Resilient Guildford Show Spirit Against League Leaders

Guildford Rugby Club

Resilient Guildford Show Spirit Against League Leaders

Winchester 45 –14 Guildford

25th October 2025

Resilient Guildford Show Spirit Against League Leaders

Team: 1 Jon Karimian, 2 Jacob Jones, 3 Ross Brooker, 4 Matt Naeem, 5 Henry Cole, 6 Joe Meade, 7 Josh Jones, 8 Oli Millward, 9 Liam Driscoll, 10 Joe Gwyther (C), 11 Christian King, 12 Tom Devereux, 13 Louis Bounds, 14 Solomon Poole, 15 Will Craven

Replacements: 16 Will St Pier* 17 Jamie Curtis, 18 Harvey Kwan

(*Debut)

Scorers:

Tries: King, Craven

Cons: Gwyther (2)

Pens:

Player Of the Match (POTM): Oli Millward

Guildford travelled to unbeaten league leaders Winchester full of confidence after back to back victories. Yet, facing the table-toppers on their own turf was always going to be a stern test one made tougher by a string of enforced changes due to injury and unavailability.

There was, however, much to celebrate in selection. Jon Karimian returned to the pack fresh from his travels in Australia and New Zealand, while Matt Naeem slotted back into the second row alongside Henry Cole, home from university. Joe Meade earned a deserved start at blindside flanker, and Tommy Devereux continued his run in the backs, lining up at centre. There was also a welcome sight in Christian King’s return to blue-and-gold colours after a lengthy absence. On the bench, the ever-reliable Harvy Kwan was joined by Jamie Curtis, back from a broken wrist sustained in the season’s opener at Bournemouth, and debutant Will St Pier, a warm welcome to him.

Conditions were ideal for rugby: a firm pitch and a strong end-to-end breeze that Winchester chose to exploit first. Guildford kicked off, but within eight minutes the hosts’ well-drilled pack set up the platform for two early tries, one converted, to lead 12-0.

Winchester’s physical forwards dominated the set piece, yet the Guildford pack held their ground admirably, conceding no penalties in the scrum, a feat that visibly unsettled the home side. Liam Driscoll capitalised on their uncertainty, repeatedly breaking up the link between Winchester’s forwards and backs.

Despite finding themselves pinned in their own half for long stretches, Guildford’s defensive effort was wholehearted. Louis Bounds tackled tirelessly, supported by strong defensive shifts from Devereux and Karimian. It took until the 25th minute for Winchester to break through again for a converted try, quickly followed by another to claim the bonus point at 26-0.

Towards the close of the first half, Guildford began to turn the tide, mounting sustained pressure near the hosts’ try-line. A score before the interval would have been a deserved reward, but the home defence held firm, and Winchester added two more tries before the break to lead 38-0.

Half-time: Winchester 38 – Guildford 0

With the wind now at their backs, Guildford’s travelling supporters hoped for a revival, and the team delivered. Just nine minutes into the second half, Christian King marked his return in fairy-tale fashion, crossing for a try converted by Joe Gwyther. The score lifted the visitors, who began to find rhythm and confidence.

Although Winchester struck back four minutes later with another converted try to make it 45-7, Guildford were now firmly in the contest. Their play carried far more purpose, and while the constant reshuffling of line-ups each week was evident in moments of disjointed play, the team’s work rate never faltered.

The final minutes saw further reward for Guildford’s persistence when the impressive Will Craven capped a strong individual display by touching down for his debut try. Gwyther’s conversion meant the final score was 45-14.

Full-time: Winchester 45 – Guildford 14

Though the result went Winchester’s way, Guildford’s second-half display was full of grit and determination, winning the half 14-7 against the league leaders. Their refusal to fold under pressure was testament to the squad’s growing resilience and togetherness.

If the team can replicate that second-half intensity across a full 80 minutes, there’s every reason to believe more wins lie ahead.

Guildford now take a well-earned break as the Autumn Internationals get underway —the England v Australia match will be shown at the club on Saturday, all welcome! League action resumes on 8th November with an away trip to Old Tiffinians, who sit just above Guildford in mid-table (Kick-off 14:30 TBC). As ever, travelling support will be very much appreciated.

#ComeOnGs

Upcoming 1st XV fixtures in November:

01/11/2025 Rest week – no game

08/11/2025 Old Tiffinians (A)

15/11/2025 Rest week – no game

22/11/2025 Chobham (H)

Mike Burden

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