SLICK FARNHAM OUTWEIGH NORTHERN DORSET BULK

Farnham welcomed North Dorset Rugby Club for the first time on Saturday after a break week and there was little known about the West Country side, the feeling was that both teams would be tentative early on in their play.

During the warm up, a heavy deluge of rain dampened the prospects of the favoured running rugby often demonstrated at Wilkinson Way, but the most noticeable aspect of the pre-match atmosphere was the size of the Dorset pack, with several of their players towering over 6’5” and one apparently a colossal 6’10”. It appeared their game would be forward-focused and could suit the conditions if they continued, with the old-style of “stick it up the jumper” and upon winning penalties, adopting the Owen Farrell-esq mantra of “kick t’corner”. However, the rain abated, and the clouds lifted for a dry afternoon, despite some greasy conditions early on.

Dorset kicked-off and Farnham made an early error from the exit with an offside penalty allowing Dorset to put the ball into the aforementioned corner and after a short catch and drive effort, one of their “mutants” barrelled over. Conversion missed, but 0-5 to the visitors with barely 2 minutes on the clock, even the most dire-hard of Farnham Faithfuls looked concerned at the prospect of Dorset’s size.

Something was clearly said under the posts and skipper Toby Salmon rallied the troops to respond and boy did they! From the restart, Dorset’s exit reaches the Farnham back field, and they counter through the flying Wigmore down the wing, sailing passed defenders, chipping and chasing, Dorset scramble and slice into touch, a great net-gain for Farnham. From the resulting line out, Farnham catch and drive and just like Dorset did a moment go, it’s almost a carbon copy, with Jack Bemelmans going over in the corner. The conversion is excellent from out wide by Salmon and Farnham lead 7-5. After the restart, Farnham, despite giving up easily 3 stone per man, win a scrum penalty 30m out, bang in front of the posts and Salmon slots it, 10-5 after 13 minutes.

Farnham, beaming with confidence with an unbeaten start to the season are now feeling assured in this game too and starting to take the attack to the sizable Dorset defence. Wigmore with further inroads down the flank and Dorset concede a breakdown penalty, again in from an almost identical spot, 13-5. The sun had shown itself and so has Farnham’s 2nd gear, more phases strung together and Wigmore again finding space and leaving opponents clutching at air, the final pass is deemed forward, but positive signs from another quick-fire attack. Farnham looking to move the ball at every opportunity, backs and forwards interlinking, getting the ball wide and stretching the Dorset defence.

Another penalty to Farnham and a good kick ensures an attacking line out. The catch and drive is short-lived but a few pick and go’s and No. 8 Oscar Henderson, who was immense throughout and one of the few Farnham forwards who didn’t look small out there, dives over the ruck to dot down. Routinely successful conversion from Salmon, 20-5. From the restart, Dorset compete but knock on and Farnham break out from the resulting scrum in their own half, this time down the right through Sam Thomas, who rounds his man, in to the Dorset half, cantering down the touchline in front of the roaring Farnham balcony, and he has an age to time his final pass to put full back Tommy Allen away for a score, but seems to be slowing down and as he looks to offload, seems to fall down… the pass has gone forward and Sammy no Hammy strikes! Poor Sam is off with a pulled hamstring, young Ben Stevens comes on for his 2nd appearance.
More phases and link play, Farnham can afford to be patient and wait for the right opportunity. The pace of Farnham’s attack and counter-attack, almost has an element of inevitability about it, and sure enough, centre Joey Wood puts in a speculative cross-field chip, somewhat sliced, but the Dorset 15 is awaiting a bounce, but there is none on the soft pitch and fresh-legged Ben Stevens is haring after it, gathers the ball superbly on the run from the floor and beats a defender, draws another, and releases skipper Toby Salmon to waltz in untouched. Conversion is, again, a formality for Salmon’s trusted right boot. 27-5 with half time beckoning. The Dorset pack look tired already and despite some big shots here and there, the pace of play seems just too high for them.

The second half starts with a bang and sets the tone for the subsequent 40 minutes. The kick-off is exited into touch by Farnham and the Dorset line out goes awry and is claimed by Jonny Vincent, who seemed to be everywhere in another stand-out performance, he breaks some soft, tired tackles and begins galloping up the right flank, leaving trailing green and black shirts in his wake, does the right thing and draws the full back to then put the charging Oscar Henderson away down the wing to sprint in from 45m out and slide over to score his second and Farnham’s 4th try. Bonus point secured and another 2 from salmon’s boot, 34-5 – a long second half looming for the visitors.

Dorset can’t seem to retain the ball for more than 3 or 4 phases without coughing it up, giving away a pen, or kicking it straight to Farnham’s speedsters, and with their big boys tiring, there are gaps everywhere. Add to this the quick service from the impressive Sam Cowman at 9, and orchestral management from Ollie Brown at 10, some 12 well-executed phases later, having started in their own 22, going from one side to the other and back again, with nearly all 15 players touching the ball, Benjy Biggs bisects two defenders to put Salmon in for another walk in. Converted again and the score reaches 41-5. Déjà Vu strikes next with an almost identical 90 seconds as from the kick-off, Farnham go through several phases, making their way up the pitch, most of the team touching the ball, and Jonny Vincent goes through the inevitable gap that appears, try scored and converted, 48-5.

Dorset have one more “dig-deep” moment and finally put some phases together and make inroads into Farnham’s half and win a couple of penalties, but Farnham win a penalty themselves after Dorset opt to scrum and any chance is gone. Salmon commits his one blemish of the afternoon and misses touch and back come Dorset, Sam Voight stops one of their, ahem… bigger gentlemen in his tracks in a titanic collision, but might have been a touch high, and before the chap in mud can remember which month it is, Voight is shown a yellow card. Dorset pepper Farnham’s line with some big carries and their most prominent attack of the game, but the Farnham D is resilient, despite the comfortable margin of the scoreboard. One big man carry after another is repelled, multiple hits from substitutes Pickett and Haylett, along with the usual “shots” from Watson, and eventually Farnham are rewarded with a breakdown penalty.

The final play is typical of Farnham’s organisation, cohesion, and skill levels. Multiple phases, patient attack building and eventually the ball gets to Wigmore again, in his own half, brushes past the winger as if he were a stationary traffic cone, and glides round the final defender to touch down, wrapping up another great team try. The full time score 55-5. A comfortable victory in all honesty, the North Dorset contingent had a plan A and not a lot else, whereas Farnham adapted and changed their play, moving the big, tiring Dorset pack around, exposing their defence and punishing any errors with a fine team performance at home. 5 points and with Winchester losing, Farnham go 2nd in the table. Next week the boys travel to newly local rivals from yesteryear in Petersfield.

Podium: 3 – Jonny Vincent | 2 – Joe Wigmore | 1 – Sam Cowman