A vibrant and dominant second half earned Canterbury an important victory over the league’s bottom club.

The bonus point win gives them breathing space in the battle to stay clear of the relegation dogfight as the four teams below all lost. With games against the top two clubs next on the February menu the city side will be grateful for this five-try, maximum return.

After an erratic but even first half Canterbury brought fresh vitality to their game and by the final quarter opened an eighteen-point gap which they were never likely to squander.

Dings, looking to play attractive, attacking rugby totally at odds with their league status, were not as assured in defence and they cracked three times in those last 40 minutes.

Canterbury’s good start, when they kept the ball alive cleverly to take the lead with an Aiden Moss try, was something of a false dawn.

The greater urgency of the Dings pack gave them the edge in possession and with the city club’s basic working parts in need of attention they lacked the ammunition to to make any meaningful impact.

The defence did its bit, highlighted by the pace and last ditch tackle of full back Martyyn Beaumont which stopped centre Chris Gervais from turning a handing error into a Dings score, but the equaliser eventually came.

The Bristol side’s impressive full back, Callum Sheedy, read Charlie Harding’s pass perfectly and his interception gave him an unimpeded run to the line.

Stalemate loomed, but in the last act of the half Canterbury managed to steal into the lead. Ricky Mackintosh smashed through a midfield gap and when the centre’s 40 metre burst was halted short of the line the support was there and Harding nipped over.

Two minutes into the second half that narrow five-point lead stretched to twelve as Dings were hit by a resurgent Canterbury. Suddenly there was real intent in the ball carrying and at the breakdown and when the backs moved the ball crisply to the left Mason Rosvall cut a defence splitting angle and outpaced everyone to record his fourteenth try of the season.

Tom Best slotted the second of his three conversions and a city side now brimming with confidence stayed in command despite the loss of Moss and hooker Tom Rogers with injuries.

Foul play by Dings cost them another try, handing Canterbury position for Sam Rogers to make the bonus point touchdown and at 25-7 it was a steep uphill prospect for the visitors.

They hit back defiantly, reduced the backlog with a try for hooker Dave Wheeler and the canny orchestrator of their back division, fly half Mark Woodrow, topped it up with his second conversion.

That small revival stalled eight minutes from the end with Canterbury’s fifth try. Prop Jim Green scored it from close range on his first appearance of the season and it was a proper reward for his effective shift in the front row.

In the late stages, Sam Rogers and Adam Cathcart were both ordered to the sin bin as Dings chased a consolation a score, but even that double reduction in the city club’s ranks failed to undermine their defences or take the shine off an improved second half effort.

Canterbury: M.Beaumont, A.Moss (repl A.Veale), R.Mackintosh, C.Harding, M.Rosvall, T.Best, G.Kay (repl O.Best), S.Kenny (repl J.Green), S.Rogers (repl T,.Rogers (repl S.Rogers), A.Wake-Smith (repl S.Kenny), R.Cadman, C.Hinkins (repl G.Westgarth), T.Sherson, A.Cathcart, R.Ward