Hampshire Counties Two rugby: Late tries soften Fordingbridge loss vs Chichester II

Hampshire Counties Two
Chichester II RFC 40
Fordingbridge RFC 21

FORDINGBRIDGE travelled to West Sussex with another much-changed team, and they eventually succumbed to Chichester seconds.

Three players made their first-team debuts, with one promoted to the first team and the other two playing their first games for the club: front-rowers Jack Pierce and Joel Street, with Dan Kerley making the side at outside centre.

For the initial 10 minutes, honours were even with the packs equally matched, although the Chichester’s well-drilled line-out was functioning well.

Following a succession of penalties for high tackles, Chichester kicked to within five metres of the tryline and, with a catch-and-drive, secured a converted score in the 12th minute.

Just before the break, Chichester scored a well-worked, unconverted try wide on the left wing for a 12-0 lead.

The second half again followed the pattern of the first with an initial evenly matched 10 minutes before an exchange of scores saw Chichester touch down, followed closely by a Dom Hall try for Fordingbridge when the scrum-half wrestled the ball from the grasp of a Chichester forward to crash across the line, with Jack Wildman converting.

Chichester took control for a brief spell, scoring 16 unanswered points to extend their lead to 33-7.

The last try of this sequence came when Fordingbridge were attacking five metres out from the Chichester line, but after an interception, they ran the length of the pitch to score.

The final 10 minutes saw Bridge cross for two converted tries. First from back-rower Ed Fower with Wildman converting. Chichester responded quickly with a converted try, but skipper Jamie Waters finished a strong run with a five-pointer, with Wildman adding the extras.