Let’s be clear. This is a Canterbury side (4th in the table) who have won their last eight games and who, with the top three sides to play in February, had every reason to think that they might challenge for the play-off spot. They didn’t play badly. Havant just didn’t give them the chance to play well. Havant were sharp, committed and aggressive with a unity in their approach. At the end they controlled the last few minutes in the way you would expect of a side with far more experience than this one. If there’s one criticism it’s only that it could have been won by more, particularly with the chances created in the first half. Canterbury knew they had been well-beaten, even if the score-line only had a seven-point gap.
Wes Dugan, replacing the absent Jack Colbourne, gave the best performance I have seen him give in a Havant shirt – a beautiful case study in controlled aggression in everything he did, epitomised by his dominant tackling. From inside centre Jacob Knight, in great form, claimed key turnovers, as did Craig Durnin. On the wing, Will Perry has that priceless ability to get everyone out of their seats when he has the ball and today made and scored a try based on his bristling, almost malevolent intent when on the move. These are the things we see.
But what about those little things we don’t necessarily see so clearly? Tom Gwyther took the ball up to the Canterbury backrow on innumerable occasions, giving more space to those outside him. Alongside that, his kicking into the Canterbury ‘22’ at crucial moments, instead of trying to run with the ball or ship it on, were exactly the right thing to do. And Brandon Vince was a Stonehenge-like pillar in the tight and loose. So many others deserve a mention (how about Sam Trodd for example, who had three players on him every time he had the ball, and still made ground).
Canterbury did dominate the opening exchanges. Havant kicked off playing from left to right if you were watching from the stand. In the first two minutes the visitors ran the ball at Havant from the ‘22’ and elsewhere, perhaps referencing the way they got through Havant’s defence so easily in the first match. Jez Smith got his legs pumping early on with a mini-run and the ball eventually ended up in touch from a Ben Griffin defensive kick. Canterbury won a penalty in the middle of the field and kicked for the corner. Angus Southon competed for the ball, as he had in an earlier lineout, but this time with success, and danger was averted.
In the 5th minute, Jacob Knight broke out of defence from a challenging position, chipped through from half-way but the ball evaded Havant’s attackers. However, they put the Canterbury full-back Kurt Heatherley under real pressure and a penalty was the result. The ball was kicked to touch and from the lineout Sean Shepherd received the ball at the back of the maul and touched down to the left of the posts. Joel Knight converted to make it 7-0 after 7’.
Canterbury were looking uncertain when confronted with Havant’s directness. Ben Holt put up a high kick and the visitors let it bounce when it seemed a relatively easy ‘take’. Canterbury kicked the ball dead, after claiming possession giving Havant a scrum from where the kick was made. At 11’ Canterbury were attacking well but Havant (possibly Jacob Knight) turned the ball over in their own ‘22’ and got the ball out to Sam Trodd who attacked well. Canterbury continued to have most of the ball but weren’t truly threatening at this stage.
Canterbury were conceding ruck penalties under pressure from Havant’s marauders. One penalty for Havant was kicked to the ‘22’. From the lineout (Ross Parkins) Havant moved forward well at the maul, the visitors collapsed it and then, with advantage, the hosts work the ball to the right into the hands of a rampant Will Perry who, with lots of work to do, evaded two defenders and touched down. Joel Knight converted to make it 14-0 on 14’.
From the restart Havant claimed the ball and got it to Joel Knight who put a good kick from his own ‘22’ to Canterbury’s 10m line for a defending side lineout. Canterbury won possession but shipped the ball across the field without making ground and knocked on. It seemed to sum up the tone of the match at that stage.
Around the 20’ mark, Canterbury were seeing more of the ball and were becoming more direct with it. Havant defended well with strong tackling and Wes Dugan starting to influence the timbre of the match more with his brutalist approach. Canterbury were putting pace on the ball in the backs, in recognition of Havant’s forward strength. Tom Gwyther put in a raking kick to get the ball out of harm’s way and for the visitors, fly-half Frank Reynolds was testing the defence with chips over the top of the Havant backs. Earlier in the season Havant had struggled with such kicks but now there seems to be a sweeper taking the short ball.
Sam Trodd was showing up well – his elusiveness on several occasions, creating problems for his opposite number with reinforcements needed to get him to ground. On 25’ another penalty kicked to the ‘22’ gave the forwards an attacking line-out. For once the lineout didn’t work out well, with the ball hacked through to the halfway line. Ben Griffin took it, beat two players and moved it on to Will Perry who, with a burst of speed, got close on the right. The ball swung to the left and Sam Trodd touched down brilliantly with no space, only for the touch judge to signal that his foot had clipped the touch line. I was right there. It had.
Havant were still close to the third score. Ben Holt, Angus Southon and Will Saunders all made ground with good runs and the forwards pressurised their opponent’s line. Brandon Vince was held up over the line and Canterbury escaped. Such was the pressure you felt a score was inevitable, but it wouldn’t come. Canterbury were frustrated and opted for a bit of pushing and shoving. The referee, who had an excellent game, wisely gave a warning to both captains and moved on.
30’ now and Havant were threatening. Brandon Vince and Ben Holt again punched holes into the opposition’s defence. Sean Shepherd took a couple of terrific passes and made ground (what a ‘footballer’ he is), Sam Trodd made more ground with little space and Wes Dugan was everywhere. Finally, Havant were penalised close to the Canterbury line.
If the report is showing a Havant bias it’s because Havant were doing everything but score. But it should be said that Canterbury were defending every bit as well as Havant had been and showing the qualities you would expect of an in-form top four side. Havant could have scored two or three times but with a few minutes to half-time Canterbury, with scrum-half Presley Farrance to the fore, made it to the Havant ‘22’ for the first time in about fifteen minutes.
The tables were turned. Havant were now defending like wounded animals too and it made for a high-quality game of rugby. Havant made several good escapes with Jacob Knight and Tom Gwyther making ground with good kicks and Craig Durnin, quietly effective throughout, particularly with turnover ball, making a good break. Wes Dugan got a great turnover to nullify another threat and continued to harass every Canterbury ruck.
On the stroke of half-time Canterbury did score under the posts, after about three minutes of pressure, through Presley Farrance. Frank Reynolds converted and Ross Parkins was ‘yellow-carded’ for infringing at the ruck. 14-7 at half-time.
Canterbury scored almost immediately at the beginning of the second half too. Havant, perhaps not quite back up to speed, held off a tackle or two and replacement hooker Eoin O’Donaghue made it over with Reynolds converting again. 14-14 on 42’.
Havant needed to reset having conceded twice in three minutes. They did. They got themselves to 8 metres out but Canterbury escaped. From here Havant scored. A high-class turnover from a Craig Durnin/Ben Holt double act in midfield, with Canterbury threatening, gave Havant attacking ball and an unprepared defence in front of them. The ball got to Ben Griffin who broke through two players and found the fast-moving Will Perry who also beat two players, superbly and passed back inside for Ben Griffin to touch down. A terrific score, duly converted by Joel Knight to give Havant a 21-14 lead on 49’.
Havant replaced Ben Holt with Colin Sisk and Pete Austin for Sean Shepherd and additionally welcomed back Ross Parkins on the field. Nick Stoffel replaced Brandon Vince a minute or so later. With play in the centre of the field for a short while, Wes Dugan put in another monster of a tackle to signal that he intended to be present for the full 80.
Canterbury scored next. A dropped ball in midfield was pounced on by the visitor’s backs and centre Will Waddington touched down to the left of the posts, duly converted by Frank Reynolds once more. 21-21 on 58’ and a good side showing that a silly mistake could be punished quickly. Havant were the better side, but Canterbury were still a major threat.
Havant regrouped. On 62’ the team got to the visitor’s 5m line but couldn’t get over - Angus Southon to the fore with a couple of punchy drives at this stage. Canterbury had plenty of ball, but with Havant upping the tackling intensity once again they were moving side-to-side rather than forward and eventually conceded a penalty close to the centre spot. Jacob Knight kicked for touch, Brandon Vince came back on for Jez Smith and Havant had an attacking lineout on the ‘22’.
Freddy Ferson, just on, made a good hole in the defence, from the lineout. The ball went right and Joel Knight fed a short pass through to the accelerating Dylan Evans who took a lovely line through the outside centre channel and touched down, leaving Joel Knight a challenging conversion, which he kicked. The try looked like a move prepared on the training ground. 28-21 on 68’ and the bonus point earned.
This was a match worthy of a top of the table clash, which on form, it probably was and it now entered its most intense phase. Canterbury camped on the Havant line for what seemed like minutes, until Jacob Knight effected a superb turnover and won his side a penalty. On 75’ Havant got penalised, but Canterbury knocked on soon after and the hosts had scrum ball on the halfway line.
From here, Havant controlled the last minutes of the match. Colin Sisk turned the ball over, it went to the air, was won superbly by Colin Sisk himself and Havant played ‘keep ball’ for the last three minutes, with short drives from the forwards. A fantastic performance and a superb, high-quality match for a noisy Hooks Lane crowd to feast on. What a treat.
Havant move up to 8th position and can now boast five five-point wins in succession. This is a side who are confident, in-form and with much to look forward to. They should fear no-one. What they will benefit from is a two-week break with some of the players clearly in less-than-optimal physical state after such a brutal match. (written by Doug Miller ) photo credit @windand surf images