As the ball floated through the drizzle towards fullback Gabe Hills, the Farnham faithful sensed what might happen. They had seen it before and, indeed, were not disappointed this time. Starting in his own 22, Gabe slipped through the gears and the entire home defence to dot down for a try out wide.

Such a seventy five yard return is virtually unheard of in these days of the blitz defence, the drift defence and bloody-minded tackling coaches. But these aspects of the modern game were put to the sword by sheer, blistering pace.

Worse was to come for the Hampshire side as a series of drives from Farnham’s forward freed up No 8 Pete Daly to crash over under the posts. Successful extras from Mike Salmon and Farnham were on a roll. 12-0 up after just four minutes and a rout was on the cards!

However, Eastleigh did not see it that way. They learned their lesson and the two attacking threats of Hills and Daley were closely marked men. Assisted by a constant drizzle that made handling difficult, Eastleigh nullified the Farnham swagger and game became a scrabble.

Open side Buster Bond was penalised at the breakdown and Eastleigh were on the board. Cheered by their success, Eastleigh’s forwards scrapped to deny the Farnham pack any ball thus starving the speedsters of attacking possibilities.

This pack drove their team forward and a well-constructed maul from the line out inched over the try line. The try was converted and Eastleigh were very much in the match at 10-12.

Games such as this are decided by the fight in the dog and Farnham's mongrels began to snap. Buster Bond and Dean Chiverton began to ramp up the turnovers with seven and five. Jason Crabb and Pete Daly tidied up on the fringes to repel the Eastleigh attacks.

Farnham centre Mike Salmon broke out from the tussle, shipped the ball to Chas Penn whose penetrating dash forced Eastleigh to concede a penalty which Mike converted. The halftime score was 10-15 to Farnham.

Farnham sensed they could prise open the game by working on the frustrations of a home side that recognised they were being taken on and beaten at their own boisterous game.

During the first forty, fly half Any Freshwater had been pushed further and further back by the marauding home flankers. Coach Matt Kemp reshuffled the backs bringing the fighting qualities of skipper Comley off the wing to drive the pack forward at scrum half. Ben Rubio moved out fly half and the centre was given defensive bulk in the shape of James Corlett off the bench. Freshwater was to test the Eastleigh defence on the wing. The pack too was refreshed with Barney Hart on for Trodden at lose head and Matt Kelleher for Jennings on the tight head side.

This new shape gave Farnham go forward and after a move of some twelve phases Rubio popped over an audacious drop goal to quieten the home fans.

Farnham had seized the initiative and the Eastleigh resolve was finally crushed as that man Hills was released to sprint forty yards for the clinching score. Another conversion from Salmon and the visitors had stretched the score to 25-10.

Still the battle continued with the home side desperate to break out only to be battered back by Farnham’s mongrels.

Conditions deteriorated as the drizzle swirled across the pitch. Handling was at a premium and mistakes turned the last quarter of the game into a series of scrums and driving mauls often ending with a dropped pass or knock on.

A final penalty converted by Rubio completed the scoring 28-10 and the divisional title in the bag.

This was a difficult day for Farnham in increasingly trying conditions against a gnarly Hampshire XV that just would not lie down.

On days like this the winner is normally the team that wants it the most. Lead by their pack, Farnham battled their way through a difficult fifty minute period to emerge deserved champions. Eastleigh are on the rise and with a tweak here and there should contest the league next season.