Farnham Rugby Club

Annual Sevens Tournament 2009

The standard of play at the Farnham Sevens keeps getting stronger and stronger, and this year was no exception as 28 teams contested the main and social competitions. The gods were smiling on all who took part, as the early morning rain helped just to soften up the pitch a little, before bright sunshine ensured that both the players and spectators could enjoy the spectacle in front of them.

In the Main competition, Chiswick reached the final by defeating the Stallions in their semi-final, whilst in the other half of the draw SEME, Bordon overcame the challenge of the Magnificent 7. The final promised to be a close run affair between two very good sevens sides, but SEME started strongly, and before Chiswick had woken up the game was as good as over. Chiswick did battle back to score, but SEME deserved their title.

In the Plate competition last year’s winners the Riders overcame Holbrook from Sussex to set up a final against Cobham, who had overcome local team Farnborough. After a slow start to the competition Cobham had played progressively good rugby, and they were too strong for their opponents to secure the much cherished toilet seat trophy.

The social competition was played for by 12 teams, with Trefforest Titans defeating Sussex All Stars to win the Vase, whilst Southampton University Old Boys beat the Stags to win the Bowl competition.

Throughout the day a number of volunteers ran the table, bar, and barbecue, and “Fit” Mick Dawson deserves particular praise for providing medical support to the needy. The club was well served by a number of its own members who refereed a significant number of the matches, and again teenage club member Ashley Tomlinson deserves great credit for both the number and standard of matches that he officiated.

With the senior playing season now finished, the members can look forward to the Presentation Evening taking place at Blacknest Golf Club on the 9th May, before having a well earned break. Pre-season training will start back at the club on Tuesday 7th July, and any new players would be made most welcome (contact Club Captain Karl Brown 07795490922 or simply turn up).

Farnham 1st XV 14 - 13 Old Freemans 1st XV 28.03.09

Farnham entered this game knowing that a win, in what has been an incredibly tight league, would guarantee them continued status in the same division next season, and with three teams at home and a large crowd in attendance, the players had the opportunity to make a big impression.

Prior to the game the Farnham Under 6 and 7 teams showed off their skills in training drills and an exhibition match on the 1st XV pitch, and then went on to provide a guard of honour to both sets of players as they took to the field. Freemans won the toss and elected to play towards the clubhouse in the first half, and when the referee missed a blatant knock on by a Freemans’ player from the kick off, Farnham could be forgiven for thinking that the gods were not on their side. Fortunately Farnham had no need of divine intervention, as fly half Nigel Rooney, who had a superb match, pinned Freemans back into their own 22 with the first of many well placed kicks.

After the early cut and thrust the match settled down, although disappointingly Farnham failed to deal effectively with a quickly taken penalty that resulted in some good handling and support leading to Freemans scoring an unconverted try in the corner. Despite this early setback Farnham refused to panic, and following a number of penalty awards in their favour, they established good position inside the Freemans 22. A further penalty award gave Rooney the chance to put Farnham on the board, and his successful attempt raised the home team’s spirits.

Old Freemans responded immediately, and twice in quick succession they managed to charge down attempted Farnham clearance kicks inside the home team’s 22. On the first occasion Chris Dury did well to get back and tidy up the ball, whilst the second time led to a 22m drop out. From this restart Farnham failed to put players to ground quickly, and Freemans deservedly scored a second try near the posts. Incredibly their kicker, who had a shocking afternoon with the boot, missed the conversion to leave Farnham trailing only 6 – 10.

An excellent break by winger Adam Hailstones, who had to be replaced temporarily by Jonny Andrews, saw Farnham make good ground. When pressure at the resulting scrum forced Freemans to kick straight into touch Farnham continued to apply pressure, and a further string of penalties, and an extra 10 metres for backchat, gave Rooney the chance to convert his second penalty kick of the afternoon. Both sides then had phases of play, but stupidly Farnham gave away a silly penalty for hands in the ruck on the stroke of half time, and this time the Freeman’s kicker could not miss to give his side a 13 – 6 lead at the break.

The Farnham coaching team were busy at half time, insisting that their team put two pods up to contest the lineout, and to make sure that the opposition were tackled around the legs to prevent them from making big distance over the gainline. The coaches also impressed upon the players the need to stay calm in a tight game and to listen to the calls at each breakdown to ensure that the team kept the ball and played good field position.

Freemans were now facing into the sun, and Farnham were playing towards their clubhouse, and the home team made an excellent start to the half with some good forward driving and astute kicking. The Farnham pack were now battering their opponents in the scrum, and the pressure told on Old Freemans as they began to make more and more errors in their game. Following a knock on Chris Dury took the ball up strongly, and then made a delightful pop pass to Dave Hurley who had run a great line, and he easily beat the fullback with a hitch kick to score in the corner. Rooney was unable to make the conversion, but Farnham now had momentum.

Farnham continued to apply pressure through their forwards, and although Freemans occasionally broke loose the Farnham tackling was much improved, resulting in Farnham continuously pinning Old Freemans back into their own 22. Eventually the pressure told as Freemans conceded yet another penalty that Rooney duly converted to give the home side a valuable 14-13 lead. With time running out Freemans managed to break free only to be held up just short of the line, and Farnham thought that they had done enough. However shortly afterwards the referee deemed that replacement Jonny Andrews had infringed at a breakdown and awarded a penalty in front of the posts. Cruelly Farnham saw their chance of a win disappear as the kicker lined up his attempt, but possibly justice was done when he sliced the ball horribly wide. From the resulting 22 Farnham kicked long and did enough to close out the game in the opposition’s half.

The result ensures that Farnham will remain in Surrey 1 next season, and all of these unheralded players deserve great praise for their efforts throughout the season. Their success, and comments from people who should have a better understanding of what this group of players have achieved, should ensure that the team are competitive again next season. Farnham have one more league match away to Old Whitgiftians next Saturday and then move on to the Sevens circuit, starting with their own tournament on the 25th April (details available form the website).

Farnham 1st XV 8 - 43 Old Emanuel 1st XV 21st March 2009

Farnham played away to Surrey 2 side Old Emanuel on Saturday in the semi finals of the Surrey Shield competition, and although they were eventually well beaten by their lower league opponents, a much changed experimental Farnham team put in a good performance under the leadership of Keith Harding.

The day started badly for the Farnham team when a car crash outside the entrance to the ground prevented players from entering the club, and consequently the game kicked off late after a hasty warm up. The pattern of the game was established early on, with Farnham repeatedly making inroads through their forwards, whilst Old Emanuel used some searing pace out wide to trouble the Farnham defence. Twice in quick succession Old Emanuel’s winger scorched through for tries to open up a 12 point lead, but some determined play from the Farnham pack saw James Corlett kick 3 points, and then further Farnham pressure saw them threaten the Old Emanuel line only for a penalty award allowing the home side to relieve the pressure. From this position Old Emanuel scored a further try out wide, and with Hailstones, Foster and Coutts all having to retire injured Old Emanuel built up a 31-3 lead at half time.

At first glance the score would seem to suggest an uneven contest, but the Farnham team were more than equal to their opponents until the ball was put wide. Chris Dury was talking well from scrum half, and the forwards in particular were making good ground each time they carried the ball forwards. The half time message was to make sure that attackers were put to ground more quickly, and to play in the right areas of the pitch and not get sucked into a fast paced tap and go game. Farnham also needed to be more clinical in the opposition 22, with numerous first half visits having failed to lead to points on the board.

Early in the 2nd half James Corlett, who had a superb match throughout, made a strong burst through the middle, and when the ball came back Dom Bolas did well to kick on and win the race to score in the corner. Unfortunately the conversion was missed, but soon after another great break through the centres, this time by Jonny Andrews, led to some slick inter passing, but Farnham failed to capitalise on their field position inside the Old Emanuel 22. Jon Darke, playing at 8, also had a good match, and his steal at the breakdown created a further chance for Farnham, only for the ball to be lost in the resulting drive towards the line.

Unsurprisingly Old Emanuel broke to score a further two tries from distance, and Farnham got drawn back into a rushed game being played in the wrong areas of the field. Nevertheless, despite the result and scoreline there were many positives to take from the match, and if the players attend training this week selection for the crucial home league match against Old Freemens on Saturday will be difficult.

Farnham 1st XV 9 - 26 Old Paulines 1st XV 14.03.09

Farnham travelled to Old Paulines on Saturday seeking to avenge a narrow loss at home (3 – 10) in the first match of the season. Since September a titanic struggle has occurred in Surrey 1, with all teams capable of winning on their day, and despite Old Paulines chasing a promotion birth and Farnham trying to establish a mid-table position, either team could have expected to come away with the points.

Farnham had to make substantial changes to their team due to injury and other commitments, but the selected players ensured that Old Paulines had a torrid afternoon in front of their own supporters, and although the home team eventually came away victorious Farnham deserve great credit for the way that they took the game to their opponents.

Old Paulines won the toss and elected to play with the sun and wind behind them in the first half on a big pitch, and obviously expected to establish a strong foundation as they kicked off. However, Farnham had not read the same script and weathered some early pressure to establish some good field positions despite repeated infringements from the Old Pauline team. Four penalties in succession took Farnham deep into Old Paulines territory, and an excellent drive from Ritchie Phillips off the back of a scrum led to a penalty attempt drifting narrowly wide from the influential Nigel Rooney. Undeterred Farnham came straight back and a further penalty allowed Rooney to slot a difficult kick against the wind to give Farnham a 3-0 lead. With centres Jonny Andrews and Charlie Cooksey filling the midfield, and fullback Dave Hurley enjoying a fine game, Farnham prevented Old Paulines from setting their backline free on the wide pitch, and Farnham grew in confidence.

Old Paulines replied with a penalty shortly afterwards following an offside decision against the Farnham defence, to tie the scores at 3 all. Old Paulines then had a period of pressure that saw them miss another penalty kick before scoring a try thanks to some woeful Farnham defending. Old Paulines then had their winger sent to the sin bin for repeated team infringements, but crucially Farnham failed to capitalise. Indeed following some sustained forward driving from the Farnham pack they were pinned back by some good kicking. Worse was to follow when an attempted clearance was charged down allowing Old Paulines to score and convert a second try to establish a 3-15 lead.

Farnham refused to lie down and accept defeat, and deservedly got back into the game with another Rooney penalty, but shortly afterwards lost Hannes Van Snoor to injury forcing another reshuffle. Despite the bigger size of their opponents, Farnham were starting to gain considerable ascendancy in the forwards, with Steve Clark providing some decent ball from the lineout. At half time Farnham trailed 6-15, but with the sun and wind now in their favour they had every chance of getting the result that they craved in the second half.

An excellent kick off at the start of the half saw the Old Paulines winger step into touch to give Farnham good field position near the 22, and good lineout ball saw an attempted drop goal drift narrowly wide. The Farnham forwards were now rampant and excellent carrying from Gareth Yeomans and Vince Wiltshire saw yet another Old Paulines infringement lead to their Number 8 going to the bin. Rooney unfortunately missed the penalty kick, but further pressure from some well structured forward driving saw another penalty award, and further Old Paulines indiscipline put Rooney in range to slot the penalty to leave Farnham a converted try from assuming the lead. Unbelievably Old Paulines went offside again immediately afterwards and again lost 10m to backchat (and some poorly judged comments from their one eyed supporters club), but this time Rooney failed to find his mark.

With one score in it, the Farnham forwards smelt blood and time and again they drove the opposition back at the scrum and at the breakdown, with the front row of Captain Gareth Farrell, evergreen Keith Harding, and ever talking Jim Davies prominent. Against the run of play Old Paulines extended their lead with a penalty, but when Stuart Rimmer crashed though a number of tackles before being felled just short of the line Farnham looked to be on the verge of recording a superb away win, but Old Paulines somehow scrambled back to cover and clear their lines. The aftermath of Rimmer’s run saw the Old Paulines winger receive a nasty cut above his eye having attempted to use his feet on what he thought might have been the ball.

Despite Farnham’s best efforts, Old Paulines scored a further unconverted try after too many missed first up tackles, and the best efforts of the Farnham defence to get under their man on the line. A final quickly taken Farnham penalty saw some good handling by Davies and Clarke create a possible opening for substitute Ralph Gordon, but despite his strong run he was well tackled into touch, and with the final kick of the game Old Paulines went on to convert a penalty kick to give them a somewhat flattering 26-9 win.

The Farnham players can feel proud of their performances in defeat, but winning matters, and this was a match that they could have won if their first up tackling and decision making had been consistently spot on. With two games to play, promotion and relegation in Surrey 1 is still very much up for grabs, and the Farnham players know that they can make the difference by making training this week.

Farnham 1st XV 10 – 5 London Exiles 1st XV 07.03.09

Farnham chalked up a well deserved home victory on Saturday by recording a win against London Exiles whom they had beaten in the second game of the season. With a number of players missing injured after last week’s game, Farnham had to make a number of changes but knew that nothing less than a win would be acceptable against a side starting below them in the league.

After a delayed start Farnham received the kick off and started brightly by taking the kick and linking several phases together, before falling foul of the referee three times in quick succession. Fortunately only one of the penalty offences resulted in a (missed) kick at the posts, but Farnham needed to quickly reduce the number of infringements and start to impose themselves physically on their bigger opponents. Fortunately this is exactly what they did, and when an Exiles player broke early from a scrum Andy James stepped up to give Farnham a 3-0 lead from the penalty kick.

Farnham continued to apply pressure and fly half Simon Lewis used a number of penalty decisions in their favour to play good field position. Following a scrum near the Exiles line Farnham charged the ball down to win a scrum of their own, and from this an astute kick to the corner saw winger Adam Hailstones dot the ball down, only for the referee to rule that he had been over the dead ball line in the act of scoring. Undeterred Farnham continued to apply pressure, and some excellent back play saw Golden Boy Michael Salmon crash over for a well taken try in his last game for the club before going off to Argentina for 6 months work experience as a cowboy. Andy James converted to give Farnham a 10-0 lead.

Further Farnham pressure should have led to another score, but as so often this season indiscipline prevented Farnham from capitalising on their strong start. With less than 10 minutes to half time Farnham conceded a staggering five penalties in succession, including a yellow card for veteran scrum half Nigel Rooney who failed to retire back (tiredness!!!) from one of the penalties before almost making a tackle. Down to 14 men Farnham were under serious pressure, and if it had not been for a brilliant interception from fly half Simon Lewis inside his own 5m line, Exiles would have certainly had points on the board. In days gone by Lewis would have run the length to score, but his legs are not what they used to be and sensibly he chose to kick for field position before being caught by a member of the front row.

Despite the poor finish to the half Farnham were upbeat at half time, and they began the second half well with Sven Kolczak moving to scrum half, and the forwards again linking several phases together. Ritchie Phillips carried the ball strongly all game, and was well supported by back row colleagues Francis Meagher and Deane Chiverton. Although Exiles had more territory Farnham kept hold of the ball, and Gareth Yeomans and Stuart Rimmer kept giving forward momentum that led to the Exiles conceding a string of penalties themselves. A relieved Rooney rejoined the fray with his team still in command, and he duly kicked astutely to keep the Exiles turning and chasing.

With 30 minutes left Farnham took the initiative by bringing on Jim Davies and Steve Clark to add some ball carrying and lineout strength, but despite both players making immediate inroads, the home team were rocked when the influential Simon Lewis had to leave the field with a spare rib injury. The resulting re-shuffle saw Hannes Van Schoor on as scrum half and Rooney moving to fly half. Worse was to follow as Captain Gareth Farrell became the second Farnham player to go to the bin as he attempted to assert his authority at the breakdown with an Exiles player struggling to move from his overnight parking position at the bottom of a ruck. Against these difficulties the Farnham pack raised their game and battered the opposition, only for the Exiles 2nd row to snaffle the ball well inside his own half and outpace the home defence to make the line to score under the posts, despite a valiant last ditch tackle from the covering Hailstones. Unbelievably the conversion was missed from the easiest of angles allowing Farnham the luxury of a five point lead.

With the game up for grabs Farnham deserve great credit for the way that they controlled the final phases with some excellent forward driving making good yardage, and some strong defence keeping Exiles at bay. The dangerous Exiles 2nd row did make one more telling burst (are you Matt Banahan in disguise?!) but he was scythed down by the covering Van Snoor, and Farnham then comfortably saw out the end of the game.

The win was a much needed tonic for the injured Captain Graeme Black (recovering from major knee surgery) and Tom Kirkham (broken humerus last week) and reflects the great spirit within the team this year. Man of the match Michael Salmon was tearful in his farewell to the players, but if the team continues to train well and turn up motivated on match days they will keep getting the results that they need. Further special mention must go to coach Gary Stennett for his work in making a small sized pack more than competitive, and also to the other coaches who continue to give their time to the club despite the odds.

Although more than a month away, interested parties are invited to enter the well respected Farnham Sevens on the 25th April, with teams invited to enter the main or social competitions. See the website www.farnhamrugby.org for further details or telephone organiser Karl Brown (07795490922).

Farnham 1st XV 7 – 21 Croydon 1st XV 28.02.09

Farnham entertained Croydon at Wrecclesham on Saturday knowing that the match presented yet another opportunity to turn around a poor recent run in Surrey 1. In great playing conditions, Farnham started the game brightly engineering phases of play off ruck ball that had the visitors rattled. Any Coutts was prominent in the loose always offering himself as a runner to take on the Croydon firinges. Indeed 15 minutes in, Andy Coutts made a typical surge from 2nd phase blowing a hole in the Croydon defence. Karl Brown got to the base quickly and released Adam Hailstones who beat the remaining defenders to score underneath the post.....a strong start. Mike Salmon duly converted in the absence of regular place kicker Andy James.

Having created the platform, Farnham then dropped off allowing Croydon their phases to work themselves into the game. Within 10 minutes Croydon opened their account with a well struck penalty. As their pack slowly got into the game, particularly off their effective line-out, Croydon asked questions of the Farnham defence. Sustained pressure saw them create the overlap on the right wing and score unopposed under the posts. The try was converted giving Croydon the lead 10-7. Farnham sought to consolidate and continued to battle at the break-down to disrupt Croydon ball and gain more possession. The physicality of the encounter was also taking its toll with both sides forced into substitutions. The influential Karl Brown was replaced by firsts debutant Hannes and Steve Simmons was forced to retire with a shoulder injury resulting in the ever-fresh Stuart Rimmer slotting in to second row. With the changes, Farnham became a little ragged and Croydon capitalised again asking questions of Farnham's left wing. The tackles were made but Farnham ran out of numbers and Croydon scored in the corner - their lead extended to 15-7 at the break.

The message from the coaching staff at half-time was to get our intensity levels up, play our rugby in the opposition half and get back to creating phases of rugby. Unfortunately, the raising of intensity levels resulted in an appalling lack of discipline and Farnham were punished by the referee time and time again for either hands in the ruck, off the feet at the breakdown or off-side from the ruck. Croydon, were industrious driving runners off their line-out and spreading the ball well. Their over-exuberance in the drive for quick ball saw several dubious actions, one of which was a particularly high tackle on Tim Kirkham which saw him suffer a serious injury (break of the humerus) which undoubtedly rules him out for the rest of the season. Farnham, rattled by that and similar acts of indiscretion, lost their discipline and gave the referee a field day of whistle time which resulted in the conversion of two well-struck penalties by the Croydon kicker. Battling to get back in to the game, the Farnham pack tried valiantly to punch the ball round the fringes but Croydon were determined to seal their league win and closed the game-out deep in Farnham territory. With four games remaining and several first teamers in the wars, Farnham must dig in for the remaining fixtures and drive some wins and self-belief to consolidate their position in Surrey 1.They face London Exiles on Saturday at Wrecclesham and will be looking to turn around the poor post-Christmas run - 2:30p.m. KO - all supporters very welcome.

Farnham 1st XV 0 – 18 Chipstead 1st XV 21.02.09

After last week’s league win a largely unchanged Farnham side set off to the sunny climbs of Chipstead to take on their Surrey 1 rivals in what represented a great opportunity for Farnham to record back to back wins for the first time in three months.

With only two (enforced) changes from last weeks line-up there was a familiarity about this side that one would have thought would have led to a fluent and coherent style of play.

However, Farnham did not start the game well and seemed to still be enjoying the (dare I say it?) first signs of spring, when the referee blew his whistle for the match to start.

Farnham were under a lot of pressure from the off and it was only a matter of ten minutes or so before Chipstead were awarded a penalty right in front of the posts. The Chipstead kicker gained the three points despite using the crossbar to assist him in his efforts!

Farnham then seemed to regroup and began to work their way through the phases for an encouraging period of play, before Michael Salmon managed an interception and was tackled just before the line after sprinting for a good 60 metres. Unfortunately, the lack of support was evident and it was as though the Farnham team were wishing him over the line, and were not there in support.

Farnham spent a good ten minutes in the Chipstead 22 area and gained a couple of penalties during this period, one of which was dragged just left of the upright, while the rest were kicked to set up line out ball. The lineout’s seemed to function better than they have for a few weeks, with Farnham securing most of their own ball and the diminutive Deane Chiverton managing to steal quite a lot of the Chipstead ball.

It was around this point that Richard Phillips suffered a shoulder injury and had to be replaced by the youthful Stuart Rimmer at number 8.

Unfortunately, Farnham lost concentration and allowed Chipstead back into the game just as we thought that the Farnham pressure would tell. The break up field led to another Chipstead penalty being awarded and it was duly converted to leave the score at 6-0 to the home side at the break.

At half time, the message was that Farnham were still well in the match and that with a bit more effort and intent, could have been leading at the end of the half. The intention was to go out in the second half and have the forwards impose themselves more than they had in the first half.

Unfortunately, within ten minutes of the restart Chipstead had manufactured an overlap which led to their first try of the game, which was well converted by their kicker from out wide.

It was at about this point that Farnham started to up their game and work as hard as we all knew they could have done from the start of the match, but it was all to no avail as Chipstead used their kicker intelligently to play for territory and then manufactured another overlap out wide to score their second try, the conversion was missed.

This loss leaves Farnham in the bottom half of Surrey 1, with some resurgent teams around and about them and still in need of a few more wins to secure survival in this league. Training takes on a greater emphasis now and the individual players must start to think about their own games and how they can prepare better (mentally) for a Saturday.

Farnham 1st XV 7 - 3 Battersea Ironsides 1st XV 14.02.09

Farnham were looking forward to their first home game since Christmas after a couple of months of trekking up and down the A3 to and from London and preceding home games having been postponed due to the inclement weather.

Prior to the warm up Farnham gathered in the changing rooms and had a discussion about how they were going to play in this match, so that everyone was clear as to the game plan – this was in response to a chronic lack of game management in the previous games since the Christmas break.

The chat seemed to do the trick as Farnham secured their first league win of 2009 against a Battersea Ironsides team who had demolished them in the reverse fixture 37-3. Farnham were keen to make amends for the earlier aberration and set about the away side in a manner that had not been seen for some time.

he Farnham forwards dominated and worked their socks off against a combative Battersea Ironsides pack. Before the match, Farnham had talked about discipline and they managed to only concede two penalties in their own half during the whole match – one of which was kicked to make the score 0-3 to the visitors. The second was conceded shortly before half time and finished well short of the posts.

So, at half time the score was 0-3 to the visitors, but the message to the Farnham team was simple – continue to do the basics well and the result would end up in Farnham’s favour, there was also a suggestion that Farnham try and retain the ball through more phases and kick away possession less frequently.

After the change of ends Farnham continued to dominate proceedings up front and played a very sensible, patient and mature brand of rugby to grind the visitors down. Eventually Battersea conceded a penalty within range, but unfortunately Andy James just dragged his kick to the left of the upright.

Farnham straight away, though, upped their game another gear and applied more and more pressure to the tiring Battersea Ironsides team, there were some lovely breaks by Michael Salmon and Adam Hailstones as the half wore on, only for them to get tackled by the last man, or not have sufficient support with them.

Then came the moment that Farnham knew had just been around the corner, when Battersea conceded a try inside their own 5 metres. Farnham called for a scrum and duly won the ball and spread play one way, then the other, accumulating phases as they went, before a deft pass by Karl Brown found John Kolczak on the wing to convert a great team try.

Andy James duly slotted the conversion to give Farnham a deserved 7-3 lead, with about 15 minutes remaining.

Farnham then chose the last 15 minutes to try and play some champagne rugby with phases galore and great interlinking – particularly by all three back row in one particular move (Fran Meagher, Deane Chiverton and Richard Phillips). The rugby was good to watch, but also more likely to result in errors, which it did in the end and a succession of needless penalties and poorly placed passes gave Battersea the chance to play the last 5 minutes deep in Farnham territory.

Farnham defended resolutely for the period, as they had done throughout, and managed to hold on for a well-deserved and hard-earned victory. The man-of-the-match was Fran Meagher for his performance at open-side flanker and notable mentions go to Karl Brown, Mike Salmon and Adam Hailstones – although, if the truth be told, this was such a team performance that every one of the 18 deserve a mention.

The result on Saturday takes Farnham a step closer to safety in Surrey 1 and also shows that when they play with their heads as well as their hearts they can grind out good, mature, patient wins – which is exactly what is often required in this league.

Bec Old Boys 1st XV 34 v 0 Farnham 1st XV 31.01.09

Farnham set off to Bec Old Boys knowing that Bec were going well at the top of the table and that Farnham needed to put in a good performance to secure 2 valuable league points.

Before the game the message was that Farnham needed to play several phases at a time and not resort to passing the ball straight to their (admittedly very useful and pacey) back line.

Unfortunately, Farnham, playing up the hill and into the wind in the first half started very poorly and allowed Bec Old Boys to get off to an absolute flier as they scorched into a 20-0 lead within the first quarter of an hour.

During this period David Hurley was unlucky to collide with one of the Bec Old Boys attackers and had to come off, forcing an already under strength Farnham team into an early change.

Farnham then set about trying to steady the ship and were successful to a certain extent, but, due to the lack of linking and phases, Farnham were all too often forced to kick away good possession.

During the next period of play Bec Old Boys were given a penalty, which they took quickly, while Farnham were too busy remonstrating with the referee and a try resulted from some fine play by the Bec Old Boys backs. This lapse in concentration and discipline is symptomatic of the manner this Farnham side has found itself playing since the extended Christmas break.

The fact that the referee missed an obvious downward touch on the ball by a Farnham player in the Farnham in goal area and wrongly awarded a try to Bec Old Boys did not help matters, but Farnham cannot blame the referee for their own lack of tackling.

The score at half time was 27-0 to Bec Old Boys and the message to the team was that the points were there to be scored against a side that had shown they have several weaknesses.

Unfortunately, although the forwards seemed to discover some of the spirit and determination that had been lacking for the entire first half, it was too little too late and a scrappy second half was only memorable for three reasons; the first being Bec Old Boys’ try which resulted from poor hands by Farnham, the second was yet another injury to a Farnham player – Simon Lewis and the third was that Farnham managed to play more than one phase on only two occasions.

The final score was 34-0 to Bec Old Boys, the same scoreline by which Farnham beat them at Wrecclesham earlier in the season.

Worryingly, at the moment, Farnham are playing without any intelligence and are not managing their game at all well. The only way that this can be improved is by training together more often, so please make an effort to train as frequently as possible.

Equally disturbing is the manner in which some players have begun to interact with each other on the pitch, in terms of arguing and remonstrating with each other – it is not what is expected from people when picked for Farnham 1st XV.

Farnham now find themselves in a relegation dogfight and need to be more committed at training and on match days. It is now time to put in the hard work to ensure that the unthinkable double relegation does not happen.

Farnham 1's 12 - 19 Old Caterhamians 1's 24.01.09

Farnham resumed their league campaign after the disappointment of last week’s cup loss with an away match against Old Cats. Earlier in the season Farnham had triumphed narrowly at home, and had high hopes of doing the double against a team sitting below them in the league.

A number of injuries and non availability had seen several changes in the Farnham line up, with veterans Keith Harding and Karl Brown joining the pack, and a welcome return for fit again Alex Brindle and Sven Kolczak in the backs. When the referee made a last minute decision to change the pitch due to flooding, Farnham were pleased to have the chance to front up after a lengthy journey on an admittedly small playing area.

Having won the toss Farnham elected to play against the sun and slope in the first half, and Old Cats dutifully launched themselves in search of a revenge win. Despite prior discussions about what was coming Farnham failed dismally to keep their discipline, and this coupled with the Old Cats intensity saw Farnham fall 0-6 down to two well taken penalty goals. Somewhat against the run of play Farnham chased down a hopeful kick, and Tom Kirkham did well to gather the loose ball to score under the posts. With Andy James converting Farnham were fortunate to be in the lead, but then failed to capitalise on this opportunity. Firstly further indiscipline saw Old Cats kick another penalty, and then Farnham shot themselves in the foot by trying to run a penalty from their own half, only to be turned over, and then allowing Old Cats to score a converted try.

At half time the Farnham message was simple: improve discipline, and play territory instead of trying to play rugby from within the 22. At last Farnham began to exert pressure, but despite strong carrying in the forwards from Ritchie Phillips and Gareth Yeomans, Farnham repeatedly committed too many players to the breakdown leaving little option available from further phases of possession. On a number of occasions the ball was run well through the backs, but with Old Cats having plenty of cover, and a lack of finishing quality from Farnham these chance went missing. Several times Dave Hurley made punishing breaks from deep, only for the final ball to go astray.

Eventually Farnham’s pressure did tell, and after a sustained number of phases the Farnham backline at last had the chance to attack man for man, and vice captain Mike Salmon did well to stretch for the line to put Farnham back in the hunt. Despite the conversion being missed Farnham had the opportunity to snatch a win, but a risky backs move inside their own 22 saw Old Cats awarded a further penalty, and following it’s conversion Farnham needed a converted try to draw with less then 10 minutes left on the clock.

To their credit Farnham threw everything at their opponents, but the Old Cats defence held firm until an Old Cats player conceded a penalty 5m out in front of his posts. This was Farnham’s big chance sneak a draw, but inexplicably the penalty was taken quickly and the receiver driven back, when surely a better option would have been to have a scrum, allowing a steady platform to launch the strong carrying Phillips from short distance. To compound matters, Farnham recycled the ball only to move it wide and pass the ball into touch with the line at their mercy. Shortly afterwards Old Cats put the ball into touch to record a well deserved victory against a Farnham team that lacked discipline and failed to respond to the game that conditions determined.

Farnham cannot afford to dwell on this result, with further league games coming thick and fast, but they need to match the character shown by Old Cats both on and off the pitch to ensure that they build on their early season promise. Training will be intense this week as Farnham try to address their shortcomings before visiting Bec Old Boys on Saturday.

Farnham 1’s 10 – 27 Campion 1’s 17.01.09

Farnham set off from Wrecclesham in a coach and in confident mood after a good run in to the Christmas break. Everyone knew that neither Campion nor Farnham had played last week due to the uncharacteristically inclement weather – the key to this result was going to be which team got going quicker.

Unfortunately, Farnham, having won the toss and playing downhill in the first half, started very slowly and were obviously very rusty after having played no competitive rugby for over three weeks. Campion, on the other hand, appeared sharp and well drilled and began the game with some excellent offloads in the tackle area.

Farnham’s tackling was not as good as it had been in the run up to Christmas and the Campion inside centre and number 8 made excellent use of the missed tackles to go on some good strong runs, and line breaks.

The pressure was beginning to tell when Campion’s blindside flanker intercepted a pass from the back of the Farnham scrum to lead to the home team’s first try of the game. It was unconverted and the score was 5-0.

Farnham then controlled the ball through several phases before being given a penalty out near the touchline which Andy James took, but it drifted agonisingly wide in the swirling wind.

Campion responded with another try which went unconverted and the score was now 10-0 to the home side and Farnham’s Twickenham dream was floating away in the gusty wind.

There followed, however, Farnham’s best period of play in the first half where the ball was retained for several phases leading to some space for Denver Swanepoel who cut inside and was well tackled by the Campion number 8. Had Farnham scored then it would have put a very different complexion on the match, however, Campion used this close shave to up their game and they came up the other end of the pitch to score their third try of the half and take a 17-0 lead into half time.

The message at halftime was that Farnham needed to improve the first up tackling and show some pride and belief if they were to continue with their dream of reaching a final at Twickenham. Unfortunately the second half started in the same fashion in which the first had finished and Farnham conceded a soft try under the posts within 5 minutes of the restart, this was unconverted and the score was 22-0 to the home side.

This seemed to spur Farnham into action and they increased the pace and started to play the flowing, pressure rugby that had been evident before the Christmas break. This period of play led to Farnham beginning to gain the upper hand in the set piece and the tackles started to make a difference. Simon Lewis scored Farnham’s first try after a good hand off and offload by Michael Salmon, the try was unconverted.

There followed another convincing period of play where Farnham were able to pen Campion back in their own 22 and were able to force the opposition into making several errors and it was from another error that Simon Lewis was able to break and touch down for the second time in quick succession.

Although it was realistically too late in the day, Farnham were pressing for another score before the end when Campion managed to break and score a final try, which again went unconverted. The final score 27-10 to Campion, who will continue to live the dream.

All in all it was a disappointing result against a team who Farnham will feel that they could have beaten on another day, but there is now the league to concentrate on, starting this weekend and Farnham have it all to do, with the top seven teams (before the weekend’s matches) separated by just 3 points.

Farnham 1's 10 - 9 Old Freemans 1's 20.12.08

After last week’s excellent win in the cup, Farnham were determined to build on their recent performances in the league against Old Freemans on Saturday. Training had been well attended during the week, but two very late withdrawals had left Farnham with only veteran Karl Brown on the bench to cover all eventualities, and when the team then spent some considerable time trying to gain access to the ground, a potential horror show was on the cards.

Fortunately this new Farnham team is much improved in many categories, and the briefness of the warm up and size of the opposition did not deter them from their task. Having won the toss Farnham started into the wind, and defended resolutely as Freemans had the better of the early exchanges, but when Freemans took the lead with a penalty, dubiously awarded for a handling offence in the ruck, Farnham were starting to get the better of their opponents. Simon Lewis and Michael Salmon smashed the opposition repeatedly in the midfield, and shortly after the penalty to Freemans Lewis timed his run to perfection to intercept the ball just inside the opposition half to run in to the posts. Andy James converted and Farnham held the lead 7-3.

Farnham now began to create a number of opportunities against their bigger opponents, and only some desperate defence and strange interpretations of the laws by the referee saw Freemans remain in the game. The back three of Dave Hurley, Denver Swanepoel, and Ozzie Kirkham all made telling runs that just failed to find the try line, and it was against the run of play that Freemans slotted another penalty just before half time.

In the second half Freemans enjoyed more possession, particularly from the lineout, but the smaller Farnham pack deserve great credit for the way that they drove their opponents back in the scrum and at the breakdown. Richard Gregory at hooker had a fine game, supported by props Gareth Farrell and Jim Davies, and Gareth Yeomans and Steve Simmons more than punched their weight in the 2nd row. Deane Chiverton and Ed Weekes made numerous tackles to keep Freemans at bay, and No8 Ritchie Phillips carried the ball strongly on numerous occasions to set up good attacking positions.

After apparently having weathered all that Freemans could muster, Farnham again fell foul of the referee when he awarded a penalty in front of the posts for a perceived deliberate knock on, and Freemans gleefully took the lead with only 10 minutes left on the clock. Yet again this season Farnham showed their character by refusing to let their heads drop, and they launched a series of ferocious drives at their opponents, resulting in a difficult penalty attempt that fly half Andy James nonchantly knocked over to give Farnham a 10-9 lead. Farnham then comfortably ran down the clock to record an excellent away win, and give their coaches a much valued early Christmas present.

Farnham have reached the half way stage of the season, and can reflect on the fact that they are still in the EDF cup and are in a position to go on in the league if they can maintain the momentum that they have built up. Straight after Christmas the team have a run of league and cup matches, and it is important that the players keep themselves fit over the festive break.

On Saturday 27th December there will be a special Christmas match at the club, with a team of coaches taking on the players, with lots of support anticipated for this 2pm kick off.

Farnham 1’s 17 – 11 Old Dartfordians 1’s 15.12.08

If you listen carefully, you can just about hear the unmistakable click clack of the studded boots of Farnham advancing on Twickenham…. 

It was at the ungodly hour of 10am (yes, in the morning) on Saturday 13th November that the fine fellows of Farnham met and discussed such athletic things as motorways and the best place to get a pie on route, before setting off on an epic road trip to do battle with the mighty Dartford.  The journey up was characterised by conversations that mostly involved the horrendous weather (which was lashing it down) and which type of pasty was in fact the best (which was Steak).

Much to everybody’s surprise the traffic was light and the journey was relatively quick and uneventful, thus causing us to arrive before the opposition team.  The 10am meet was then moaned about again.  However, this did leave the Farnham massive a longer than usual time to prepare for the riggers of contact sport.  As a result, when the opening whistle finally blew, Farnham went off with a bang (albeit, a wet bang due to the weather).  Perhaps you could describe it as an aggressive squelch.

The Farnham forwards worked hard all game, but unfortunately their enthusiasm got the better of them in the first quarter and two penalties were conceded in kickable positions and the points were duly taken.  However, after going six points down a delightfully charged down kick by the lightning quick Denver gains Farnham 5 big ones and the man Andy James puts the boys in black and yellow ahead by a point.  The highlights of the rest of the half include Sticky accidentally tackling Mike Salmon as he made a break and Adam ‘Stevie Gerard’ Hailstones opting for a unconventional volley kick in his own twenty-two to return a Dartford clearance. 

This total distain for the ‘Mark’ rule was also shown by the whippet Denver as a kick, chase and unfortunate bounce, gave Dartford another seven points and the lead.  Oops.  However, after this little interlude it must be noted that Farnham put up some fantastic defence to some strong running.  So much so that Mike Williams hurt himself in the line of duty and had to be replaced by Jim ‘The Hulk’ Davis.

The second half started in the same vain as the first ended, with Dartford throwing the kitchen sink at Farnham and finding no way through.  After some ambitious backs play and hard rucking and mauling, Farnham start to assert themselves in the match.  Several times the opposition conceded penalties and are punished with territory loss.  The second half continued with the feeling that Farnham were just one pass away form carving them up.  However, the conditions conspired against the rugby upgrading from a nice drop of Sparkling wine to Pink Champagne.  Throughout the half the score remained 6-11 to the home side and the game was becoming like the second floor in Millets – tense. 

However with seven minuets left on the clock, with the boys looking for inspiration, with the feeling that luck may have deserted them on this desolate wet and muddy pitch in Dartford, the man Nibsy spots a gap on the blind side and throws in a trademark dummy kick and lo, a hole appears that is conveniently rotund Welshman sized.  Through it he goes and five points are claimed for the visitors.  That dummy kick was bound to work sooner or later!  And, to cap it all off, he does it again 5 minutes later to put the game to bed.  Happy days for Farnham as the game finishes 11-17.

I think it would be fair to say that this Farnham side put in some fantastic defence and played hard all game.  The weather stopped it being as expansive as some matches, but still a very entertaining and well-fought contest.  Well done chaps.

Quote of the match: “This is the best looking bench Farnham has had in a long time.” – Sven

Farnham 1st XV 12 – 22 Old Whitgiftians 1st XV 06.12.08

A chilly day and a damp pitch were awaiting Old Whitgiftians when they arrived at Wrecclesham on Saturday. Unfortunately, Farnham were a little more accommodating than the conditions in the first half. Old Whitgiftians (OWs) had been the early season leaders of Surrey 1 having won their first five games, but they then lost two on the bounce and Farnham were looking to make it three straight losses.

Unfortunately, the Farnham team did not seem to exhibit the same character and determination that they had shown in the last few home games and quickly found themselves 0-7 down after a well-worked driving maul by OWs, which led to a score in front of the posts. The maul should have been dropped sooner and was a sign of how the OWs pack were going to approach this game.

Farnham’s indiscipline cost them dearly as OWs were able to relieve any pressure that Farnham were able to apply by forcing Farnham back into their own half.

It was a combination of strong running and a great line by Mike Salmon that led to the first score for Farnham – he took the ball in the centres and burst through the OWs line before touching down in the corner – having received the ball just inside the OWs 10 metre line.

The conversion from the touchline was missed – the score was 5-7.

Farnham began to come into the game and started to exert some pressure again, but this good work was quickly undone by a series of needlessly conceded penalties, giving the momentum and territory back to OWs, who managed to slot two more penalties before the break to make the sore 5-13 at half time.

The message at half time was to play in the OWs 22 and to cut out the indiscipline. All talk to the referee was to come through the stand-in captain Gareth Evans. The game was still there to be won and the boys knew it.

Shortly into the second half, both teams had a player sent to the sin bin for some off the ball antics and Farnham’s continued lack of discipline cost them dearly as the OWs kicker was able to slot another 3 unanswered penalties, taking the score to 5-22.

Farnham then had another man sent to the bin and this seemed to be the catalyst for the real Farnham to start playing the way they were intended to play from the beginning of the match.

Farnham were maintaining possession and continued to pile on the pressure for a huge part of the second half, the reply from OWs was to concede penalty after penalty (ten in a row at one point, without Farnham giving away a single one). The referee never looked likely to sin bin any of the OWs players for all of these penalties and Farnham kept battering away at the OWs defence – which stood up well.

Finally, with the last play of the game Farnham managed to work an opening for Mike Salmon to cross for his second try of the game, this one was converted by Andy James and the final score was 12-22 to OWs.

Farnham can take a lot of heart from the way they played in the second half, but the lesson is to start playing right from the first whistle, not from the start of the second half. The indiscipline and back chat needs to be cut out before the big game this weekend away at Dartfordians in the EDF Energy Junior Vase.

Cranleigh 1’s 43 – 3 Farnham 1’s 29.11.08

Farnham went to Cranleigh on Saturday with a much changed side, as many of the first team were having a rest before three massive games in the run up to Christmas.

This was, however, not an excuse to be ready for the challenge that Cranleigh were always going to throw at Farnham. Unfortunately, early kick offs seem to disagree with Farnham in a big way and the players did not seem to be ready for a game of rugby – it was as though Farnham had rolled out of bed and hadn’t really considered the need to play a game of rugby.

That said, Cranleigh played very well and Farnham stuck to their task well to only concede twice in the second half after a first half mauling of four ties, four conversions and a penalty.

Farnham’s only points came from the trusted boot of the youthful Nigel Rooney mid way through the first half.

This match was a chance for the players from the second team and on the fringes of the first team to put their hands up and say ‘pick me’, but, unfortunately, not enough of the team made that statement.

There were some committed performances, especially from John Darke, Deane Chiverton (who covered an awful lot of ground and made some great tackles) and Jonny ‘can’t hit a barn door from a yard away’ Andrews. The backs spent most of the day tackling, and held up well in general.

Cranleigh wanted to make a statement to Farnham, who play in a league above, and they made their statement loud and clear. Farnham will have to exhibit more commitment in the coming months if they are to continue to hold their own in Surrey 1 and progress in the EDF Energy Junior Vase.

Farnham 1st XV 19 – 11 Alton 1st XV

It was a much changed, yet no less spirited, Farnham side that took the field for this EDF Energy Junior Vase clash against local rivals Alton.

Going into the game Farnham had not had the best preparation, with a few injuries in the week leading up to the game and having lost away at Croydon in the league before. However, Farnham are a very different club to that which they were this time last year, with particular regard to the levels of commitment and the undoubted strength in depth there is at the club now.

Farnham lost the toss and found themselves playing with the bright sun in their eyes in the first half. Farnham started well, but conceded an early penalty, which resulted in three points for Alton. The early exchanges were dominated by Farnham and this week the forwards showed what they are about with aggression in the tackle and the scrummage areas.

Some good build up play led to Farnham’s first try, scored by 17yr old Gabe Hills coming into the line from full back and scoring in the corner. The angle was tight but the reliable Andy James slotted a monster of a conversion, making the score at this point 7-3 to Farnham.

Farnham’s forwards then really started to take the game to their younger, taller counterparts and began to push the Alton scrum around the pitch almost at will. The pressure, however, was continually released by Farnham indiscretions at the breakdown areas and penalties were conceded all over the pitch, allowing Alton to relieve a lot of the pressure.

During this period, influential number 8 Stuart Rimmer had to leave the field due to a back injury and the youthful, tough-tackling, Deane Chiverton came on at blindside with Richard Phillips moving to number 8.

It was from a quickly taken penalty by Gareth Evans at scrum half that led to the second try as Gareth passed to Denver Swanepoel who found himself about 50 yards from the Alton try line and with approximately 8 Alton players about to tackle him. Denver, however, jinked and sidestepped his way through half of the Alton team before scoring under the posts, for a superb individual try. Andy James converted and the score was now 14-3.

Farnham then conceded another string of penalties, one of which was converted shortly before half time to make the score at the break 14-6 to the home side.

At half time the message was that there were only 8 points in this and as long as Farnham could keep their discipline for the 2nd half there was no reason that the game could not be won. The players realised that the second half was down to honesty, and desire as much as anything else.

The second half began again with Farnham’s forwards dominating the set piece, with the exception of the lineout which was a weakness for Farnham all day against a well organised Alton lineout.

The second half was a slightly more scrappy affair with both teams clearly tiring somewhat and more spaces being found all over the pitch. It was Alton who reacted first and scored the first points of the second half through a well worked try, the conversion was missed (bouncing back off the upright) and the score was now 14-11.

At this point, Farnham could have started to panic, but the signs are very encouraging in that the team remained focused and maintained a good tempo – the discipline also improved in the second half.

Farnham were building more and more pressure on the young Alton pack and had been camped in the Alton 22 for some time, before an Andy James cross field kick bounced kindly for Adam Hailstones, who scored in the corner.

The conversion was a bit too tricky even for Andy James and the score was 19-11. There were a few more minutes of rugby in which the Alton team really started to play their rugby and Farnham found themselves defending really well.

This was a big game for this Farnham side who are rebuilding and are beginning to play some good rugby in phases. Special mention must go to man of the match Ed Weeks for some of his tackles and linking with the backs, Richard Gregory, playing out of position at loose head prop who really did a job on his much larger opposite number, Denver Swanepoel for his really well taken try and great running all day and many more. We can’t mention them all, but this was a very good team performance – there were no individuals on Saturday and this is the way rugby should be!

There is still plenty to work on, including; lineouts, discipline and first up tackling, but this is another win and one that Farnham will gratefully accept. There are big games between now and Christmas with Farnham still to play two of the top three sides in the league and almost certainly another round of the cup before Christmas.

Farnham find themselves through to the latter stages of a cup competition in which they have a realistic chance of doing well, commitment to training and playing is still key though if they want to progress any further.

Croydon 1's 22 - 14 Farnham 1's 15.11.08

Farnham set off on the near one and a half hour journey to Croydon in good spirits on Saturday, off the back of two successive good league wins.

Farnham knew that there was a good chance that a win would see them tied at the top of the table with one or more other teams and the warm up seemed to suggest that Croydon were going to come across a fit, physical and mentally prepared Farnham team.

Unfortunately the match is not won during the warm up and once Farnham crossed the whitewash the game plan went out of the window. Rather than Farnham ‘blitzing’ the Croydon side, Farnham found themselves on the end of a very committed Croydon side who were prepared to roll up their sleeves and get themselves out of the situation in which they find themselves in the early stages of this league.

Farnham knew that this would be coming, but failed to cope with the onslaught and found themselves panicking when there was no need to do so. There was a scrappy period before Farnham missed several tackles and allowed Croydon to score the first try of the day – it was duly converted.

Farnham had not yet woken up and were playing poor rugby, but then managed to engineer an opportunity for Andy James to kick three points, which he duly did.

There was another passage of play in which Farnham continued to commit too many players to the rucks and mauls and this repeatedly led to gaps out wide, which the Croydon backs were very much adept at exploiting.

Croydon’s second try came from a ball swung out to their accomplished backs who scored after several missed tackles again, it was converted.

Croydon’s third try came from a well worked line out move, which should have been stopped but unfortunately, it was not anticipated. This seems to be an appropriate point to highlight that the Croydon lineout functioned very well all day and the Croydon pack used their height advantage very well.

Farnham then began to show some resilience and worked their way back up the pitch, resulting in another penalty being given away by Croydon, which was duly converted by Andy James again.

The half time score 19-6 to Croydon. The message at half time was that the game was still there to be won by Farnham if they could show some honesty and improve the work rate.

The second half showed a vast improvement and Farnham continued to dominate the scrum, but still struggled in the lineout. Another Andy James penalty took the score to 19-9 to Croydon.

Farnham showed a lot more effort in the second half and were more controlled when in possession and a period of sustained pressure led to the ball being spread through the backs and Adam Hailstones converting the try in the corner.

This took the gap to 5 points and although Andy James missed the conversion there was some new found belief in the Farnham side – they seemed to be getting stronger towards the conclusion of the match.

There will almost certainly be different views on what happened next, but the Farnham one is that Farnham were sloppy for a period and conceded several penalties in front of the posts which were missed. Farnham then conceded a penalty while they had advantage and the referee gave the penalty – this was converted and the gap was out to 8 points with about 3 minutes remaining. Farnham then knew that they were beaten.

Congratulations must go to Croydon for playing with a great passion and tempo throughout and there can be no doubt that should they play like that every week, then they will be absolutely fine in this league.

We need to take a long hard look at ourselves after Saturday. The game was there to be won and we threw it away, mainly by not playing in the first half and panicking whenever we had the ball. We did not seem to be switched on and it showed – we have only got ourselves to blame.

I know that people will talk about the referee (I am as bad as anyone for that) but it was not his fault that we lost – we needed to up our work rate and make our tackles count – yet we did neither. I have not witnessed us play that badly defensively since last season and I am determined that it should not happen again – I hope everyone else is as well.

We all know that we can do better than we did on Saturday and in fact we can play better than we have in our last 2 home games. We need to make sure that we do everything we can in order to win our last two league games before Christmas.

We have a massive game this week in the cup against Alton and if you cannot get up for a game like this then you should not be playing rugby. We have key games between now and Christmas and I am asking for absolute commitment from everyone – this means turning up to training, turning up on time, making sure that you know what is required of you on a Saturday.

If any of you guys have any issues, surrounding the rugby, that you want to chat about, please give me a call or drop me a text and I will call back, but Saturday was completely unacceptable.

Farnham 1’s 18 - 6 Old Caterhamians 1’s 01.11.08

It was in appalling conditions for running rugby that Farnham received the kick off in this Surrey 1 clash on Saturday.

Throughout the season to date it has been Farnham’s young and exciting back line that has come to the fore, but Saturday was not a day for such an expansive game as was shown several times when Old Caterhamians (Old Cats) tried to spread play wide, only to knock the ball on.

Farnham were the grateful recipients of several such turnovers in a frantic first half in which Farnham had chosen to play into the wind. Even though Farnham were playing against the elements in the first half it was no surprise when they took the lead after a few minutes with a nicely stuck penalty from the metronomic boot of Andy James, today playing at fly half.

Farnham were looking in control for long periods of the first half and kept the score to 3-0 for a long period, until Old Cats full back cut a good line to go past the gain line, only to be hauled down short of the try line by some scrambled Farnham defence.

This seemed to spur Farnham into action and they worked their way back up the pitch through the combative forward pack and scored what was thought to be a try, only for it to be disallowed by the referee as it was ‘held up’ over the line.

Old Cats then managed to work their way back into the Farnham half and were given a chance to level the scores through a penalty carelessly given away. The kick came off the upright and the cross bar before nudging over.

The score at half time was 3-3 and the message from the coaching staff and captain were that Farnham had the elements with them now and if they played percentage rugby and the forwards continued their dominance then the game was there to be won.

The second half started with Farnham falling asleep for a couple of minutes and Old Cats struck another penalty to give them a 3-6 lead. This, however, was to be their last score.

Farnham roared back into life and took the game by the scruff of the neck with the forwards upping their work rate, and consequently, their dominance. Farnham worked the phases up the pitch until they had a scrum inside the Old Cats 22, which was won and scrum half, Gareth Evans, was able to cut a great line to score under the posts. The try was converted – the score 10-6 to Farnham.

Such is the mentality and resilience that has built up around this young Farnham side that they did not contemplate taking their foot off the gas and, if anything, upped the effort levels once again. The hard work was rewarded with another penalty, neatly converted by Andy James.

There then followed some sloppy minutes of play where Old Cats started to lose their discipline and it appeared as though ‘fisticuffs’ were going to ruin the rest of the game, but Farnham showed great maturity to continue to play their own game and were rewarded with another well worked try two minutes from the end after a charge down on the Old Cats line.

The conversion was missed and the final score was 18-6 to Farnham – stretching the home winning streak to 3 in a row.

The most encouraging factor to come out of Saturday’s game was that Farnham’s forwards showed the promise that the backs have been showing and dominated a larger pack for the full 80 minutes. There was good, controlled, aggression and some evidence that Farnham are starting to play with their brains as well as their bodies. It was a day for the forwards and they stepped up to the plate as they needed to.

Farnham now sit in equal second in Surrey 1, just two points behind the leaders – Old Whitgiftians.

Farnham 1st XV 34 v 0 Bec Old Boys 1st XV

After a thoroughly disheartening performance last time out in the league Farnham had done some soul searching and were determined to make things right in this clash against the side second in the league.

Before the game Bec Old Boys had scored more points and had conceded fewer than anyone else in the league so we were under no illusions that this would be a tough task.

To their credit this week the boys seemed to be fired up and really keen for this match and it showed right from the start with the forwards turning over Bec ball from the kick off. The game was only two minutes old before Graeme Black stole the Bec ball, drove on a few yards and quick recycling led to outside centre Mike Salmon scoring a text book try, which was unconverted.

The first five minutes had been played at real pace. The rest of the half saw the Farnham players working harder than they have all season and we worked well to keep Bec pinned back in their half while we had the wind behind us. Some careless indiscipline led to a penalty being awarded to Bec Old Boys, which was struck wide – this let off seemed to spur Farnham on to play with more intensity and passion.

As the half wore on, Andy James slotted three sweetly struck penalties to make the score 14-0 at half time.

The message at half time was that we had let a few chances slip and that we were expecting a backlash while we played into the wind. We were expecting Bec to use the wind to their advantage and pin us back in our 22 and use their bigger forwards to try and grind us down.

The second half started slowly for Farnham with us being careless in our 22 and giving Bec the opportunity to try and apply some pressure, but great defensive lineout work from Ed Weeks ensured that we were able to snatch possession and clear our lines.

The second half was more open than the first and Farnham’s ascendancy in the backline really started to show with some mazy running by all of our backs. The forwards continued to work hard and set a better platform than we have had for weeks, from which our backs could play.

The key points of the half were the Farnham pack shoving Bec off their ball at the scrum to win the put-in for ourselves and then watching Simon Lewis cut a great line and score under the posts. This one was converted. We then went on to score two more converted tries, through Denver Swanepoel and Gabe Hills.

The score ought to have been 35-0, but the referee made a counting error, and we are not about to complain about that! All in all this was a much better performance against a side who had been going well in the league. The boys must be proud of the performance and result, yet we all know that we can play better as a team and that there will be better sides that we play against.

The forwards man-of-the-match, Ed Weeks, said of his 1st XV debut “I took to it like a duck to water, I linked the play brilliantly and I still think I’m quicker than the backs, no one can touch me”.

The backs man-of-the-match, Denver Swanepoel, also on his competitive debut, said “I had good wheels today, I was pleased that I am as quick as I thought I was and I ran like the wind, I hassled and harried and am looking forward to my funnel after the game”.

Next week we are home to Old Caterhamians and will need the same sort of spirit, passion and desire; we are looking for the boys to push on another level and really begin to banish the Battersea experience from our consciousness.                                    

                                        Farnham 1’s 5 – 26 KCS Old Boys- 18.10.08

After Romsey were disappointingly unable to field a side in the EDF Energy Junior Vase, Farnham picked up a fixture at KCS Old Boys, so, for what seemed like the 100th time this season we headed up the A3 and into London.

There were a few new faces in the Farnham team this week, some due to selection decisions, some due to player absences, but the message before the game was that the team that started the game are the players in possession of the shirts and if they want to play in the league game next week there would need to be a big performance from each of the guys. It was a chance to lay down a marker and put your hand up to say ‘pick me’.

We arrived in good time this week and had a lot more time to get ourselves together before the kick off – and it showed in our performance. For the first half we were camped in and around the KCS 22 for very long periods, but were just unable to turn the possession and territory into any real gilt-edged chances. It must, however, be said that if the KCS backs were able to catch the ball they would have been ahead at half time as they found themselves with large overlaps on occasions and even ended up dropping the ball over the line.

At half time, the message was that there was nothing to suggest that we could not go on to win this game if we showed the same effort and desire as we had in the first half.

The second half started with Farnham having a ‘sleepy five minutes’ as has become our want and unsurprisingly KCS took advantage. There were still times during the second half where the pack were dominant in the scrums, but the lineout faltered and the communication dropped away as the efforts of the first half seemed to take their toll.

In the end, Farnham started to play the quick rucking game that we have been looking for all season and ended up scoring a well worked try through Gareth Yeomans who showed real persistence to ground the ball despite the angle and the fact that there were about 15 bodies underneath him.

KCS ended up winning 26-5, although the scoreline does flatter them a little, especially considering that they played a handful of 1st XV players in their side.

The message from this week is that the passion and desire was better, but there is still more for this young side to give and we need to be more vocal around the park.

When asked for a comment, man-of-the-match Mike Salmon said “Easy now, I am quicker than Usain Bolt and can hit harder than Mike Tyson, bring on Bec Old Boys”.

We now have two home league games in a row and some players put their hands up and showed that they want to play first XV rugby which was encouraging.

There is still plenty of work to be done and we need to keep the good numbers that we have had training recently.

Battersea Ironsides 1’s 37 v 3 Farnham 1’s

Farnham were fresh from two league wins in a row and ought to have been looking forward to a game away in Battersea in the sunshine.

However, after delayed departure from the club due to the tardiness of some players and a bit of traffic on the way through London, Farnham found themselves short of time and seemingly short of motivation and desire.

After a quick change, followed by a walk to the pitches Farnham had a relatively quick warm-up prior to commencing the game. It seemed clear during the warm up that we were not ready for the game, mentally or physically.

Having said that Farnham started brightly enough and for the first five minutes looked as thought the lack of preparation would not affect us too much. However, Battersea were a side searching for their first win of the season and soon appeared to outclass Farnham in almost every facet of the game.

The pattern of scoring is a little confused, but Battersea were 15-0 up at half time after two tries, one penalty and one conversion. They then began the second have with another converted try before Farnham were able to reply (in a fashion) with a nicely struck Andy James penalty with about 25 minutes to go. Farnham were hoping that this may help galvanise the team and there were some good patches, but Battersea finished off with three tries, one of which was converted.

At the end of the day we must hold out hands up and say that we were beaten by a significantly better team on the day, and that we wish Battersea Ironsides well for the rest of their season.

This defeat will show us that we cannot afford to turn up and expect that the opposition will roll over and let us win. We need to work harder in training and individuals need to make sure that they are mentally ready for a game of rugby.

Our forwards let us down on Saturday with a complete lack of fitness and enthusiasm, being beaten to virtually every breakdown for the whole 80 minutes. It seems that we have completely transformed from the pack of forwards we were last year, in that we are now able to bully teams up front, but do it sporadically, and now seem to not feel the need to run around the park, which is something we were good at last year.

This was not a happy day for the Farnham 1st XV, and there is a lot to work to be done before we go away to Romsey in the EDF Energy Junior Vase on Saturday, before two home league games in succession. We must be aiming for three wins in our next three games and this will require an improvement in attitude and performance – which is what the captain and coaching team are looking for.

Farnham 1st XV 18 v 12 Chipstead 1st XV 04.10.08

Farnham recorded their second league win of the season against previously unbeaten Chipstead in an entertaining match played at Westfield Lane on Saturday.

Farnham started the game with the wind behind them attacking the clubhouse end, and did well to reclaim their kick off, only then to concede the ball to the opposition by not making quicker use of their possession. However a positive start enabled Farnham to build pressure and on 9 minutes Andy James kicked a penalty following a side entry offence to give Farnham a deserved 3-0 lead.

Chipstead then came back into the game, but some excellent scrambling and physicality in the Farnham defensive effort saw the home team clear their lines. James had another penalty opportunity to increase Farnham’s lead, but it drifted wide, and it wasn’t until the 29th minute that Farnham scored again.

After sustained pressure Adam Hailstones came off his wing to cut back past the defence to score a good try, although Andy James managed to fluff the conversion attempt from in front of the posts.

With 35 minutes on the clock, and Farnham totally bossing the game, the home team conspired to give Chipstead renewed hope after conceding a converted try following Chipstead’s best period of the match. Farnham were guilty of failing to execute basic team strategy, and after clearing poorly when they had a chance to put the ball into the Chipstead half, Chipstead exploited a dog leg in the Farnham line to lift their spirits at half time.

Having dominated so many aspects of the game the message at half time was to keep doing the basics well, with a particular emphasis on moving the ball more quickly away from the breakdown.

With an 8-7 lead the coaching team highlighted how close all of the matches have been in this league this year, and identified the need to keep calm under pressure in order to secure the all important win.

The 2nd half began well for Farnham as Chipstead put the kick off long, and shortly after this Andy James slotted a 2nd penalty  to put Farnham 11-7 up.

Chipstead now came more into the game, with the strong wind at their backs helping to pin Farnham back, but some exhilarating back play led to Farnham twice going the length of the field to almost score. Young fullback Gabe Hills seemed to have nowhere to go when he received the ball deep inside his own 22, but his pace and strength took him past a number of would be tacklers before linking with Alex Brindle. Brindle passed on to James who was twice further involved before slipping an audacious pass around his back to the supporting Fran Meager, and only a fantastic last ditch tackle inside their own 22 rescues Chipstead from conceding what would have been a memorable score.

Chipstead came back at Farnham and missed a penalty and a drop goal attempt, but further linking between Farnham backs and forwards saw Simon Lewis feed winger Dave Hurley who was just held up short, only for stalwart Gareth Farrell to come up in support to ground the ball over the line. Unfortunately the try was judged held up by a poorly positioned referee, and from almost being safe Farnham butchered the subsequent 5m scrum, and following a bout of fisticuffs on the half way line Chipstead used the penalty to pin Farnham deep into their own territory.

This time Chipstead made the pressure count as their centre ghosted through a missed tackle to score under the posts, and with the conversion scored, Farnham found themselves trailing 11-12 with less than 10 minutes on the clock.

Once again this Farnham team showed their strength of character by roaring back at their opponents, and continuous pressure saw Simon Lewis charge down an attempted clearance kick. The ball ran free, but wiley no. 8 Mike Williams reacted calmly to gather the ball and sidestep the defender to score under the posts. This time Andy James made no mistake with the conversion, and Farnham comfortably ran down the clock to secure a 2nd league win.

The win was slightly soured afterwards by the news that man of the match Fran Meager had suffered a quadruple fracture to his cheekbone in the dying minutes of the game, and all of the club wish him a speedy recovery from a nasty injury.

After a positive start to the season the players need to ensure that they continue to train regularly if the club is to sustain it’s momentum, with training taking place at the club on Tuesdays from 7.15p.m. and at the Polo Fields in Aldershot on a Thursday night. For further information contact Club Captain Karl Brown on 07795490922.

Farnham 1st XV 12 - 31 Richmond 4th XV 27.09.08

On another almost summery day Farnham went away to Richmond in a non-league fixture looking to string together two wins for what seems like an eternity. Due to rather inefficient time management by some players Farnham turned up at Richmond late and had a 20 minute warm up and run through, which was not enough.

Some of the lads seemed to still be in party mood and this charitable attitude continued into the game where Richmond took the lead early on thanks to some particularly lackadaisical Farnham defence. Richmond scoring an unconverted try.

Farnham, although there having been a few changes, exhibited the sort of spirit that we have come to expect and after a period of (very) scrappy rugby managed to get the ball wide to Mike Salmon who ran the length of the pitch to score. The try was converted and Farnham had a two point lead.

Farnham then dominated territory, if not possession and forced Richmond to play rugby in their own 22, which is exactly what they didn’t want to be doing. Again, after a period of disrupting Richmond Farnham managed to get the ball out wide to Mike Salmon who scored another lovely individual try. This one was not converted and Farnham had a 12-5 lead coming up to halftime.

Richmond kicked off and although Farnham’s forwards made the ball safe it was turned over in the midfield and a couple of phases later Richmond bundled over for a try from a quickly taken penalty – this time Richmond were the grateful recipients of Farnham’s under par captain missing a straightforward tackle.

Half time came and the score was 12-12. The message was to try and get the ball out wide to our backs who are full of gas as they would be able to score the points to bring this home for us.

Unfortunately, Richmond made 5 changes at half time and Farnham had already had to use their one replacement due to an injury to Chris ‘Porcelain’ Cotton and were unable to match up to the fresh impetus that the new faces brought the Richmond team. The game petered out after about 75 minutes when the referee suffered a recurrence of a calf injury and Richmond were deserving winners 12-31.

Farnham need to look long and hard at how we prepare for these non-league fixtures as they need to be more than just a day out – they are important fixtures and the coaching staff and captain will be working hard to get this message across.

This weekend we take on top of the table Chipstead at Wrecclesham – hoping for a home win for the first time in about 18 months.

Farnham 1’s 23 - 16 London Exiles 1’s – 20.09.08

Farnham set off to Barnes full of optimism despite having lost our first league game against Old Pauline’s last week. It was a very warm and sunny afternoon and a combination of traffic and the smallest changing room in the world meant that we didn’t have as lengthy a warm up as we would have liked. This may have proved to be a good thing in the heat.
The game began with London Exiles kicking to Farnham with a kick that didn’t reach the 10 metre line. Farnham chose a scrum on the centre spot and from that moment on absolutely dominated their taller counterparts in the set piece.
 
For the first ten minutes of the game Farnham were unrecognisable from the team that played together last season and for all the world it looked as though Farnham could have been about to romp away with a convincing win. Farnham exerted huge pressure on London Exiles for this period and deserved points for their endeavours, which came in the form of a sweetly struck penalty from the boot of Andy James.
 
Farnham then needed to continue to turn the screw, which they did for a period, before allowing London Exiles back into the game in terms of territory through a series of entirely unnecessary penalties. Farnham conceded the best part of 60 metres in very little time due to reckless indiscipline – this is something that will have to be improved.

London Exiles made Farnham pay for their indiscretions though by taking a quick penalty while Farnham were too busy arguing with the referee and trudging back 10 metres. They scored in the corner and the try was unconverted.
 
Farnham then kicked off again with the message having been to cut out the silly mistakes. London Exiles received the kick off and drove about 20 metres up the pitch before spreading the ball wide and some excellent offloading in the tackle led to another try within three minutes of the previous one. This try was converted.
 
At this point Farnham were rightly kicking themselves as they had no one to blame but themselves, for the rest of the half Farnham fought hard and were taking the game to their opponents in encouraging fashion. Another penalty was converted by Andy James and there was a beautiful flowing ‘champagne rugby’ move down the left of the pitch for which Farnham deserved at least a try, but some good defence kept them out.
 
The score at half time was 13-6 to Exiles and Farnham knew that they had a lot of work to do if they were to draw level or have a chance of winning. The message was that the forwards needed to work harder around the park and create the platform for the backs to work their magic.
 
The second half started in much the same fashion as the first with Farnham utterly dominant both in terms of possession and territory. There were some really good phases played early in the second half but Farnham still have a tendency to play the ball to quickly and not tie in enough defenders.
 
As the half wore on and both teams tired the spaces started to open up for both teams and a combination of excellent cover tackling (by seventeen year old Gabriel Hills in particular) and interceptions by Andy James Farnham were able to keep Exiles at bay, although they did slot another penalty.
 
It was unfortunate that the gaps available to Exiles were increased when Alex Brindle was sent to the sin bin for shoulder barging his opposite number, however, Farnham worked even harder for this period and did well to not concede any points.
 
There followed some lovely free flowing rugby by Farnham’s backs and Gabriel Hills went over to score his first senior try and finish off a superb move. The try was converted and Farnham had drawn level.
 
By this point it was clear that Farnham were starting to believe that they could win this game and the tempo was upped a little bit more as they sensed their opponents were tiring. It was unsurprising that Farnham’s dominant pack created the opportunity for the next score by winning a scrum against the head in the centre of the park which enabled scrum half Gareth Evans to make a good break before offloading to David Hurley to score the try. It was converted and the score was 23-16.

Shortly after this a great run by Fran Meagher resulted in a try that was disallowed as Exiles’ touch judge said that he had run into touch, when it was clear to everyone that he was well within the playing area.

Fortunately, this decision did not matter as Farnham slowed the game down for the last few minutes and managed to hold on to win the game.
 
This was undoubtedly a key event for this youthful first team and one which many of us have felt is long overdue. All the hard work has paid off and we now have our first win for over a season.
 
The key is for Farnham to use this win and gain in confidence and belief from here on in, there are going to be some very tough games this season, but getting those league points will really help the side to keep building.
 
New players are welcome to attend by simply turning up at training, from 19.15 on Tuesdays at the club and on Thursdays at Queens Avenue, Aldershot, or by contacting Club Captain Karl Brown (07795 490922) for further information.
 
When asked for a comment after the game, Steve ‘Animal’ Simmons explained that he couldn’t talk as he was suffering from winner’s remorse.
 
Farnham 1's 3 - 10 Old Pauline’s 1's 13.09.08

Prior to the start of the match a combination of U12 and U13 Farnham players staged a high quality demonstration match, and their support of the senior team later was much appreciated, with the large crowd gathered highlighting how the club is pulling together.

Farnham were looking to start the season with a win and the conditions were ideal for a good brand of open running rugby which would have suited one of the most exciting back divisions the club has seen in a long time. With three eighteen year olds in the starting line up, and a number of other players in their early twenties, there is much to be optimistic about at the club.

The game started well with Farnham taking a clean catch from the OPs kick off and recycling the ball well. Farnham were defending for a period without coming under too much pressure and the forwards were given time to settle in the scrum – all was looking positive.
The scrum was keenly contested throughout the match and Farnham asserted their dominance here early on and went on to make the scrum a real point of attack, however, the key moment of the match came from an OPs scrum where they managed to retain the ball and feed their backs. A combination of good lines and soft first up tackling let OPs through for the first try of the match. The try was duly converted.
 
Farnham, though, came roaring back at OPs, such is the spirit that has been engendered in this young side and Farnham were rampant in the OPs half for 15 minutes, dominating possession and territory. It looked as though Farnham were about to level the scores when Gabriel Hills looked to finish off a great backs move only for the referee to inexplicably call him back for a penalty to OPs for crossing.

The half came to an end with OPs managing to win a penalty in the Farnham half which was cleanly struck, which gave OPs a 0-10 lead at half time.
 
The message at half time was that OPs had nothing to trouble the Farnham team, either out wide or in the middle, therefore Farnham had to believe in themselves and be prepared to run a number of phases through the forwards before feeding the backs.

The second half started in much the same way as the first with Farnham on the back foot for five minutes before they went on to entirely dominate the half in terms of territory and possession.
 
The highlight of the half was David Hurley’s great line which took him to within a couple of metres of the OPs try line for what would have been one of the trys of the season had he not been bundled into touch.
 
Farnham were the beneficiaries of many penalties within the OPs territory but chose to kick for the corners or chose ineffectual quick penalties when a scrum or a pop at goal would possibly have been more profitable. Farnham did manage to secure three points with a nicely struck penalty from the boot of Alex Brindle shortly before the end, but it was too little too late.

It was a sign of the optimism and positivity flowing around the club now that the boys coming off were devastated to have lost a game that we all feel we could (and should) have won. 

This team is rapidly improving under the guidance of Karl Brown and the coaching staff and we looked as though we were a pass/phase away from greatness on Saturday. It is only a matter of time until the win that is deserved arrives and when it does Farnham will be flying! 

Farnham ‘A’ 14 - 3 Aldershot and Fleet 06.09.08

The positive start to the season, which began with the weekend away in Stroud last week, was carried forward into this scrappy home win for an improving Farnham side. After what was a very difficult season last year the team seem to have turned the corner and there is real positivity about the club along with a handful of new faces, some of whom have come up through the ranks of the academy and some of whom have joined from other clubs.

Farnham lost the toss and kicked off in the damp conditions. The Farnham pack imposed themselves on the game from that very moment, with the whole pack swarming all over Aldershot and Fleet and forcing them into several errors. This theme was to be maintained for much of the game – the Farnham pack working very hard in the loose, but not so effectively in the tight, where A&F managed to turn the ball over several times due to Farnham loss of concentration.

The first quarter was played at a frantic pace with little structure to it from either team, and the quarter ended scoreless as neither team was able to create any sort of platform for their backs to work from. The second quarter began with 6 changes to the Farnham side as partnerships and positions were changed around.

The pace seemed to slow a little after the initial burst (as it had to) and Farnham started to play with a little more pattern and structure. A&F to their credit were still dominating in many of the set pieces, but tough tackling in the backs and forwards alike ensured that there was no way through for the A&F attackers. Farnham defended well and finally managed a period of sustained pressure in the A&F ‘22’.

After being camped in the A&F ‘22’ for a period of minutes, the pressure told and Farnham scored their first try in front of their own fans this season. It was a well-worked move off a decent platform set by the forwards and Farnham’s new fly half Alex ‘Becks’ Brindle trundled over and then converted his own try. Shortly after the try Farnham contrived to fall asleep and concede a soft penalty, which was duly slotted for A&F.

The halftime score was 7-3. The talk at half time was that patterns and platforms needed to be established and that the communication needed to be improved, both in terms of talking and listening.

The third quarter proved to be more of the same as Farnham threatened to dominate, but were just lacking the cutting edge to apply the finishing touches to some lovely moves in the back. A&F continued to tackle well and compete hard in the tight.

The fourth quarter was a little more pleasing on the eye – possibly due to the fact that people were so tired by then that the game had to played at a more suitable pace for Farnham. The platform for the backs was better in this quarter and maybe, had the ball not been kicked quite so frequently, Farnham would have added more than the excellent try score by Gabriel Hills on his senior debut and converted once again by Alex Brindle.

There were a lot of positives from the game and the boys can rightly feel pleased to have got a win while maybe not playing as well as they know they can. There is a lot to build on for next week’s home league fixture against Old Pauline’s and Farnham are looking to get that first league win of the season at the first available opportunity.

Farnham Pre-Season Tour Stroud 31.08.08

A sign of the positive atmosphere being created by Farnham RFC was the attendance of nearly 30 players on a pre-season training weekend to Stroud RFC over the weekend of 29th - 31st August. 

The weekend was superbly organised by Graeme Black and Mark (Woody) Woodward, and saw the players taking part in a coaching session on the Saturday morning, before playing four twenty minute matches against Stroud in the afternoon. This format allowed both teams to look at various combinations and tactics, and despite the chopping and changing of personnel, some excellent rugby was played, with Stroud shading the honours.

Following some team bonding in Cirencester on the Saturday night, the two teams played a further full match on the Sunday morning, with Farnham winning 27 points to 15. Adam Hailstones, Keith Moore, Fran Meager, Mark Woodward, and Deane Chiverton all scored tries, whilst two of the tries were converted. Chiverton was Farnham’s man of the match in the Saturday games, whilst Andy Stent played particularly well on the Sunday, and Steve Simmonds was awarded Tourist of the Weekend for his excellent playing performances and strong contributions to the various team building activities that went on.

These are exciting times for Farnham, with several new players on the scene, excellent attendance at training, and a fantastic team spirit building. The players are keen to improve and are receptive to advice offered, and the Stroud experience has given the coaching team lots of positives to build on.

The pre-season programme continues on Tuesday nights at the club and on Thursday nights on the Polo Fields in Aldershot, with both training sessions starting at 7.15p.m. New players are welcome to attend by simply turning up, or by contacting Club Captain Karl Brown (07795490922) for further information.