Guildford Claim Five-Point Victory in Spirited Away Performance at Ellingham & Ringwood

Guildford Rugby Club

Guildford Claim Five-Point Victory in Spirited Away Performance at Ellingham & Ringwood

Ellingham & Ringwood 24 – 36 Guildford

Parsonage Barn Lane

Ringwood

11th October 2025

Guildford Claim Five-Point Victory in Spirited Away Performance at Ellingham & Ringwood

Team: 1 Ollie Hirst, 2 Jacob Jones, 3 James Delderfield, 4 Tom Roaf, 5 Josh Smith, 6 Joe Ball* 7 Josh Jones, 8 Tom Devereaux, 9 Liam Driscoll, 10 Joe Gwyther (c), 11 Alex Jordan, 12 Tyler Pickford, 13 Louis Bounds, 14 Solomon Poole, 15 Will Craven

Replacements: 16 Ross Brooker, 17 Charlie Adams, 18 Harvey Kwan

(*Debut)

Scorers:

Tries: Jordan, Pickford, Bounds (2) Devereaux

Cons: Gwyther (4)

Pens: Gwyther

Player Of the Match (POTM): Tom Devereaux

It was a glorious autumn morning as Guildford set off from Broadwater for their first-ever league visit to Ellingham & Ringwood. The conditions were more reminiscent of late spring than mid-October, bright sunshine, a gentle breeze, and a perfect surface for running rugby.

As has become something of a Guildford trademark this season, there were ten changes to the starting XV from last week’s side. The return of James Delderfield from injury was a welcome boost, as were the appearances of Ollie Hirst and Alex Jordan, back from university and Bucharest respectively. Tyler Pickford returned to the centre, allowing Tom Devereaux to slot in at No.8, while a new second-row partnership of Josh Smith and Tom Roaf promised fresh steel in the pack. Debutant Joe Ball, the fifth player to feature at blindside this season, made a confident start at No.6.

Playing towards the clubhouse and into the breeze, Guildford began brightly. They dominated at the breakdown, forcing a string of penalties from the home side, and made strong inroads through the midfield. The scrum, for once, held the upper hand, allowing the backs to play with purpose and freedom.

That intent was rewarded after just three minutes. A slick move through the hands saw AJ cut in from his wing, slice through the defence, and race clear to score under the posts. Joe Gwyther converted to give the visitors a deserved 7–0 lead.

Guildford pressed their advantage, and within five minutes struck again. Another penalty deep in Ellingham territory saw Gwyther spot Pickford unmarked in open space. A superb 40-metre cross-field kick found its mark, and Pickford gathered to touch down for one of the simplest finishes he’ll ever enjoy. Gwyther’s conversion made it 14–0, and when he added a penalty shortly after, the score stretched to 17–0 inside the opening quarter.

Sustained Guildford pressure soon led to a yellow card for an Ellingham prop after repeated team infringements. The visitors looked confident and in control, mixing patient build-up play with ambitious offloads. At times they were guilty of overcomplicating matters, but their dominance was clear.

Despite the man advantage, Guildford couldn’t add to their tally, and credit must go to Ellingham for rallying. As the first half ended, the hosts, back to full strength, broke through twice in quick succession to score two unconverted tries, narrowing the gap to 10–17 at the break.

Half-time: 10–17

The second half began much as the first had, with Guildford’s forwards laying the platform for the backs to attack. Six minutes in, Louis Bounds crossed for his first try of the day after sustained pressure. Though the conversion was missed, Guildford’s lead extended to 22–10.

The visitors’ lineout continued to impress, with Jacob Jones finding his targets reliably and even stealing several opposition throws. Their driving maul repeatedly marched deep into Ellingham territory, and from one such surge, the ball was spun wide for Bounds to score his second try, his sixth of the season, cementing his position as the team’s leading try-scorer. Gwyther’s conversion made it 29–10, and another Ellingham infringement saw their flanker dispatched to the sin bin.

This time, Guildford made their numerical advantage count. Five minutes later, the pack powered the home side back over their own line from a 5-metre scrum, with Devereaux grounding the ball for what many onlookers called Guildford’s first pushover try in years. Gwyther added the extras to stretch the lead to 36–10 with just under 20 minutes remaining.

But the hosts refused to lie down. Still searching for their first win of the season, Ellingham struck twice more in the 26th and 29th minutes—both converted—to claim a well-earned try bonus point and threaten an unlikely comeback.

Guildford had to dig deep in the closing stages to keep the hosts at bay, showing resilience and composure as the final whistle sounded.

Full-time: Ellingham & Ringwood 24 – Guildford 36

Guildford will regret letting the opposition back into the game after such a commanding start, but five points on the road is an excellent return and leaves them in a far stronger position than at this stage last season. With consistency in selection still proving elusive, the signs are nonetheless promising: this was a composed and confident display, built on set-piece solidity and sharp attacking play.

Next weekend, Guildford return to Broadwater Park to face Tottonians. Kick-off is at 3pm, and supporters are warmly encouraged to come and cheer the team on as they look to build on this fine away win.

Upcoming 1st XV fixtures in October

18/10/2025 Tottonians (H)

25/10/2025 Winchester (A)

Mike Burden

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