Farnham outscrapped by Eagles

Clear skies and perfect pitch conditions greeted Farnham in the season opener at Effingham and Leatherhead Eagles.

Farnham fielded an experimental XV after coaches Matt Kemp and George Robson, currently playinh at lock for Harlequins, were forced to ring the changes. Regular 2nd XV players Pat Kitson and Dan Greene started at fly-half and second row respectively. Andrew Naizbitt completed the front row and there was a place on the wing for Farnham’s Fijian recruit 'Big Bill' Dakunimata.
Kicking off into a light breeze Farnham started at a relentless pace making inroads into the Eagles territory. Farnham’s travelling faithful settled down. Was it to be business as usual?

The omens were good. The scrum was on top. The line-outs worked well and the ball was going to hand. Early pressure secured a penalty which Michael Salmon duly converted. With ten minutes gone, Farnham increased the lead with a superb break from Gabe Hills down the right hand side. A slick off load to skipper Toby Comley allowed him to beat the covering defence to score near the posts. Salmon with the extras made it 0-10 and, indeed, it looked like the Farnham XV would pick up from where they left off last year.
The Eagles had other ideas. Shepherded by their experienced fly-half and man of the match Brian Collins, the home side played the territorial game. Raking kicks pushed Farnham back forcing them to try to break out from deep. The pressure began to tell and Farnham conceded a penalty for offside. Collins secured the home side’s opening score.

The game flowed from end to end. Farnham were constantly thwarted after five or six successful phases and driven back by that man Collins or, as on one occasion, a booming 65 metre clearance from home full back James Barnard. Eventually Farnham were under pressure at an Eagles line-out on their five metre line. They secured their ball and a driving maul set up flanker Dom Young to score the try which Collins converted to level to scores at 10 all.

Farnham continued to play adventurous but naive rugby. Players were often caught in possession, isolated and so conceded ground if not penalties. Further pressure saw the Eagles win a line-out on the 22, drive the ensuing maul and then release their backs. The move appeared to break down but the referee allowed play to continue and winger Anthony Penny was over in the corner. Collins made the difficult kick look easy - 17-10 to the Eagles as half time beckoned.

On came the bench for Farnham: Crabb for Greene and Crean for Kitson and Farnham’s flyer Gabe Hills moved to fly half.
This Farnham side have grown accustomed to scoring 40-50 points a game for the last three years by making individual breaks from deep. But at this level, this tactic was their undoing. Time after time Collins drove Farnham back with territory controlling kicks after turnovers or lost possession.

Farnham changed tactics to apply pressure from a different line of attack. After three successive pick and drive line-outs, Buster Bond controlled the drive to secure the try; 15-17 and all to play for.

A thunderous hit by Big Bill saw him banished to the bin and Collins converted the penalty to put the Eagles clear by 5 points. This served to galvanise the visitors and after a series of probing drives Mike Salmon crashed over unopposed. At 20-all with fifteen minutes to go, the game was becoming a ding-dong battle.

Farnham continued to attack frenetically and Collins continued to roll them back. From one such clearance the Eagles launched an attack and Farnham conceded the penalty and the lead. But there was still only one score in it. James Trodden for the visitors was held up two feet from the line and from almost grabbing the game by the scruff, Farnham were driven back to concede another penalty and Collins again took the points: 26-20.

Marshalled by scrum half Olli Brown, Farnham desperately tried for the match winning score. It was not to be and with the clock running down a final Collins inspired break-out saw the home side awarded a penalty try. The final score was 33-20 to the Eagles.
Farnham will learn their lessons. Don't lose possession. Don't get isolated. Keep the ball and build patiently. Credit must go to the Home side for scrapping from start to finish at every contact, scrum and breakdown. The difference in the two sides was the wise head and not inconsiderable footballing skills of that man Brian Collins.