Chichester RFC are up and running as Portsmouth are beaten in Hampshire 1 opener

With several players moving on or retiring, at the end of last season, Blues fielded a team that combined experience with four debutants (Harry Clark, Rory Dowding, Lucas Toft and James Scrivin-Wood) and two players with a single appearance under their belts (Fin Glass and Oscar de Lacy).

Chichester kicked off up the slope with a gusting cross-field win against their backs. Blues conceded an early penalty and found themselves on their try line defending against the Pompey pack before size eventually prevailed and the visitors scored.

Chichester secured the ball and moved it quickly across the pitch to Tyrese Makasi whose offload found a charging Rhys Thompson on the wing. A grubber kick beat the last man and Thompson gathered to cross the whitewash, converted by MoM Rory Dowding for 7-7.

Another grubber kick from Thompson forced a lineout on the 5m line. Chichester’s forwards attacked the try line but were stopped illegally. The tap penalty was passed across the front of the posts to Glass who made short work of the visitors’ defence, crashing over the line to score, converted by Dowding.

Blues were straight back on the offensive pinning Portsmouth back in their own half. From a scrappy lineout on the 22m line, the ball went to Thompson, who went on a mazy run before finding Huw Binfield on the touchline with a reverse pass. Binfield’s deft kick split the defence and Oscar de Lacy was on hand to gather and run in the try.

A dropped pass bounced kindly for the visitors for a try under the posts, converted for 19 -14.

But soon Chichester scored their bonus point try when the visitors lost the ball in a tackle on the 10m line. Ethan Etherington picked up and ran the ball back, chipping the defence, which he gathered at speed to score under the posts, converted by Dowding to make it 26-14 at the break.

From kick off Chichester moved the ball across the pitch to Thompson who breached the defence, with a show and go, before offloading to Dan Heriot. The young flanker reached the 10m line and used his height to deliver a looping offload to the supporting Dowding for a 35m sprint to the line, and it was converted by Dowding.

Handbags on 50 minutes saw both teams lose a player to the sin bin. Portsmouth probed the Chichester defence in the red zone. Having held the ball up, Blues conceded a penalty and from a 5m lineout in Vultures’ Corner the visitors mauled over to score.

Blues were soon back on the attack with a penalty lineout in the visitors’ half. The ball went to Makasi, on the 10m line, who danced his way past eight Pompey players to score by the posts, converted by Dowding.

Portsmouth, from a scrum in their own half, found their winger who lofted a ball over the top and won the foot race to score their bonus point try. They lost a player to the sin bin in the celebrations.

From a lineout on the 22m line Blues’ pack mauled the ball towards the line before switching play to the backs. Luca Fleming crossed the whitewash to score, converted for 47 - 24

Portsmouth scored another converted try and were then awarded a penalty lineout 5m out but excellent work from Glass saw him steal the ball and advance to the 22m line to snuff out the opportunity.

In a frenetic final couple of minutes, Fleming ghosted through the defensive line to score behind the posts, again converted by Dowding.

Chichester host Millbrook on Saturday (Sep 13, 2pm start).