By David Haigh

On a stifling September day it was Canterbury who ran hottest as they crushed Tonbridge Juddians 45-19 in a feisty National League 2 East Kent derby.

The player who applied the heat to the visitors was hooker Nathan Morris, who scored four of his side's seven tries as a dominant pack turned catch-and-drive opportunities into match-winning points.

The first Morris score came after only three minutes and by the end of the first quarter Canterbury had secured a four-try bonus point and were 26 points ahead.

Frank Reynolds' towering kick into the sun, spilled by the visitors, set up the second try scored by centre Lewis Hollidge before Morris twice went to work again in those expertly-marshalled mauls.

Playing catch-up rugby so early in the game set Juddians a serious challenge, but they responded with two tries in a four-minute spell. Sam Evans opened space for Alex Brown for the first and then lock Perry Parker had his own driving maul moment and Evans converted.

It was only a temporary loss of grip for a determined Canterbury and when captain Jamie Stephens took the same route to the line as Morris and Reynolds landed his fourth conversion the city side went into the break 33-12 ahead.

A Juddians team looking for salvation made a good start to the second half with a try for hooker Will Holling, Evans converting, but It proved to be their last shot.

Canterbury stretched away again as Aiden Moss put a fine finishing touch to some incisive handling, Reynolds adding the extras, and Morris was driven over for his fourth on 53 minutes. There was still a twist to the Canterbury tale in the later stages when they were hit by a flurry of cards, one of them a red for lock Shay Kerry. Reduced to defending with 12 men they dug in magnificently to deny Juddians the consolation of a losing bonus point.

This Saturday Canterbury visit Esher while Tonbridge host Guernsey.

Canterbury: Moss, Morgan, Jones, Hollidge, Orris, Reynolds, Williams, McColl, Morris, Herriott. Kerry, Stephens, Rogers, Murray. Replacements: Holland, O’Donoghue, Furneaux, Farrance, Best.