Last week Farnham’s players trudged off disappointed. This Saturday their overriding emotion will have been regret. They simply failed to produce the performance to deliver the victory they needed and their faithful supporters demanded. There were periods of intensity particularly in the final ten minutes when Farnham, as last week, were playing catch up rugby. But that final charge came to nothing and Reigatians broke out to score under the posts against the run of play to put the icing on their cake with a bonus point 11-27 win.

Nevertheless, what a battle this was! The game flowed from end to end with both sides showing full-on commitment. The watchword for all sport is “No excuses!” Don't blame the referee, the weather, the pitch, whatever. Don't complain just get on with the game (footballers please take note). A depleated Farnham 1st XV did just that,

Regular starters Chas Penn, Gabe Hills, Morgan Rushton, James Franklin, Jason Crabb, James Corlett and Ed Weeks were all forced to sit this one out. so the Farnham line up contained second teamers Ian Williams, drafted into the row, Adam Hailstones on the wing, Gareth Yeomans and a first appearance in six years for Pat Kitson. Having been thrown into the fray they all put in sterling performances for the Club. Inexperience occasionally showed but their commitment could not be faulted.

Over the eighty minutes Farnham competed well with their slightly more experienced and streetwise visitors. Farnham just failed to capitalise on try-scoring chances on three tantalisingly close occasions. Old Reigatians took theirs at every opportunity and produced a performance worthy of a win.

The initial twenty minutes was a compelling game of charge and counter-charge. Farnham shaded these early exchanges and claimed a try through skipper Comley down the left wing. However, the Army referee, who enjoyed a good game, was unsighted and so was forced to give the visitors the benefit of the doubt so no score and 22 metre drop out.

From the drop out Farnham strung together twelve phases of superb attacking rugby but all came to nothing at the death with a final mistimed pass or ill directed chip kick. On fifteen minutes Salmon in the centre slid a sumptuous grubber kick through the OR’s defence to win a line-out ten metres out. Farnham sniffed a chance – classic catch and drive, inching forward, aggressive defence and the control was lost, turnover and another chance gone begging.

With honours even the match was hotting up. ORs were starting to put together the phases and on 20 minutes the fly-half worked a switch move with their open side flanker to free up their rampaging hooker to go over out wide. 0-5 with extras missed. From the kick off Hailstones caught the ball and released skipper Toby Comley who was held up agonisingly short of the equalising score. The old adage ‘when you are down nothing seems to go right’ was never truer. Such small margins win or lose matches.

Farnham’s injury woes were compounded on the half-hour when prop Lenny Jennings was forced from the field to be replaced by James Franklin. Frustratingly for Farnham immediately after the hold-up ORs took advantage of the momentary disarray with slick hands to put the winger over in the corner 0-10.

Finally, Farnham broke out and a drive by Big Bill Dakunimata made inroads. Bond won the turnover to allow Salmon to produce another perfect chip kick for Hailstones to score. 5-10 and a slight momentum shift. Farnham upped the intensity and another try chance went begging as Franklin was seemingly eased out as he was about to receive the scoring pass – no luck and no try.

The follow up attack was halted by a tip tackle. The referee adjudged it well timed rather than dangerous so no yellow card but the penalty was converted by Chris Penn 8-10 on the stroke of half-time.

For Farnham to reverse their losing streak a good start to the second period was essential. ORs had other ideas and used their engine room of their second row pair and No 8 to launch a succession of driving mauls. Farnham were penalised for illegally killing the drive and ORs converted to take the score to 8-13. Not to be outdone Farnham returned the impetus and drove for the visitors line. Quick hands from scrum half Oli Brown freed up Salmon to launch a Wilkonsonesque drop goal 11-13 and after 60 minutes Farnham were back in the game.

But oh how this game fluctuated! Salmon under his own posts received an awful low pass forcing him to knock on and give ORs a perfect attacking scrum. But Farnham’s swarming defence won back the ball. Danger over. Meagher breaks out but when tackled he offloads to the visitors scrum-half who gratefully snipes over unopposed to score a gift of a try. At 11-20 the visitors were moving out of sight.

Farnham did improve in the final twenty minutes but they remained blunt in attack. The balance is just not right. The stand-out performances from Bond at 8, Franklin and Simmons in the row, Brown, Chris Penn, skipper Toby Comley, Salmon and Dakunimata in the backs were matched with inexperience from others.

The final ten minutes was probably the Home side’s most prominent period. But a well-drilled Old Reigatian’s outfit continually thwarted the Farnham XVs efforts. Eventually ORs broke out against the run of play to score under the posts earning a hard earned away victory at Monkton Lane and to serve Farnham 1st XV’s first ever defeat at their new ground.

The Podium Points awarded by ex-Chairman Peter Bewsey and veterans Andrew Mortimore and Paul Brooker:
Buster Bond 3
Toby Comley 2
Mike Salmon 1