LUCKLESS TOTTS SLIP TO GUILDFORD DEFEAT

by Richard Isaacs | Oct 19, 2025 | Senior Rugby

As frustrating a defeat as it comes as Totts threw away a 32-17 lead to, once again, slip to defeat at Guildford seeing them drop to a third successive loss in Regional 2 South Central.

GUILDFORD 34 TOTTONIANS 32
Broadwater Pavilion, Godalming
Saturday 18th October 2025
Regional 2 South Central – match 6

Tottonians’ away woes continued on Saturday, as they gave up a 15-point lead with 15 minutes remaining at Guildford to lose their third game on the bounce. Remarkably, Totts picked up their fourth try-scoring bonus, as well as their fourth losing bonus point; four losses by a combined 10 points shows how different the league table could look.

It was a familiar start for Totts as the opening minutes gave them little ball and continued defence, and it only took Guildford four minutes to cross the whitewash after some poor backline defence. The backs, however, did respond in fine style; off the top lineout ball from just outside the 22, saw Dylan Kirk pass to Alex Robinson on the loop who hit Leo Tongue on a fine line to touchdown for his 8th try of the season, with Jamie Laing converting.

The next 10 minutes then belonged to Guildford; twice Totts failed to clear from their own 22 and twice were punished, first with a penalty from 20 meters out and, secondly, with a close quarter drive over after another clearance had been easily run back into the danger zone. With 25 minutes gone and 17-7 down, it was already looking like another poor day on the road for Totts.

And then, as we have seen so many times, Totts played their best rugby. The pack was starting to dominate the set piece, with props Nic Jansen and Tom Gregory really starting to work over their opposite numbers. After taking a scrum at yet another penalty, Harry Dolbear came left and fed Alex Robinson on a hard line to score under the sticks.

Five minutes later, after Guildford had missed a long-range shot at goal, a stolen line-out on Guildford’s 10m line saw Connor Andrews charging up the blindside, before the ball was swung right for Max Russell to show excellent footwork and feed Dylan Kirk to finish well.

Better was to follow to finish the half; even more scrum penalties eventually led to Will Ingram taking a quick tap, before an excellent wide ball from Kirk saw Alex Bolter-Jackson dot down for the second match running. With a 26-17 half-time lead, and a bonus point in the bag, Totts supporters may have thought things had turned a corner…..

And so to the second half. Totts dominated possession, but a combination of playing in the wrong areas and forcing the pass meant there was nothing to show for it. The pack continued to dominate the scrum and yet there was no punishment added to the repeated penalties.

Eventually, a penalty awarded in range allowed Laing to extend the lead on 55 minutes, and then again, to 15 points on 64 minutes.

And that was as good as it got.

The following kick-off was not cleared well and the resulting counter-attack led to a try under the posts. Worse was to follow just three minutes later, as an easy bust up the middle lead to field position in Totts’ 22 which ended in a score to the right of the posts to bring Guildford to within a point.

And with their tails up, it only took four minutes for them to take the lead. A penalty for holding on near half-way, a kick into Totts’ 22, repeated drives towards the posts and a penalty awarded bang in front, meant Totts had gone from 15 up to two down in the space of nine minutes.

In this topsy-turvy game, there was still the chance of a final twist as a penalty to Totts (would you believe it, at a scrum…) gave Laing the chance to sneak the win. Unfortunately, his shot at goal just missed the left upright, and it was the second week of having to accept just the two points.

It’s a tough period for a team who know they should be putting results to bed; Chobham at home, before a week off, is surely the time they need to do so.

TOTTONIANS POINT SCORERS:
1 try – Alex Robinson (sponsored by The Hot Totties)
1 try – Leo Tongue (sponsored by New Forest Architechural Services)
1 try – Alex Bolter-Jackson
1 try – Dylan Kirk
3 conversions – Jamie Laing
2 penalties – Jamie Laing

CAPTAIN LIAM MURPHY GIVES HIS THOUGHTS ON THE FRUSTRATING GUILDFORD DEFEAT