This week’s opponents were Canterbury, currently sitting in fourth place in the table. The game had to be rearranged for this week after a frozen pitch prevented the game being played a few weeks ago.
As this should have been a rest weekend selection was made more troublesome than usual as several players were unavailable due to other commitments.
In all five changes were made to the squad that played the previous week. Finlay Glass, Sam Myles and Ray Jardine all returned after missing last week. Robbie Hawkshaw was making his debut and Kemp Price was playing his first Raiders’ game for a couple of seasons after rejoining the Club.
After a wet week on the South Coast, match day was dry and cloudy with little breeze. The pitch was heavy underfoot, but this didn’t distract from a good, open game of rugby.
Canterbury kicked off defending the southern end of the ground.
The hosts made a good start. Ben Featherstone caught the kick off and made ground towards the halfway line. The ball was moved through several phases with breaks from first Frank Taggart and then by Kemp Price. The play was held up a few metres from the visitors’ try line, but Harrison Dakin was on hand to cover the final metres to touch down for an excellent try after a little over one minute of play. The try wasn’t converted. The hosts were pleased to have the early lead at 5-0.
The visitors had a chance to close the gap in the fourth minute with a penalty shot at goal, but the kick went harmlessly passed the left hand upright. After nine minutes Canterbury scored a converted try to take the lead at 5-7. Raiders came back strongly, playing a confident brand of rugby that continually tested the Canterbury defence.
With sixteen minutes played the hosts set up a catch and drive from a line out some ten metres from the visitors’ try line. As they drove over the line Harrison Dakin was unable to ground the ball, and the referee awarded a goal line drop out to Canterbury After eighteen minutes the visitors scored a fine try from deep in their own half. With the conversion successful, they extended their lead to 5-14. Despite the conditions underfoot both sides played expansively and with plenty of skill on show.
Raiders built another powerful attack deep inside the visitors’ twenty-two metre area and Ben Featherstone made a ten-metre charge to the line. As he crossed the line the Canterbury defenders got underneath him and prevented the touch down. For the second time the referee awarded a goal line drop out to the visitors.
Undeterred the hosts re-established themselves deep in Canterbury territory. Skipper Fraser Bruce made a break, fed the ball to Jack Forrest who made an excellent off-load to Charlie Spencer, who finished the move to score Raiders’ second try. The conversion narrowly missed but the gap had been closed to four points at 10-14, with ten minutes left in the half.
The game was evenly poised with both sides creating chances in the final minutes of the half. Both teams defended well and prevented any further scoring before the break.
An excellent forty minutes of rugby from the hosts left them with a four-point deficit at half time.
Half time score: Worthing Raiders 10 Canterbury 14
Raiders restarted the game attacking the northern end of the ground.
Alex Havers replaced Austin Steele, and a few positional changes also took place. Jack Forrest went to full back and Kemp Price went to centre to accommodate Alex Havers in the back row. Within two minutes Canterbury received a yellow card, but the hosts were unable to take any advantage during the ten minutes that followed.
Raiders had a good attacking line out after seven minutes, unfortunately they lost possession and a fine clearance kick left them defending back in their own twenty-two. Canterbury then added an unconverted try, followed by a penalty to extend their lead to 10-22. With seventeen minutes played, Raiders were under pressure and defending deep in their own territory, when Jack Forrest intercepted the ball and outsprinted the Canterbury players to score under the posts from seventy-five metres. Tom Derrick converted, and the game was back to a five-point gap at 17-22.
As the half reached the mid-point the hosts notched their fourth try of the afternoon. The move started in their own half with a break by Frank Taggart, he passed to Kemp Price who burst through several attempted tackles to carry the ball some forty metres, before giving it back to Frank Taggart. He moved the ball on to centre, Tom Derrick who skipped passed the last defender to score the try wide on the right. His conversion bounced off the crossbar, sadly for Raiders the wrong way. However, this made the scores level at 22-22.
On twenty minutes Frank Taggart received a yellow card, and a penalty try was awarded to Canterbury. Thus, with around twelve minutes left, and down a man, the visitors had a seven-point lead at 22-29. Raiders pressed hard and looked capable of getting another score, which they did when Tom Derrick kicked a penalty to close the gap to 25-29.
The hosts were having the better of the exchanges in the final moments but they couldn’t get that elusive fifth try to win the game. With the clock in the red, Canterbury were happy to put the ball out of play to take a narrow victory.
Full time score: Worthing Raiders 25 Canterbury 29
This game could easily have been a win for Raiders. The performance on the day was much more representative of the ability of the team. Although not quite enough to get the win, this was two points that may be vital in their efforts to avoid relegation.
An entertaining game to watch with many excellent individual performances from the home side. Kemp Price made a real impact on his return, but it was Jack Lake, playing his 198th game for Raiders who was awarded player of the match.
Referee: Alex Rose
Scorers:
Tries: Harrison Dakin, Charlie Spencer, Jack Forrest, Tom Derrick
Conversions: Derrick
Penalties: Derrick
The Fox Inn Man of the Match: Jack Lake
Team: 1. Fraser Bruce – Captain 2. Harrison Dakin 3. Ben Featherstone 4. Jack Lake 5. Elliott Powell 6. Will Gearing-Grief 7. Kemp Price 8. Frank Taggart 9. Jake Rutherford 10. Tom Meyer 11. Charlie Spencer 12. Tom Derrick 13. Jack Forrest 14. Saope Soko 15. Austin Steele
Replacements: 16. Fin Glass 17. Ray Jardine 18. Alex Havers 19. Robbie Hawkshaw 20. Sam Myles
