Match Reports

Ross, James R, Alfie, David E, Zak, Chris N, Alex, Euan H, Charlie G, Joe P, Callum, James M, Dom, Keiran, Pat, Joe W, Tom H, Beno, Hallam, Sam O and Toby.

Perfect rugby conditions. What we are trying to achieve is intelligent play and solid skills combining with hard dynamic forward play. Sometimes we look like a quality side other times we look like we are in training mode.

A smart and accurate cross kick by Joe P to Dom, relieving a period of pressure enabled Dom to break at least 3 tackles and speed past 2 others. He eventually put the ball down just short of the try line - Dom it is the white line very close to the posts!! However from Dom`s fantastic break came the 5m scrum, the ball went out wide Joe P who lunged for the line but was held up the ball fell to Ross who drove quickly over the line for a try, kick missed 5 - 0.
Another quality rucking enabling Joe to kick long into their 22 whilst good chasing put huge pressure on Farnham. From the scrum Chips pressured a great run from Chris and passing to Dom on the wing and over for a try in the corner, difficult kick just dropped short 10 - 0.

Good pressure on their line out and great ripping pass to Joe P and a long raking kick dribbling into their in goal area, James M chased hard but could not make up enough ground and was just beaten to the ball by the Farnham fullback. 22 drop out straight to Chris storming run with great support and another excellent try for Ross, the conversion slid past the post 15- 0.

A great break from the kick off and several quick ruck balls gave fast ball to the stand off and Euan - brilliant take and give by him enabled the 3 man overlap with Joe P on the end of it try time! Kick missed by Joe but he had been kicked in the nose so I will forgive him 20 - 0.

The first half was the quality side that appears sometimes.

Half Time 20 - 0.

The second half was a training session for a number of players, however they still produced some solid play but with little urgency from Chips so moves that worked in the first half did not in the second. The main issue being the ruck where less players committed to them and the ball became slow and gave their players opportunities to stray offside and slow the ball even more.

However the team went over their try line 7 times in the second half with 6 being held up! We changed a few players around and brought on the whole of the bench in the second half which disrupted the game a little but gave precious experience to a few more players. The game was won as far as I was concerned and clearly the team thought so too - I hope the league does not come down to points difference.

The period of pressure where Chips gave away penalty after penalty to stop the try was eventually relieved by 2 fantastic tackles, 1 from James R who at full speed and horizontal dislodged the ball from their talented No8 and another from the smallest man on the pitch, Hallam, who lined up his opposite number and stopped dead their 2 man overlap - brilliant and stubborn refusal to concede points. The resulting scrum was easily won by Chips and with quick hands and accurate passing the ball eventually fell to Joe P who had been causing their No10 grief all day and he did so again making a monkey of at least 3 players with a dummy handing off their big 2nd row, spinning out of 2 tackles and keeping Farnham guessing with feints and changes of pace. Great individual try made possible by the fantastic support from the rest of the team who were always on hand to help and keep the opposition honest. Conversion narrowly missed.

The score should have been 50 plus to 0, but even though we had excellent push overs and touch downs they were not given so we should ensure the plague that haunts this team does not continue. I think it is because we are so strong as forwards oppositions flood that area and can influence the ref, but we can remedy this with quick release of the ball out wide and changes of the point of attack and we will go over in the clear leaving the ref in no doubt.

Points of improvement - ruck past the ball not stopping at the ball and this will help to expose opposition players coming in offside, do not become complacent we need to be ruthless even when we are ahead because we will need to be in the close games, communicate we are far too quite especially at s/h at one stage the players from both sides were silent and I swear I heard a pin drop!
Points of note - Good support play and off loading, quality kicking out of hand from a number of backs, strong forward and set piece work by all.

Well played but we can an awful lot better!