Guildford Rugby Club
Guildford Triumph in High Scoring Encounter Against North Dorset
Guildford 50 – 24 North Dorset
15th February 2025
Team: 1 James Delderfield, 2 Coby Coy, 3 Jon Karimian, 4, Josh Smith, 5 Jamie Curtis 6 Ollie Millward, 7 Tom Devereux, 8 Joe Garner, 9 Charlie Cuervo, 10 Joe Gwyther (C), 11 Solomon Poole, 12 Tyler Pickford, 13 Rob Voller, 14, Solomon Poole, 15, Charlie Gibbons
Replacements: 16 Paddy Wood, 17 Oli Hirst, 18 Louis Bounds
Scorers:
Tries: Jordan (2), Cuervo, Gwyther, Karimian, Millward, Bounds, Garner
Cons: Gwyther (5)
Guildford secured a much-needed victory on Saturday, overcoming North Dorset 50-24 at Broadwater Park in a dominant display that saw them run in eight tries.
While there was no report from the previous week’s rearranged fixture against Tottonians, by all accounts, the team battled hard to secure a draw and might have even edged a win on another day. That same resilience was evident in their first-ever meeting with North Dorset at Broadwater Park, as they showcased their attacking prowess to claim a crucial home win.
It was also a successful weekend for the Blues, who travelled to Dorking and emerged victorious with a 19-7 win. A blend of experienced campaigners, promising colts, and even a father-and-son duo combined to secure the result.
As has been the trend this season, Guildford made several enforced changes to their starting XV. In the pack, Coby Coy was handed the starting role at hooker after making his debut from the bench last week, while Tom Devereux returned to his natural position at openside flanker following a brief spell in the centre. The backline also saw key players return, with Rob Voller and Alex Jordan making their comebacks from injury. Tyler Pickford and Charlie Cuervo resumed their roles at centre and half-back, while Paddy Wood provided additional reinforcement from the bench.
Conditions were favourable for rugby, with overcast skies but, crucially, no wind or rain. Despite the recent adverse weather, the pitch was in good condition.
Guildford kicked off playing downhill towards the road, and the early exchanges were promising. However, it was North Dorset who struck first, breaching the home defence to score a converted try in the 11th minute (0-7).
The hosts responded swiftly, with Alex Jordan touching down in the corner five minutes later. Joe Gwyther was unable to convert, leaving the score at 5-7. With momentum building, Guildford pressed forward and Charlie Cuervo exploited a gap in the North Dorset defence to go over close to the posts. This time, Gwyther made no mistake with the extras, giving Guildford a 12-7 lead.
North Dorset continued to apply pressure, using their physical pack to make ground. However, the Guildford defence stood firm, and a well-timed intervention from Solomon Poole forced a turnover. The loose ball was kicked through, and Gwyther capitalised on a fortunate bounce to race clear and score under the posts before converting his own try (19-7).
Growing in confidence, Guildford added a fourth try before the interval. Forward Jon Karimian found himself in unfamiliar territory on the wing but showed great footwork to beat the full-back and cross the line for the bonus-point score. The conversion was unsuccessful, but Guildford entered the break with a commanding 24-7 lead.
Despite their advantage, Guildford were all too aware of past struggles in closing out games. Just three minutes into the second half, North Dorset narrowed the deficit with their second try (24-12), causing some nervousness among the home support.
That anxiety was soon alleviated as Guildford produced a clinical response. A sweeping move across the pitch ended with Jordan claiming his second try of the match, this time converted by Gwyther (31-12).
A sustained spell of pressure from North Dorset saw Guildford reduced to 14 men when Poole was shown a yellow card, and the visitors took advantage by adding a converted try (31-17). Once again, however, the home side responded emphatically. Gwyther’s well-timed pass sent Ollie Millward cutting through the defensive line to dot down under the posts, with the conversion making it 38-17.
North Dorset refused to relent and struck back with another converted try (38-24), but Guildford ensured there would be no late drama. A well-worked move saw Louis Bounds add a further try before Joe Garner capitalised on North Dorset’s own numerical disadvantage – following a yellow card – to round off the scoring. Gwyther’s conversion brought up the half-century as Guildford celebrated a well-earned 50-24 victory.
This result will provide a welcome boost for a Guildford side that has found wins hard to come by this season. The manner of their victory – and the attacking flair that produced eight tries – should instil confidence ahead of their next fixture away to Petersfield on 1st March.
Supporters will no doubt be hoping for another strong performance. Come on G’s!
Full-Time: Guildford 50-24 North Dorset
Mike Burden
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