Old Albanians are making too much of a habit of enduring narrow defeats lately and these can be viewed equally well with the eye of the optimist or the pessimist: we did very well but we just missed out: or we let an opportunity slip; possibly a string of opportunities.

Nobody would worry if it was apparent that the strength of the squad was patently not up to the job but, to horribly misquote the old nursery rhyme “When we are good we are very, very good: but when we are bad…we are not quite as good as we should have been”! There is plenty of strength there, and in depth, so that is a worry we do not have to concern ourselves with. Sadly we are learning the bitter lesson that, at this level, if we are not on top of our game for fully eighty minutes we will be punished. And so it has come to pass.

The start was good enough with Hugo Watson taking advantage of a defensive lapse to cross from twenty metres, Sam Jones’ metronomic boot adding the extras. Eoin O’Donoghue and Frank Reynolds, try and conversion, equalled matters for the hosts before Jones’ next effort, this time a penalty. Reynolds again levelled on the half hour.

High contact in the tackle gave Rhys a ten minute rest and Canterbury’s response drew a fourteen point benefit going to the break, centre Tom Best and back row Cameron Murray crossing with Reynolds improving both. Morgan, also a Canterbury centre, brought the men of Kent a bonus point and a seventeen point lead three minutes into the second period and the redoubtable Reynolds added a penalty at the end of the third quarter.

Still OAs, not that it’s much consolation, won the second half 17-8; but, as has been alluded to, one half doth not a fixture make. Truth to tell the visitors second half performance had much to commend it. It also had tries from the ubiquitous Kemp Price, his tenth of the season, and fiery Ben Alexander. Jones converted both and added a last minute penalty to salvage a bonus point.

There have been numerous occasions when Albanians will play to this standard and win. Defence was mostly sound and loose play fiercely contested. Scrums had the usual give and take and the lineout continues to provide a stream of great possession. There is strength in the pack and pace out wide and an attractive variety of football is the result. Details need attention and that’s more a matter of attitude than anything else.

Said attitude can be tested next week against Guernsey.

Brian Quinn,

Roving Reporter