This was not a classic. Chobham, desperate for points, versus Farnham, top of the league, was likely to produce a problem of a game. The Farnham faithful were convinced it was twelve years since we last played our closest rivals in the Wrecclesham mud. Chobham had enjoyed those years in the heady heights of London Division One South – until season 2018/19 when relegation hit home.
This season Chobham have suffered a string of close losses and this one was no exception with Farnham holding on to record their ninth straight win of the season by 30-25. But it was close. The finale was almost theatrical as the referee was treated for whiplash in the 84th minute.
The match began at a furious pace. Chobham have a big, boisterous, rampaging pack. The Farnham forwards, on the other hand, were built for speed and support. Thus the game threw up problems for both teams on their way to the try line. In the first minute, Farnham won a line out on the home ten metre line and, out of the blue, No 8 Liam Welch spotted a gap and burst through with electric pace. He was untouched to the home line. 0-7 with an easy conversion for Toby Salmon.
Farnham, top of the league, against bottom side Chobham had scored early. A collective relax - always a difficult thing to counter in sport – beset Farnham who seemed convinced they were in for an easy afternoon. However, sport just doesn’t work like that and back came Chobham with their big forward pack bristling with intent. They win a penalty and their scrum rumbled forward. Try and an easy conversion 7-7.
Would this be the wake-up call for the visitors? No. Chobham, supported by a boisterous Christmas Lunch crowd, surged forward and won another scrum penalty. 10-7. This was turning into an attritional encounter between Farnham’s speedy backs and the Chobham heavies. A Farnham breakout is spearheaded by Jack Scullion who pops a pass to Bobby Mitchell on the Farnham 22. Astoundingly, Mitchell completes the 75 metre gallop to score in the corner – a real lung buster of a try. 10-12 at half time with a lot to discuss for the league leaders.
Chobham came out fighting. The pack rumbled forward and sucked in the normally clinical Farnham defence. The damage was done as winger Monaghan cut in from the left wing to scythe over triumphantly in the corner. 15-12. Another wake up call for sleepy Farnham?
The pace and commitment continued unrelentingly driven on by Chobham’s determination and sheer cussedness to secure a win and upset the league leaders. Farnham were flustered and mistakes littered their game as the frustration mounted. The substitutes - ‘the game changers’ - arrived in the form of Marco Azevado for the injured Jule Joris, Andy Kidd for Mike Mizzi and Ben Jones returning from a month long injury break to replace Jack Scullion at fullback. Azevado and Kidd brought greater stability to the scrum allowing Ollie Brown to free up the backs. Toby Salmon at 10 became more of his usual, dominating self and found space to unleash his centre backs, brother Michael and James Corlett. This was more like league-leader quality. Territorial pressure produced a scrum penalty that was easy for Toby Salmon to convert and the scores were all square at 15-15 as the game entered the final quarter.
Whilst still not at their best, Farnham were beginning to stretch the Chobham defence. Ben Adams and Andy Naisbitt drove through the middle then on through Tom Cerullo who found Michael Salmon looping round. Forty meters gobbled up with his rangy gallop to score the try which brother Toby eased the ball inside the post for the conversion. 15-22 with a lively fifteen minutes to come.
Chobham just would to lie own and deserved more but again Farnham broke out, secured a line out and drove for the line allowing Rob Mitchell to complete his pair. 15-27.
The topsy-turvy nature of the game threw up even more twists. Chobham roared back to drive Farnham back over their own line. Try given but crucially the conversion was missed. Farnham responded with another end-to-end breakout through flying winger Reece Stennett and the ever present Comley culminating in an easy penalty for Salmon T. 20-30 but Chobham were not finished.
Rampaging into the Farnham 5 metre area, they steal Farnham’s line out and Bellion was over for the try. 25-30. The conversion was missed and ended in bizarre circumstances. Toby Salmon sprinted to charge down the kick and ran past the kicker and, unsighted, smashed into the referee. Obviously this was somewhat of a shock to the diminutive Conor Sewell, the referee for the day, who required treatment for some time before officiating the final hectic two minutes.
At last the whistle and another win for Farnham who were, once again, not at the races. Perhaps next week’s home game against Winchester (KO 2.00pm) will shake them out of a lethargy that has brrn a feature of the last few games. Chobham put up a great fight and just fell short. No doubt they are set for the few wins that will put their season deservedly back on track.
President’s Podium: Bobby Mitchel 3, Michael Salmon 2, Liam Welsh 1.