..... who ran out comfortable winners, having done the damage in the first half, effectively putting the game beyond a combative Combe side still struggling to find cohesion and penetration in attack.

The visitors controlled the breakdown, were strong in defence, and forced errors from the home side. Canterbury opened the scoring with a try after ten minutes from ex-Combe player de Kock, and followed with three more scores, two for the winger Melford, and one a forwards effort from Kelly, to earn the bonus point by the end of the first half. Combe could only reply with three penalties from Giles.
The second half was a closer contest, with one more penalty for Combe, and an interception try for Canterbury, but for most of that time Combe were pegged back in their own half unable to break down a determined and dogged Canterbury defence.
Ben McKinnell led the team onto the pitch to mark his 150 th appearance for the club, a notable achievement. By contrast ten Combe players, or twelve including the substitutes, were making their debut at Goddington Dene. The game kicked off just as the rain started.
Canterbury’s first try came from a No.8 pick up, a drive for the line and quick recycling for de Kock to score out on the left, and for Best to convert. Combe responded with a successful penalty kick by Giles. Canterbury’s second try, on eighteen minutes, was also from a No. 8 pick up from a scrum in midfield, and de Kock putting Melford in for a try in the corner. The third, on twenty-four minutes was after pressure on the Combe line, who with a man short conceded a forwards try for Kelly after a line out drive. Best converted. With two more penalties from Giles, Combe got the score back to 9-19, but the killer blow was the fourth try for the visitors, the second for Melford, this time in the right hand corner , which came form a good break by Best.
Combe’s lineout was working, and they enjoyed some dominance in the scrums, but the ball was slow from the rucks and breakdowns, which pressured them into errors and mistakes. Roux had a run, but the pass was intercepted , which allowed another ex- Combe player, Hinkins, to canter free for a try in the left hand corner, in front of the bewildered Gumbos, the match sponsors for the day.
Canterbury were giving nothing away. For much of the second period Combe were playing in their own half, unable to break out, or break through. As the weather brightened, Combe finished strongly, but their efforts could not be translated into any more points.
Final score 12 - 29.
Next week the team travel to Dings Crusaders. The next home game is Saturday 25 th September, against Henley Hawks, kick-off 3.00pm.

Westcombe Park XV: Kominski; Tumath, Brown, Lambden, Purdy; Giles, Roux; McKinnell, Barton, Sheppard, Chance, Watkins, Street, T., Winslade, Street, C. Sub.s ( used ) : Sole, Wright, Denton, Leeper.