Last game of 2023 ends in defeat for Chi
Chichester welcomed highflying Winchester, and a large contingent of supporters, to Oaklands Park on Saturday afternoon.
Blues made seven changes to the team that lost to London Irish the week before with Ethan Carpenter, Owen Tucker, Joe Hunter and Ed Hansell coming into the pack, Josh Stops in the back line and the Fijian pairing of Materati Waqanisau and Navitalal Vosanibole on the bench.
On a grey, miserable and unseasonablywarmafternoon itwaswinchesterwhokicked off up the slope.
The early skirmishing resultedinablues’infringement which was slotted from 35 metres by the visitor’s full back.
Aknockonfromtherestart provided Chichester with the putinatthescrum,whichwas collapsed by Winchester.
With the advantage being played, Dan Heriot took the ball into contact, it was recycled by Stops and passed to a hard charging Joel Andrews who crashed through the defence, dragging two players over the whitewash for a try which he converted.
On the quarter-hour mark Blues were punished when a penalty kick didn’t find touch and three plays later Winchester had a lineout in the red zone.
The visitor’s forwards couldn’t get their rolling maul underway so the ball was advanced with a series of pick andgoesanddotteddownnext to the posts.
Five minutes later, Winchesterreprisedtheplaywith their maul trundling over the line.
On half-an-hour, an overthrow at the lineout was gathered by Chichester and Rhys Thompson set off down the wingmaking45metresbefore being stopped.
Theballwasworkedacross the pitch and Blues thought they had scored, but the referee indicated it had been held up.
Play was taken back for a penalty 8, out which Chichester elected to scrum.
After two further scrums Richard Ives took a tap penalty and the forwards advanced to the line, with Carpenter grounding the ball.
Shortly after, a Blues’ infringement allowed Winchestertoincreasetheleadto12-20 at half-time.
The second half started with another Chichester infringement and a penalty kick for the opposition full back.
On 50 minutes, a knock on gave Blues put in at the scrum and once again the forwards headed for the try line.
When progress was stopped, they reverted to pick andgoes,withtuckeronhand todivethroughagapandscore.
Having dominated play for the first 20 minutes of the second half the wheels came off the Blues’ bus.
Failure to clear the ball on the 22m line gave Winchester alineoutintheredzonewhich their forwards effortlessly mauled over.
A very harsh yellow card on 66 minutes saw Chichester lose a player to the sin bin. From the lineout penalty Winchester mauled over the line.
From the restart a grubber kick provided the visitors with yet another lineout in the red zone allowing their rolling maul to score a fifth try to make the final score 19-40.
Chichester’s next match is away to Newbury Blues, on Saturday, January 6. Kick off is at 2pm.