Any success on the road in National 2 East is hard earned and Canterbury had to survive intense late pressure before sealing this bonus point win. 

Having lost to Welsh in the final play on their last visit to Old Deer Park, history threatened to repeat itself, but this time the city club found the necessary defensive steel. They got the result despite a low key second half performance, when basic errors and poor execution stopped them building on a fifteen point lead, and survived a period when they were down to thirteen players.

They made a shaky start to the match and were twelve points behind after only nine minutes. Missed tackles and penalties allowed Welsh to grab tries through elusive scrum half Olise Monye and his half back partner Flynn Ward, who converted the first touchdown. 

Despite losing scrum half Presley Farrance to a harsh yellow card, Canterbury roused themselves and hit back with tries from Luke Talbot, who collected Lewis Hollidge’s accurate cross kick, and Tyler Oliver from a driving maul, with Hollidge adding the goal points.

It got even better when, on the half hour mark, Canterbury retrieved a turnover over situation and Farrance sniped over. to put them ahead. Welsh came back quickly with a catch drive try from hooker Buster Wilkins, but by half time Canterbury had scored two more and secured a try bonus point.

A brilliant run from deep by wing Max Campbell set up Garry Jones for his tenth try of the season; then the quick thinking Farrrance’s tap penalty took him under the posts and Olliie Ashley-Jones’s conversion made it 29-17 at the break. 

When the wing added a penalty goal early in the second half things looked to be going the city side’ way. Welsh were also hit by a second yellow card for flanker Robbie Erdington, which automatically became a red. It was now, however, that Canterbury’s skill levels dropped as they failed to convert attacking positions into points and handling errors cost them territory.

Yellow cards for Ryley Thomas and Campbell, in quick succession, compounded their problems as Welsh surged back into contention. They created a catch and drive score for Kieron Perkins and, next, struck from deep as Iwan Humphries ran past a limping Hollidge. Ward’s conversion closed the gap to three points. 

Canterbury found what proved to be a crucial try in the 69th minute as, belatedly, they built pressure, Jesse De Vries driving over and Ashley-Jones converting. 

They still had to weather that late siege as they handed possesion back to Welsh and Finlay King made them pay with with his side’ sixth try. The pressure never let up throughout the closing minutes and Canterbury’s sigh of relief at the final whistle was almost audible.

Canterbury: L.Talbot, M.Campbell, G.Jones, W.Waddington, O.Ashley-Jones, L.Hollidge, P.Farrance, D.Huntley, L .Eule, C.Macmillan, R.Burden, J.Stephens, M.McCormack, R.Thomas, T.Oliver.

Replacements: O.Frostick, T.Williams, J.De Vries, F.Morgan, S.Rogers.

Pictures supplied by Phillipa Hilton.