SLEEPY VIGO PUNISHED.

VIGO 2nd XV 33 CANTERBURY 3rd XV 62

Vigo, as has been a recurring theme, started too slowly against a strong Canterbury side, ostensibly the Club’s Development Squad. The visitors were never going to look a gift horse in the mouth, and within a twinkling of the eye – well, the opening 15 minutes were 17 points to the good, Vigo’s collective mind still in the changing room. To their immense credit, Ben Buckland’s boys, began to improve. They started to put together some dangerous moves and rocked the visitors with three tries of their own, Lewis Evans, Harry Pattison and Adam Fitzgerald all going over. Pattison added a brace of conversions to take the lead, albeit briefly. Canterbury recognised the danger of the powerful winger, Fitzgerald, who came in for some heavy treatment, as they regained their poise.
Vigo could not build on the momentum, all too often losing the ball cheaply, and criminally throwing out two interceptions which led to the tries that Canterbury scored to regain the initiative before half time.
Refreshed and invigorated, Canterbury took charge in the second half, the slope their ally. Vigo, who had scraped together a team, were hurled back Canterbury running in regular tries. Not to say, Vigo were totally acquiescent, still able to pose problems at times. But Canterbury were too well drilled, punishing every Vigo error. Pattison halted the flow with a typical scampering try, and the impressively hard working Lewis Evans sounded a note of defiance with a late try to have the last word. Pattison converted both second half tries.
Darren Cox opined that obviously Vigo’s Rope-A Dope tactics didn’t work. ‘’If we hadn’t have gifted them the opening 3 tries whilst we were still in a coma, we would only have lost 45-33, a better score line’’.
Credit, however, should go to Vigo’s team. Out-played, over whelmed at times, but they fought for the badge, are learning all the time under the impressive leadership of young Ben Buckland. Their time will come, without a doubt.

Team: R.Lancaster; A.Fitzgerald, R.Hayes, A.Porter (rep: CJ McGuire), L.Pitchell; H.Pattison, B.Paget; L.Walker, J.McLoughlin, W.Lee (rep: M.Gregory); M.Lingham, T.Gander; Lewis Evans, B.Buckland (capt.); D.Cox