Horsham 7pts, Farnham Falcons 5pts

FARNHAM’S newest women’s rugby team chalked up another first on Sunday – an inaugural away game.

And the Falcons dug deep in challenging conditions before losing 7-5 to Horsham in a game which was ended early by failing light.

Nerves were evident as Farnham faced only their second women’s XV fixture for more than 20 years. But despite a series of challenges, including no changing rooms, an unfamiliar artificial playing pitch and late changes in the line-up, the team pulled together and embraced the challenge.

The game started with fierce attack from the Falcons who held Horsham in their own half for the first 20 minutes, but Horsham defended well and kept the Falcons at bay.

A number of errors from both teams meant plenty of scrums and it was clear the effort put into training on set pieces was paying off. The new front row combo of Thompson, Schonert and Howard created a dominant force pushing Horsham back, winning many scrums against the head.

This success created a great base for attack and the backs utilised this advantage well. Horsham’s well-drilled defence was quick off the mark and the ball was closed down time after time in the ten and 12 channels. The backs adapted and, setting a little deeper, managed to ship the ball wide, where at 13 Yianni – a last-minute addition to the starting team, and playing her first ever game of rugby – added the pace, and with natural talent stepped round the back three to put the Falcons on the scoreboard.

Horsham hit back hard. The Falcons put in tackle after tackle but were drawn in by the attack up the middle of the pitch. Horsham made a darting sideways run from the halfway line and took advantage of space out wide. A valiant chase by wingers Baxter and Pitman was unable to stop the nippy Horsham full-back and the converted try earned Horsham a 7-5 half-time lead.

Within the first five minutes of the second half a Horsham player took a bad knock and play was halted. To stop the players getting cold and to hold the light, both sides opted to switch pitches and returned to grass.

A tactical game from Farnham ensued with Magri-Overend kicking up the pitch for touch, allowing the forwards to compete and win the lineouts. The Falcons pinned Horsham inside the 22 with phase after phase of attack but couldn’t get over the line.

With the light almost gone, Farnham made one final aggressive attack with the forwards driving over the line. The win was within their grasp but the try was disallowed.

Falcons coach Jenni Balmer said: “The team learnt a huge amount from the first game against Basingstoke. With focused training, they have all worked extremely hard to put this into practice and the results were evident on the field.

“This team and the individuals just keep growing and growing. They showed immense grit under challenging circumstances. It feels like a win to me.”