Pumas at Camberley A Festival

Match 1 - Guildford 8 Farnham Pumas 3
On a bitterly cold Sunday, the boys took a while to warm up and get into the swing of things. Guildford (eventual winners of the tournament) started fast and after such a long break for the Pumas since their last festival, they were a bit blown away. They gradually warmed up however and ran in three lovely tries; the first coming down the left wing with Edward Terry crossing the line. Pumas then had two disallowed before Joshua Frost broke through the defense to touch down for Pumas second. Time was running out for Pumas but they struck again with a fine try by Reece Leech; charging through the defense with tags trailing in his wake!

Match 2 Camberley 6, Farnham Pumas 6
Pumas had fully warmed up and were firing on all cylinders for their next opponents, Camberley. A fantastic match of rugby developed with both teams using the full width of the pitch and putting together some great passages of sustained play. Camberley started the scoring running in three tries before Pumas struck after a disallowed try; Harvey Gardner then started a move in his own half that he finished when he crossed the line after a blistering charge down the left wing. Pumas tagged superbly and Camberley found themselves with nowhere to go. An advantage from a knock-on saw Freddy Throneycroft crossing the line for the Pumas second. A further disallowed try for Freddie then saw Pumas strike again with a great piece of running from Reece Leech that saw him touch down for Pumas third. Camberley fought back at the start of the second half but again the Pumas sorted their defence and Joshua ran in a great score after Camberley had knocked on just short of the Pumas try line. The Pumas had their tails up as Reece and Joshua both ran in further tries before the final whistle came. A great performance by the Pumas and a most enjoyable game of rugby!

Match 3 Reeds 6 Farnham Pumas 4:
Pumas faced a tough match with Reeds, suffering two injuries early on. With a limited squad, the boys soldiered on and put in a gritty performance. A major problem was the speed with which the Reeds moved up (illegally) at each restart. Pumas did not lose heart after their first two tries were disallowed, but kept up with some brilliant tagging by the whole team. A purple period saw Joshua Frost run in two before Billy Sheppard added his name to the score sheet with a spectacular and determine effort, punching through the middle of the defence and producing some great steps before touching down. Some very inconsistent refereeing saw Reeds emerge as winners in a game that really belonged to Pumas.

Match 4 Chobham 7 Farnham Pumas 4
Pumas were feeling the pressure in this game with two players starting with ankle injuries. Chobham took their chances and were quickly 4 tries up before Freddie Thorneycroft crossed the line for the Pumas after a great move involving Mason, Joshua, James and Reece. Pumas had two players off getting ankles seen to and a sub was thankfully borrowed from the cougars. James Goldsworth produced some outstanding tagging that put some great pressure on Chobham, causing a knock-on which he gathered up and ripped through Chobham line for a great individual touch down. Joshua Frost then struck for Pumas before Chobham took the game beyond their reach with two outstanding tries. Harvey crossed the line for Pumas last before Chobham sealed their victory, scoring their last try in the final seconds.

Match 5 Cobham 6 Farnham 5
After some great work by Jenny and Mandy on the first aid front, Pumas pulled out all the stops for the last game on what had been a very long and cold day of rugby. Farnham struck first with a great try by Billy Sheppard. Harvey Gardner then squeezed one in before a lapse in concentration saw Cobham run in three in quick succession after Pumas conceded possession after knocking on a couple of times. The Pumas did not lose heart and some great tagging by Joshua James and Reece frustrated some great moves by Cobham. Second half saw Cobham come out all guns blazing, running in two before Joshua crossed the line for Pumas third. Joshua then struck again before Cobham ran in their sixth. A great last move saw Pumas cross the line with Billy Sheppard running in a great score and ending the game with a huge smile on his face.

It was great to see the team working so well together. The improvement over the season has been immense. It was bitterly cold and day was just too long. The team however put in some great games and a huge amount of effort. Mason fitted in well and hopefully he and Freddie have recovered from their ankle injuries.

A huge thanks to all the Mums and Dads who braved the conditions for the day and to all the people who helped out the Pumas: Jenny, Charles, Robin and David. Thanks also to Mandy and Guy from the Cougars for helping to patch them up and keep them motivated between games. Billy Sheppard was a well-deserved Player of the Week. Well done Billy!