Farnham edge Second Battle of the Hogs Back

..... between two sides that could not be separated in the season’s earlier 20-20 encounter at Monkton Lane. The blustery sting in Eunice’ tail and the slope at the down-wind end of the ground gave distinct advantage to the team playing right to left in front of Guildford RFC’s well-appointed Broadwater Pavilion. Farnham received the kick-off playing up that slope and into that wind.
And so it was that Guildford scored their 18 points in the first half while, crucially, Farnham struck back but once with a converted try. In the second half, Guildford failed to score while Farnham ran in two more tries. There was some doubt as to whether the second of these was converted, nevertheless at the final whistle the visitors claimed the spoils by the narrowest of margins 18-19.
To win that game, Farnham had to dig deep and show true grit. In the first half, the Guildford pack was dominant. It made ominous yards in the maul and at the set scrum Farnham were brutally shoved back no matter who had the put in. Long, deep ruts in the soggy turf gave evidence to where Farnham boots had failed to hold their ground.
Despite literally being on the back foot, the Farnham team scrapped and harried for every yard of ground. As the game unfolded, the referee determined the visitors must be scrapping illegally. Pinned inside their 22 by successive penalties, Farnham’s defence both up front and out wide held firm. Eventually on 20 minutes another penalty is awarded to Guildford on the Farnham 22 in front of the posts. Guildford’s No 9 took the three points.
Unsurprisingly given the pressure sustained thus far, things go awry for Farnham. Guildford cleared their lines from the kick-off with a long, high swirling kick. Full-back Jones misjudged the catch and the ball ricocheted of his head into the grateful arms off the chasers who after a couple of fast phases put their centre in under the posts. The No 9 does not miss and its 10-0 to the home side on 25 minutes.
Then comes Farnham’s purple patch of the half. Toby Salmon launches the restart high and handsome into the breeze. The Farnham chase is excellent. The omnipresent Toby Comley dislodges the ball from the Guildford receiver for skipper Ollie Brown to scoop up and snipe through the gap. Flying winger Reece Stennett takes the pass and streaks down the wing to be bundled into touch 5 meters from the Guildford line. Guildford kick long from the line out, but into the arms of that man Stennett who effortlessly skirts the chasers at pace to return the ball to the midfield. The forwards gather at the breakdown and put in multiple phases of pick and go with No 8 Oscar Henderson on the charge. Guildford cough up the penalty and Toby Salmon finds a good touch on the Guildford five metre line.
What happened next was either genius or good fortune. The Farnham line out was working well this game. Their standard drill, as with many sides, is to marshal two pods to launch one of two potential catchers into the air. To keep the opposition guessing, it remains a mystery until the hooker throws as to which pod will launch and who will catch. On this occasion, the rear pod dummied and the front pod made to put Ben Adams up for the catch. But there is a slip from a lifter and Ben stumbles sideways. Hooker Jon Vincent is committed to the throw, and it sails over both earthbound catchers into the arms of mighty lock Harrison Horner at the back of the line out. With the Guildford forwards focussed on the lifting pods, he barges through the defending half backs and over for the try. Toby Salmon makes a good conversion from wide out into a stiff breeze. 10-7. Game on.
His next kick, the clearance from the restart, is adjudged to have gone directly into touch having been kicked from just outside the Farnham 22 and Guildford have the attacking line out. The pack picks and goes and heads into the Farnham 22. Another shrill blast, this time for not rolling away, and Guildford’s No 9 took the points. 13-7.
Once again, Farnham spilt the swirling exit clearance from the restart but their gnarly defence soon forced Guildford to knock on. At the 5m scrum, Oscar Henderson scrabbled the ball from the base of his retreating pack. He made yards and Farnham go through the phases to give Toby Salmon the angle to clear for touch. However, the pass is a split second too slow and the Guildford defenders are up a split second too quickly. The kick is charged down behind the goal line and a Guildford player gratefully fell upon the bouncing ball. 18-7 and half time beckoned.
The final minutes encapsulated all the drama of the first 40. Farnham restart. Guildford exit via the boot. Farnham fail to clear and knock on. Guildford power forward at the scrum and it goes down. The referee deemed the collapse intentional and prop Connor Hayes is shown the yellow card. Ollie Banks-Thompson replaces the dismissed player at prop and Reece Stennett comes off the pitch. Guildford decide on the scrum at the penalty and the travelling supporters dare not watch as the Farnham pack is pummelled a full fifteen meters back to their five-meter line.
But to their credit the Farnham front row does not go down and stays firm. As the Guildford shove runs out of steam, “Use it!” calls the ref and the Guildford No 8 picks and goes. Farnham’s fantastic “D” to the fore and after a couple of phases Guildford hold on and Farnham clear with the penalty. The ensuing line out worked well and the backs seize their opportunity to make inroads into the Guildford half. However, after a surging run, fly half Matt Farnes is isolated and Guildford hoof the penalty into touch to herald the half time whistle.
The second half pans out in the same vein as the first – only this time it’s the black and whites who, despite starting the half a man down, are camped in the opposition 22. Eventually a hard chasing Ben Jones bundles into touch the Guildford player who had fielded a deft cross field kick from Toby Salmon. The pack set the maul from the line out and drive into the heart of the Guildford 22. Big carries from Horner, Adams and “Animal” Simmons – on for Ben Brown with Adams moved from the row to the flank - take the ball to within striking distance from where Henderson administered the coup de grace. Toby Salmon converts from in front. 18-14 with half an hour to play.
The game ebbed and flowed for the next twenty minutes, played mostly in the Guildford half but punctuated by handling errors and penalties. Mike Salmon on for Farnes demonstrated how much he had missed playing in recent weeks with a number of signature runs – all knees, elbows and aggression – one of which took him over the line only to be adjudged held up. The Farnham pack was also back in the game. It held its own at the scrum and found the pick and drive to be an effective weapon with which to make yards.
Following one such metre-eating effort, Toby Salmon noted the Guildford defence well sucked in and sprinted round the back of the melee and through the gap to release Alex Chalker on the right wing. Hitherto Chalker had had a quiet game, but now he came to the party with pace enough to skin the defence and dot down out wide. Signal whoops of delight from the Faithful!
One could not see the flight of the ball from the clubhouse balcony, but the flags went up for Toby Salmon’s conversion attempt and your correspondent marked the score 18-21. However, the RFU website records a final score of 18-19. No matter.
In the final act of the game, Toby missed what would have been the final penalty shot at goal and Guildford had no option but to play out from behind their goal line. But their winger was soon bundled into touch by the ever-present Stennett. The whistle sounds. What a win!
President’s Podium:
Jon Vincent 3. A troublesome handful all over the park, straight darts and did what hookers need to do when the scrum is under pressure.
Reece Stennett 2. Any number of try saving tackles, hunted for work all afternoon and pierced the defence with ball in hand.
Harrison Horner 1. Carried and carried then carried some more - and scored the opener.