Croydon 2s  7 – 50  Farnham 2s

Making the long journey up to Croydon, to play their penultimate merit game fixture, Farnham were looking to bounce back from the Teddington result by securing a confidence boosting win against a team that are struggling at the bottom of the table.  An accident on the way delayed a number of players and meant that Farnham couldn’t get through the usual warm up routine as, despite delaying the kick off, some players arrived only a few minutes before the start.  Croydon admitted before the start of the game that they were without the majority of their second team due to injuries in the first team and that the third team and some veteran players had been drafted in to make up the numbers.  Whether kidology or not, Farnham themselves boosted with some third team help, could only play the team in front of them.

And Farnham started brightly, scoring their first try within five minutes when the forwards worked the ball through the phases providing quick ball to the backs who used simple hands to release Charlie Cooksey to score in the corner from a forceful run through the last three defenders, 0-5 to the visitors.  Farnham’s pressure forced errors from an obviously unfamiliar Croydon team and when Andy Stent managed to get his boot to a loose ball, Tom Coussins was at hand to guide the ball to the line, the conversion by Andy James sending Farnham into a 0-12 lead.  From the kick off Farnham had their third try when James Wright drove the ball back and after a number of offloads the ball eventually made it to Hywel Jones for a simple canter under the posts, 0-19.

Farnham were trying to play expansive rugby, moving the ball quickly from the point of contact, looking to tire their opposition.  And it worked, as Farnham ran in another three tries in a blistering half of rugby.  Charlie Cooksey got his second try after another barnstorming run followed by Jonny Andrews scoring from close range and Hywel Jones rounded off the half with another try when simple handling once again created the over lap.  Half time then and the score was 0-38.

Obviously confident at half time, the players were told to maintain their concentration for the full 80 minutes and to maintain the impeccable discipline that had seen them build up such a commanding lead.  Farnham had benefitted in the first half when some of the Croydon team had been more concerned with remonstrating with the referee than making the tackles and Farnham would look to continue to exploit this in the second half.

Unfortunately, whether from a lack of fitness or concentration, Farnham were unable to maintain their expansive rugby as time and time again the ball was taken in to contact only to be tied up or turned over.  The home team looked to keep the game tight and succeeded in lowering Farnham to their level.  In a half with very little quality from either side, the home team did manage a consolation try when a quickly taken free kick was allowed to be taken behind the referee but Farnham failed to react.  In response, Farnham scored two tries.  The first was scored by Dean Chiverton who’s meandering run saw him somehow emerge through a host of opposition tacklers to collapse over the line.  The second was far more straight forward when Hywel Jones scored his hat-trick try from a simple miss pass that presented him a 15m jog to the line.  The final score 7 – 50.

Although obviously content with the win Farnham were a little bit frustrated, and disappointed, with their second half performance.  The experience of the opposition had slowed the game down in the second half bringing them back into the game and Farnham found it difficult to lift their performance when they had effectively won the game by half time.  The captain, and the coach, will be looking to expand on the first half display when Farnham play their last game of the season at home to Camberley 2s on the 10th of April.  Afterwards, the players will be expected to celebrate a long hard season with a “few” beers and some very tall tales of the “try that got away” and the usual “you only scored because I did all the work” conversations!

Farnham 2s  3  -  24 Teddington 2s

Farnham played hosts to top of the table Teddington last Saturday on a slippery, sodden pitch with a chastening breeze leaving everyone questioning whether it really was the first day of spring.  But despite these conditions, Farnham were looking to overturn the result at Bushy Park where Teddington ran out convincing winners although Farnham had taken a patched up team to face them.  Unfortunately though, with a number of absentees and injuries, Farnham once again struggled to field their regular team but those that played were determined to make Teddington realise that they were in for one hell of a fight.

Although Farnham started slowly, they were the first to register points when a number of forceful carries drove the ball into the Teddington half only for the visitors to kill the ball.  The penalty was converted by Andy James.  However this only seemed to galvanise Teddington.  Their dominance in both the scrum and lineout limited Farnham possession which made retaining the ball all the more important but they could only achieve this is patches.

After just over 10 minutes Farnham conceded their first try when some slick handling by the Teddington backs allowed the winger to score in the corner.  And five minutes later, Farnham were once again re-grouping under the posts after a similar play outflanked the defence for another try, this time converted.  Unfortunately Farnham conceded another try soon after when the Teddington forwards managed to slide the Farnham scrum over the line for the no. 8 to touch down taking Teddington out to a 3-17 lead.

Farnham were in danger of capitulating but it is great credit to the team that they held possession for most of the remaining half, keeping the ball tight with some fantastic close quarter play making significant inroads into the Teddington half.  Unfortunately, handling errors at key moments allowed the visitors off the hook and Farnham were unable to cross the try line.  It was with some relief to the away team that the half time whistle was blown.

The emphasis at half time centred on continuing to play a tight game as, despite the away teams advantage in the set piece, Farnham had the upper hand elsewhere.  And with the defence solid around the fringes everyone would be required to work harder to support out wide where Teddington looked to threaten most.

The second half followed the same pattern as the first but Farnham had learnt their lessons well keeping Teddington busy in the loose to tire their forwards and make the scrum more of a contest.  But the visitors still had the upper hand and threw away a chance to extend the lead after 15 minutes when a 5m scrum was driven towards the Farnham try line only for the no. 8 to drop the ball over the line under pressure from the fly-half.  Farnham kept Teddington at bay for some time but the defence was eventually undone when another drive towards the line was stopped short only for the fly-half to snipe over from close range.  The conversion taking Teddington to a 3-24 lead.  Despite Farnham’s best efforts they were unable to get the try that their commitment deserved and eventually the referees whistle signalled the end of the game.

Today wasn’t a day for running rugby, but that is the type of game required in these conditions.  Although obviously disappointed with the result the team will only be the better for this experience against a strong Teddington side that are deserving of their place at the top of the league.  Farnham now have two league games remaining and will be looking to win both of these to maintain a top three finish, something that seemed well beyond reach at the start of the season.  Next Saturday, the 2s travel away to Croydon for another difficult encounter but hopefully conditions will be a bit better....we can only hope!

FARNHAM 2s  20 – 16  LAW SCOIETY 2s

There are lots of mysteries that remain unsolved in the world, but there is perhaps another to add to the list, how did Farnham get away with a win against Law Society?

On what could be considered the start of the spring weather Farnham finally completed their fixture against Law Society, a game which was re-arranged from mid-January.  Unfortunately, Law were unable to field a front row for the fixture and the game was reduced to uncontested scrums from the off with Law required to play the fixture with only 14 players.  But uncontested scrums are not conducive to great games of rugby as both teams sought to put that little bit extra into the mess that is the breakdown.  The referee definitely had his work cut out on the day.

Farnham started brightly, with Law conceding a quick succession of penalties, enabling Farnham to kick their way towards the try line.  From the resulting line-out, Farnham drove over the line for Brendan Conlon to drop to the ground for the score, Andy James converted.  Farnham quickly got back to the Law try line and were unfortunate when first Stuart Rimmer and then Greg Friggens were held up over the line.  Farnham came away with three points though after another infringement to take the lead out to 10-0.  It wasn’t long before Law Society struck back.  When Farnham conceded a penalty, Law quickly played the ball down the line and they managed to out flank the Farnham defence.  With the conversion missed the score was 10-5.

The referees whistle was being blown more often than both teams wanted, and it was Farnham’s turn to capitalise when Law took a player out off the ball.  Kicking the ball deep into opposition territory, from the lineout, the maul was dragged down just short of the line after another catch and drive,.  Fortunately for Farnham, Vince Wiltshire was at hand to pick up and carry for the last half a metre.  In contrast to Farnhams direct approach, Law tried to move the ball quickly and took every opportunity to run the ball.  And they got their next score in the same manner as the first, after Farnham indiscipline.  A quick play of the ball and good handling down the line enabled the winger to outrun the defence to score in the corner.

Farnham continued to press the opposition into making errors which enabled them to kick their way down the field.  From another lineout in the opposition 22m the ball was spread down the line, and the scrum half looped and drawing two defenders kept his hands free to release Tom Coussins, the young academy player, for his first seniors try in only his second appearance.  The conversion missed and Farnham were anticipating half time with a lead at 20-10.  Law Society had other ideas, the defence held firm but again indiscipline cost them as hands in the ruck provided Law with three easy points to close out the half.

Despite the man advantage Farnham hadn’t managed to dominate their opposition as the uncontested scrums had taken away the opportunity to disrupt the oppositions set piece.  But the half time talk mainly discussed the need for improvement in defence and in particular first up tackles, an area which had been uncharacteristically poor for the home team, and in attack, to retain possession and vary the game working the opposition around the park.

The second half was a bit of a disappointment for both sides as, despite the five tries in the first half, none were scored in the second.  The referee asked both captains to talk to their respective teams on numerous occasions and was forced to produce three yellows, two to Farnham and one to Law, in a highly volatile half of rugby.  Despite over 70% possession in the half, Law only managed to score a penalty kick 10 minutes before the end and somehow Farnham held out to record the victory at 20 – 16. 

Maybe this game won’t be remembered for Farnhams flowing rugby, but with more changes to personnel this week, the 2s did well to record another victory in a season that slowly draws to an end.  There are only three merit games left and the 2s will be looking to record some more wins to secure their place close to the top of the table but they will certainly need to play better than today.  Farnham need to put things right at training this week as they can ill afford more defensive lapses against table topping Teddington at home next weekend.

MERTON 2S  11 – 20 FARNHAM 2S

Farnham 2s travelled the well trodden route up the A3 for their latest league match against a Merton team that Farnham had secured a comfortable win against earlier in the season.  Although Merton are nearer the bottom end of the table, they have improved their results of late, and this was not going to be an easy victory for Farnham.  With a spate of illnesses and last minute cancellations, combined with the needs of the first team, it was a much changed team that took the field for Farnham.  And as such the chance was given to a number of third team, and young up and coming academy players, to strut their stuff for the second team.  And Saturday saw the perfect conditions for running rugby.

Farnham started the game facing a stiff gale force breeze as well as having to contend with the slope of the pitch (something Farnham should be used to!).  And in these conditions Farnham started perfectly, with a quick succession of forward drives taking the ball deep in to the opposition half only for Merton to kill the ball.  The simple penalty was converted by Jason Stones.

With so many changes, and players having to play out of position, it was always going to be hard to maintain any consistency and this led to a rather scrappy game with both sides conceding possession too cheaply.  When Farnham did manage to maintain some pressure they easily drove through the cover defence but everything was kept too close to the breakdown and the attacks petered out.  But Farnham were on top in the scrum and with an opposition scrum on their 5m driven back at a rate of knots their no.8 had no option other than to pick and go.  He was isolated and Farnham managed to retrieve the ball for Stuart Rimmer to walk over from close range.  The conversion added to take Farnham out to a 0-10 lead after 20 minutes.

Farnham obviously thought that Mertons heads would drop but they quickly responded with a penalty following Farnhams indiscipline at the breakdown.  But Farnham scored their second try ten minutes later, catching and driving from a line-out, Brendon Conlon was at hand to peel away to cross the line, the conversion added from close to the touchline to take Farnham out to a 3-17 lead.  Farnham almost bagged another try right on the stroke of half time but the ball was held up over the line.

The half time talk centred on adding width to the Farnham game as the wingers had barely touched the ball and to tighten up the defence and make the right decisions under pressure in their own 22m.  Unfortunately Farnham started the second half somewhat sluggishly, possibly thinking that the job was already done, and Merton sensed that there might be a way back into the game.  With only five minutes played Farnham conceded the first points of the half when Merton were surprisingly awarded the points from a penalty kick that appeared to sail wide of the posts.

20 minutes into the half and Farnham were forced to re-shuffle an already make-shift back line after a clash of heads saw James Mills leave the field with a broken nose, we all hope he makes a swift recovery.  Not long after Farnham extended their lead when they managed to string some phases together to get into the oppositions half only for the opposition to once again kill the ball in front of the posts, Stones successful again to make it 6-20.

Farnham had been under pressure for most of the half and, with little ball to play with, were forced to defend for long passages of play. But with good commitment in defence it was somewhat disappointing to concede a try in the very last minute of the game.  With Merton awarded a scrum close to their own 22m, the ball was quickly spread wide from a retreating scrum and some half hearted tackling enabled the wing to make it to the line.  The conversion missed, the final whistle signalled the end of the game with Farnham running out 11-20 winners.

The old saying ‘a win is a win’ is apt as Farnham are happy with the win but realise that the performance fell short of expectation.  There are a number of players to return and in an ideal situation the 3s and academy players would have been blooded with more support but they acquitted themselves well.  The future looks promising with this new crop of players coming through eager to experience senior rugby.  There is lots to work on in the forthcoming week and everyone needs to make a concerted effort to make training.  We can then work in our units and put things right ahead of next weekend when it is anticipated that Farnham will be entertaining Law Society at home in a re-schedule merit game.

FARNHAM 2s  44  -  0  Weybridge Vandals 2s

Farnham 2s were looking forward to the game against Weybridge Vandals as there was a lot to make up for after last weekends poor performance.  Farnham were also seeking revenge for the loss inflicted earlier in the season when they ran the opposition close despite playing with 14 men for almost 70 minutes.  The captain asked for each player to stand up and be counted, and everyone duly obliged delivering what was probably the teams best performance of the season.

Farnham started the game brightly and had their first try within the space of five minutes when the fly-half box kicked the ball into the oppositions 22m and the ball sat up perfectly for Greg Friggens to gather the ball and run in under the posts.  The simple conversion taking Farnham to a 7-0 lead.  A few minutes later Farnham extended the lead with a penalty kick.  Greg Friggens got another try on the 20 minute mark, when the ball was simply passed down the line, with each pass perfectly timed, to give him another run in, unfortunately the conversion was missed.

Farnham ran in another try before the break.  When Vandals won a line out close to the half way line the fly half looked to make a pass under pressure and the ball was intercepted by Andy James who managed to run the 40m to the try line and evade a last ditch tackle, the conversion added to take Farnham to half time leading 22-0.

With everything going Farnham's way, there wasn't much to improve on, but the players were asked to maintain the intensity and not to lower their commitment.  And this they did running another three tries in the second half.

Farnham started the second half as they had finished the first, going forward both in attack and defence and putting the opposition under pressure.  Farnham's first scoring opportunity came from a penalty and, thinking that the hard work deserved some reward, the captain decided to take the points on offer.  The first try came not long after when, from a scrum 5m from the oppositions try line, the ball was passed out to James who looked for support but then decided to cut back against the drifting defence to make the line, carrying the defender over with him.  The conversion taking the lead to 32-0.

Vandals retained the ball well in the second half leaving Farnham somewhat frustrated by the lack of possession.  But the defending was so committed that it forced the errors, preventing the visitors from sustaining any prolonged pressure.  The home team used what possession they had to effectively pin the opposition back in their own half with Farnham confident that their defence would hold out.

With ten minutes left in the game Harvey Hoyt-Bone scored a fantastic individual try.  Receiving the ball on the oppositions 22m he took the long route to the try line running around both the opposition and his own team to score his try in the corner.  And with the last play of the game Jonny Andrews got a score from close range getting reward for all the hard work the forwards had put in.  With the conversion added the final score was 44-0 to the home team.

The referee said after the match that there wasn't much between the teams except that Farnham were clinical.  For once, I think we can agree that the referee was right.  Farnham 2s had put right the mistakes of last week and we can only hope that this performance will stand them in good stead for next weekends re-scheduled home game against Law Society 2s.  Numbers at training are picking up and this is having a positive effect on the results, we just need to maintain the commitment through to the end of the season.  But today's result was fantastic and with all three teams winning at home, it was a very happy clubhouse indeed.

FARNHAM 2s  38  -  0  Guildford 3s

On a cold Saturday afternoon, Farnham 2s faced local team Guildford 3s after both the scheduled merit game, and an alternative friendly fixture, had been cancelled.  Despite the sunny weather, the pitch was half frozen and concerns over player safety almost had the referee abandoning the game.  But despite this, both teams were eager to at least start a game that had already been delayed.  Farnham took to the field with only 14 players as work commitments and illnesses denied the team a full compliment of players.

With both teams having limited preparation it took a while for the game to settle but, when it did, Farnham played some superb rugby to keep the chilled crowd entertained.  The first half ebbed and flowed as both teams had their chances but Farnham made light of the opposition's numerical advantage by making the better decisions when in possession.

The first try came after 20 minutes when some great forward play drove the ball towards the opposition's try line before the ball worked it's way to CJ Cooper who, playing his first game for three months after injuring his knee, managed to score in the corner for an unconverted try.  With the game in the balance, and only five minutes until half time, the opposition kicked to clear their lines only to find Adam Hailstones close to the half way line.  Running the ball back, and breaking through two would be tacklers, he then ran around the last defender to score under the posts, a simple conversion giving a 12-0 lead at half time.

With the players pulling together to deny the opposition any real scoring opportunities the emphasis for the second half was on reducing the number of unforced errors.  This was achieved in some style as Farnham ran in another four tries.  But this didn't look likely early on as Guildford managed to keep sustained pressure in the home 22m for the first ten minutes of the half.  Somehow the defence held firm, frustrating the visitors and providing the opportunity to counter attack.  And Farnham managed to capitalise on their first real foray into the opposition's half.  When Steve Clark rose highest to steal a Guildford line-out close to their 22m Farnham moved the ball quickly away and Andy James managed to break the gain line and, avoiding the cover defence, just managed to cross the line and ground the ball under pressure from the full back.  The conversion added to give a 19-0 lead.

The try scorer then turned provider, after another stolen line-out close to the opposition try line, by giving a simple pass to Harvey Hoyt-Bone to score unchallenged under the posts making it 26-0.  Farnham's forwards were dominant in the loose and some great work lead to the fly-half's second try.  The ball was worked from Farnham’s own 22m with a searing run from hooker Jonny Andrews that took the ball deep into the opposition's half where the ball was recycled and passed quickly through the hands for the fly-half to score from 5m out, the conversion added making it 33-0.

With 15 minutes left to play Farnham had time for one last try.  Another stolen line-out 5m from the try line gave the forwards the try their hard work deserved.  Stuart Rimmer picked up from the back of a ruck and found nobody in front of him for the simplest of carries over the line.  With the conversion missed the referee blew the whistle to finish the game, Farnham winning 38-0.

The players put in a great performance to claim victory and hopefully the level of commitment and effort can be maintained into the coming fixtures.  We all know that the hard work is done on the training pitch and the 2s will need to up the intensity if they are to get another positive result against Law Society 2s next weekend when the action returns to the merit table.  Hopefully the ground will be a bit softer by then!

Old Blues 2s 10  -  7  Farnham 2s

Farnham made the short journey up the A3 to face an Old Blues team that they had narrowly defeated at home to record their first league victory earlier in the season.  Farnham were expecting a hard game but it was made even more difficult with limited player availability and coach Ken ‘Kev’ Worthy had to put on his kit one more time so that the team had 15 on the field for the start of the game.  Technically a veteran (43!) he found his old boots still fitted (although they probably wouldn’t be running as fast as they used to).

Despite a good warm up and run through, Farnham started the game poorly, conceding ground and making mistakes that they normally wouldn’t.  A lack of competitive rugby over recent weeks, due to the weather and festive break, meant that most players hadn’t played for close to six weeks.  Unfortunately Farnham found themselves down 5-0 within the first few minutes as the rustiness manifested itself in an inability to tackle.  This was disappointing as although Old Blues had some big powerful runners in the backs, Farnham would expect to make these tackles.

The majority of the game was played in the centre of the field as both teams struggled to maintain possession of the ball for any great length of time.  Farnham had a few chances in the first half, the best of which followed some brilliant work by the forwards.  A number of close quarter drives towards the opposition 22m drew the defence close, and when the ball came out to the fly half he put in a well judged kick to the corner but it was narrowly missed by Ken Worthy.  Farnham had one kick at goal which was missed and when Old Blues ran it back, Farnham’s scramble defence managed to close the opposition down.

5-0 at half time but Farnham were pleased that they had improved their defence following the poor start.  And it was the defences of both teams that were on top for the majority of the game with both managing to stifle the attacking efforts of each other.  Unfortunately Farnham were struggling in both the scrum and lineout but the forwards continued to battle hard and, towards the end of the game, were holding their own against the bigger unit.

Farnham needed to reply quickly in the second half and when Adam Hailstones took the ball into contact in midfield Andy James was at hand to receive the offload and break through the defence, running to within 10m of the line he found Jason Stones, who cut a great angle towards the posts, and although tackled just short he had the wherewithal to reach out and make the try line.  The conversion gave Farnham the lead for the first time but although Farnham had the opportunity to extend their lead, a penalty kick drifted just wide.

The defensive effort took it’s toll on the players and the lack of match fitness showed towards the end for both teams but Old Blues were fortunate to have some players to refresh their team.  As the game neared the last ten minutes, Old Blues had a scrum in the middle of the park and quickly moved the ball to the wing who managed to evade the defence to score close to the corner.  The missed conversion meant Farnham trailed 10-7.  But despite Farnham’s best efforts, they could not add to their score and, on reflection, Old Blues probably deserved to edge the result.

Both teams at times were left dumbstruck with some of the refereeing interpretations and we can only hope that the referee realised this as he left the clubhouse without talking to either captain.  Luckily, both teams played the game in the spirit of rugby and this made for a hard, but fairly contested, fixture.

Farnham 2nds are lucky to have Ken Worthy on board for the rest of the season to specifically help with coaching the 2s but we need to get to training to benefit from this.  There is plenty to work on this week to ensure we are better prepared for next weekends home league game against Old Walcountians.

Farnham 2s v Croydon 2s

Unfortunately Croydon were unable to field a team to fulfil the league fixture and Farnham were awarded the victory.

Teddington 2s  34 v 14  Farnham 2s

For the second time in a fortnight Farnham 2s struggled to field a team and, with 8 changes to personnel and some positional changes to the starting line-up that defeated Merton, it was always going to be difficult to achieve a positive result.  What should have been a closely fought encounter between the second (Teddington) and third (Farnham) placed teams in the merit table was all but sown up at half time by the home team.  Before kick off, Farnham struggled to find the pitch in what must be the best kept secret at Bushy Park (some signage would have been helpful!) and this severely hampered preparations especially for the forwards.  Who, although familiar to playing in the 3s together, were being asked to make a big step up against Teddington.  Behind them meanwhile, a familiar looking back-line had a new fly-half with Paddy King making his first start for the 2s.

Most of the early play was concentrated in Farnham’s half and the home team managed to use the slope well to work the touch line and edge ever closer to the visitors try line.  With the extra height of the opposition, they dominated the line-out, and the visitors quickly found themselves two tries down.  Two similar catch and drives in the right hand corner were mauled across the line far too easily, one try was converted, taking Teddington out to a 12-0 lead with only 10 minutes on the clock.  Undaunted, Farnham tried to get back into the game and managed to string some phases of play together but all the good work was undone when another try was run in, the score now 19-0 Farnham were on the brink of suffering a cricket score but managed to up their game in the last 10 minutes of the half.  Recycling the ball quickly and giving the backs more time and space, Harvey Hoyt-Bone was able to take the long route and break through three tacklers to score Farnhams first try of the game.  Andy James converted to give the score-line more respectability at 19 – 7.

This gave Farnham the impetus but the referees constant use of the whistle for hands in the ruck meant that any pressure Farnham exerted was easily relieved.  This was particularly harsh on Anthony Bartrum who was consistently the first player at the break down.  Both sides felt that it was the player on the floor holding on that should have been penalised.  Understandably though, the home team weren’t going to tell the referee until they were in the bar after the game!  Unfortunately for Farnham, they conceded one more try before half time and trailed Teddington 24 – 7 at the break.

Despite the score line, Farnham had shown signs of improvement towards the end of the half, the forwards had been more competitive and the defence had also improved to restrict the oppositions scoring opportunities.  The captain was particularly pleased with the attitude of the players, as no heads had dropped, but asked for more composure with the ball so that Farnham could start to structure their play, a characteristic that has been the hallmark of the team this season.

In the second half, Farnham benefitted from the slope and Teddington found running up-hill particularly difficult.  With the defence able to press quicker the ball was often tied up in midfield, and combined with some poor handling, both teams quickly became frustrated with the stop start nature of the game.  With Teddington struggling to make inroads into the Farnham half, a penalty opportunity was taken at the posts after 20 minutes and the successful kick took Teddington clear at 27-7.  With no way back Farnham played for pride and displayed all the characteristics expected of them when representing the club - commitment, determination and passion.  But having defended for so long the tiredness was evident and when the opposition had a penalty 5m from the try line, Farnham were slow off the line and Teddington had another try, the conversion making the score 34-7.  Farnham never gave up and continued to press the opposition and got the try their play deserved at the final whistle.  A good team try ended with Mike Richards barrelling over to score near the posts, the conversion added to make the final score 34-14.

Despite the obvious disappointment of the result, Farnham 2s should be satisfied with their spirited second half performance.  And, with the 3s once again providing a significant contingent to the line-up, Farnham are starting to develop strength in depth as the experience gained from this game can only help both the 2s and 3s in the rest of their seasons.  Farnham 2s are at home next week for another merit league game, this time against Croydon 2s.  Hopefully Santa will deliver an early Christmas present to ensure Farnham get back to winning ways and have another victory to celebrate before the festive break.

Farnham 2nds 57 v 10 Merton 2nds

Farnham played host to Merton 2nds on a soaked home pitch looking to overturn the disappointing defeat suffered in their last league game.  Merton are without a merit win this season and Farnham were determined to maintain that on Saturday as they fielded one of their strongest line-ups.  Farnham started the game brightly, instantly making inroads into the opposition half but poor handling at key moments let the visitors off the hook and left Farnham turning back towards their own line to retrieve the ball.  In the early exchanges it was Merton that threatened to score first but some great lineout work managed to steel the ball and Farnham were able to turn defence into attack.  The first points were registered for the home team when Merton killed the ball just outside their 22m and Andy James successfully kicked the resulting penalty.

Five minutes later, Farnham were back into Mertons 22m and after some controlled phases of play the ball was shipped out to Andy James who managed to run around the last defender to score in the corner.  The difficult conversion was successfully converted to make it 10-0.  Merton spurned one kick at the posts but a second invitation was taken to register their first points, 10-3.

Farnham noticed that the opposition were defending very narrowly and the next time they attacked, the outside half kicked the ball wide and a kind bounce saw the ball into Jonny Weldons hands to score, the conversion sending Farnham clear at 17-3 with only 20 minutes played.  Merton were gifted their try when Farnham were once again on the attack and looking to move the ball wide only for Merton’s winger to anticipate and intercept and, with everyone in attack, run clear to score unopposed under the posts.  The conversion added to their score, 17-10.  The home team responded quickly scoring a try right on the half time whistle, again some fantastic work by the forwards saw the ball taken close to the line and Adam Christie, who managed to push James Mills off the ball, claimed the try.  Half time and the score was 22-10.

Farnham were pleased with their efforts in the first half especially their handling which, in such difficult and slippery conditions, was outstanding and also the defence which had hardly missed a tackle.  As Farnham had dominated the first half, the captain asked the players to be ruthless in the second half and take every scoring opportunity.  And to the team’s credit that’s exactly what they managed, with Brendan Conlon taking 10 scrums against the head and Angus Harrison steeling the opposition lineout ball Farnham had lots of possession and used it to great effect scoring another seven tries.

Andrew Bond collected four tries, scoring two from 5m line-outs where he was at hand to put the ball down in the corner and one from a push over scrum, the fourth was from open play after the forwards and backs had combined well to reach the oppositions try line and Bond managed to evade the last defender to score in the corner.  Rich Andrews claimed a try with his first touch of the ball when he took to the field with 25 minutes left to play, the ball being passed down the line for Farnham to out flank the defence.

Jonny Weldon got his second try when Farnham again moved the ball wide and although he was tackled short of the line he was aware enough to stretch out to reach the line.  And Adam Christie also got a second score following a rolling maul that managed to get within five meters of the try line when he broke free to score in the corner.  Unfortunately none of the second half tries were converted and Farnham run out 57-10 victors.

Farnham 2s are getting familiar with that winning feeling and it is something they are determined to achieve every time they take to the pitch.  The Seconds have had some fantastic results already this season, and are pressing hard to chase down the league leaders, but Farnham need to perform like this every week to make that happen.  Today was about the win and Farnham thoroughly deserved their victory.

Weybridge Vandals 2s  27 v 5  Farnham 2s

Following the previous weekends comprehensive victory over Raynes Park, Farnham 2s had anticipated a keenly fought confrontation against Weybridge Vandals on Saturday.  Unfortunately, Farnham almost had to cancel the game as an international weekend and injuries both combined to limit the number of players available.  With only five players in the team that took to the field the week before, Farnham 2s had to rely heavily on both the 3rds and the Vets to field a team, and even with these re-enforcements could still only muster 15 players.

So it was, that Farnham travelled away to Vandals expecting a sodden pitch, following almost 12 hours of continuous rain, and it was no surprise that they weren’t disappointed.  With players leaning into the wind to remain upright this was never going to be a fast flowing game of running rugby.  This was going to be a hard slog for both teams!

In difficult conditions, Farnham started rather hesitantly and the lack of familiarity between the players quickly showed.  Despite some fantastic defending, Farnham couldn’t get their hands on the ball long enough to offer anything effective in attack.  Vandals capitalised on some poor clearance kicking to make their way closer to the Farnham line and, with less than 10 minutes played, Weybridge had their first try.  Spreading the ball wide from a ruck and with players coming at pace, the fullback managed to crash through two would be tacklers for an unconverted try.

Farnham slowly improved and were looking to get back into the game.  Unfortunately, around the 10 minute mark, David Stent suffered a serious blow to his eye and, unable to see, had to leave the field of play and was taken to hospital.  David’s sight is slowly returning and we all wish him a speedy recovery, we would also like to thank our hosts for making sure Stenty was safely taken to hospital.  But this effectively finished Farnham’s game as, with a man less, the emphasis had to be on defence rather than attack.  Farnham had their moments though, but either handling let them down or Weybridge’s defence held out.  Vandals managed another score before the break which meant Farnham were only 10-0 down at half time.

Farnham started the second half determined to take the game to Vandals and had the better of the early exchanges, obviously refreshed from their half time rest.  And the 2s were the first to score.  Working the line after a number of infringements by the home team, a catch and drive resulted in Julian Ranger barging over from close range.  To highlight the conditions, at the same time as the try was scored, there was a loud crack and a tree was blown over on the far side of the grounds.  The difficult conversion was narrowly missed leaving Farnham trailing 10-5.

The visitors hopes of a comeback were quickly quashed when, from the kickoff, a missed tackle allowed their flanker to run through the first line of defence to link up with the winger to score.  The conversion taking the score to 17-5.  The home team managed another two tries, the first from a kick through and chase which wasn’t dealt with and the second from the last play of the game when, exhausted, Farnham weren’t able to make the final tackle.

Farnham’s players can take great heart from this performance as Weybridge are placed top of the league.  To play almost 70 minutes with 14 players, in a team formed on the day, and to maintain a respectable score line is some achievement.  But the never-say-day attitude displayed by those that played was inspiring.

The 2s will be disappointed with the outcome of the match as the opposition were there for the taking and Farnham will be looking for a better result in the return fixture later in the season.  Next week is a friendly fixture before a return to Merit action at home to Merton 2s. 

Farnham 2nds 50 v 10 Raynes Park 2nds

Farnham continued their league campaign at home to table topping Raynes Park 2nds with a mid-day kick off ahead of the firework display that was to follow in the evening.  And it was Farnham that produced the fireworks on the pitch outscoring their opponents by seven tries to two.  Displaying composure when needed and a ruthlessness to capitalise on the oppositions mistakes, Farnham were determined to come away with the victory that would take them above their opponents in a competitive league table.

Farnham started the game perfectly, scoring within the first five minutes.  Retaining possession and moving the point of attack quickly from the breakdown to get the ball wide where Farnham were fortunate to have some extra speed available, in the form of Gabriel Hills, who was able to outrun the defence to score the first of his two tries, the conversion adding the extra two points.  Raynes Park responded quickly, somewhat against the run of play, when the scrum half managed to retrieve a difficult ball from the back of a retreating scrum to out run the defence to score in the corner for an unconverted try.

Farnham settled back into their game plan making hard yards through the forwards and spinning the ball down the line to attack wide.  Having camped in the opposition 22m Farnham were awarded a penalty opportunity in front of the posts, this allowed Farnham to extend the lead to 10-5.  Farnham continued to play the better rugby while restricting Raynes Park to short burst close to the breakdown and it wasn’t long before the next try.  Using the same pattern of play, Farnham were able to outflank the opposition for Adam Hailstones to score under the posts, for a converted try.

The next try came from loose play by the opposition, Andy James managed to work his way through a ruck to kick the ball away from the attackers, following it up with a few more kicks to send the ball behind the defence, Gabe Hills was at hand to reach the ball first to score his second try, the conversion making it 24-5.  As the game progressed, Farnham realised that their strong defence was causing the opposition problems and some great work from the forwards was managing to turn defence into attack on regular occasions.  Farnhams next foray into the opposition 22m, saw a host of players lining up to score before Mike Burton powered over through two would be tacklers, the conversion sending Farnham clear at 31-5.

The last ten minutes of the half saw the game deteriorate slightly with Farnham beginning to show signs of tiredness after 30 minutes of running rugby.  But as Farnham tired Raynes Parks perseverance was rewarded at the stroke of half time when they finally managed to move the ball out to their wing to score in the corner.  Half time and Farnham lead 31-10. 

The second half was a scrappy affair, Farnham thought that the game had already been won despite there being 40 minutes left to play and it was difficult to motivate the players to continue to play the style of rugby that had dominated the opposition.  Farnham managed three more tries in the second half for Adam Christie, Alan Gale and Lee Mans, the best of the three was Alan’s 50m run from the back of a lineout scoring in the corner, and with only Alan’s conversion missed Farnham reached the 50 point mark with 10 minutes left to play.  Again, it was the opposition that ended the half the stronger, falling just short of scoring their third try.

Farnham 2s can take motivation for the weeks ahead from this performance but should realise that they all need to work hard on their fitness to maintain the intensity for the full 80 minutes, something they have not managed yet this season.  Farnham travel to Weybridge Vandals next weekend for another top of the table clash and will look to build on this performance to try and achieve another victory.

Old Walcountian 2s  17 v 42  Farnham 2s

After forming a mixed team last week, the 2nds were hoping to have a settled team this week to face Old Walcountians in their latest league fixture.  Unfortunately, with injuries and absentees affecting selection for all the teams, the 2s were once again bolstered by a healthy contingent from the 3s.  Farnham hoped to continue with the intensity they displayed against Old Blues and, playing with a strong gale force breeze in the first half, Farnham managed to pin the home team within their own half.  Farnham knew that it would be vital to get early points on the board and after a missed drop goal attempt Farnham got a penalty in front of the posts which was stroked over by Andy James.  With Farnham dominating in the loose and the forwards quickly settling into their stride, Ross McCabe was at hand to cross for the first try of the game, which was also converted.

The next try followed the same pattern of play, with the forwards again working hard, the ball was then spun out to James Mills who, with nothing apparently on, had no option other than to run over his defender to score under the posts for another converted try.  With the oppositions heads starting to drop, and some less that committed defending, Farnham could sense that the opposition were there for the taking.  The next try quickly followed, with Stuart Rimmer picking up from the back of a scrum five meters out from the opposition line and having an unopposed run to score an unconverted try.  The fourth try came from a move started in Farnham’s own half. 

Andy James broke through two would be tacklers before standing the last defender up and passing to the supporting Jonny Andrews who was chased all the way to the line, a simple conversion taking Farnham out to 29-0 and the half time whistle.

Farnham were happy with the type of rugby being played but emphasised the need to maintain concentration to the end of the game.  And, with at least another two tries being missed, Farnham were a little disappointed not to be further ahead.  But half time came as a relief to the opposition enabling them to re-group and where Farnhams talk involved maintaining intensity and concentration, Old Walcountians asked for pride.  A strong motivator, and it was the opposition that came out the sprightlier in the second half.  Deciding to keep the ball close in the forwards, they drove towards Farnhams line and when the maul collapsed the referee didn’t hesitate to run under the posts for a penalty try.  Not the start Farnham wanted.

It was important to strike back quickly and Farnham managed this with a try of their own.  With the forwards and backs linking well, Farnham made easy ground into the opposition half eventually scoring out wide for an unconverted try.  Thinking that the opposition would wilt, Farnham continued to press hard for more scores but poor handling let a number of opportunities slip away giving the incentive back to Old Walcountians. 

Their second try came from quick ball that found it’s way to their speedy winger who ran around the defence for an unconverted try.  With tempers starting to boil over Farnham were awarded a penalty 30m out and, deciding to calm things down, Farnham took the three points on offer.

Unfortunately for Farnham, their would see out the last 10 minutes of the game with only 14 players as ‘Big K’ left the field with a suspected dislocated shoulder.  The team wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to welcoming him back to the team in the near future.

With the game coming to a close, there was still time for each side to score a try.  Old Walcountians struck first with their flanker somehow emerging through the middle of a maul with the ball to run in unopposed. 

Farnham’s last was again courtesy of hard work from the forwards who mauled towards the line before Stuart Rimmer peeled off from the back to claim his second try of the afternoon.  With both tries unconverted, the final score was 17-42 to the visitors.  Despite the score-line, this was a hard fought victory and the opposition deserve credit for their second half fight-back.  Farnham now have two weeks before their next league game at home to Raynes Park 2s and will look to work hard in the time available to ensure that the winning streak continues.

Farnham 2nds 17 v 8 Old Blues 2nds

Farnham entertained Old Blues at home on Saturday with both teams yet to register a league victory this season.  Once again Farnham had a considerably altered team with 12 changes to the squad that played a week earlier, and five of those drafted from the 3s who’s game had unfortunately been cancelled.  It is a testament to the depth of players that is becoming available at the club that these guys didn’t look out of place. 

But Farnham 2s are beginning to adapt to these changes and there is appearing a core of regular players which can only help to maintain a consistent game plan.

In a hard fought game, Farnham edged their visitors in open play and defended resolutely when required but it was Old Blues that edged the set piece keeping Farnham under pressure particularly at the scrum, an area that Farnham have done well in recent weeks.  The centre pairing of Chris Penn and Nathan Healey-Potter consistently broke the gain line but too often the final pass was missing that would have sent Farnham clear to the try line.  And it wasn’t just the centres gaining the ground, three notable breaks by Ross McCabe helped Farnham turn quick turn over ball into attack.  But despite the territorial advantage that Farnham held they were unable to convert this to points and a solitary penalty converted by Andy James was all that separate the teams at half time.

The half time talk centred on maintaining the running lines but to look for support once through the gain line and Farnham realised that if they were going to come away with the victory, they would have to play quicker rugby and move their opposition around the pitch to create the overlaps.  Fortunately this is what Farnham started doing. 

However, although Farnham frequently visited the 22m of Old Blues, a lack of composure at the key moment allowed the visitors to escape.  Eventually the tide had to give, and another visit into the 22m gave Farnham their first try.  Putting pressure on an Old Blues line-out Farnham gained a scrum and with the opposition struggling to defend another Stuart Rimmer pick Farnham gained a penalty.  With the defence still organising, a quick tap by Chris Penn allowed Jonny Andrews to fall over the line near the corner.  The conversion sending Farnham 10 points clear.

Farnham began relaxing thinking that the job was done but with 20 minutes left to play there was still some way to go.  Old Blues began chasing the game and managed to string some phases together to take a foothold in Farnham’s half.  A quick succession of infringement eased Old Blues towards the posts eventually resulting in a penalty kick to pull back Farnham to 10-3.  Farnham roused from their sleepy ten minutes to peg Old Blues near their line and a run by big Dan Green would have seen the lead extended if he hadn’t been bundled into touch near the line.  Farnham weren’t to leave without any points this time and from a driving maul Ed Simpson, another new face, was at hand to cross in the middle for a converted try taking Farnham out of reach at 17-3.

Farnham thought their work was done but with little more than 3 minutes left the opposition had other ideas.  Failing to compete at the breakdown, Farnham allowed the opposition to retain possession too easily and despite all the good defending that had gone on before, the last minute was poor, allowing an easy score out wide.  The conversion missed Farnham 2s saw out the last minute to record their first league win of the season.

There are things for Farnham 2s need to work on, not least maintaining their intensity for the full 80 minutes, but this game showed that Farnham are also learning from previous games.  And with another 12 players putting their hands up for selection, the 2s squad is becoming stronger.  We need to maintain this level of competition to ensure that Farnham continues to be competitive.

Law Society 2s 26 v 14 Farnham 2s

It was always going to be difficult game for Farnham 2nds with 7 changes in personnel and 3 more positional changes to the team that faced Cranleigh a week earlier.  Travelling up to face a Law Society 2nds with 15 players, a number of these carrying injuries or recovering from illness, it was all that Farnham could do to form a team for their second merit league game of the season.

Undaunted, Farnham prepared as well as they could and began the game looking to put the opposition under pressure.  However, the unfamiliarity quickly showed and Law Society were able to exert most of the early pressure, although Farnham had their moments, they were few and far between.  Law were first on the score board after 20 minutes of frantic play by both sides.  By retaining the ball, the home team were able to make significant gains into the Farnham half and from a ruck close to the try line, they used the blindside to cross for an unconverted try.

Farnham had to respond quickly, and they did.  For once Farnham managed to retain the ball to play through a number of phases and after some good forward work, Andy James exploited a gap and managed to offload to the supporting Sips to score near the posts.  The conversion adding the two points to take Farnham into the lead.  Unfortunately for Farnham, panic set in whenever players were put under pressure and they were unable to capitalise on their superior scrum and line out platform.  Law’s second try of the half came from a speculative kick that wasn’t cleared quickly enough, a good chase by the defence caused a charge down that bounced kindly for a simple run in under the posts, 12-7.  Unfortunately for Farnham, they conceded another try before the half, some very sloppy tackling from tired players enabled Law to score another converted try.  19-7 at the half.

The break allowed Farnham to re-gather and plan for the second half.  With so many changes, Farnham hadn’t managed to structure their gameplay and were therefore unable to challenge the opposition for any length of time.  The second half was much better, obviously the 40 minutes of the first half had helped build some understanding but unfortunately the cause wasn’t helped with Matt Kelleher going down heavily and, fearing a twisted knee, was taken off the field as a precaution.  Hopefully, not a serious injury, and Matt will be back playing soon.

Down to fourteen men with 30 minutes to play it was unlikely to be Farnham’s day but the players responded well and put in the extra effort required and it was the visitors that dominated long section of play.  Keeping the ball in the opposition 20m Russell Edwards was at hand to capitalise on a series of close quarter rucks to bundle over the line in trademark fashion from 2 metres out.  The conversion making the score 19-14.

How Farnham managed to keep Law at bay can only be attributed to a determination not to let each other down and, although Law spread the ball from left to right on a number of occasions, there always seemed to be a Farnham body on hand to make the tackle.  This did have an effect in the last 10 minutes as player after player suffered with cramp.  And it was in this last 10 minutes that Farnham conceded their fourth try.  For once, when the ball was thrown wide to the right hand touchline, there just wasn’t anybody left to make the covering tackle.  A good kick taking the score to 26-14.  Although defeated on the day Farnham can take great heart from the effort and commitment shown on the pitch.  Andy James would like to thank each and every player for their contribution in this hard fought loss.

With players returning from injury and others again available this week, selection will be difficult -but that’s how it should be.  Now we need commitment to training, to benefit both the individual and the team, allowing the 2s to build on this performance ahead of next weeks league game at home to Old Blues.  Farnham 2s will need the same determination shown against Law Society if they are to achieve their first league victory of the season.

Cranleigh 2s 0 – 49Farnham 2s

The sunshine of recent weekends has well and truly passed as we begin October and enter the cold of winter.  But it was only the temperature that was down as Farnham showed great spirit and determination in defeating a Cranleigh 2s, who’s first team had weeks earlier seen off Farnhams first team.  This game was definitely about getting revenge.

Farnham arrived to see the home team already warming up, an especially intimidating sight as almost all they’re players were bigger than those of Farnham.  But this did not daunt the 2s and the game plan centred on moving the point of attack to tire their forwards, leaving gaps for Farnham to exploit.  The 2s have in recent weeks started their games well and today was to be no exception, putting Cranleigh under intense pressure from the off and being held up over the line twice in quick succession.  Unfortunately a loss in concentration allowed Cranleigh to escape from their line.  After another foray into the 22, a penalty allowed Andy James to kick the first points of the game to ensure that the team left with at least some reward for their early dominance.

The next ten minutes saw the same patterns of play, Farnham using the ball well only to let Cranleigh off the hook with sloppy play or lack of concentration at the key moments.  The frustration started building as Farnham realised that their continued pressure wasn’t giving them the scores their play deserved.  The first try came after some good work by the forwards, Andy James seeing two props on the blind side changed the attacked to run through the defence and around two more defenders before offloading to Ben Crean who ran unopposed under the posts.  James adding the conversion for 10-0.

Farnham slotted back into their pattern of play and with things becoming frantic, Andy James kicked another penalty to give the team a chance to refocus.  Farnham pressed well when in defence to make it difficult for Cranleigh to maintain any sort of possession and frequently managed to turn the ball over in the tackle.  Although Farnham continued to dominate the score at half time remained at 13-0.  Unfortunately, Andy Rogers left the pitch at this stage with a suspected broken wrist, which was later confirmed.  The team send their best wishes for a speedy recovery and hopefully Andy will be back for the second half of the season.

In the team huddle, the instructions were to play the second half as the first, but to look up and target the defence at its weakest points, to be composed in possession and to make sure that we took advantage of any overlaps.  The team took these words on board and the second half pattern reflected Farnhams superior fitness.  Some great handling and interplay from both the forwards and backs enabled Farnham to run in another five unanswered tries.  The scorers were Allan Gale, another for Ben Crean, Charlie Cooksey, James Trodden, Tom Silcox and the last try of the game at the whistle for James Mills.  The team effort was reflected with so many different players scoring.

The most pleasing aspect of the second half though was the defensive effort in keeping Cranleigh from scoring.  And, on the one occasion that Cranleigh ran clear towards the Farnham line, all of the team ran back to snuff out the chance five meters from the line.

Farnham travel away next week to face the Law Society 2nds in the merit table and this victory will help build some confidence for that game.  There are still things to work on but the 2nds are moving in the right direction.

Camberley 2s  18 v 10  Farnham 2s

The first league game of the season saw Farnham 2s make the short journey up the A331 to face local rivals Camberley with a much changed team from the one that defeated Haslemere 1s last weekend.  As many as 10 players were making their first appearance in the 2s and the lack of familiarity would prove costly for Farnham.  On another sweltering Saturday, Farnham started the game with much enthusiasm relishing the opportunity to take the game to their opponents.  Playing a pattern of rugby that will, in the long term, prove to be the hallmark of this team in using a strong forward platform to provide space for the backs to attack.

It was a day where the breakdown would decide the outcome, and both sides struggled to secure any quick clean ball.  With both sets of players finding it difficult to come to terms with the new interpretation of the breakdown it meant a first half interrupted by the referees whistle.  Camberley took advantage to kicked an early penalty and Farnham’s Andy James took his opportunity to make the score 3-3.

It was Camberley that scored the first try.  With Farnham committing too many players to a breakdown, there were insufficient numbers in defence and the ball was passed down the line for an unconverted score in the corner.  Farnham tried to get back into the oppositions half to build some pressure but not long after the restart a meandering run from Camberleys no. 6, through what can only be described as lacklustre tackling, saw Camberley run in their second unconverted try.

Undaunted, Farnham looked to make amends and camped near the Camberley line for the last ten minutes of the half, unfortunately the defence held out and Farnham were unable to convert their new found superiority into points.  13-3 at half time.

The second half saw most of the pressure coming from Farnham and although they managed to break through on a number of occasions Camberley defended well to deny Farnham.  After some continued pressure the ball eventually made its way into the hands of Charlie Cooksy who managed to run a great line through to score under the posts.  Andy James converting to make the score 13-10.

Unfortunately for Farnham that was as close as it got, after sustained pressure Camberley moved the ball down the line and some miscommunication saw them cross for the final points of the game, again unconverted.  Farnham can feel proud that they did not drop their heads and continued to battle until the final whistle, narrowly missing two opportunities to score tries in the last few minutes.

The team need to show a little more composure when near the opposition try line and the players also need to trust themselves and each other in possession.  Based on this performance however, Farnham have nothing to worry about this season and having already contributed players to the first team there are a number of others that will no doubt be having the honour of wearing the first team shirt this year.

Farnham 2s   19 v 7   Haslemere 1s

The last fixture before the start of the league season saw a Farnham 2s team preparing for a testing encounter with local rivals Haslemere.  With both teams looking to establish combinations ahead of the season the game was played in four quarters allowing both teams to rotate personnel.  With Farnham also blooding 6 new players into the 2s it was a great opportunity for players to show their skills while also hopefully blowing the last of the summer cobwebs away.

With home advantage and a wide pitch, Farnham settled into the playing conditions quicker than their opposition.  For once, it seemed that the home team started at the whistle and not, as is usual, 15 minutes into the game.  Pinning Haslemere within their own 20m for the first ten minutes of the game they were justly disappointed to come away without scoring.  Unfortunately for Farnham, that proved to be the pattern of the first quarter with small mistakes letting the opposition off the hook.

The second quarter saw Farnham begin to up the tempo with some great forwards interplay making easy yards into the opposition half.  The combination of forward power and slick handling from the backs continued to drive Haslemere back, with some last gasp defending from Haslemere managing to hold

Jonny Weldon held up after crossing the line.  Farnham pressure eventually resulted in a penalty near the Haslemere line and quick thinking from Nic Robertson saw the ball shipped to his young centre partner Sips to drive his way over in the corner, the boot of Andy James adding the extra two points.  Reaching the half then the game was close at 7 – 0.

Farnham were determined not to let the game slip away from them, and although Haslemere saw more of the ball, the defence held strong.  But it was Farnhams forwards that were to decide the outcome of the game on the day.  Maintaining their dominance in both the scrum and the lineout throughout, their growing confidence saw them maul 15 metres towards the try line and somehow Ben Crean managed to steal the try, the conversion narrowly missed, giving a comfortable 12-0 lead.

Unfortunately Farnhams confidence turned to complacency and poor handling and communication saw Haslemere hack a dropped ball through from 50metres out to score their first try.  12-7 and the game hung in the balance. However, it wasn’t long before the ruthless streak returned and once again it was the forwards that carried the ball into contact.  When it eventually came out Andy James’s jinking run towards the line saw him cross but once again the ball was prevented from being grounded.

It wasn’t long before the try came and another driving maul controlled at the back by Anthony Barturm saw him cross virtually untouched.  The conversion giving Farnham a 19 -7 lead was followed swiftly by the full time whistle.

It is difficult to pick out individuals in such a good performance but the forwards deserve great credit for the effort they put in to secure the victory.  There is still more improvement to be made on the training pitches before next weeks away fixture at Camberley but Farnham 2s have today set the benchmark for what is expected during the season ahead.

For 2008/2009 match reports, please click here