MAD MINUTES COST RYE

CHICHESTER INSTITUTE 57 RYE 17

RYE head coach Jason Bowen said a "mad 20 minutes" cost his side dearly as they continued their wretched start to the Sussex rugby season with defeat at Chichester on Saturday.

A defensive mix-up allowed the home side to score straight from kick-off and before they knew it, Rye were 26-0 down with only half of the opening period gone.

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Bowen said: "In the second half we were the better side and won two tries to one. But we had a mad 20 minutes at the start of the match and from then on it was an uphill struggle.

"We shouldn't have lost by what we did and the scoreline does not really show how well we played."

Rye finally woke up after 25 minutes when Paul Flood went over and Scott Ashby converted to give the visitors a belated start.

Dave Blackman and David Smith were the scorers in the second half, but Chichester proved too strong.

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Captain Graham Nunn said: "We were like rabbits caught in headlights in the first 20 minutes but after that we played well and we made a lot of ground in the line-outs and scrums. Individually the players are playing well, we just have to come together as a team and when we stick to our game plan we are looking good."

Rye take on Seaford at home tomorrow (Saturday) hoping to pick up their first points of the season. Bowen said: "It is going to be tough, but we are gradually getting better and better and are getting more clued up about what is needed to win games."