After some narrow wins in recent times, was a more relaxed atmosphere on the balcony as Farnham secured a try bonus point in their home win over Old Colfeians (OCs) on Saturday. On Bonfire Night Saturday last year, OCs beat Farnham 18-10 at their place. Instrumental in that win was a combination of significant bulk across the field and a passionate No 6 whose energy seemed to infuse the entire team. While the former factor was in play on Saturday, the individual did not take the field. In contrast, Farnham’s an-all-for one-and-one-for-all spirit laid the platform for that all important winning habit.
While the pitch at Monkton Lane is showing the scars of a long and climatically challenging season, it remains even and firm underfoot. There was scarcely a breath of wind as OCs kicked off from the town end. Ideal conditions for an open game of rugby.
Farnham returned into the OCs half with ball in hand and set the tempo of the game. At the first scrum, as per last week, the Farnham pack had a difficult time, but scrambled the ball away to release the backs. Stennett came off his wing and with pace and strength through the tackle, threatened the OC line. In desperate defence, OCs were caught offside, and Toby Salmon pinged the ball to the corner from where hooker Ben Brown was accurate to No 8 Oscar Henderson to set up the drive which culminated with prop Sam Woodhams powering over for his first 1st XV try. Toby was unsuccessful with the difficult conversion. 5-0 after fifteen minutes.
After a further 15 minutes of sparring with Farnham having the edge in the territorial battle, OCs respond through their pack. A rare error in defence saw Farnham kick the ball straight out to give OCs a line out just outside the Farnham 22. The Farnham defence was good and forced the knock-on, but Farnham were shoved off their ball at the scrum and Andy O’Malley, OCs huge No8, picked from the base and attacked the blind side. Again, the Farnham D held but conceded a couple of penalties in the process and were perhaps lucky to escape a yellow card. OCs spurned the boot for the scrum and while the Farnham defence gathered for the frontal assault, OCs spun the ball left and right and their pacey winger, Estefan Ellis, is over in the corner. The tricky conversion attempt dropped short. All square at 5-5 and a quarter of the game gone.
There then followed Farnham’s purple patch. OCs would be playing catch up for the rest of the game. From the restart, OCs attempted to make ground in their own 22 through the phases ahead of the clearance kick. Farnham’s aggressive defence is not confined to their own 22 and they put OCs under pressure and won the penalty. Toby to the corner and the catch and drive proved indefensible once again and this time it was second row Tom Dullage’s turn to stand up from the in-goal area with ball in hand and a smile on his face. Toby Salmon made sure of the conversion. 12-5 on 25 minutes.
Within two minutes Dullage was on the score sheet again. At the restart, Oscar Henderson broke out and Farnham were deep in OCs territory. Hauled down, the ruck was secured and Harry West at scrum half fizzed the ball to Toby Salmon who dabbed it behind the OCs defence who scrambled to clear. Their clearance kick was charged down by the rapid Nathan Phillimore and in the melee, Dullage picked up and dove over. Salmon T’s conversion was good. 19-5.
On 35 minutes, OCs coaches brought on the cavalry in the significant shape of Bamidele Agorioge at prop. He was to compete at the set scrum against Farnham’s 18-year-old Oscar Baird – making his first start for the 1st XV. Oscar did more than hold his own against this man mountain. He also made a number of hard yards as first receiver and effected some critical turnovers – all for which he was awarded man if the match.
As the half drew to a close, OCs attacked and Farnham held with the defensive highlights a brilliant Baird turnover followed by a siege gun of a penalty kick by full-back Mike Salmon that took Farnham out of their 22 deep into the OC half.
The second half opened with Farnham employing the tactic that was to wear down the OC pack. They moved the ball sharply by hand between forwards and backs while probing for the opening. OCs eventually forced the knock on. They won their ball at the scrum, but significantly, the Farnham pack held its ground. In subsequent attacks, Farnham were adjudged to have tackled high and the penalties pinned them in their 22. However the D held and it took a piece of individual skill from OCs No 14 Quba Edwin to open it up. He chipped over the cover defence and with electric pace dotted the ball down out wide. The conversion was wide. 19-10 and OCs were back in the game in more ways than one.
They put in some impressive phases from the restart and power into the Farnham half and release Edwin again only for Stennett to put in a trademark try saving tackle.
The Farnham coaches continue to play the pace card and shuffle the pack. On come young tyro’s Mike Mizzi and Jack Bemelmans to the flanks. Henderson joined Rob Mitchell in the row and Jonny Vincent moved from the flank to No 8. Dullage and Toby Comley have a breather.
Bemelmans has an immediate impact getting over the ball as the OCs player clung on. Toby Salmon pinged the ball to the corner where OCs deploy the somewhat dubious – but legal – tactic of not contesting the maul and so putting Farnham players “accidentally offside”. Again the scrum is stable as OCs win their ball and clear to the half way line. From the line out, flyhalf Matt Farnes – who in the opinion of many home supporters had his best game yet for the Black and Whites - breaks the line and force OCs to cough up the penalty for not releasing. With unerring accuracy, Toby Salmon widened the gap by taking the three points on offer. 22-10 with twenty minutes left to play.
Harry West, who had been busy and accurate all afternoon, was replaced by Ollie Brown at scrum half. It is great for the club to have keen competition for this key position. Brown was quick to put his marker down by reigniting his team’s momentum with some sniping runs and a quick tap penalty.
Mike Salmon at full back had a good game. He collected the restarts and clearance kicks with immaculate certainty. But not everyone is perfect. His one spilled catch of the afternoon put OCs back on the attack. But the Farnham D held once more. Hoping to repeat their success of the first half, OCs elect to scrummage from a penalty but now the Farnham scrum is holding firm and they are forced to put the ball wide where the Farnham back’s blitz defence does its job culminating with a brilliant turnover on the line from Oscar Henderson.
Farnham cleared their lines and after a period of cut and thrust, Farnham were pinged for not rolling away. The OCs penalty arched into the Farnham 22 toward the touch line but before it got there, Mike Salmon fielded and with an angle afforded by just a meter or two, brought out the siege gun boot to return the ball back to touch on the half way line.
Inspired by that brilliant defensive play, Farnham’s attack bursts into life and a slick move off the back of a firm set scrum put Toby Salmon clear 30 meters out and his pace and step took him over under the posts for the try bonus point. He converted his own try, and the score is 29-10 with minutes left to play.
Urged on by their coaches, OCs were now desperate to get something from the game while Farnham, encouraged by their superiority, were little too intricate for their own good as they try to run the ball out for the restart. From an OCs line out 30 meters from the Farnham line, OCs openside, Charlie Baker, finds the space in mid-field to gallop through the defence and score. The conversion was hastily taken as a drop kick and at 29-17 OCs sniff a combination of a losing and try bonus point. They hurtle into the Farnham half from the restart showing an energy and urgency which if present all game may have led to a different result. Edwin again threatened on the left wing but was hauled down and Woodhams was carded for killing the ball. From the ensuing line out, OCs spun the ball out to midfield where Farnham have crept offside. However, the penalty fired for the corner did not make touch. Mike Salmon gratefully gathered and hoofed the ball dead for the final whistle to blow.
Presidents Podium: Oscar Baird 3, Mike Salmon 2, Tom Dullage 1.
Next Saturday, the team make the trip round the M25 to Dartfordians RFC. Dartfordians sit at second bottom of the league, but lost two recent games against Ironsides and Guildford by just one point and earlier in the season overcame the impressive Old Reigatian. As with every fixture this season, bar the one against KCS, this will be no walk over. All travelling support welcome.