Green Machine falls to Bermuda after costly errors in RAN opener

By Michelangelo Jacobus

Guyana’s “Green Machine” suffered a disappointing 9–5 defeat to Bermuda on Saturday afternoon at the Rugby Field, National Park, as a string of handling errors undermined an otherwise promising performance in their Rugby Americas North (RAN) XVs opener.
Despite being ranked higher than their opponents, Guyana failed to convert early dominance into points, with dropped balls and turnovers proving costly in the low-scoring encounter.

Backed by a sizeable crowd that included several former national players, the home side started strongly and looked in control during the opening exchanges. Powerful carries from Vallon Adams laid the platform for Lionel Holder to cross over in the 18th minute for the game’s only try from open play. However, the missed conversion left Guyana with just a narrow advantage, and it would prove to be their only scoring contribution of the contest.
Bermuda gradually settled into the match and relied on the accuracy of Brandon Sangster, who accounted for all of his team’s points with three successful penalty kicks. He first slotted a penalty in the 28th minute to reduce the deficit to 5–3, a score-line that remained unchanged until the halftime interval.
After the break, Sangster continued to capitalise on Guyana’s mistakes and territorial lapses. He put Bermuda ahead for the first time with a penalty in the 48th minute before adding another in the 62nd minute to extend the lead to four points. Guyana, meanwhile, struggled to build sustained attacking phases, with repeated handling errors halting their momentum much to the despair of fans.
Captain Rondell “Bull” McArthur acknowledged that his team’s mistakes ultimately cost them the match, noting that while the game was competitive, small lapses proved decisive.
“I think it wasn’t a hard game; it wasn’t easy as well, but we had some blunders here and there. It is a learning process for us, the team is building. We went ahead in the first half and came out with momentum, but we had some small errors that we have to clean up,” McArthur said.
He pointed to dropped balls as a major issue, explaining that turnovers and infringements disrupted the team’s rhythm. McArthur also cited the overcast conditions and the presence of several younger players in the line-up as contributing factors.
“Dropped balls mean turnovers. I guess the weather contributed and also some nerves from the younger players. We just have to work with them, bring them through the ranks, and I think we can do well,” he added.
The skipper emphasised that the team is currently in a rebuilding phase, with experienced players being phased out and younger talent being integrated into the squad. He noted that increased game time will be key to developing confidence and consistency.
Looking ahead, McArthur stressed the need to improve technical execution, particularly under pressure, as Guyana prepares for tougher assignments in the coming weeks.
“We need to work more on the technical aspect. Fitness is important, but when you’re tired, you have to go back to the basics. You can’t go forward if you don’t know the basics, and that is something the coaches will be looking at,” he said.
Guyana will next travel to face Barbados on June 6 before returning home to take on Trinidad and Tobago on June 26, as they continue their campaign in the regional competition.