Hornets break down Bec in battle on sloped pitch

The Hornet’s travelled up the A3 to Bec’s ground, close to Earlsfield, and prepared for battle.

Winning the toss, the Hornets decided to play up the slope in the first half. Bec kicked off and immediately the forwards of both sides got stuck into each other. Farnham tried to exit from their half but good kicking from the opposition fly half pinned Farnham back.

Bec drove hard at the Farnham line however determined tackling, including a crunching hit from inside centre Henry Milas, repelled the attack. Penalties helped Farnham to move toward halfway and then a Ralph Phillips escaped from a driving maul and grubber kicked ahead. Excellent chase work from scrum half Rory Walker meant the Bec fullback kicked the ball out the back of the in-goal area.

The fifteen minutes saw the Hornet’s camped in the Bec half, despite the disadvantage of the sloped pitch. Strong running from props Gareth Yeoman and Matt Kelleher (recently back from injury) got behind the strong Bec defence, however the Hornets were not able to execute the final pass to score. The story was the same in the backs, with the Bec defenders tackling in pairs, slowing the ball down and stifling attacks before the ball could be moved wide.

When a backs move allowed centre Oli Richford to make a half break and off-load to Andy James. James looped the ball wide to Patrick Anderson and then Chas Penn, but the referee judged that the ball had gone forward before the try was scored. Alas the Hornets forwards decided the best method for crossing the white-wash was to not have to pass at all; Ralph Philips controlling the maul, and diving over for the score.

Excellent line-out work from jumpers Angus Harrison and Tom Foster pressured the Bec hooker into not throwing the ball straight. Farnham used the maul well, and stalwart Kieran Marshall combined with youthful Adrian Brennan in the engine room.

When the got the ball back, Bec tried to kick out of their half several times but the Farnham back three counter-attacked well. On one occasion, winger Joe Major caught the ball as it sailed into touch, only for the fencing on the adjacent cricket square to trap his feet and bring him to the floor! The half ended with Farnham ahead 0-5 and very happy with their defensive performance considering the slope and intense nature of the contest.

The Hornet’s made a few changes and Andy James kicked off for Farnham. Despite now attacking downhill, Farnham were under pressure immediately and a penalty conceded on the 22 gave Bec their first points 3-5. Undeterred, the Hornets went straight back on the attack and soon were in the opposition half. Soon the ball was moved down the left hand side, releasing Chas Penn to accelerate away from the grasping defenders. He then casually circled round under the posts to make the kick easier for Andy James. The Hornets were ahead 3-12.

Strong defence by the Hornets kept the Bec attacks at bay and the constant pressure in midfield caused a mistake. With cat like reflexes, substitute John Weldon scooped the ball up and began charging down the hill. Fearful that he might become isolated he punted the Gilbert onward. The scrabbling Bec defenders got to the ball first, and diverted it into touch. Dean Chiverton wriggled through on the next attack but the referee judged the ball to have been held up in the struggle on the floor. However once the platform was set, Matt Kelleher soon barrelled over to score on his first appearance back in several months.

In a replica of the previous counter attack, John Weldon intercepted another loose ball and this time backed himself to run the entire remaining distance to score under the posts. On the next Bec attack, centre Oli Richford levelled a laterally running Bec centre, much to the delight of Sid Crantsone who cheered from the side line. Substitute Jim Hyman made a physical impression, marauding in attack and dump tackling in defence.

Tempers began to flare toward the end of the game however the referee calmly spoke to the individuals involved and prevented things getting out of hand. A yellow card was brandished when Matt Kelleher did not realise his own strength and ended up making a spear tackle (although he did hold the player on the way to the ground). In Kelleher’s defence he agreed with the referee and made sure the Bec player wasn’t hurt.

Scrum half Rory Walker used the tap and go from penalties expertly, never letting the Bec defence rest and noticeably increasing the tempo in the second half. The final score of the game saw the Hornet’s attack from within the Bec 22, the centres keeping the defence narrow, allowing Andy James and John Weldon to fire the ball wide to Chas Penn to dive over for his second score.

The match finished with a 3-31 away win for Farnham in the league. Strong performances all round from the team, which seems to grow in strength and form weekly. Old Blues come to Wilkinson Way next week for another league fixture.

By Oli Richford