Guildford Rugby Club
Guildford mark Millward milestone with hard fought win despite late Ellingham surge
Guildford 31 – 20 Ellingham & Ringwood
Broadwater Park
17th January 2026
Team: 1 Harry Burt, 2 Ross Brooker, 3 Jon Karimian, 4 Jamie Curtis, 5 Alex Burrill, 6 Matt Naeem, 7 Tom Devereux, 8 Oli Millward (C) 9 Will Craven, 10 Joe Gwyther, 11 Josh Jones, 12 Tyler Pickford, 13 Oli Fielder, 14 Ben Bushell, 15 Christian King
Replacements: 16 Tom Roaf, 17 Josh Smith, 18 Charlie Cutting
Scorers:
Tries: Gwyther, Brooker, Fielder (2), Bushell
Cons: Gwyther (3)
Pens:
Guildford mark Millward milestone with hard fought win despite late Ellingham surge
Guildford responded to the sting of a heavy opening defeat in 2026 with a much needed victory at Broadwater Park, though a nervy final quarter ensured there was little sense of comfort at the final whistle as Ellingham & Ringwood departed with a bonus point and renewed confidence.
On a grey, overcast afternoon, the brightest moment before kick off was reserved for Oli Millward, who marked his 100th cap for the 1st XV. It was a milestone the home side were determined to honour with a performance to consolidate their mid table position and put daylight between themselves and the teams at the bottom.
The start, however, was far from ideal. After just two minutes the visitors, playing towards the road, exploited space on the right to send their elusive winger clear before he linked with support to cross for an unconverted try. Guildford were left to regroup at 0–5 down.
That early jolt had the desired effect. Within two minutes Joe Gwyther read a loose pass superbly, stepped in to intercept and sprinted 30 metres to score beneath the posts. Gwyther added the conversion himself to restore control at 7–5.
The game then settled into a familiar rhythm, with both sides creating half chances but failing to fully capitalise. Millward, keen to mark his century with a statement, was prominent in carrying, while Tom Devereux led the defensive effort with a series of ferocious tackles, repeatedly bouncing back to his feet in search of more work.
Out wide, Ben Bushell embodied the maxim that a kick is only as good as the chase, harrying the Ellingham & Ringwood back three relentlessly after well-judged kicks from Gwyther and Craven. His efforts forced errors and earned Guildford valuable lineouts in advanced positions.
Despite spending prolonged periods inside the visitors’ 22, Guildford initially struggled to turn pressure into points. Eventually, however, a lineout functioned as planned and a well marshalled drive saw hooker Ross Brooker peel off to ground the ball for an unconverted try, extending the lead to 12–5.
With confidence growing, the home side began to look increasingly comfortable, though Ellingham & Ringwood continued to disrupt matters at scrum and lineout time. It took until the final ten minutes of the half for Guildford to break clear. Oli Fielder found space inside the 22, took the pass at pace and crossed for a try converted by Gwyther to make it 19–5. Five minutes later Fielder struck again, his second and Guildford’s fourth, securing the try bonus point just before the interval. Gwyther again added the extras.
Half time: Guildford 26 Ellingham & Ringwood 5
As the second half commenced, Guildford resumed where they had left off. Early in the half Bushell was rewarded for his industry with a try of his own, though Gwyther was unable to add the conversion. At 31–5 the contest appeared settled.
As had been the case at a similar stage against Reeds Weybridge, the game then deteriorated into a scrappy, attritional affair. Defence dominated, turnovers were exchanged and clear scoring opportunities were at a premium. Gradually, the visitors edged their way back into contention. A midfield half break created a two on one, and Christian King was adjudged to have deliberately knocked the ball down, earning a yellow card.
Ellingham & Ringwood soon took advantage, creating space to score their second unconverted try, reducing the deficit to 31–10 and setting up a tense final ten minutes. Guildford initially held firm despite being reduced to 14 men, but discipline again proved an issue when Matt Naeem was shown a yellow card shortly after King’s return, leaving the home side to see out the final eight minutes a man short.
Sensing opportunity, the visitors struck twice more in the closing four minutes, both tries unconverted, to claim a bonus point and trim the margin to 31–20. Guildford, while relieved to secure the win, will reflect ruefully on a second half in which a comfortable advantage was allowed to erode.
Full time: Guildford 31–20 Ellingham & Ringwood.
Guildford now have a week off to recover and prepare for the trip to Tottonians on 31st January KO 14:00 (TBC), which will be a tough test. As ever, support will be warmly appreciated.
#ComeOnGs
Mike Burden
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