The weather was the talking point this weekend as Farnham travelled to Chobham, almost 5 years to the day since their last visit to the historic Surrey side during the 2019-2020 season that never reached its conclusion due to the arrival of Covid. 



Farnham received the kick off with a bitterly vicious and cold cross wind blowing from corner to corner, and into Farnham’s faces. A difficult corner to exit from as both sides would discover throughout the afternoon. Chobham strung some good phases together with the main aim of “keep the pill” encouragingly bellowed from their home support being adhered to and avoiding wide passes that could be disrupted by the howling gale. Lots of pressure and quick ball retention and Farnham are adjudged offside, a simple shot taken by the home side, 3-0.


Fullback Tommy Allen, looks to have taken a stinger, possibly a dislocated elbow and the young, impressive Farnham Academy graduate Joe Brockman has to leave the comfort and respite of the sub suit and take to the field. Farnham win a penalty at the breakdown but miss touch, although Chobham’s exit doesn’t peg the visitors too far back. Another penalty and this time Farnham find the touchline in the Chobham 22 and begin some strong phase play with short, sharp passes and direct running. A try looks certain to come, but Farnham chance their hand at flinging it wide, but Storm Darragh says “not today” and pulls the final looping pass, meant for the winger, some 20 metres back. An early lesson of what not to do.


The first of many scrums is dominated by Farnham and Oscar Henderson breaks out, throwing an audacious dummy and continuing his gallop into the Chobham 22, could he go all the way? Selflessly he looks to find Wigmore with a miss pass, but he must have been at the bottom of a ruck when Farnham made that error but 5 minutes ago and the wind intercepts, a chance lost. Chobham look to exit with the wind but their kick gets too much support from Darragh and it goes dead, meaning a scrum all the way back in their own half. A couple of scrappy minutes, with knock ons and scrums galore, really is tricky to keep possession. Chobham look to move it through the hands but their 10 takes a split second too long and is buried into the mud with a huge hit from Sam Voight – to quote the late, great Bill McClaren; “he’ll be feeling that tomorrow”. The ball goes loose and the ever-ready poacher, Joe Wigmore is there to brilliantly scoop up and kick up some turf and canter under the posts in an opportunistic opening score for Farnham. 3-7.


Farnham exit well from the restart, disrupting the resulting lineout and the familiar confidence and patience in attack that we have seen from the league leaders this season is beginning to show. Keeping it tight, with multiple phases from the forwards and the try line is breached from eventual man of the match, Greg Franzell who barrels over from close range. “It seems to be a day for keeping it up the jumper” exclaims Farnham stalwart Benji Weeks. Thus far he is bang on. A good kick from skipper Toby Salmon and 3-14 with just over 20 minutes gone.


Farnham probing again after the restart and making the odd break, only to be foiled with a final pass being ruined by the wind. The wind is picking up even more and the gusts are meaning lineouts are a complete lottery. Chobham put in some probing kicks that peg Farnham back into the aforementioned corner, which is becoming a corner of chaos for the visitors who are struggling to make any meaningful exit. Scrum half Harry West doing his very best to exit but the wind allowing little gain.


Chobham make good progress into the Farnham 22 and their pick and go game is starting to cause problems. The visitors guilty of being offside and the home side decide to keep it tight with the tap and go. Another penalty, another tap and go, some desperate defence from Farnham with heavy rain now joining the wind and Chobham in battering the Farnham try line. Eventually the pressure tells and Chobham do really well in moving the ball into the wide channel to get the score, much to the delight of the home support, who for a brief moment remove their hands from their pockets to applaud the Chobham efforts. Conversion fails to reach the uprights due to the wind and its 8-14.


Half time quickly follows the restart after a knock on and time for everyone to get warm. It appeared there were definitely more hot chocolates being consumed as opposed to pints and it made total sense. Both sides went into the changing room to get warm, but I have often wondered if that is worse as you have to come back out and face the elements again, a change of shirts and some towels would have been welcomed from all in involved.


Farnham have the elements at their back now and should be looking to take advantage with some clever exits with the assistance of the wind. However, they look to play too much from their 22 after the restart and poor Harry is put under pressure again and his kick is charged down. Farnham steal the ball from the resulting lineout and this time Harry makes a superb exit. Back come Chobham and make some good progress into Farnham territory, winning a scrum penalty bang in front. No messing about and the 3 points on offer are well taken. 11-14.


Farnham start to realise that they need to play more in the opposition half and fly half Ollie Brown is marshalling the troops brilliantly with smart decisions. His team is justly rewarded with a penalty after some probing carries, a quick tap results in industrious Benjy Biggs diving over out wide. A superb kick from Salmon using the wind exquisitely to add the extras and make it 11-21 and give Farnham some breathing room. 


The resulting restart is claimed by Harrison Horner, who has come on to add some bulk and fresh legs, hard to miss with his size but also with the cleanest shirt out there, and he carries powerfully, running over defenders like a bulldozer with cut brakes, taking Farnham up towards halfway. Sensibly and smartly, Toby Salmon & Ollie Brown recognise the space, using the wind to execute a brilliant 50-22 into the corner of chaos. Farnham then win a penalty from the subsequent lineout and Jonny Vincent taps and goes, looking to drive his way towards the line – or so we thought – at the last minute he delicately lifts the ball for “one of the finds of the season” in Shawa Rai to come charging through with the height of a coffee table and density of an oak tree to barge over. This time the wind is too much, even for Salmon, so no extras but 11-26 to the visitors.


Chobham to their credit, do not give up whatsoever, a proud club, with a treasured history and their players are playing for it. Putting multiple, slick phases together and throwing caution, literally to the wind, but the Farnham defensive manages to withstand each venture and every attack, and they exit well. Farnham have a penalty and catch the Chobham defence asleep assuming they would go for the corner, a cross-field kick to the flying Wigmore results in a great break and Farnham are camped on the Chobham 5m line. Picking and going again and again, until that man Franzell bundles over for his 2nd and Farnham’s 5th try of the afternoon. Another excellent kick from Salmon to make it 11-33.
Chobham throw everything they can at Farnham for the last 5 or so minutes, carries, offloads, tenacity, passion, pride but they can’t seem to pierce the visitors defence. The final whistle sounds after Farnham force a knock on and exit long.


A good, gritty win in horrendous weather for Farnham. Their structure and patience in attack was excellent, exemplified by their accuracy given the conditions and they trusted the process would pay dividends, and it did. Defensively phenomenal to keep the Chobham side at bay in the latter minutes, who, to be fair, did not throw in the towel. On a drier day, Chobham look like they would or could be contenders nearer the top of the table but Farnham just look a touch more dynamic and organised, in addition they made much better use of the wind in the second half than Chobham did in the first. 


Final score 11-33 to Farnham who remain top of Regional 2 South Central and are 7 points clear with Tottonians fixture against North Dorset postponed due to Storm Darragh.

Next week they welcome Guildford to Wilkinson Way.


Player’s Podium:

Greg Franzell – 3

Benji Biggs – 2

Ollie Brown – 1