Rugby Union round-up: A bleak weekend for the city clubs with two defeatsloss

Despite taking an early lead through a Henri Packard try, the Tigers soon fell behind and eventually surrendered to a 30-14 loss.

The defeat to Chester is the Tigers’ first in three weeks and leaves the Dore Moor side 10th in the National League Two North.

They will face a tough test in their next match when they host top of the league Caldy on Saturday.

Elsewhere, Sheffield lost in a surprising 17-13 defeat to struggling Peterborough Lions.

Sheffield were top of the National League Three Midlands division but the shock defeat and results elsewhere means the Abbeydale side drop to second.

Director of Rugby at Sheffield RUFC, Jason Soden, said: “It was a disappointing loss. We dominated the scrum and controlled the whole game really.

“With ten minutes to go we were leading by three points but right at the death of the match they fought their way into a position to score from and they managed to do just that.

“We got a yellow card late on which reduced us to 14 men and they managed to sneak the ball over. It was a real kick in the teeth.

“Peterborough are a tough team to beat on their own patch, they have some big guys and can be a difficult side to play but I think it is going to be a different story when they visit us.

“It is just disappointing we did not manage the game better than we did.

“We had a weakened side out against them, our back line had to be adjusted and we had two people out at fly-half.

“But there are no excuses, it is a long season and we have to deal with injuries.”

Sheffield will try to put the result behind them when they face third-placed Sandbach on Saturday.

Soden added: “The game against Sandbach is going to be one of those six or eight point games, depending on how it goes.

“It is a game we have to ensure we win and ensure that they do not.

“It will be a tough game, they have played well so far and have turned over some of the better sides already but we are at home and we always play better on our own turf.

“In this league you cannot afford to lose two games on the trot and if we want to carry on and win the league, Saturday’s game is a must win.”