Farnham Rugby Under 15’s took part earlier this month in a week-end tour to Cornwall where they recorded two memorable victories over Wadebridge Camels (Ollie Barclay’s home club) and a combined Saltash/Newquay side.

Under clear blue skies and cooling breeze, the boys first took on the might of Wadebridge who were a considerably greater physical presence that the Surrey tourists.  However, Farnham proved that sheer size is no match for skill and spirit.  Skill was evident from the kick off, especially from the forwards who made good ground and recycled the ball surely and quickly.  However, two of Wadebridge’s larger backs broke tackles and Farnham were down 10-0 at half time.  Then the spirit of this Farnham side kicked in. Tries from Ollie Todd, Dan Kirkbride and Hector Hoyte-Bone and a conversion from Michael Salmon went unreplied in the second half for Farnham to run out winners 17-10.

The kick off at Wadebridge had been delayed until 5.00 pm to allow all to enjoy the local senior derby between Wadebridge and Lysguard.  So the next day’s kick off at 11.00 am at Newquay was a big ask of the boys.  Nevertheless, they took up where they had left off and gave an exhibition of skilful rugby and uncompromising commitment to put 17 points past Saltash in the first half.

A word of warning for other would be tourists to Cornwall, the kick off was delayed some minutes while a ball was found.  This seemed to support comments from the Farnham Head Coach who had warned that in Cornwall they had only one ball for every three clubs which accounts for their robust approach to the game.

Saltash were visiting Newquay that day and a three way tie was planned, but a shortage of Newquay players led to a the second half of Farnham v Saltash and Newquay “Barabarians”.  This proved a more even contest with the nimbler Newquay backs scoring three times and their first class kicker converting all three including two efforts from the touch line.  However two more Farnham tries set up a tense last few minutes at the end of which Farnham opted to take a long penalty at goal into the wind for the ultimate play of the game.  Our coach’s pleas to “Boot it into touch!” went unheard, and the subsequent “up and under” has been scrubbed from the play book!

The Farnham try scorers in this 27-21 victory were: scrum half, Ali Holmes, whose dart from the base of a five meter scrum was just reward for a good first game after weeks out with injury; hooker, Pete “Pinch” Meckiffe, who pounced on the ball popped loose from a maul on the line; skipper and No8, Dan Kirkbride, who took his chance from a quick tap seven meters out; full back, Rob West, who caught a clearance kick on the Farnham 10 yard line, sidestepped the chasers and ran it back 60 meters under the posts; and finally prop, Joe Curran, immense in both games, who received the ball through several quick hands to go in at the corner.