Sunday 12 October 2025
Dorking Whites Colts 12 - 22 Guildfordians
On a weekend where the Colts struggled for numbers they traveled with 16 players to play Guildfordians. The numbers resulting in players being juggled into forwards from the backs, a small squad of sixteen was a big ask and resulted in a hard-fought Surrey league fixture.
It was a classic game of two halves, with Dorking dominating the first period with some excellent play, only for fatigue and missed tackles to allow a resilient Guildfordians back into a contest that should have been put to bed.
Dorking started brightly just five minutes into the game, a superb attacking move saw the ball move swiftly through hands in the backline, allowing Josh Fielden to finish expertly in the corner for a lovely opening try. The conversion was missed, but Dorking had an early 5-0 lead. Dorking continued to apply pressure throughout the half. With five minutes remaining until the break, they worked their way deep into Guildfordians territory.
After sustained pressure from a lineout, the forwards made hard yards into the midfield, creating the platform for a second try by Jaleel Rudder, which was successfully converted by Max Waldron. The teams went into halftime with Dorking holding a deserved 12-0 lead.
The second half, however, saw the momentum swing dramatically. Five minutes after the restart, Dorking overplayed in their own 22, resulting in a turnover and a five-yard scrum for Guildfordians. The visitors capitalised on the opportunity, breaking through the midfield after the scrum to score. The missed conversion made it 12-5. Fifteen minutes into the half, Guildfordians struck again. A line break in midfield from a lineout put the Dorking defence on the back foot.
The ball was recycled quickly, and Guildfordian's winger scored in the corner. Another missed conversion left the score at a precarious 12-10. With just ten minutes left on the clock, Guildfordians took the lead for the first time. After recovering the ball in their own half, they moved it wide, with poor tackling from a tiring Dorking side allowed them in for an unconverted try in the corner, making it 12-15. The final blow came with five minutes to go.
Guildfordians manufactured a clean break from a lineout, attacking down the narrow side with a series of well-executed offloads that resulted in a converted try in the corner. This sealed the game for the visitors with a final score of 22-12.
While the result was disappointing, the Dorking players will take a lot away from the game. Facing adversity with a small squad, they showed a huge amount of character and will look to build on the excellent performance of the first half
