Early National League 2 East leaders Canterbury Rugby Club have started their season in fine form - but the club’s winning formula is being shown by more than just their first team.

While Canterbury top their league with maximum points after a 27-14 Kent derby win at Sevenoaks last weekend, Canterbury Pilgrims - their second string - are also two from two in Kent 1 after they eased to a 43-17 victory over Sevenoaks 2nds.

And in Kent 4, Canterbury Canons backed up an opening-day 60-12 success against Medway 3rds with a 44-33 victory at Sheppey on Saturday.

First-team head coach Matt Corker said: “We’re actually six from six this season!

“The third team has just been promoted so they’re doing really well. The real question is ‘Who’s going to lose first?!’.

“It’s not by accident. This is something we have been working hard towards.

“We have had so many players training with the first team and second team that we have been able to put some of them into the third-team squad.

“Obviously, some clubs are struggling so we’re really lucky.

"We just want to keep it going.”

The Pilgrims look like they again will be a force to be reckoned with after being promoted from Kent 2 as champions after a near-perfect campaign last term.

“When you look at the Pilgrims, it’s just such a strong team,” enthused Corker.

“There’s so many lads in there with first-team experience, that’s what is really driving the quality forward. They have got a really tough job on their hands.

“Repeating something is really difficult but, if they can, we have the opportunity to go into the league above which is a really competitive league.

“That would be a really fantastic challenge for the squad.”

Among the try-scorers for the city club at Sevenoaks were scrum-half Presley Farrance, winger Garry Jones and utility forward Chad Thomas while fly-half Frank Reynolds’ boot was critical once more.

Corker reflected: “The result was fantastic.

“That’s the first time we have won against them away from home in three seasons. The last two times we have come away feeling very disappointed with our performances.

“The emotion of the day did take away some of our accuracy - that’s something we have got to learn from.

"But there was some good defence, especially in the last 15 minutes, and our line-out maul drive was very positive for the second week in a row.

“That was really pleasing. The boys are very much enjoying being at the top of the table and rightly so because they were two great results.

“But we know - even at this stage of the season - there’s a bit of a target on our back.”

While Corker is happy for Canterbury’s players to take confidence from their rapid start this campaign, he is equally keen to avoid complacency.

He said: “It’s very important at this stage of the season not to get ahead of ourselves.

“You don’t really know what teams are where yet, who will be strong and who will be at the top of the table.

“Take confidence (from Canterbury’s start), absolutely, but don’t become complacent.”

Corker’s team are at home against Worthing, who haven’t earned a point yet from their first two league games, this Saturday.

“They have had a really tough start to the season,” said the coach. “They come to us, looking for their first win of the season, so they will be hungry to get their first points on the board.

“But, as always, we will be concentrating on ourselves. The next couple of games are vital.

“We felt like we were chasing all the way to Christmas last year.

“There’s an element of pressure but we want to be mixing it with the top teams.”