Youth lead strong league performance for Hornets

A number of academy graduates have recently pushed their way into the 2s squad and it would prove to be a day of dynamic debuts and impressive performances for the young players.

Old Blues were instantly at a disadvantage as they weren’t able to field a full side. Farnham would have loaned the opposition some players if it were a friendly, however as it was a league game, this was not possible. The Hornets received the ball on the kick-off and attacked with the wind behind them on the first half.

Early exchanges were mixed with knock-ons and penalties for both sides. Dominant line out play and robust carrying from number 8 James Franklin began to give Farnham some momentum. Fantastic support play combined with well-timed offloads allowed the Hornets to drive deep into Old Blues territory and Seb Murray looked certain to score before being expertly tackled into touch.

It took a line break from fleet-footed scrum half Ollie Brown to break the dead lock; once through the line, he expertly side-stepped the full back to score in the corner. Nick Williams was unsuccessful with the conversion attempt from the side-line.

Buoyed by the score, Farnham went on the offensive again, and solid set piece from the forwards gave the backs the chance to play the ball wide. A shocking clash of heads between fullback Rob Brown and an Old Blues centre paused the game. Rob Brown had to come off the field with damage to his eye and brow, whereas the Old Blues player required treatment to a cut. Play resumed and a scything break from fly half Taryke Van Rensburg increased the lead for Farnham.

The second half began right where Farnham left off. Looking to get round the fast-pressing Old Blues defence, Oli Richford passed a long looping ball to fellow centre Henry Milas. A burst of speed from Milas and some smooth changes of direction meant the grasping defenders couldn’t stop him from finishing a 40 yard run and adding to the total. Debutant Connor Rumpson converted successfully.

Greg Mungall was solid and reliable all afternoon as he caught four kick-offs in a row, and ran powerfully into the oncoming defenders. The next score came from an unusual circumstance as flanker Tom Foster charged down a kick with his face. The bouncing ball was picked up by Van Rensburg who sprinted away to score his second of the game.

Desperately trying to gain some territory, Old Blues kicked down field. However Connor Rumpson was anticipating this and returned the ball with a weaving run to score in the corner. This was shortly followed by another kick-return counter attack from Farnham. Ollie Brown expertly bought time, moved the ball away from the chase, to Captain Oli Richford who passed to the wing. Academy award winner Will Cameron Lewis, sprinted down the side-line and punched through some would-be tacklers before diving over.

Another debutant, Paddy Vasey, cannot be faulted for his enthusiasm however he bounded into successive tackles from free-kicks by the opposition, only to be bounced off as if he were made of rubber! Nevertheless, he picked himself up every time and came back for more.

As the game drew to a close, a few lapses in discipline and weary tackling allowed Old Blues to score two consolation tries. A late yellow card was given for a high tackle against Taryke Van Rensburg, who would have been through to score his third. In the last act of the game, he put that right and dived over the whitewash for his third try of the day (and his sixth in two games!).

The final score was 43-12 and Farnham can be proud of their strong victory and expansive rugby.