All Guyana’s points were registered in the first half from tries by Rawle Cole, Theodore Henry and Claudius Butts and one conversion from Ryan Hinckson and the team led 17-7 at the break.

Despite having Barbados in their half for more than 25 minutes in the second half, Kurt Johnson, Jamie Vernon and Kip Blumenshein produced tries and Stewart Copeland a conversion and a penalty. Steven Stewart scored one try in the first stanza and Richard Sweeting the conversion.

Within two minutes of play, Guyana began to flatter, with captain Henry kicking the ball forward from about the halfway line and Hinckson racing forward, earning a scrum a few metres from the try line.

The first try came as early as the 11th minute, when Cole received about the ten-metre line on the left wing from Ryan George. Hinckson was not accurate with the conversion.

Four minutes later, Henry got the second try as Guyana were in full flow. Hinckson kicked the ball forward from at 22-metre line in his half and Ryan George got the ball after Hinckson had raced forward but did not collect cleanly. George passed to Butts who found the rushing in Henry, who could not be caught. Hinckson was good with the conversion. Guyana led 12-0.

But Barbados signalled their counter play in the 22nd minute. They used their superior weight to get closer to the try line, walking the scrum to about two metres away and Stewart got the try and Sweeting the conversion, cutting the lead to five points 7-12.

However, Guyana were still in control, playing a faster game and Butts finished a fine piece of passing from the centre of the field to the left, with Albert La Rose sending the assist in the 34th minute. That was the hosts’ last set of points as Hinckson missed the conversion, but they were leading 17-7.

Barbados made a change at the start of the second half and within three minutes into the half capitalised on a fundamental mistake made by fullback La Rose, who made the ball drop forward on taking it from a kick.

Barbados made several attempts for the try, eventually Johnson got it and Copeland was good with the conversion. They were now three points away from Guyana.

Guyana introduced fresh bodies in Rondell Keiler who made his senior National debut and Mateo Friendz for Clive Montouth and Alwyn Etwah in the forward line, 19 minutes in. Two minutes later, Guyana were denied a try after some four players burst away from the pack at the 22-metre mark, but the referee ruled that the ball was knocked forward and the linesman deemed Walter George who went for the try, as off side going for the ball.

Then 27 minutes into the half, Barbados were awarded a penalty and Copeland made good for the equaliser.

Guyana’s play went haywire as Barbados worked their way to the try line, and after a missed tackle on the left, Vernon gave the visitors a five-point lead, seven minutes from regulation time.

The final try came when Hinckson kicked the ball straight to his opponent Blumenshein, who collected and scored the sealer two minutes away from time.

Technical Director Noel Adonis told Chronicle Sport that the shocking defeat was due to indiscipline and impatience.

“Rugby is a game you have to build it up. They lost their composure in the latter part. They attacked the ball too hard which was a recipe for disaster in the slippery ground conditions.”

Adonis said the team also went away from the game plan for penalties and line-outs.

“One mistake changed the course of the game. When they had their penalty (at the 22-metre line) rather than kicking the ball to touchdown to gain ground and put the opposition under pressure and create a try opportunity, they chose to run the ball and lost possession. Our decision-making needed to be more on the mark.”

The technical director also said the soggy ground conditions worked against their type of play -- because of their smaller stature than that of their opponents.

“The kind of ground was not helpful to our game. The ball was slipping and we had to slow down.”

Guyana next meet St Lucia on Wednesday, while Trinidad & Tobago clash with Barbados.

“The T&T/Barbados match is crucial to us. We have to hope that Trinidad beat Barbados and we beat them (T&T) on Saturday.”

Later, Trinidad & Tobago scored some seven tries in the first half, three conversions and one penalty to lead 44-0 at halftime. They added six more tries and four conversions in the second half.

Garwin Toussaint and Ronald Silverthorne got three tries each, Wayne Kelly two, and Brent Barry, Don Rojas, Jonathan O’Connor, Alan Fraser and Nyuen Franco one each, while Barry got all seven conversions and a penalty.