Tottonians 13pts, Farnham 20pts

What a starter this was for Farnham as they visited recently relegated Tottonians.

The home side finished last season in London 1 with a run of seven games with a points difference of just minus nine, collecting six losing bonus points in the process.

But their inability to convert parity into wins resulted in their relegation to London 2 South West.

This was to be a test for the Farnham boys, who themselves had narrowly missed promotion by losing the play-off game – and the black and whites were more than equal to the challenge.

Indian summer conditions greeted the teams – warm with no wind. After two months of pre-season training, at last the teams were released into a full-blown league match. The brakes were off and both squads were tested.

Tottonians were rampant in the first five minutes, driven on by their supporters and blessed with a big pack and hard-running backs. Farnham needed to be at or near their best for the season’s opener.

After the early skirmishes, Farnham began to win good quick ball with Jonny Davidson and Toby Comley to the fore at the breakdown. And Farnham won a penalty which Toby Salmon kicked inside the home side’s 22. But at the lineout catch and drive, Tottonians disrupted the maul to win the scrum and embark upon a 75-metre break.

These early forays summed up the afternoon. Explosive starts and yard-creating support play spoiled at the last. And both teams were guilty.

On 22 minutes, Tottonians enjoyed a stroke of good fortune as the unsighted referee failed to spot a deliberate knock on by Tottonians flanker Meager which put Farnham on the back foot and allowed flying winger James to score in the corner. The extras made it a 7-0 game.

In response, Farnham upped the pace. Their play was taking direction at speed. Oli Brown called the shots with the mercurial Toby Salmon bringing elder brother Michael and co-centre James Corlett into play. Farnham possess a quick back three this season in wingers Reece Stennett, Gabe Hills and Ben Jones. All like to run with the ball and, importantly, support the play.

Farnham were quickly back on the front foot and pressure on the home defence earned a penalty on the 22 which proved comfortable for kicker Toby Salmon as they cut the home side’s lead to 7-3.

The territorial battle was beginning to swing in the black and whites’ favour and the pressure again proved too much for the stretched Tottonians threequarters. One such attack resulted in a five-metre scrum, and after a series of pick and drives, No8 and eventual man of the match Rob Mitchell barged over out wide. Toby Salmon‘s excellent conversion from the corner gave Farnham the lead for the first time at 10-7.

Farnham’s opening game injury hoodoo struck again as from the kick off Jordan Frost, who had revelled in the pace of the game with co-second rower Ben Adams, was stretchered off with torn ankle ligaments to be replaced by Liam Welch. Keen to put his imprint on the game, Welch went through a sequence of tackles and full-on charges. However, his enthusiasm led to him getting isolated for Tottonians to win a penaly and level the score at 10-10.

The referee was hot on offsides in the threequarters and quick to blow at the breakdown. The penalties mounted and the flow of the game was disjointed. Back-to-back penalties saw the sides go in at half time 13-13 with all to play for in the second 40.

Farnham started the second half with a bang.

The pace and intensity heightened with wave after wave crashing onto the Tottonians defences. Something had to give and so it proved with a forward charge led by Schonert and Joris that allowed a snipe by Oli Brown. Brown released winger Gabe Hills who popped up to Ben Jones to go over for what turned out to be the match-winning try with another superb touchline addition from Toby Salmon for a 20-13 lead.

For the next 20 minutes the game was a frenetic, end-to-end affair as the heat and early-season rustiness led to an understandable rise in mistakes. There were, of course, exceptions and moments of pure magic. One such moment was a last-ditch try-saving tackle by Reece Stennett. He had no right and seemingly no chance to stop a certain score – but stop it he did with a thunderous, ball-dislodging tackle.

Still the mistakes and penalties mounted. The Totts full back, who had blasted two long-range penalties in the first half, was directionless in the second. Two goal attempts were pushed wide and then, from the hand, a kick to the corner disappeared over the in-goal area. On such mistakes are games won and lost.

With the clock running down there was still enough time for Tottonians to launch a final onslaught. This was eventually halted with the line beckoning by another shuddering, try-saving tackle from Liam Welch.

A well-deserved win for Farnham and as the games mount up, fitness and skill levels will undoubtedly ramp up. The new front row of Schonert, Brown and Joris, backed by rolling sub Azevado, proved equal to the bigger home heavies, and the pairing of Frost and Adams, plus Welch, while lighter than Tottonians, offered extra flankers and pace around the pitch.

Back rowers Comley, Mitchell and Davidson were a constant thorn both in defence and attack.

The backs put in a dominant defensive performance, breached only by that somewhat dubious try. This aspect of Farnham’s game will be critical as the season unfolds judging by the high scores of the other league matches. The attacks didn’t flow but with new combinations they will bed in.

Oli Brown was cajoling rather than controlling and Toby Salmon was frustrated by the lack of line breaks. However, backed by the back bone of Michael Salmon and Corlett – watertight in defence and penetrative going forward and a back three with pace to burn – the future looks exciting for this year’s squad.

Tomorrow, Farnham host Old Emanuel in their first home game of the season. Last season saw two close-run tussles between sides that like to run with the ball (kick-off 3pm).