Chichester 28 Tottonians 38 – Report
Tottonians produced a professional display in claiming a bonus point victory to maintain their top spot in the Regional 2 South Central.
CHICHESTER 28 TOTTONIANS 38
Oaklands Park, Chichester
Saturday 28th September 2024
Regional 2 South Central – match 2
Playing towards the packed clubhouse in the first half, Totts stamped their authority on the game early when, just two minutes in, Nic Jansen set up a ruck from which Harry Dolbear discovered a huge gap in the Chichester defence to ease through for the opening score which Robbie Searle improved.
However, the young and nimble home side started to piece together some impressive moves, directed by talented fly-half Rory Minton, and it was he who got his side on the board with a penalty on ten minutes.
In a game that went end-to-end for much of the contest, it was the visitors who extended their lead just before the quarter mark when a fine attacking move saw Totts held up over the line. However, from the subsequent five metre scrum, player of the match Jansen drive over and Searle added the extras again.
The hosts were hampered by being forced into making two replacements as early as the 20th minute but they didn’t let them effect their free-flowing style as it was they who scored next, Minton again the instigator as he zipped through the space in the Totts line to go over, adding a conversion to his tally and then, on the half-hour, a second penalty to cut the arrears to just one.
Two further penalties were swapped before Leo Tongue was on the end of a superb move in the backs and the winger raced around the outside for Totts’ second try of the afternoon to open up a 22-16 half-time lead.
The early passage of the second half firmly belonged to Tottonians. After Searle added another three to the tally after Chichester were caught off-side, the evergreen Ali Ramus was the recipient as Totts came strongly to the hosts line and he drove over from close range to collect the bonus point for a fourth match in succession.
Immediately from the kick-off, Tottonians brought the attack again and Josh Andrews capitalised to sprint through the Chichester defensive line to post a fifth score and put the visitors into a commanding 35-16 lead. Game over?
Not a bit of it! This galvanised the home side and with a vocal support behind them, they upped their game, showing all the exuberance of the youthful side that they were, and on 55 minutes, they took full advantage of a messy Totts scrum. The ball squirted out, Dolbear being stripped of the ball and Gareth Davies crossed for the try.
Chichester were reduced to 14 men on 64 minutes when Kinninmont was sent to the sin-bin but his return to the field saw the home side up the ante once more, so much so that both Andrews brothers were sent to the sin-bin on 75 and 77 minutes as the hosts built up a head of steam as they tried to further reduce Totts’ firm advantage.
They did finally break through on 78 minutes when Swain found space to go over for their third try of the day and they were not shy of coming again, trying to find a fourth for a double bonus-point. A seismic defensive shift kept them at bay and, as Totts came away from their own line, Searle released the pressure with a third penalty just before time.
The final whistle came and Totts came away with a rare victory in West Sussex – just their second in five attempts in the league – to maintain their 100% win and bonus point collection to stay firmly at the summit of the table.
Hear what coach Nick Osman and player of the match Nic Jansen had to say at full-time in our exclusive post match video.
