WINCHESTER 68 – 24 GUILDFORD
Nuns Rd finally welcomed its 1st XV and faithful supporters for the first home game of the season. A packed Presidents lunch celebrated the successful return of the President and cycling friends, whose combined efforts raised £30,000 for Winchester Hospice.
On the pitch, Winchester flew out of the blocks, intent on taking immediate control. The backs repeatedly punched through midfield, bringing tries for outside centre Tom Banks and scrum-half Josh Burson. Fly-half and Captain Tom Fieldsend converted both to establish a 14–0 lead.
As the contest settled into its rhythm, Guildford began to enjoy more possession. A solid scrum inside the Winchester half gave them the platform they needed, allowing centre Marno Du Plessis to cross for an unconverted try and reduce the deficit to 14–5.
Winchester quickly reasserted themselves and struck twice more before the interval. Fieldsend’s perfectly judged chip invited full-back Tommy Hare to race through and finish in the corner. Soon afterwards, a sustained attack through the centre was completed by replacement second-row Seb Townsend. Fieldsend converted both tries, sending Winchester into half-time with a commanding 28–5 advantage.
Winchester resumed with equal determination. Hare’s clever kick-and-chase was well supported by lock Josh Bradley, who gathered to score a converted try. Moments later, Fieldsend’s sharp show-and-go opened Guildford’s defence in the red zone, with prop and vice-captain Ben Turner finishing the move. Two more conversions stretched the lead to 42–5.
Guildford nevertheless showed admirable grit. Capitalising on missed tackles, scrum-half Jason Spiers forced his way over, with Bipin Gurung adding the conversion to make it 42–12.
Winchester answered through their pack. A penalty was dispatched to touch and, from the resulting lineout, a powerful driving maul carried hooker Jimmy Wallis across the line. The conversion drifted wide, leaving the score at 47–12.
Guildford responded again after the restart. Lock Hanre Erasmus scored two quick tries, first breaking the line and then powering over from a lineout maul. Bipin Gurung converted the first, lifting the travelling support as Guildford closed to 47–24.
The closing flourish, however, belonged entirely to Winchester. Dominant lineouts deep in Guildford territory created tries for number eight Tom Beach and winger Emmanuel Terakuu, before Banks completed an excellent afternoon with his second score. Fieldsend converted all three, sealing an emphatic 68–24 victory.
Head Coach Chris Searle was delighted with today’s performance. "Scoring 68 points in front of our home crowd is a fantastic achievement, but what excites me most is seeing new faces grow in confidence at this level and combinations beginning to click. We have a challenging month ahead and plenty to improve, but we’re heading in the right direction.”
Next week, Winchester travel to third-placed Old Tiffinians, aiming to carry this attacking confidence into their next away challenge.
