Tottonians 55 - Guildford 28

Guildford Rugby Club

Tottonians 55 - Guildford 28

Team: 1 Paddy Wood, 2 Jacob Jones, 3 Jon Karimian, 4 Jordan Brodley, 5 Alex Burrill 6 Ollie Millward, 7 Tom Devereaux, 8 Joe Garner 9 Charlie Cuervo, 10 Will Sheere, 11 Charlie Hamilton*, 12 Tyler Pickford, 13 Oli Fielder, 14 Alex Jordan, 15 Rob Voller (c)

Replacements: 16 Luke Brookes, 17 George Angel*, 18 Ed Pasfield

(*Debut)

Guildford claim a try bonus point

Guildford’s search for their first win of the season continues as they fell 55-28 to top of the league Tottonians on Saturday. Despite securing a try bonus point, an inconsistent performance left them trailing by a significant margin at the final whistle. The match showcased flashes of promise but also highlighted areas of concern for Guildford, particularly in their defensive organisation and ability to maintain focus throughout the game.

The squad made six changes from their previous fixture, with Charlie Hamilton making a late debut on the wing in place of the injured Ieuan Jones. Second-row George Angel also earned his debut after being named among the replacements. Despite these adjustments, Guildford struggled to find the rhythm that had seen them put up a valiant second-half display in their last outing.

Tottonians were quick to capitalise on Guildford's lapses in concentration, and it only took seven minutes for the home side to register their first try. A lineout inside Guildford’s 22 provided the platform for a driving maul that Guildford couldn't stop and Tottonians were 7-0 up after the conversion.

Guildford’s defence was under pressure again in the 16th minute, conceding a penalty under their own posts, which was duly slotted home to extend Tottonians’ lead to 10-0. Matters worsened for the visitors when a miscommunication in the backline allowed Tottonians’ scrum half to intercept a pass and sprint away for another try. With the conversion, Guildford found themselves 17-0 down.

It wasn’t until the 30th minute that Guildford found a breakthrough. Debutant Charlie Hamilton showed quick thinking by intercepting a loose pass on the halfway line, racing clear to score under the posts. Rob Voller’s successful conversion gave Guildford a lifeline at 17-7.

However, Guildford's joy was short-lived. From the restart, their defence faltered again, allowing Tottonians to restore their lead with a try under the posts. The conversion took the score to 24-7 before a further lapse in concentration allowed Tottonians to cross for their bonus-point try just before half-time, though the conversion was missed, leaving the score 29-7 at the break.

The second half began in much the same way, with Tottonians quickly adding another try to extend their lead to 36-7. Yet, Guildford showed some fight. Jordan Brodley made a break down the blindside and put in a clever grubber kick for Alex Jordan to chase, winning the race to score. Voller converted again, cutting the deficit to 36-14.

For much of the remainder of the game, the sides traded tries. Tottonians’ winger broke through to score another, pushing the score to 41-14. Guildford responded with a well-worked try from a lineout maul, driving over for their third try of the afternoon, which Voller again converted, making it 41-21.

As the game entered its final stages, Tottonians added another converted try to extend their lead to 48-21. Guildford, however, refused to give up. After a sustained period of pressure, Brodley scored close to the posts, and Voller’s flawless kicking performance continued, bringing the score to 48-28.

Tottonians had the final say, though, as they scored a wide-ranging try in the dying minutes of the match, taking the final score to 55-28.

Despite the heavy defeat against the team who are top of the league, Guildford will take some positives from the game. Their set piece, particularly the lineout, showed signs of improvement, and the performances of debutants Hamilton and Angel suggest a bright future.

Next week, Guildford are back on the road again, this time travelling to Winchester. They will be looking to build on the positives from this match and push for that elusive first win. The team will no doubt welcome any support as they aim to turn the tide in their favour.

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