Just five minutes from the kick off in what was for many their last junior league game, Farnham Academy had a wake up call when opponents Wimbledon U18 powered over the line to open their account.   However, the Academy did not respond to the best of their undoubted ability and lost this close encounter 20-15.

Twenty minutes later, showing signs of what the team was capable of and some of the quality it has shown all season, Farnham hooker Chris Hughes burst over the line after a period of sustained pressure from the forwards.  Michael Salmon converted the difficult chance at goal. 

Salmon's next attempt was a simpler penalty kick in front of the posts and when that went over, it looked like business as usual with Farnham leading 10 points to 5.

However the omens were not good.  Too often Farnham players found themselves isolated only for Wimbledon’s powerful forwards to rob them of the ball.  It was as if every Farnham player believed they could win the game by themselves.  Wimbledon meanwhile hunted as a pack and were quicker to the breakdown and faster to breakout. They soon scored another try to bring the scores level at 10 all at half time. 

Despite the breeze at their backs in the second half, Farnham gave up territory and the ball too easily and after some sharp interplay between forwards and backs, Wimbledon’s nimble and powerful centre touched down under the posts.

At 17-10 Farnham were now playing catch up – somewhere they had not been all season. To begin with, they made a good fist of it.  Rob West and Gabe Hills combined to put Dom Parker in at the corner on one of the rare occasions the ball reached the Farnham backs in space and going forward. At 17-15 Farnham were not out of sight, but it was clear that Wimbledon wanted it more and had the talent and strength to see them through.

A lack of discipline in Farnham’s 22 was punished by Wimbledon’s accomplished kicker and Farnham did not threaten to score again in the match.

“It is hugely disappointing to slip up after such a great season,” said coach Geoff Bond. “But the Academy is about learning.  This fixture taught them about over confidence, work rate and honesty.  If they take that lesson into senior rugby, they will be better players for it.”

Farnham Academy’s record for the 2007/8 Surrey Colt’s league is: Played 9, Won 6, Drawn 2, Lost 1; points for 104, points against 45.  The team came second in the league by one point to Old Alleynians.