For the first of three consecutive away games Farnham travelled to CS Stags hoping to back up a good win against Maidenhead the week prior.

The Farnham team showed two significant changes to recent games. The team welcomed back last season’s top try scorer John Vincent to hooker, a more usual position nowadays rather than back-row, and Joe Wigmore to his place on the left wing.

The match was played on ‘all-weather’ pitch and in bright blustery conditions; at times the wind could be characterised as a nuisance although it was hoped that the lineout would function as well as it did last week. It was a test ‘JV’ would no doubt be equal to.

CS Stags kicked off into a stiff breeze, which was pouched by Henderson. Like last week, he will gobble those up all game.

Given the set piece is so crucial in these games, Farnham were heartened to see that the first scrum, on CS Stags put in was nudged a few paces backward, CS Stags 9 getting the ball away as the scrum came toward him. The next scrum, on Farnham put-in, Farnham pack were dominant and marched the CS Stags scrum backwards gaining a scrum penalty but they played away with the advantage and gained further offside advantage a few plays later. Salmon found touch about 20m from CS Stags try line. Now it was up to the line out and maul to deliver – and both elements did. The skipper rose to take the accurate throw and the impressive maul took the ball to the line with little fuss.
0-7 8mins – Salmon split the posts for the extras.

KO again pouched by the skipper but a trailing CS Stags lazy arm pulled him to ground from mid-air – not spotted by the ref. Phases ended with a Farnham knock on. Scrum time. Again, the same result. Oscar Henderson won the holding on penalty a few phases later. Salmon found a good touch in the 22 for the lineout, on this occasion, though the stiffening breeze got the better of ‘JV’s’ throw in and the catch was missed.

The game remained in the CS Stags half with Farnham constantly threatening the home line. An away knock on gave the home side some relief.

Following a long clearing kick from Salmon…way into the opposing half the wind carrying the ball.

The ball was secured after a bobble in the lineout but turned over when the Farnham carrier was stripped.

On 27 mins after a period of trading phases, Farnham forced their way into CS Stags territory and carried hard in mid-field, after a classic show and go, Salmon found a gap on the 22m and ran the ball over for a well worked try and the conversion attempt from out wide was difficult but slotted with aplomb by Salmon.

0-14

The scrum continued to function well and another scrum penalty was secured on 30 mins. The line out was taken well and a set move got Harrison Horner charging at the opposition 10/12 channel, a few phases later frustratingly the ball was lost forward on the CS Stags’ line. Confidence was high for the scrum and justifiably so as the Stags scrum went back at a rate of knots, but still the opposition 9 got the ball away and Stags managed to run the ball away to halfway. Somehow the ball was smuggled to a rampaging second row got the ball to the left wing who ran it in under the posts. The kick was good.

35mins 7-14

Following another jackle penalty awarded to the Farnham defence, the kick put the game back into the CS Stags 22m and a Farnham lineout. What came next had been delivered previously in the half. The excellent maul went over easy enough. Another kick for 3 from out wide this tiem with a Salmon variation just in case some of the Farnham in the crown were getting too used to the ease with which these kicks are going over this season, rapped the ball over via a post.

40 mins 7-21

That was it for the half. The Farnham faithful and the CS Stags must have wondered whether Farnham had made sufficient use of the conditions. Whether they could have played more set piece rugby using their maul and the conditions. More kicks from 10 to touch was no doubt an option. Farnham however played all the rugby in the first half, in the opposition half.

Into the stiffening breeze the Farnham kick off for the half didn’t go 10 and so with the prevailing conditions, Farnham were immediately on the back foot. But it was a scrum, so no obvious danger! The pack was obviously delighted to rescue the situation with the most dynamic of scrums yet, resulting in another Farnham scrum penalty. Blushes spared!

The pressure in the scrum had begun to force CS Stags to transgress even before the ball was put in. Farham scrum free kick. Some very appealing Farnham hands moved the defence around but as CS Stags bodies were littering the field of play, the referee brought play to a halt so that the wounded could be removed from the field of play or re-instated.

The scrum went Farnham’s way (of course!) but the fumble in mid field by the backline lost position and momentum. Play recommenced on the Farnham 10m. It must be said that the box kick into the wind was not the greatest idea and so it proved as the kick was taken cleanly by the CS Stags winger who sped into Farnham territory then he slung a yahoo pass, wide to the winger…. who dropped the ball with the try line begging. Knock – on. Farnham scrum on their 22m. However, yet another box kick put the Farnham defence under pressure. There were twice as many box kicks into the wind from Farnham. This one claimed by CS Stags recalimed by Farnham but returned to CS Stags all in moments. But a pass outside by Stags allowed the winger to get over for a try…for whom the try was built upon Farnham errors.

14 – 21. The home fans roared that one over from the kicker.

Although the home box kick was gathered what followed was a catalogue of unforced errors by the lethargic looking Farnham team, resulted in a frustrating score for home team. Momentum shifts are an acknowledged phenomenon…but self-immolation should be avoided wherever possible.

The kick in front was good.

21-21 55 mins.

After the restart the Farnham negative momentum shift was brought to an abrupt end with a dominant scrum and at last it seems the referee thought to intervene with the Stags. The warning was fresh in the player’s minds when Farnham won and another scrum in front and 5m out. The elected scrum penalty designed to turn the screw on the Stags forwards. The scrum became uncontested the No 8 pick up was promising but out wide Farnham didn’t have the numbers and were repelled until after a number of pick n goes and another infraction ‘yellow’ was shown to a Stags number 8 and the penalty was yet another uncontested scrum. Farnham just couldn’t penetrate however much they huffed and puffed and turned over the ball. Which was cleared to touch on the 22m. What were they thinking…the lineout was of course won by Farnham and they took out all their frustrations in the maul that followed which actually ran the defenders backwards and the maul being pulled down and a penalty try awarded and another home ‘yellow’ (lost count of yellows!)

70 mins
21-28

72 mins Farnham were over again, Alex Young in the corner after some positive line running and defensive missed tackles.

The kick was good.

21-35

Directly from the kick off and the following box kick where Dullage pick up the second ball and trundled forward batting off tacklers found Henderson outside who just about finished it off to score under the posts. The kick was also good.

21-43

Then the wheels came off, again. The last three weeks Farnham have conceded in the last 5 minutes. Bracknell scored 10 to win, Maidenhead scored 7 to achieve a losing bonus and CS Stags scored 12 in the last 5mins. This is beginning to hurt Farnham and the faithful will be keen that this trend is consigned to history.

Final score 34 – 43 for five welcome points putting Farnham into 4th in the league.

Next week Farnham travel again. The journey to Sevenoaks awaits and Farnham will no doubt want to play for the full 90?

Podium Points

3 - Oscar Henderson
2 - Alex Young
1- Marco Azevedo