Chichester RFC relegated on final day of season

They travelled to Newbury knowing that, with Andover already relegated, the final day would decide who, out of Chichester, Newbury, Guildford and North Dorset, would join them in level seven next season. To avoid relegation Blues required either a victory, Guildford to lose, or a draw with Newbury and North Dorset to lose against Petersfield. But they lost 30-5.

Blues made four changes, with George Knight coming into the forwards, Jo Amin joining the backs and Josh Carden and Dan Heriot on the bench.

On a sunny afternoon, in front a large crowd of partisan supporters, Chichester kicked off into a gusting wind, with destiny in their own hands.

Blues were straight out of the blocks and pressurising the hosts in the red zone. On six minutes, and after four penalties on the 5m line, the referee produced his yellow card and reduced Newbury to 14 players.

Chichester were unable to profit from the advantage. After 18 minutes, Newbury carried the ball into the Blues’ half and were awarded a penalty just over halfway.

The kick missed but from the 22m drop out Chichester were penalised and this time the hosts’ fly half slotted the ball between the posts.

On 23 minutes, another penalty was conceded on the 10m line and Newbury led 6-0.

Chichester conceded another penalty on the 10m line which was despatched for three more points. Blues restarted and within two minutes lost a player to the sin bin.

Two minutes later they conceded another penalty on the 10m line, lost a second player to the sin bin and went further behind with three minutes left in the half, to trail 12-0 at the break.

With news that Guildford were 15-0 up, it was up to Chichester to turn it around in the second half.

The half started badly with a collision between two Chichester players requiring a double substitution, but Blues held out until they back to a full complement.

On 48 minutes a Newbury breakaway was stopped illegally, on the 22m line, allowing their fly half to slot his fifth penalty.

Scrappy stop-start play continued and, despite their best efforts, Chichester conceded three tries over the next 22 minutes and seemed doomed at 32-0 down.

However, with Guildford and Andover now all square at 19-19 could there be a reprieve?

Blues upped their game and pinned Newbury back in their red zone. The penalty count started to rise and the referee produced the yellow card, reducing the hosts to 14 players for the remaining seven minutes.

Chichester worked the ball across to the centre of the pitch where MoM Jamie Kinninmont spun a long looping pass out to Luca Fleming, stretching the Newbury defence for a try out wide. Conversion missed, 32-5.

Newbury crossed the whitewash for an unconverted try and in the final minute Chichester thwarted an attack on their 5m line and advanced the ball into the opposition half with carries from Rhys Thompson and Ethan Etherington before the whistle blew to end the season.

With Guildford beating Andover, Chichester finished 11th and are relegated back to level seven after 16 years.

Chichester: Knight, Binfield, Brown, Conley (capt.), Whitehouse, Babb, Hunter, Makasi, Kinninmont, Amin, Stout, Andrews, Fleming, West, Thompson, Carden, Heriot and Etherington.