Farnham u18 Bs 5 - Camberley 12

Having lost heavily to this same Camberley side with a mixed team just a week ago this was a big ask for our Bs. And I’m pleased to say they responded very well.

Our boys turned up promptly and looked sharp and focused in warm up - the backs able to put the ball through the hands in their pre match drills in tidy fashion. We were far far far smaller than our oppo but the handling process in warm up pointed to a means of competing with Camberley and so it was.

H1
We started well in our energy and defensive press to create a few turnovers and a couple of scoring chances. Alas these slipped through our fingers going narrow when we needed to go wide. The tide quickly turned and Camberley piled on the pressure to go up the field and score under the posts. But we were defending well and very much in it. A lapse in concentration at line out let them in for an easy score frustratingly at the second time of running their go to move. But the lads made clear the unacceptable nature of that score to each other and then dug in to put in a solid defensive effort in Q2 to take them through to half time only 12 adrift.

H2
At half time the boys were properly blowing (fitness a huge issue for this squad) but committed to starting H2 as they had H1. Only this time they took the opportunity as it presented itself playing to space and C (or V?) finishing a nice ball over the top out wide. Tails up there followed the best play of the game. Off the top ball fizzed into the midfield to Fin Moss coming out to in and through the gap - linking behind the defence to be scragged by the cover. It points to the potential of the boys’ running game once we find a way to fully release it.

Alas from there our energy/ fitness, technical shortcomings (not enough shape yet in our game outside the 10) and lack of winning belief cut across a number of chances in that last quarter to at least draw the match. A match we had our chances to win had we committed to what was working (tap and go and early passes to space) as opposed to reverting to type and kick for touch on a day when our line out was a lottery.

Still the boys put in a proper shift, served up a 40 point swing in 7 days and knew among themselves they could maybe should have won it. That is good for reinstalling some belief. Most encouraging was the request for Broncos on Tuesday acknowledging and wanting to improve their lack of fitness for the rest of the season.

A good day for the lads. Alec Sampson massive up front in his contribution and midfield axis of Zac, Fin Best, Fin Moss, Ben Clark showing what we’re capable of when we empower and feed lads in our teams that can pass and run.