By Colin Whiteley
Thanet Wanderers RUFC 12 – 6 Gillingham Anchorians RFC
Relegation at the end of last season meant that, that league is now London league 2 and if anyone thought the challenge would somehow be easier, this fixture would have opened their eyes.
Injury meant that stalwarts from key positions in last season’s team like Brett Scott, Gully Goodall and Tom Walton were not available and Nick Herbert will have limited availability this season but there was a debut for a potential powerhouse playing his first game in the front row, Ben Cannon.
Anchorians kicked off down the slope with a gentle breeze behind them and set good field position. Wanderers were soon attacking but back came Anchorians who thought they had opened the scoring but referee Steve Matthews indicated a penalty for not releasing and Adam Harrison cleared long. Charlie Panteli’s penalty attempt rebounded off the crossbar but a score would not come. The visitors were perhaps fortunate when a series of penalties did not bring a yellow card but the contest was close and it was a good competitive first half to watch.
Veterans, hooker Danny Clement and Lock, Andy Letts, more than earned their places for just “One more Season”. The back-row of new skipper Warren Riddell-Bloomfield at six, James Crompton, now permanently resident in Thanet after a successful three years at Loughborough University at open-side and last year’s skipper Sam Taylor, who moved to number eight, had had a thorough examination of their defensive credentials and passed with flying colours and helped to keep the line intact during a scoreless first half.
Kurt Pearson replaced Clement at hooker at the start of the second half and the stalemate continued until the fourteenth minute of the half when a superb penalty from Harrison took the Wanderers to five metres from Anchorian’s line. A well executed catch and drive was augmented by a back or two before Pearson touched down for Thanet’s first try of the season. Panteli made an excellent conversion and opened up a 7-0 lead. Eight minutes later Wanderers infringed in front of their posts and the visitors’ kicker made it 7 – 3.
Around a quarter of the game remained and the result was anything but certain as Wanderers’ remaining replacements, Luke Browning and Chris Gregory, were called up to add their support. Opportunities for both sides went begging as both sides pushed for another score. When the visitors were penalised for crossing Thanet were one minute away from the close of normal time and some distance from the opposition line. Callum Doody chose to go blind and left winger Lewis Downer made great ground down his wing before handing back to Doody to make the touchdown. Panteli’s conversion attempt went left of the posts but Wanderers led 12-3 with just a couple of minutes remaining.
Anchorians pushed for a score to achieve their bonus point and a last play penalty earned the three points that brought the losing bonus point. This was a good sporting contest between two well matched sides that needed a touch of blindside brilliance to secure the win. We wish Anchorians a successful season until we meet again in the final match of the season on 5th April.
Head Coach, Elliot Blackmore, was delighted with the win to start the new campaign but emphasised the need to maintain fitness and attend both of the week’s training sessions. Michael Whitehead has made great efforts to regain his match fitness and put in a great shift at tight-head. The three quarter play was not consistently fluent and wingers Louis Marshall and Lewis Downer were denied many opportunities to show their attacking prowess but with Vice-Captain Henry Mirams eminently secure at fullback their line was kept intact. His fellow vice captain, Adam Harrison, had a top game at inside centre and combined well with centre partner Cam Beck.
This was Charlie Panteli’s final match before leaving to go to a rugby hotbed, Cardiff Met University. A popular player, he will be much missed, on and off the field, and we wish him well on this progression in his life. Another young player who has made great strides since joining the first XV at the beginning of last season is Dennis Davies. The young lock’s mature and significant contribution today earned him the well deserved Man of the Match award from the coaching team.
Next Saturday 14th September the team travel to Vigo RFC near Meopham who lost their opening game at Maidstone by 30-25. Kick Off is at 3PM, please support if you can.
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