By Colin Whiteley
Thanet Wanderers RUFC 48 – 8 Vigo RFC
It was good to see Nick Herbert back at outside centre for his season’s debut and Adam Harrison returned at Ten after a week away. Callum Doody reclaimed the Scrum Half jersey from brother Leon. Vigo were bottom of the league as the game kicked off but their only win was against Folkestone who defeated Wanderers in their most recent match at St Peters.
No results can be taken as red in the Counties 2 Kent League. A strong wind was behind Vigo as they kicked off up the slope on a bright cold day. An early penalty set Wanderers deep in Vigo’s half and some quality rucking took Wanderers over for a try for Number 8 Finlay White within the first four minutes.
Lewis Downer made an excellent conversion and Wanderers led 7-0. Dennis Davies made a good catch and attacked back strongly from the restart but the attack could not be maintained. Gradually Vigo worked their way back into the game and put the Wanderers defence under continual pressure but, despite conceding penalties, the line remained firm. Referee Mark Shaw showed yellow to full-back Henry Mirams as the team went down to fourteen for ten minutes. With about ten minutes of the half remaining, Vigo wisely went for the posts and were on the board 7-3. A rare Wanderers attack, minutes later, brought a penalty and Downer restored the seven point margin. Nick Herbert made an important trade mark big saving tackle and Wanderers would have been happy to reach half-time without conceding again against a team who had looked anything but bottom of the league.
Playing up the slope with the wind behind them in the second half, there was a real transformation about Thanet with no-one more fired up than left winger Louis Marshall. Leading the onslaught he rampaged through the Vigo defence leaving defenders in his wake to touch down under the posts with the half just a couple of minutes old. Downer added the extras for a 17-0 lead.
Five minutes later more insistent pressure from the Wanderers with some top drawer handling on all fronts was ended by Tom O’Callaghan racing in to touch down. There was no conversion leaving the score at 22-3. The young winger, who more regularly plays at scrum half was again touching down three minutes later. Receiving near the right wing following a wide ranging attack that had begun near halfway, he picked an elusive line on his way to the posts to secure the try bonus point. Downer’s conversion put Thanet 29-3 ahead.
Was that match over? The message hadn’t reached Vigo who worked hard as they sought to break the home defensive line and were eventually rewarded with a try wide out near the left corner that could not be converted. Wanderers quickly responded with a restart that found a long touch and was in a good attacking position.
With possession regained Wanderers worked their way into midfield and Louis Marshall was again the scorer under the posts making the score, after Downer’s conversion, 36-5. With 25 minutes remaining a big score looked likely but the visitors’ stubborn defence meant it was seventeen minutes before the next try was registered and that completed Louis Marshall’s hat-trick. There was no way of stopping him as he finished off some lovely flowing rugby to triumphantly touch down. A mislaid kicking tee meant Downer had to rush his attempted conversion and it rebounded from a post. Two minutes later it was required again after Nick Herbert capped a very successful return with a strongly finished try. Downer added the extras making the final score 48-8 to Wanderers.
Great defence in the first half maintained Wanderers’ narrow lead until the break and allowed the Thanet side’s fitness and stamina to build a substantial score during the second half against a whole-hearted Vigo team. Good luck to them as they battle to move up the table during the early months of 2025.
Wanderers remain in second place in the league with the third team, Gillingham Anchorians, hard on their heels and just a point behind Wanderers. Next week Thanet travel to Maidstone who are in eleventh place in the twelve team league but there will be no complacency in the Wanderers squad and their coaches. Please support the team if you can.
Head Coach, Elliot Blackmore thanked James Crompton who played at six for another top performance and congratulated second row young Charlie Bailey on another ‘make a difference ‘performance from the bench. Wanderers stand in Number Eight, Finn White, has come through the ranks of the club’s juniors to give very mature performances in the first XV. He gave an outstanding display against Vigo, standing big in defence and carrying strongly to make many metres. He scored a try and was chosen by the opposition and his own coaches as Wanderers man of the match.
