Loss in Guildford leaves Chichester in relegation battle – and calling for big local support

After their loss and other results not going their way, the Blues have to win Saturday’s crunch game and are hoping for plenty of noisy, local support for the 2.30pm kick-off. A bonus point win will secure league survival – anything less is likely to see relegation decided on the final day.

At Guildford, there were 13 changes. Dane Gingell, Tom Whitehouse, Tyrese Makasi and Niall Wright came into the pack with Josef Amin, Charlie Manger, Pat Bray, Tom Polhill, Mitieli Ravudolo, Ross Miller joining the backs and Ken Dowding, Ben Polhill and Ollie Horne on the bench.

Guildford started with the wind behind them. The hosts were quickly on the scoreboard when Chichester conceded a penalty 30m out.

Guildford increased the lead on seven minutes when a Blues clearance kick was taken by the outside centre and run through the Chichester defence for a score under the posts, converted for a 10-0 lead.

On 17 minutes a rolling maul, close to the try line, was stopped illegally by Blues and the ref produced a yellow card. Guildford kicked for the corner and from the lineout used their man advantage to maul to the line, from where the ball-carrier darted across for 15-0.

Despite being a man down Chichester made progress and after an opposition infringement had a lineout on the 5m line. After several pick and goes the ball was knocked on and Blues were back in their own half defending.

A clearance kick was caught by Guildford and moved across the backs where the winger wrongfooted the defence to score in the corner, making it 20-0 after 30 minutes.

Six minutes later the hosts got their bonus point try from a blindside move off the back of a scrum – 25-0 at the break.

Blues restarted with the wind at their backs. Guildford’s clearance didn’t find touch and the ball was carried into contact and mauled forward to the 22m line. It was passed out to MoM Joe Knight and on to Tom Whitehouse who burst through to score next to the posts, converted by Jack Knight for 25-7.

On 46 minutes it was Guildford’s turn to lose a player to a yellow card. But the hosts were camped in the Blues’ red zone for nearly 10 minutes before moving the ball across the backs to score on the overlap, 30-7.

Chichester lost a player to a yellow card but upped the tempo and started to impose their authority in the scrum and maul. From a scrum on halfway the ball was moved forward to the 22m line and Niall Wright ran through to score, converted. 30-14.

A handling error from the hosts saw Tyrese Makasi recover the ball and advance into the opposition red zone and Will Prior was on hand to dot down. The conversion rebounded off the post and time ran out on the recovery.