Thanet 5th (10) v (22) Dover 4th
XV
Played on 15th November 2008
Dover 4th maintained their 100% record, but only just, in this rearranged EK3 game away to Thanet 5th. As in previous years, Dover expected a physical game and were not disappointed with Thanet fielding a large set of forwards.
Thanet started strongly using their forwards to good effect in the setpieces, but resolute defence by Dover, especially the threes, did not allow Thanet to gain any territorial advantage. By the end of the first quarter, Dover started to make good use of the possession they did have with Sampson acting as the catalyst. As Dover started to string a few phases of play together Thanet were forced into trying to slow down the play and were soon penalised for killing the ball directly in front of their posts. Bowman kicked the points to give Dover 3 –0 lead. Dover kept the pressure on and were soon 10 –0 after winger R Walker scored a superb try after gathering his own kick ahead.
However, Dover did not secure the restart and from the resulting play Thanet were awarded a penalty for not releasing. With Dover half asleep, Thanet took a quick tap for an easy try to reduce the deficient to 10 – 5 at half time.
In the second half, Dover started to hold their own in the scrums and were able to exert more pressure upfront with No.8 Pellet, not only making a nuisance of himself at each ruck and maul, made numerous penetrative drives into the Thanet defence. As the half progressed Dover played more of a kicking game to keep the play in Thanet’s 22. However, from one such kick the Thanet fullback gathered the ball deep inside his 22 and ran the whole length of the pitch to score a superb individual try, levelling the score at 10 –10 and setting the game up for a tense finale.
Dover continued to kick deep into Thanet’s half, but having learnt their lesson, the pursuing chasers did not give Thanet’s pacey back three any room to counterattack. Dover regained the lead with ten minutes remaining when Bowman crashed over from a few yards out for an unconverted try. With only one score between the teams Thanet were never out of the game, but from the last play of the game Pellet went blind from a scrum and with the defence committed offloaded to Wall to score a converted try. This was a hard fought victory and was a good test of the team’s determination and character.
Report by: Jason Wall
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