Guildford Rugby Club
Guildford 1st XV vs Petersfield, Saturday 20th September
Petersfield 43 – 7 Guildford
20th September 2025
Guildford Show Resilience Despite Setback at Petersfield
Team: 1 James Delderfield, 2 Jacob Jones, 3 Jon Karimian, 4 Alex Burrill (C), 5 Josh Smith, 6 Coby Coy, 7 Josh Jones, 8 Oli Millward, 9 Charlie Cuervo, 10 Liam Driscoll, 11 Ben Bushell, 12 Charlie Gibbons, 13 Louis Bounds, 14 Solomon Poole, 15 Lochy Ellis-Jones
Replacements: 16 Callum Daniel*, 17 Ollie Armitage*, 18 Harvey Kwan (*Debut)
Scorers: Tries: Gibbons (1)
Cons: Cuervo
Pens:
Player Of the Match (POTM): Josh Jones
On a day when the weather couldn’t decide between summer sunshine and winter downpours, Guildford fell short in their bid for back-to-back victories, going down to a well-drilled Petersfield side. Yet there were plenty of positives to take from a spirited performance on the road.
Guildford travelled with ten changes, either positional or in personnel, from last week’s triumph over Reeds Weybridge – a match that marked the debut of Callum Daniel, retained on the bench. There was another fresh face in Ollie Armitage, while the club also bid a temporary farewell to Charlie Cuervo, Ben Bushell and Charlie Gibbons, all heading off to university. On the brighter side, stalwart James Delderfield returned to action.
The visitors made a confident start, using the conditions to good effect. The early exchanges were evenly matched, with Guildford eager to move the ball wide and showcase Liam Driscoll’s sharp distribution. The pack, meanwhile, looked solid, making steady ground and benefiting from Cuervo’s clever use of the boot to pin Petersfield back.
In the loose, Josh Smith and Josh Jones were prominent ball carriers, with Smith commanding the lineout. Not to be outdone, Jacob Jones stole several wayward throws from the home side, keeping Guildford on the front foot.
Their enterprise was rewarded after 12 minutes. A powerful line run from Oli Milward almost saw him clear through, but when the defence scrambled back, Guildford’s support work was outstanding. Relentless pressure forced Petersfield back over their line, and when the ball squirted free, Charlie Gibbons reacted quickest to dot down. Cuervo added the extras for a deserved 7–0 lead.
Petersfield, however, responded swiftly, and after a series of penalties, worked their way upfield for their scrum-half to cross. With the conversion good and a yellow card compounding matters, Guildford showed grit to withstand more pressure and keep the deficit to just seven at the break.
HT: Petersfield 14–7 Guildford
The visitors looked to restart with intent, but two minutes into the half Petersfield struck again through the heart of the defence, extending their lead to 21–7. From there, the home pack gradually imposed themselves, their scrum proving a difficult platform for Guildford to counter.
Despite determined defence and flashes of ambition out wide, Petersfield capitalised on both the worsening conditions and their forward dominance, adding four more tries – two converted – before the final whistle. Guildford’s opportunities were limited, but their resolve in adversity and refusal to let their heads drop was commendable.
FT: Petersfield 45–7 Guildford
Final Thoughts
After three games, Guildford sit ninth in the table with five points – already an improvement on this stage last season. The side is still bedding in, with enforced changes disrupting momentum, but the signs are promising. The set-piece, particularly the scrum, will need work if the team is to build consistently on its attacking flair.
Injuries to Gibbons and Cuervo will mean further adjustments next week, but with young talent coming through and experienced heads returning, Guildford have every reason to believe that their campaign is on a stronger footing than last year.
Next week, 27/09 is a rest week which will enable the team to regroup before the next block of 4 games kicking off against Havant II at home on 4th October. The guys would appreciate your support. Come on Gs!
Upcoming 1st XV fixtures
04/10/2025 Havant 11 (H)
11/10/2025 Ellingham & Ringwood (A)
18/10/2025 Tottonians (H)
25/10/2025 Winchester (A)
The table for Regional 2 South Central can be found at this link on the England Rugby website: Link to Regional 2 South Central league table
Mike Burden
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