Barnes' attack and defence too good for Chichester

The visitors secured the close restart and kicked long with the wind in their favour. Barnes kept the ball in hand and after a few phases were penalised for crossing, in their own half. Chichester kicked for a line-out at the opposition 22 then put together 11 phases, mostly close, to get a penalty 5 metres out near the posts on 3 minutes and fly-half Marsh kicked the points.

Chichester kicked back the longer restart; again Barnes ran then chipped over the line then forced an error but next kicked out on the full giving the visitors a line-out 6 metres inside the opposition half. From this they kicked to touch at the other side just outside their opponents' 22. Barnes threw the line-out not straight. After the scrum the visitors were forced back then Barnes forced another error. Following their scrum their backs soon passed forward. From the next scrum Chichester put together 5 phases and advanced well before the defence forced an error 6 metres out. From this scrum inside centre Butler supported no. 8 Popham then scrum half Reeves launched an up-and-under. Chichester just dealt with this despite the attentions of wing Lewis; they then recycled 6 times before the opposition forced another error to get another put-in, now 12 metres from halfway. From this one Barnes sent quick ball wide and at the far wing Lewis raced away down the touch line and got his pass away. The defence got back to stop the move but Barnes got a scrum put-in 5 metres from the visitors' line. After 4 recycles Chichester were penalised. The kick to touch went backwards! After the line-out the visitors were penalised again and this time they kick went 2 metres forward for another line-out 5 metres out. From this Barnes' pack rumbled over for the first try after 7 minutes with flanker Smyth on the ball and fullback O'Toole added the conversion. Chichester restarted high; Barnes secured the ball then immediately sent it to O'Toole to kick ahead. The visitors let it bounce and opposition outside centre Jones snatched it and ran away to the line. O'Toole added.

Barnes secured the high restart and returned an up-and-under; the catch was dropped giving Barnes a put-in near halfway. From this they broke blind before an error gave the visitors a scrum at the same place. Soon after this Barnes forced a turnover and advanced to the 22 with a break by Jones then 3 recycles. This resulted in a line-out for Chichester then their scrum. Scrumhalf Anscombe kicked well to touch in the other half. From the line-out Barnes advanced to get a scrum near halfway and kept the ball in to get a penalty that was kicked, not far, to touch 13 metres into the opposition half. The visitors were penalised again soon after the line-out and the next kick resulted in a line-out 20 metres out. From this one the pack drove to the line and over with Smyth again on the ball some distance from the posts before the half hour. The conversion was wide.

Some kicking followed the restart before Chichester got the next scrum put-in 11 metres into the opposition half after a forward pass by Barnes. From the scrum they attacked wide then blind before chipping through the line. O'Toole just got back to save with visitors getting another put-in 5 metres out. Then there was another one and after that Chichester recycled 7 times while they were forced back to the 22 then advanced before kicking to touch 6 metres out. From the line-out Reeves launched an up-and-under that resulted in an opposition scrum 17 metres out from which Chichester advanced strongly, varying options, before being penalised for not releasing 5 metres out. The halftime whistle went before it could be kicked.

There seemed to be less wind in the second half. There was stalemate in the early minutes then Barnes got the first penalty in their half and kicked to touch at Chichester's 10 metre line. After the line-out Wing Lewis broke through the defence and a kick ahead was touched down for a 22 drop-out. After the first scrum of the second half, back at the 10 metre line, Barnes recycled 3 times to get a penalty 23 metres out in centre field after 6 minutes and O'Toole kicked the points.

The restart resulted in a Barnes' scrum at which they were penalised when Chichester created pressure. They kicked for a line-out 14 metres from the opposition line then this was stolen by lock Robertson. After some recycling Reeves kicked high to touch, still well inside their half, then Barnes got a free-kick for a delayed throw-in. The pack ran the ball then let the backs have it before Reeves kicked to touch into the opposition 22. The visitors cleared to touch giving Barnes a line-out just inside the 22. Chichester defended well at their 22 then got a penalty for not releasing. They kicked ahead, not to touch, then forced an error at the next ruck to get a scrum put-in just inside the other half. From it they released wide then kicked ahead to the line and Barnes had to clear to touch 15 metres out. From their line-out the visitors' pack drove to the line and over with flanker Polhill on the ball after 17 minutes for the game's last score as the conversion went wide.

Chichester continued strongly after the restart with Barnes doing most of the defending but doing that well. Barnes broke out occasionally and with about 5 minutes to go a penalty got them to a line-out 27 metres from the visitors' line. They went wide with O'Toole and wing Riley having a good chance to score that went begging with a foot in touch just before the line. A scrum for the visitors followed the line-out and from that Chichester broke out and away to the other 22. An error got Barnes the penultimate line-out from which Riley broke to the other half. Chichester got a penalty for not releasing; they ran that to get another and kicked for a line-out just outside the opposition 22. They threw that not-straight just before the final whistle.

Bright, 50% blue sky, breezy, cool; the pitch soft.