Despite the final score, this was Farnham 1st XV’s best performance of the season. Unbeaten league leaders and former Premiership club London Welsh must have been confident of an overwhelming victory over Farnham who are but one place off the bottom with but one win all season. While the Welsh did reverse the result from when the team’s last met in the RFU Intermediate Cup back in 2019, that confidence was well shaken.
Over the match the key attacking difference between the sides was that London Welsh sustained good periods of possession and territory while Farnham seemed to go for the golden moment. More often than not, that moment ended with a spilled pass or a charged down kick.
Defensively Farnham were magnificent. Led by man of the match Jonny Vincent at No6, they tackled like men possessed and won many a vital turnover as the Welsh bore down on their line.
The Welsh started the game on an immaculate surface with a bitter north wind in their favour. While the club’s 500-seater stand sheltered a sizeable crowd from that wind, out on the pitch it took real effect. Farnham were first to attack but a lost line out and a dropped pass and a long raking clearance from the Welsh No 10 sent Farnham 60 metres back into their 22, but the Farnham defence held and they battled their way back up field.
The cut and thrust continued. Farnham had the upper hand at the scrum with Marco Azevedo and Jules Joris having the better of their opposite props. Ben Brown at hooker held his own. The lineout misfired for both sides and on the whole was a lottery for much of the match – no doubt the strong, cold wind played its part.
Nothing between the teams for the first 25 minutes. Scrappy open play and Rory Taylor, Farnham’s scrum half, nudged the ball down the touchline turning the defence. The ball is fielded by the Welsh winger but Ben Brown – who had a good game at hooker – followed up quickly and bundled him into touch. The line out on the Welsh 10 metre line is secured and the pack bludgeoned forward – the row of skipper Ben Adams and Jamie Low made the inroads. Held up, the backs were released and the ball passed out to Alex Chalker who stayed strong in the tackle to offload to full-back Gabe Hills who powered forward and stretched out his arm for the try. The tricky conversion is blown wide of the posts – but first blood to the Black and Whites! A rarity this season.
Minutes later Gabe Hills' attempted interception is adjudged a deliberate knock on and he must sit out the next 10 minutes. The Welsh take a quick tap penalty and pound the Farnham line – which they fail to cross despite the man advantage. Farnham force the knock-on and the ball is spun back to Toby Salmon for the clearing kick. Unfortunately the ball is held in the wind and falls into the grateful arms of the London Welsh full back who rounds the defence that is yet to reset from its goal-line heroics. The conversion is good. 7-5 after 31 minutes and the game was well poised.
Farnham come back with perhaps their only sustained period of attack and possession of the match. The Salmon brothers Toby and Michael linked up well at flyhalf and centre with the former stepping and jinking to make ground while the latter used a more direct and uncompromising approach. However, the final pass to free the ever-present Thomas for the line goes astray. Back come the Welsh who, in a purple patch of their own keep the ball, pull the Farnham defence right to left and back again and go in hard through the middle and over the line. Farnham are back in the Welsh half and have them under pressure when the ref blows for half time. 14-5.
After witnessing an encouraging first half and with the wind at their team’s backs, the Farnham faithful were holding hopes of yet another upset. But it was not to be. Late in the first half Joris had come off injured to be replaced by the irrepressible Gareth Yeomans and Angus Butcher was on for Jamie Low in the row for the second half. This rejigged pack was not given time to settle.
On a few occasions, Farnham struggled with the referee’s interpretation of the offside law and on this occasion the London Welsh flyhalf found a good touch deep in the Farnham 22 with the penalty kick. It was London Welsh’ turn for the line out to work and although the catcher was well sacked, the maul soon regathered and powered for the line taking the London Welsh hooker over for the try.
Two minutes into the half and Farnham were down 19-5, but did not lie down. Back on the attack, they force London Welsh to concede a penalty at the breakdown and Toby Salmon makes the most of the wind to fire the ball into the Welsh 22. Quick ball off the top and the backs produce that “golden moment” they searched for all game and Thomas is over in the corner for a well deserved try. 19-10 after 47 minutes of this ding-dong battle.
After another sustained period of pressure, Welsh were awarded a penalty in front of the posts. Testament to Farnham’s defence and the potential of their attack, there was not a moment’s thought about a scrum or going for the corner. They take the points. 22-10.
Farnham’s defence remains under pressure, but for the moment is unbreakable. Memorable moments: Pete Daly holding up the Welsh’s huge No 4 on the line to create the maul and win the turnover; Sam Thomas dragging his opposite number five yards into touch; and winger Reece Stennett making yet another try saving tackle out wide.
However, the relentless pressure and herculean effort had to tell. The Farnham scrum started to creak and with plenty of time on the ball, the Welsh backs eventually put their centre in for the try. Conversion missed but at 27-10 with only fifteen minutes left on the clock, the game was starting to drift away from the black and whites.
Now playing catch up and trying to keep the ball alive, Farnham began to run the ball from inside their own 22. Mistakes were made and the Welsh front five now dominated their tired counterparts. With the Farnham pack going backwards at the scrum, the Welsh No 8 picked, made yards, off loaded to the scrum half who popped the ball up for their centre to go over. The conversion was good. 34-10 and minutes left.
A frustrated Farnham player must have shared his opinion of the decision that led to the Welsh try as the game restarted with a penalty to the Welsh from the half-way line. The Welsh found touch well inside the Farnham 22 and a final, dispiriting score looked likely. However, the resilience of this Farnham team is not to be underestimated.
The Welsh line out was disrupted and Farnham broke out. Multiple phases and a neat chip and chase from Toby Salmon took them to within striking distance. Collecting his own kick, Salmon passed to Thomas in the clear but the last Welsh defender thrust his hand out for the deliberate knock-on. The Welshman was dismissed for the remainder of the game. Had this match had the luxury of TV coverage, a replay may well have resulted in a penalty try – but alas the black and whites were denied a much-deserved final hurrah.

This extract from London Welsh’ report on the match gives a fair judgement on Farnham’s performance: “Farnham were a good outfit who certainly looked a long distance better than their lowly league position of second bottom….there have been very few sides in the last 5 years that have held Welsh to zero for a quarter of the match. It goes without saying that no side in this league should take Farnham lightly and we suspect that they will pull away from the bottom of the league as the season progresses."

President’s Podium (adjudged by the Chairman and others):
Jonny Vincent 3, Gabe Hills 2, Rory Taylor 1.