Rowledge suffered an agonising defeat on that occasion, Scottish village Freuchie winning on the fewer wickets lost rule after the scores ended level.
Farnham RFC will hope to fare better on Saturday, May 6 when they also have the chance for sporting glory at a hallowed sports venue. They will meet Droitwich in the Senior Vase final at Twickenham, the spiritual home of rugby.
Outside Farnham, the powerful Haslemere Hockey Club have triumphed on the national stage – twice. Just a year ago, they beat Ludlow 4-2 to win the EHA Vase at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, having previously won the prestigious trophy in 2002.
The portents have been good for Farnham since the start of a long and arduous season back in early September. A solid first-team squad of 30 players gave the 1st XV a vital strength in depth to carry them through 22 league matches.
They won 21 of them, losing only to runners-up Eastleigh, and amassed an incredible 1,011 points. They won the London 3 South-West championship by ten points from Eastleigh and will be back in London 2 next season.
The Senior Vase final promises to be an epic encounter against a Droitwich side who were even more dominant in the Midlands 3 West (South) league. In their final match last weekend, Droitwich beat Upton-on-Severn 85-7 to finish with a perfect record of 22 matches, 22 wins. Captained by James Shewell, they amassed 889 points and won the division by a margin of 30 points.
But Droitwich will have their work cut out against Farnham whose team-work on the field is matched by the team effort in their coaching.
This season, the head coach has been Matt Shields of Harlequins, and when he has been called up to play on a Saturday, Jamie Salmon has been match-day coach. Salmon, a former international centre who played, uniquely, for both New Zealand and England, has thus overseen the progress of his sons, Michael and Toby, who have both been outstanding for Farnham.
For the Twickenham final, Salmon will be team manager, Shields is head coach and Gary Stennet is assistant coach.
The front row is the bear-pit in any rugby game and this season Farnham have been fortunate to have both starters and finishers in Andy Naisbitt, Lenny Jennings and Jules Joris, with additional impact back-up from James Trodden, Andy Coutts, Luke Batten and Jonny Davidson. They have allowed the back five of the scrum to flourish in a big way.
In the engine-room, the Williams pairing of Ian and Dan (no relation) have been crash-ball specialists, making the hard, physical yards. Bonus territory all season. James Franklin and utility men Batten and Jason Crabb are adept in the dark arts of the second row.
The platform was set for the breakaway men in the back row, led by Pete Daly, a colossus at number 8 and back at Farnham after a brief career jump to the Championship with Esher.
Daly was flanked by Toby Comley and Davidson, then any one of Crabb, Andrew ‘Buster’ Bond, Jordan Frost, Fran Meagher and the versatile Dan Williams and Batten.
In particular, Comley, Jennings, Naisbitt and Daly have played out of their skins, enjoying their best seasons with the club. Credit must go to Farnham’s forward coaches, Matt Shields, Gary Stennet and Matt Kemp.
Farnham have been lucky to have Oliver Brown and Toby Salmon virtually injury-free all season and orchestrating the back division. Brown has matured into a chirpy, confident scrum-half with a superb pass off both hands. That maturity has helped him run the game (imagine the cox in a rowing eight). In controlling the availability of the ball, he has been able to free up the prodigiously talented Toby Salmon at fly-half.
The contributions of Toby and older brother Michael, the team captain, have been immense. Salmon Jnr, with 32 tries and 339 points, has been the side’s talisman and is on course to retain the President’s Podium Player of the Year Trophy. Fast, strong, feisty and a good decision-maker, he has proved too much for most opposing defences to handle.
Salmon Snr has led Farnham by example, with his long, rangy strides opening up defences time after time. A true player’s player.
Outside the Salmon brothers, Farnham have been blessed with guile in the form of James Corlett and Jemi Akin-Olugbade, and pace with Ed Weeks, Ben Jones, Reece Stennet, club captain Dave Hurley and, since the new year, Gabe Hills.
The overall result – the ability to stretch defences and create pressure, resulting in scoring opportunities – has been 186 tries in 26 games. A staggering statistic that rewards a tremendous team effort.
Win or lose at Twickenham, Farnham RFC, the club that produced Jonny Wilkinson, Peter Richards and current Scotland international Ryan Wilson, will not rest on their laurels.
The club’s mini and junior sections are already amongst the largest in the south (some 640 youngsters went on the recent tour to South Devon) and the feeder system to the senior sides is as strong as ever.
Seven Academy players have graduated to the first team over the last two seasons and the junior set-up now supplies players to Surrey, Harlequins and London Irish.
The Farnham RFC committee, under the watchful eye of chairman Geoff Robins, are determined to leave no stone unturned in their arrangements for the historic day out to Twickenham. For up-to-date information, visit the club’s website at www. farnhamrugby.org
The club have already closed bookings for coaches, but hundreds more will be making their own way to Twickenham Stadium where there is ample room (capacity 82,000).
“Given that car parking is so cheap, it’s a great option for a family day out at rugby’s HQ,” said Farnham spokesman Mark Weeks.
Stadium tickets at £5 (£2 for 15 and under) and parking tickets (£5) can be bought online at www.eticketing.co.uk/rfu and are also available on the day.
Farnham’s path to the RFU Senior Vase final:
1st Rnd – Farnham 26, Haywards Heath 22
2nd Rnd – Aylesford 3, Farnham 42
3rd Rnd – Farnham beat Harlow w/o
Regional Semi-Final – Hitchin 12, Farnham 53
Regional Final – Old Cranleighans 29, Farnham 30
National Semi-Final – Farnham 34, Saltash 21
National Final – Droitwich v Farnham
(Sat, May 6 at Twickenham, ko 1pm)
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