Farnham 59pts, Old Cranleighans 5pts

A PERFECT autumn day delivered perfect conditions for Farnham’s home clash against Old Cranleighans.

To alleviate the disappointment of the cancellation of all of their fixtures, the players from Farnham’s second, third and fourth XVs swelled the large number of spectators at Monkton Lane further. And what a treat they enjoyed.

The squad systems is working well for Farnham. Injuries and illness gave opportunities to Ian Williams, after a long lay-off, Angus Butcher, Andrew Kidd and Stan Marisa. They didn’t disappoint.

The coaching team have done a tremendous job with the senior squad. Forty-plus players all sing from the same hymn sheet. Those that step up to the plate know their role and slot in immediately. The Farnham blitz/wrap-around defence stifled all Old Cranleighans’ efforts. Their attacks snuffed out, Farnham built from deep. And the visitors gradually succumbed, battered by piercing attacks and that fierce defence.

Old Cranleighans should have opened the scoring with a penalty from Hodson after a series of sweeping forays into the Farnham 22. Inexplicably, the kick was pulled wide of the posts. From that moment, Farnham went on the rampage, stretching the Old Cranleighans defence from one side of the pitch to the other.

First, right winger Gabe Hills broke out of a melee of players to set up centre James Corlett for a try under the posts, and an easy conversion for Toby Salmon made it first blood and 7-0 to the in-form hosts.

Old Cranleighans hit back and pressurised the home defence, but time after time they were pushed back. During one such defensive effort, Farnham prop Kurt Schonert went down with a calf tear to be replaced by stalwart Ian Williams. The enforced change didn’t interrupt Farnham’s rhythm and they again escaped the shackles in midfield and drove into the right wing channel through Toby Salmon. He popped the ball inside to skipper Ollie Brown who freed up James Corlett for his second try.

The home crowd were now fully involved and the entire Farnham senior playing squad made themselves heard. Thus inspired, Liam Welch had one thought in mind and from the lineout took route one to score his first try to pad Farnham’s lead at 19-0.

Not content with that, Welch forced an interception on 24 minutes and barged his way to the line for his second try. Toby Salmon kicked the extras and at 26-0 the bonus point was secure.

Old Cranleighans then produced classy, running rugby and began to respond as they were desperate to get back into a game which was rapidly sliding away from them. Their most sustained attack by far showed their skills to the full. After 15 phases of play, Knight crashed over by the corner flag to score the visitors’ only points of the afternoon, the conversion being missed.

Farnham were stung into action again before the first of a series of head injuries saw Corlett come off to be replaced by Stan Marisa. In the very next move, full back Ben Jones and Hodson clashed heads. From the penalty, Toby Salmon kicked to the five-metre line. With the lineout secure, the pack piled Steve Simmons over for a well-deserved try and a 31-5 half-time lead.

Farnham’s defence had been as good and tight as their attack and the offside penalties from the last few weeks were a thing of the past.

The second half was a repeat of the first. Swarming Old Cranleighans attacks were battered back by the watertight Farnham defence. With their own defence stretched to the limit, Old Cranleighans were vulnerable to counterattacks and Toby Salmon burst clear in the Farnham 22 and galloped a full 80 metres to dot down under the posts before adding the easy extras for a 38-5 lead.

The pace then increased. The collisions were full on and on occasions the pitch was littered with injured players from both sides. Old Cranleighans emptied their bench while Farnham put Kidd on for Simmons. When Joris had to leave the fray with a cut to his head, both sides were a prop short so scrums were unopposed for the remainder of the match.

But the pace didn’t falter and Farnham debutantes Butcher and Kidd combined to put Kidd in under the posts and another easy conversion for Salmon made it 45-5. And still the Black and White hordes rained down. Welch forced a turnover and allowed Salmon to break out before offloading to flying winger Reece Stennett who raced in to stretch the home side’s lead to 52-5.

And it was Salmon who supplied the coup de grace with a withering burst of speed to crash over under the posts to complete a 59-5 demolition.

This was Farnham’s biggest win over Old Cranleighans in the last 20 years. Both sides played new players but Farnham were by far the more organised and innovative, which is a huge credit to coaches Ali Chisholm and Gary Stennett.

On Saturday, Farnham take a break from league rugby when they travel to face London Welsh in the first round of the RFU Intermediate Cup at the Old Deer Park in Richmond.