Nail-biter as Farnham edge Old Cranleighians in the Regional Senior Vase Final

A full-blooded battle between two top sides ending in the narrowest of wins for Farnham by 29-30. It was close. It was frenetic. It was end-to-end stuff from start to finish.
OCs the current holders of the RFU Junior Vase are a talented side from 1 to 15. A back row of scavengers to support their electric back division. Having recently succumbed to Eastleigh in the league they were in no mood to give up their shot at the Senior Vase to Farnham, who incidentally take on OCs again next weekend in the league - expect fireworks.
With a stiff breeze blowing across the pitch and the home crowd of 200 baying "OCs" on, the referee whistled the start of proceedings.
A good start by the visitors - kick off secure - on to the attack. Turn over as Jordan Frost smashes forward and is stripped of the ball. Lessons learnt. Cranleighians on the break out, one of many for the afternoon. When they win ball the support play is instant and at pace.
Farnham on the back foot - defence holds - temporary. Another surge and OCs winger Johnson over in the corner - Everitt, OCs man of the match with the extras. 7-0.
Wake up call for Farnham and at last out of the blocks - Mike Salmon on the charge - in field to the explosive pace of Hills. Superb gather by Daly and a chip in field by Hurley. Toby Salmon in for the opener and the conversion. 7-7.
With just six minutes gone, the pace is beginning to hot up. Cranleighians pressure and a Mike Salmon attacking grubber kick is charged down - quick transfer and OCs are in through Everitt. Easy bonus points. 14-7. End to end, physicality at high levels. Scrum Farnham and the home pack is decimated. The penalty on the 22 is easy for Toby Salmon 14-10.
The lighter OCs pack is in trouble. They great around the park but struggling in the tight. At the set scrum, they are battered again. The repeat dose earns Toby Salmon the penalty reward. 14-13. The OCs forwards niggles and injuries are starting to mount. There’s concern for the Farnham Faithful. Unopposed scrums would be a worst-case scenario. “Keep them up and in” is the watchword.
Farnham scrum five metres out. Pete Daly from the base on to James Corlett on the cut back and muscling over for the try. An unstoppable line at pace reaps rewards. 14-18.
For much of the afternoon Farnham backs were taking the ball standing still with no impetus or momentum. The scavenging home back row can pick off the static attackers. Tactics change to give the forwards a go and a slug fest ensues for 15 minutes. Both sides are pacey and direct. The noisy crowd roaring their support to create a real 'Cup Match' atmosphere.
A superb clearing grubber kick by Salmon M puts OCs on the back foot. Line out on the OCs 22 and out swarm the marauding home backs. A penalty is missed but the threat is still real. The attack down the right is thwarted. The switch across field is thwarted so back to the right by when Farnham’s resources are thin. Try for Everitt plus his own extras. 21-18 at half time.

So close as the second half opened. Farnham with a slight advantage from the cold breeze. Perhaps the first half had taken its toll on both teams. The game is sluggish and there are more mistakes in the opening ten minutes of this half than we had seen in the whole of the first.
The momentum swings towards OCs and successive line-outs close to Farnham line end in a penalty to OCs. Everitt makes no mistake and its 24-18.
Farnham’s pack starts rumble putting their lighter counterparts in retreat. Three successive penalties and the referee loses patience. Yellow card for centre Davies. On the third time of asking, Daly takes control of the line out and Corlett twists and turns his way over under the posts. Easy extras for Toby Salmon. 24-25.
Both sets of supporters are on edge. This is going right to the wire.
76 minutes gone but a fair amount of injuries so the remaining time indeterminate from the touchline. Penalty to Farnham and Toby Salmon to the corner. Daly orchestrates the line-out, the drive held, reset and recharge, held again. Jemi Akin-Olugbade - on for Trodden – is at the back of the maul and explodes through the defence to score wide out. Farnham's first 'finisher'. 24-30.
Will the holders lie down? No! Sheer cussedness! This trophy is do or die. The home supporters demand and a succession of sweeping OCs attacks sees Jenkins over wide out. 29-30 with the conversion into the stiff breeze to win it. Everitt straight and true but the wind plays tricks - the ball drifts agonisingly wide – such small margins.
Still five minutes and Farnham pick and drive, denying the OCs any ball - the clock runs down and at the final drive Dan Williams slides the ball into touch and the final whistle blows. Both players and spectators are spent.
This was a great advert for junior rugby with full on commitment and great skills on show.
Farnham have become used to winning and they battled from start to finish despite disruptions. Trodden, Jennings and Naisbitt backed by Luke Batten deserved more from the referee in dominating the scrums. Franklin, Ian Williams in the row put in full on shifts and the back row of Daly, Dan Williams and Jordan Frost backed up by Jemi managed to repel the lighter OCs breakaways. Honours even there?
Farnham's backs were strangely static. No one seemed to take the ball at pace and slow ball made easy pickings for the home flankers. Ben Jones in for Dublin-bound Oli Brown, desperate to ensure no mistakes, was hesitating for that crucial split second. Toby Salmon strained at the leash but just could not put pace on the moves to the centre pairing of his brother Michael and James Corlett. The net result was no momentum ball for the starved back three Weeks, Hurley and the effervescent Hills.
Massive credit must go to the OCs who smashed into tackles, launched attack after attack and just failed to achieve the final clincher.
Next week's league game should be interesting. 3 pm KO at Thames Ditton.