Farnham overcome conditions to enjoy bonus-point win

After the opening exchanges of last Saturday’s match against old rivals Purley John Fisher (PFJ), the faithful band of Farnham rugby supporters were convinced the rugby gods were determined to ensure that anything that could go wrong would go wrong.

Farnham were kept waiting on the field for some time by PFJ before the Remembrance Day minute's silence and with just three minutes of the match gone Farnham lost pack leader and talisman Buster Bond to a incapacitating back spasm.

Farnham did eventually record another bonus point win 39-21 but this was not a day for the purist. The first half proved to be a turgid affair with both sides sparring for opportunities in a game that simply failed to flow. The referee, under assessment, was determined to stamp his authority on proceedings.

An exchange of penalties saw the score at 6-6 after thirty minutes of limited ambition from both sides. The three quarters effectively cancelled each other out by being repeatedly adjudicated offside.

With half time beckoning Farnham at last broke the shackles. A driving scrum from Farnham’s powerful front five created space for No.8 Pete Daly to put scrum half Ollie Brown into space from which he quickly transferred the ball to fly half Ben Rubio. Ben’s well timed pass allowed Mike Salmon to smash through two tackles to score. Rubio added the extras and Farnham had at last broken the deadlock with the score 13-6 at the interval.

PJF has always produced quality rugby players and today was no exception - an uncompromising back row coupled with a busy scrum half and classy players at 10 and 12 served to build up the visitors' frustration. The period immediately after half-time would be crucial.

The Farnham front row of James Trodden, Dean Chiverton and Lenny Jennings, who enjoyed a towering performance despite a calf strain, gradually eroded the PJF forward power. The second row of Steve Simmons and James Franklin - the joint men of the match – punched the holes that allowed the visitors to put their frustrations aside and crank up the intensity.

As in the first half Mike Salmon proved the game breaker after a drive from the back row of Jason Crabbe, Pete Daly and Fran Meagher. Salmon took the direct route, brushing aside the defence to crash over by the posts allowing Rubio to post the conversion. The score of 20-6 put daylight between the teams at last.

PJF were not yet ready to capitulate and a fifty yard drive by their fly-half resulted in a penalty to pull a score back in what was proving to be a ding-dong battle albeit regularly punctuated by the loud blast of the whistle. Nevertheless the two sides were determined to play their own brands of rugby.

The outcome of the match game was pretty much decided on the hour as Farnham stretched their lead with a brace of tries. Exquisite interplay between skipper Toby Comley and centre James Corlett released full-back Gabe Hills for a sixty yard sprint that was rounded off by Ollie Brown skipping down the line to score in the corner. After this team try the next was delivered by raw Daly power smashing through the PJF defence from twenty yards to dot down under the posts allowing Rubio to accumulate the conversion points.

This PFJ outfit deserved more. They are dogged in defence and swarm in attack. Prompted by their fly-half they caught the Farnham defence sleeping with a switch move in the 22 and scored under the posts 32-16.

If Farnham are to progress they have to adapt and this they did. Injuries had conspired against them and by the last quarter winger Toby Comley and centre James Corlett were playing as wing forwards in the scrum. Chris Penn returned to the fray with his injured hand taped up and backs substitute Andy Freshwater took post on the wing for a concussed Fran Meagher.

Freshwater made an immediate impression instigating a drive to the line setting up the ruck and then finishing off the move by touching down by the posts. An easy extra saw Chris Penn take the score to 39 and a seventh successive bonus point win for the visitors.

With darkness descending the home side had one last series of surges and a succession of penalties saw Rubio sent to the bin. The final surge culminated in a richly deserved try for the fly-half who had been a thorn in the visitors' side all afternoon.

This was never a spectacle. The game simply failed to flow. Farnham had to be content to have sustained sufficient attacks to defeat an opposition they never managed to totally dominate.

The man of the match points for the season's best player were shared between Steve Simmons - 3, James Franklin - 2 and, game breaker Mike Salmon with 1.

Farnham enjoy a break this weekend and then host top Hampshire side Ellingham & Ringwood on the 23rd at Monkton Lane.