conditions made it difficult for either side to form any kind of continuity to begin with. But Canterbury got into a rhythm and relentless pressure kept them in Ashford's 22 for the majority of the first half, despite numerous kicking attempts from Ashford's full back.

The visiting team, having made significant improvements in their mauling technique, were able to drive Ashford on and over the line on several occasions. Countless tries were unfortunately held up but it was one of these mauls drew in the opposition enough to release the ball for hooker Zara Bridges to push over the line and score after twenty minutes of play. Canterbury knew they would have to continue to work hard as the victory could be stolen at any moment. Excellent rucking thanks to the communication in the forwards kept the ball in Canterbury's possession. As it was spun out to the backs, centres Munday and Sprowles made several metres before being taken down by Ashford's strong defence. The boggy condition of the pitch did not allow for clean passes to wingers Guilliland and Holden nor to gain enough pace to break through.

As the game progressed into the second half and the players grew more weather-beaten, Ashford stepped up the pace. But despite numerous penalties in their favour, they were unable to keep the ball in play for long. Due to their determination, drive and focus, Cantebury never allowed Ashford any opportunities. This victory re-installed much-needed confidence in the Canterbury side and they look forward to taking on Beckenham for their next league match at home on 25 March.

Team: Julia Scanlan, Zara Bridges (1xT), Hannah Doughty, Claire Bernthal, Rebecca Willis, Elizabeth Nicholls, Kellie Pattenden, Alexa Kent, Jade Binskin-Barnes, Lucy Kirke, Laura Day, Sarah Munday, Karen Sprowles, Lisa Guilliland, Alison Holden, Mich Clithero, Rebecca Pinnock

Sunday 18 February 2007
Canterbury 31 – Lewes 0 @ Home

Drizzly conditions set the scene for Canterbury's significant win against Lewes on Sunday. Recent weather and pitch conditions have prevented the Canterbury ladies from being able to put in full training sessions so it was unsurprising that the team did not walk onto the pitch with their usual determined focus and team togetherness. However, this did not stop scrum-half Kirke from seizing an opportunity in the first few minutes of the game to break through the opposition's for a try. After this, an increasingly confident Canterbury proceeded with a punching attacking play. A slightly scrappy first half did not allow Lewes's hard-driving forwards to break through Canterbury's defence, and the rucks nearly failed Canterbury on more than one occasion.

The second half saw a much more focused team, with a carefully planned series of hits to draw the defence followed by spins out to the backs. Some beautiful moments of rugby were witnessed when Canterbury rolled the mauls and drove them for metres until the ball was seemingly effortlessly presented to Kirke. Strategic kicking from Day, who also scored one try and two conversions, gave Canterbury the ground they needed and the superior lineouts won Canterbury the ball on many occasions. Flanker Binskin-Barnes won player of the match through her sheer determination and hard attacks which kept the ball in Canterbury's possession and the opposition on the back foot, earning herself one try.

Lewes put up a good fight but lacked the strength and consistency to put in the tries, although they were close on several occasions and played their hardest until the final whistle. With this win behind them, Canterbury ladies establish themselves as a real threat in the league to Ashford, their closest adversaries and their next league opposition. See the ladies away on Sunday 4 March 2007.  

Team:Lucy Kirke (2 x T), Karen Sprowles, Laura Day (1 x T, 2 x C), Lisa Guilliland, Michelle Clithero, Rebecca Willis, Julia Scanlan, Alexa Kent, Rebecca Pinnock, Zara Bridges (1 x T), Claire Bernthal, Alison Holden, Katy Curtis, Kellie Pattenden, Hannah Doughty, Jade Binskin-Barnes (1 x T), Sarah Munday

Sunday 21 January 2007
Canterbury 12 – Footscray 15 @ Home

Canterbury ladies were not expecting an easy ride when they met their toughest opposition at home on Sunday. But the result was much closer than anyone had expected, thanks to the outstanding effort put into both attack and defence strategies by Canterbury. Footscray are notorious for their “passionate” play and hard tackles, but Canterbury managed to keep cool and focused on the game. The contrast between the teams' games became apparent when Footscray made their first try from a missed tackle by Canterbury. A momentary lapse in focus allowed the visiting side's crash centre to plough through Canterbury's defence. Their further two tries followed the exact same format and left Canterbury 15-0 by half-time.

Canterbury did not let this get them down and pushed up into Footscray's pitch for the second half. Some excellent kicking decisions by Day gained some valuable ground for the home side. Playing phases of rucks followed by quick balls out to the backs tired Footscray and they often found themselves ruthlessly having to defend their try line. Canterbury's first try came soon after half-time when Footscray were unable to defend their line against the momentum gathered by Doughty, with the other forwards driving in support. The second try came a good 30 minutes later when the backs' quick handling ensured the ball shipped safely to Binskin-Barnes, who took the tackle as she scored. A disappointing result for the effort put in by Canterbury but, as quoted by coach Cullen, the team played “some of their best rugby of the season so far”.

Saturday 13 January 2007
Canterbury 41 – Old Patesians 7 @ Old Pats RFC

Canterbury ladies left early on Saturday morning for a weekend of rugby madness as they began with a friendly against a developing Old Patesians side. Despite the fact the home side have only been in existence for one year, the game forming part of their day of celebration, Old Pats ladies put out a strong performance. The boggy conditions slowed the pace so both sides were able to really get stuck in to the rucks and mauls.

This did not stop player of the match Munday making some strong runs and great passes out of the tackles allowing Curtis break off down the wing and score three times. Scrum-half Kirke was quick off the mark as she also stole over the line three times straight out of the rucks. Lex Kent had a moment of brilliance as she broke through the centre to score between the posts. Day scored 3 conversions. After a quick change the ladies made their way over to watch the Canterbury 1st XV men beat the Old Pats men's side and then helped the ladies celebrate their one-year anniversary (with many pints of water!)

Team: Laura Day, Lucy Kirke, Sarah Munday, Kellie Pattenden, Rebecca Willis, Katy Curtis, Elizabeth Nicholls, Hannah Doughty, Claire Bernthal, Alexa Kent

Sunday 14 January 20067
Canterbury 71 - Beccehamians 0 @ Old Beccehamians RFC

The following day, the team travelled back via West Wickham for a league match, joined by several more of their players at Sparrow's Den. They put on a sparkling performance as they beat Beccehamians ladies 71-0. Coaches remarked on the improvement from the beginning of the season when Canterbury took the game into the opposition's half and stayed there for the majority of the match. Beccehamians were slowly ground down to playing a purely defensive game allowing Canterbury to really perfect the leeching rucks and spin the ball out to their speedy backs for try after try. Several occasions showed Old Beccs defending on the line and Captain Bernthal breaking through, with the result of two tries.

Curtis, consistently unstoppable once she gets her speed up, was taken down many times on the wing but she still managed a try. Outside centre Emma Bryan proved a force to be reckoned with as she continuously punched through the defence earning herself a try, and Holden used her pace to round the opposition's wing for one of her own. It was player of the match Kirke who seemed to own the pitch, her direction and quick-thinking earning her three tries and giving others plenty of opportunities to take the ball on. Day scored the most points of the day, with some great angles of running, scoring three tries as well as converting three. Canterbury's determination gave them a well deserved win, but most astonishing of all was how well the team gelled and really came together, proving that they do not just make a good calendar (and inadvertently offend indigenous cultures) but play some great rugby too!

Team: Laura Day, Lucy Kirke, Sarah Munday, Kellie Pattenden, Rebecca Willis, Katy Curtis, Elizabeth Nicholls, Hannah Doughty, Claire Bernthal, Hayley Atkins, Alison Holden, Mich Clithero, Zara Bridges, Hannah Jones, Lisa Guilliland, Julia Scanlan, Emma Bryan.

Next Sunday 21 January 1pm, the ladies will challenge one of their biggest rivals Footscray at home, before the men's Kent Cup game at home against Old Colfeians. They will be selling the famous calendars too so come and support and don't miss out!

Sunday 5 November 2006
Canterbury 22 - Lewes 17 @ Lewes RFC

Canterbury ladies travelled to Lewes on Sunday for their second league match of the season and returned victorious after a truly nail-biting performance. The team-work and determination displayed over the course of Canterbury's last few games has clearly paid off. As the girls consistently applied pressure on the opposition and it was obvious to all that they did not want to go home without a win. However, the process was gradual. The teams had not met before, and neither had any idea what to expect from the other.

Canterbury took a little while to switch on to the game and this slow start gave away a try to Lewes in the first few minutes. Canterbury Captain Bernthal was not about to let the game start on uneven ground and returned the favour within minutes as she burst through Lewes's defensive line to score by the corner flag. As the scrum tightened up, forwards managed to apply the pressure required to secure the ball. Lex Kent nicely slotted into a new position as prop, while Aimee Miller, a recent graduate from the U17 girls side made an impression in the backs. Scrum half Lucy Kirke was awarded player of the match, her quick thinking and communication keeping the ball in Canterbury's possession when play turned against them. As Canterbury attacked the Lewes line, Kirke grabbed the opportunity for Canterbury's second try, which was converted by fly-half Day. The half -time whistle blew to a score of 10-12 to Canterbury.

It was after half-time that the game really began to get interesting. Canterbury coaches insisted that the team was not playing to the best of their ability and told the girls to tighten up their game, lower their bodies and go in for the attack. This pressure ground Lewes down and forced basic mistakes. Winger Curtis grabbed the opportunity, found a gap and sped around Lewes's defence to score.

A combination of Canterbury's constant pressure, Day's kicking and successful lineouts kept the majority of the second half in the opposition's pitch. With less than 6 minutes to go, a Lewes kick brought play back into Canterbury's 22. A high tackle gave Lewes a penalty 15 metres from the try line, they took this quickly but Day was the required ten metres to make the tackle. At this point a controversial refereeing decision gave Lewes a penalty try which they converted between the posts.

With 5 minutes to go and a 17-all draw, Canterbury were not about to let this go. A 150% attack from the whole team left Lewes helpless to defend and continuing to make mistakes. A penalty near the Lewes line gave Bridges the crash ball, sucked in the defence and a smooth ruck brought it out to Kirke for her second try. Minutes later the final whistle was greeted with cheers from Canterbury for the first of what is hoped to be their many wins this season.

Claire Bernthal (Cpt - 1xT), Rebecca Willis, Lex Kent, Zara Bridges, Aimee Miller, Lou Gregory, Laura Day (1xC), Lucy Kirke (2xT), Katy Curtis (1xT), Kellie Pattenden, Irene Borecky, Michelle Clithero, Hannah Jones, Alison Holden, Lisa Guilliland, Elizabeth Nicholls.

Sunday 15 October 2006
Canterbury 0 - Footscray 5 @ Footscray RFC

In their first league match after a row of friendlies, Canterbury ladies came back from Footscray with their heads held high after they put on their best performance yet this season. As many expected a significant loss, it seemed that Canterbury was going to have to work hard in the most challenging match they can expect this year. Currently topping the league, Footscray are a well-drilled team with a mean attitude! It may have worked for them in the past but in this instance, it was to their disadvantage as Canterbury hit with phase after phase of calm, consistent play. Team effort, support and communication allowed Canterbury to gain possession and keep the ball rolling smoothly out of the rucks and making its way to the wings. Unfortunately the backs were simply lacking enough overlap to break through Footscray's tough defence. Dolly Guilliland made some good runs in her new outside-centre position, backing up Sarah Munday who made her mark as inside-centre in her second ever game for Canterbury. Emma Bryan on the wing, another new recruit for Canterbury, took some hard tackles and adjusted easily to her new position. Forwards kept possession through some very fast rucking, and even won several of the opposition's scrums and line-outs. The one moment Canterbury let their guard down and some had their backs turned was the second in which Footscray took a quick penalty over the try line. Prop Julia Scanlan was voted player of the match, her continuous attacking play was unrivalled and her focus an inspiration.

It is hard to tell whether this match was as enjoyable to watch as it was to play, but feedback from the sidelines testified to the sheer drive that Canterbury showed and the lust for the win which was unfortunately just out of their grasp. However, we move forward with areas to work on and a feeling that this will be a great season for Canterbury women's rugby club!

Julia Scanlan, Zara Bridges, Hannah Doughty, Rebecca Willis, Claire Bernthal, Kellie Pattenden, Laura Day, Dolly Guilliland, Alison Holden, Sarah Munday, Annika Moskovitz, Laura Rookard, Alexa Kent, Lucy Kirke, Emma Bryan.

Sunday 8 October 2006
Canterbury 21 - Worthing 24 @ Home

It was a performance in no way reflected by the final score, as Canterbury RFC women's section displayed some fantastic moments of rugby. Worthing's 12 players were topped up by Canterbury to ensure a full 15-aside for this last match in a row of friendlies before the first league game for South East West 3. Two of those players, Zara Bridges and Laura Day, even added a try each to the Worthing scoresheet. Canterbury did not let some difficult refereeing decisions throw them off. Sheer speed and reactive handling from winger Katy Curtis gave Canterbury two tries, while returning player Dolly Guilliland stole a third on the other wing. As Canterbury prepare themselves to meet their hardest opponents in Footscray on Sunday 15 October, coaches are confident that they have seen just a fraction of what is to come.

Julia Scanlan, Zara Bridges (1xT), Hannah Doughty, Rebecca Willis, Claire Bernthal, Kellie Pattenden, Laura Day (1xT, 2xC), Katy Curtis (2xT), Claire Sawyer, Dolly Guilliland (1xT), Michelle Clithero, Alison Holden, Aimee Miller, Sarah Munday, Jade Binskin Barnes, Irene Borecky, Laura Rookard.

Sunday 5 September 2006
Canterbury 0 - Old Caterhamians 20 @ Old Caterhamians RFC

Canterbury RFC women's section played their first match of the season on Sunday 3 September away at Old Caterhamians. The teams are now in South East East 3 and South East West 3 leagues but had a pre-season friendly training match to "dust off the cobwebs" and get fresh match experience before their first league matches in October. It was in this spirit that Canterbury walked onto the pitch, hoping to put into practice everything they had been working on with coaches Jemma Cullen and Tracy Dankert since August. However this did not diminish the Canterbury's determination to prove their worth, leaving both teams feeling this to be an extremely positive start to the season.

Old Cats subs were gratefully received onto the Canterbury side, allowing the game to begin with 15 a-side. A slightly scrappy start was as expected, with forwards acclimatising themselves to scrummaging after a summer off. But the standard elevated as the game went on giving supporters some great moments of rugby. Canterbury's defence was steadfast and Old Cats struggled to break through. Three Old Cats tries came in round the sides carried by speedy backs (proving that Canterbury's fitness still leaves something to be desired!) The last was set up by ex-Canterbury player Karen Blanchette as she broke through a rare gap in Canterbury's defence and passed out to a centre.

Canterbury eventually got into a rhythm where their rucking, including well-drilled “leeching” moves, produced some great phases of play and pushed them teasingly close to the opposition's try line. They just fell short of the extra yards required to score. Canterbury welcomed back player-of-the-match Moskovitz who put in some blinding tackles, while also trying to play every position on the pitch! Other moments of brilliance came from captain Bernthal as she and hooker Bridges kept up the attacking pressure, as well as some near breaks from number 8 Moore. A warm welcome to Hannah Doughty and Claire Sawyer who made this match their debut for the club.

Julia Scanlan, Zara Bridges, Hannah Doughty, Rebecca Willis, Claire Bernthal, Kellie Pattenden, Lou Gregory, Sarah Moore, Annika Moskovitz, Laura Day, Katy Curtis, Claire Sawyer.