Old Freemen's Rugby Football Club Archive September 2006 - May 2007

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1st XV Match Reports

End-of-season Report 2006-07

by James Hutchison

Old Freemen’s RFC have secured promotion back to Surrey 1 after another strong season.  Confirmation came after an outstanding win over old adversaries Old Haileyburians, and the result of the final match with Old Walcountians at the weekend was unimportant given that promotion is guaranteed. 

Losing captain Jon Stainer to a knee injury, as well as the likes of James Hutchison and Chas March, put the team on the back foot, but up stepped Jon Bower to take on the captain’s mantle.  He has galvanised a strong team spirit and gleaned some incredible performances from many of the players. 

Early victories in the league against old rivals Chipstead and Old Whitgiftians put Freemen’s immediately at the right end of the table.  Scrum-half Sam Tomkins continued in the rich vein of form in which he finished last season, as did Richard Butterfield who has shown his versatility in the back row and is leading the charge for back to back player of the season awards. 

One setback against Bec Old Boys in the league spurred them on to even greater things as this was followed by seven consecutive victories.   The form continued into early 2007, with further notable wins against Old Rutlishians and Old Blues, and after a slight wobble with two losses in a row, Freemen’s pulled out the stoppers to beat Haileyburians.   

The forwards have consistently been able to provide a powerful platform, cleverly combining the brute force of Malcolm Beech and Rob Tyrrell with the guile of Tim Barnett and Tom Fair.  In the backs, fly-half Steve Winslet has marshaled the line expertly in his swansong season, with fine support from an array of quality players including Marcus Hodges, Jon Hobbs, Anthony Rouse and Tom Haywood. 

There has also been unerring support off the pitch, from James Tremaine as the 1st XV manager to Irene Gummer for her never fading joy at cooking for up to 60 players week in week out. 

The 2nd and 3rd XVs have been going from strength to strength this year as well, with important contributions from Richard Turk and Alex Tribick.  They have created a close-knit community and a hotbed of young talent, with players such as Tom Acton and Lee Walstow performing well and knocking on the 1st team door. 

Over 150 people from the club descended on Mudeford in Bournemouth at Easter weekend for the annual Easter Tour, where the successes of the season were celebrated in style.  This has been the third season in a row where the club has had much to enjoy, after the two Tetley’s Bitter Surrey Shield victories in the previous two seasons.  The player numbers continue to grow, but with a tough season ahead next year, an active recruitment campaign will be employed over the summer months.  New players are always welcome – please feel free to turn up to training in Ashtead and join in.  Visit the website for more details at www.oldfreemens.co.uk.

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OFRFC v Old Walcountians (League) - 14 April 2007

by Tom Innes

Old Walcountians    27     Old Freemen's  14

Racked by injuries, char-broiled by the extreme heat, satiated by the
attainment of promotion and pickled by the excesses of Easter Tour: the
excuses were many and varied for Old Freemen's lacklustre finish to the
season.

Travelling to Old Walcountians for the final day of the season in Surrey
Division Two, Freemen's were outplayed by a home team keen to finish
their season on a high note in front of a large gathering of their
clubmates.

One could describe it as a game of three thirds. Freemen's were caught
napping early on and conceded two tries to leave the score at 12-0, with
only some desperate defence and good fortune stopping further scores.
There was a period either side of half-time when Old Frees rallied. A
penalty from Jeff Haywood and a Tom Fair try reduced the deficit to 12-8
at the break, and two more penalties from Haywood gave the visitors a
surprise lead after 50 minutes.

However the hosts then rallied from their mid-game slump, retook the
lead with a penalty on the hour mark and then scored two tries as
Freemen's wilted.

Poor defence, a high error count and the lack of attacking sharpness all
played their part in the defeat, and the team missed the reassuring
tactical kicking of fly half Steve Winslet. Having earmarked the game as
his final outing before retirement, Winslet was forced to call a halt to
his playing days a month early after an off-piste skiing accident.
Although there had been a chance of taking the Surrey Division Two title
prior to the game, league leaders Old Whitgiftians won 18-17 against Old
Rutlishians, so even a win for Freemen's would not have been enough to
take top spot.

It is to be hoped that Saturday's display was a one-off, end-of-season
affair, as Freemen's prospects of competing effectively in Surrey One
next season depend on them achieving higher standards.
Players and supporters are invited to a social afternoon at the Memorial
Clubhouse in Ashtead Park this Saturday (April 21) and other dates for
the diary include the AGM on May 3 and the Dinner Dance at the Queen's
Stand, Epsom on May 12.

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OFRFC v Old Haileyburians (League) - 31 March 2007

by John Winch / Malcolm Beech

Old Freemen's     30      Old Haileyburians       7

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OFRFC v Old Paulines XV (Friendly) - 24 March 2007

by Tom Haywood

Old Paulines 7      Old Freemen's    24

This Saturday saw a return to winning ways for the 1st team and a warm welcome back for a familiar face in the back row, Chas March.  On a cold squally afternoon Freemen’s were up against a mixed Old Paulines' side as their 1’s and 2’s had no game this week. 

The first 15 minutes was a fairly even contest with play switching from one end to the other.  Old Paulines' forwards started well and they were able to release to their backs to get over the line in the corner to take the lead.  

Freemen’s then started to control the game with Jon Hobbs impressive at 10 finding space and cutting through the oppositions back line with some darting runs.  Jon Reece opened Freemen’s account after Simon Holt, on his return made a burst through the Paulines' defence.  He was stopped 20 metres short of the line but Reece was there to follow up and score under the posts.  Sam Tomkins on kicking duty converted and the scores were level at half time. 

In the second half, with Hobbs and Tomkins booming kicks to gain territorial advantage, Freemen’s dominated.  A vociferous Mrs Smith led the Freemen’s support and the team did not disappoint.  March was back to what he does best, winning the ball, and he was able to offload to Jon Bower who made a strong run down the left.  He passed to Dugald Loughnan who finished well in the corner. 

Backs Holt, Sowton and Hobbs were putting in some colossal tackles, so much so that Hobbs had to limp off and make way for Mike Von Speyr.  Malcolm Beech meanwhile was in the thick of it with the dark art and Suneel Appan was ubiquitous for Freemen’s.  He made some great runs, carrying the ball using his pace and strength well.  The forwards were now in cruise control.  From a rolling maul, the sniping Dom Smith broke free and passed to Loughnan who scored Freemen’s 3rd try and his second with an impressive 30 metre run beating 5 men.  Tomkins made the kick and the game was now safe. 

There was still time for one more try as another rolling maul down the right was used to great effect.  The offload was this time to Tom Haywood who made a 30 yard run to the 5 metre line before his perfectly weighted pass inside allowed Tomkins to cross over. 

This was a vital win for getting the Freemen’s boys confidence back before encountering their final 2 league games which are crucial in the push for promotion and a possible league title. 

Man of the match: Suneel Appan

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OFRFC v Chipstead (League) - 17th March 2007

by Jon Stainer

Old Freemen's 18  Chipstead   20

Despite a last gasp try from Old Freemen’s prop, Nicos Charalambous, Freemen’s were unable to avenge last week’s defeat in the cup as Chipstead ran out winners in this crucial league fixture. The result sees Freemen’s relinquish top-spot in Surrey 2 as Old Whitgiftians continued their rich vein of form. 

The score was a result of missed penalties and opportunities rather than dominance from any one side and where Freemen’s struggled to convert possession and territory into points, Chipstead’s inside centre kicked them to their second win in as many weeks with precision from the spot and control out of hand. 

Freemen’s came rushing out the blocks, clearly pumped up for the game, and turned over possession immediately from kick-off. Rumbles up field from Butterfield, Beech and Bower led to a Chipstead infringement at the ruck and Rouse stepped up and duly converted, 3-0, Freemen’s. And more was to come as the back-row led by the groveling, Barnett, and the midfield of Rouse and Reece caused Chipstead to spill ball in the centre of the park. And who should be waiting to pounce, but, Freemen’s loose-head prop, Charalambous who picked up and showed a clean pair of heels from 25 yards – 10-0, conversion, Rouse. 

After such a bright opening period, Chipstead began to find their feet and clawed their way back to 10-3 but Freemen’s bounced back with another Rouse penalty. But the kick in the teeth and the potentially game changing play came on the stroke of half-time as wave-after-wave of Chipstead attack left Hodges and Norval exposed on the left with a four-on-two overlap, which Chipstead duly converted to leave Freemen’s up 13-10 at the interval. 

The second-half was a war of attrition as neither side was able to capitalize on possession and territory until Chipstead popped over a penalty to square the match at 13-13. And then everything went bizarre - Reece appeared to be awarded a try, having pounced on a clever chip-through from Hobbs only for the referee to reverse his decision and award Freemen’s with a penalty 25 yards from goal. The decision from Freemen’s was to capitalize on the possession and field position but Chipstead hung tight and were able to clear their defence. 

With no more than 5-minutes on the clock, Chipstead broke the deadlock as a series of rucks led to their bundling their way over the line. The impressive Chipstead goal kicker duly converted, 20-13. And so with a handful of minutes left, Freemen’s needed to score twice and they almost did with Charalambous claiming his second try in the corner from a quick-tap penalty. The conversion was too much to ask of Rouse as he just missed the left upright and Chipstead played out the remaining few minutes with 13 players to hold on for the 2-point win. Freemen’s take a rest this week before the must win promotion matches against Old Haileyburians (March 31st) and Old Walcountians (April 14th).

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OFRFC v Chipstead (Surrey Shield Qtr Final)  - 10th March 2007

by James Hutchison

Chipstead   31     Old Freemen's      5

Old Freemen’s were dumped out of the Tetley’s Bitter Surrey Shield on Saturday, the competition they have won for the past two seasons.  The manner in which they lost was desperately disappointing, after a promising start gave way to a collapse littered with errors and a lack of control. 

Freemen’s strength in recent years has been their ability to dictate a game, grasping control of the match from the outset by developing a powerful forward platform.  At the weekend, there was little evidence of the forwards’ dominance at the lineout or the scrum, and they were beaten consistently at the breakdown.   

Moreover, the presence of Steve Winslet was missed – his booming kicks are a large factor in controlling the game – and too often, the ball was kicked badly out of hand when perhaps it should not have been kicked at all. 

Freemen’s did start positively however, playing down the slope and enjoying the better of possession and territory for the first ten minutes.  Quick hands in the backs from Reyno Norval and Jon Hobbs released Tom Haywood to sprint for the corner, with Anthony Rouse converting the try. 

After such a bright opening period, the Away supporters were hoping for a comfortable victory, but from there it all started to slide.  The lineout in particular did not seem to function, with Chipstead regularly spoiling and stealing the ball.  Again, Freemen’s did not fiercely contest for the ball on the ground, and in the absence of renowned foragers Chas March, Tim Barnett and Alex Shipp, possession was frequently turned over. 

With no control of the game, Freemen’s could not fight their way back into it and conceded 5 tries during the course of the match.  The one positive to draw from the game was that Chipstead did not look particularly strong, and so if Freemen’s can step up their performance, they should still be confident of winning the return fixture at Ashtead Park next week.  With three matches remaining, Freemen’s must return to winning ways to secure their promotion to Surrey One.

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OFRFC v Old Whitgiftians (League) - 3rd March 07

by James Hutchison

Old Whitgiftians   29   Old Freemen's    7

The Surrey Two title race was kept well and truly alive at the weekend as second-placed Old Whitgiftians beat leaders Old Freemen’s by 29 points to 7.  Elsewhere, third-placed Bec Old Boys also lost, and so with three games to go there is still plenty to play for. 

Freemen’s were comprehensively out-played by a positive Whitgiftians side that dominated every facet of the game, from the set-piece to the quality of running out wide.  In fact, the scoreline would have been significantly worse had they not missed so many kicks at goal. 

For the first twenty minutes, Freemen’s were blitzed by a powerful attack; they barely touched the ball and their defence was rigorously tested.  They could not escape their own half, as every time they cleared their lines, Whitgiftians would easily win the lineout ball.  There was simply no platform from which to control the possession, and this is testament to how well Whitgiftians were playing rather than any criticism of Freemen’s performance. 

Inevitably, the Home side eventually breached the determined defence, but after soaking up so much pressure, Freemen’s were very much in the game at half-time – only 10-0 down, and swapping ends with the slope in their favour. 

A bright start in the second half from the half-backs Sam Tomkins and Anthony Rouse gave the visitors some hope.  Number 8 Richard Butterfield began to galvanise his forwards into a more effective unit, and using the considerable slope they began to encroach on Whitgiftians territory.   

The increased pressure yielded a penalty attempt, but the opportunity to close the gap was unfortunately missed, and this seemed to signal the beginning of the end.  The Home side capitalized on this, and struck soon after with a well-worked try as their forwards and backs combined elegantly with a mixture of offloads and wide passes.  This was followed by two further tries, as the Whitgiftian backs continued to run at pace from depth and were able to open up the Freemen’s defence.   

Freemen’s heads did not drop however, and they restored some pride with a try from Marcus Hodges.  A powerful surge from Rob Tyrrell set up a good field position for the attack, and the backs showed what they are capable of with quick ball going forwards.  Full-back Reyno Norval seared through a gap in midfield and the ball was sent to Hodges to complete the move. 

Old Freemen’s should take heart from this match, and their composure and determination under sustained pressure should be admired.  There are three league games remaining, and they must win at least two to guarantee promotion to Surrey One. 

Next week sees the renewal of the rivalry with Chipstead in the first of two consecutive fixtures.  The sides will first contest the quarter final of the Tetley’s Bitter Surrey Shield before they return to Ashtead Park to fight for the league points.

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OFRFC v Bec Old Boys (League) - 24th February 07

by James Hutchison

Old Freemen's 15  Bec Old Boys   10

A gripping match at Ashtead Park on Saturday saw Old Freemen’s open up some daylight at the top of Surrey League Two.  They avenged a convincing defeat in the Away fixture by holding on to a 5-point victory at Home. 

Committed performances from the likes of Matt Lister, James Reece and Sam Tomkins ensured the Home side claimed the League points.  The two sides seemed very evenly matched, with both sides enjoying periods of dominance.  With sustained pressure in the last 10 minutes, it seemed as though Bec Old Boys might steal the game, but the defence held out and there were rapturous scenes as the referee blew the final whistle. 

Freemen’s started brightly playing down the hill, with Steve Winslet kicking well to maintain a good field position.  He also kicked a penalty to take the lead as the opposition looked like a shadow of the team that won comfortably in the previous match.   

However, their class began to show through as they launched wave after wave of attacks, testing Freemen’s defence continuously for 25 minutes.  This yielded a try and a conversion as they took the lead and began to look like they would extend it.   

Nevertheless, Freemen’s managed a try against the run of play, with man-mountain Rob Tyrrell bundling over following a kick and chase from Winslet.  With Bec adding a penalty of their own, the sides swapped ends with score at 10-10.  The balance was tipped slightly in the opposition’s favour as they had the benefit of the not inconsiderable slope of Rookery Hill. 

Freemen’s determination was evident, and there was some exciting running from Jon Hobbs and Reyno Norval in the backs, whilst Ben Telford and Alex Shipp continued to toil away in the forwards doing the work of four men.  A kick from Tomkins into the corner and a ferocious chase forced a mistake from the Away side.  Freemen’s were able to spin the ball to Matt Lister who finished superbly in the corner after beating two men. 

The last period was a nail-biting time, with the referee allowing significant injury-time.  The defence was up to the challenge though, and when Hobbs bundled their winger in to touch, the whistle finally blew and the celebrations began. 

This was the first of two big challenges for Freemen’s that will determine their destiny this season.  Next week, they face Old Whitgiftians, now second in the league.

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OFRFC v Old Blues (League) - 17th February 07

by Alex Shipp

Old Blues     8      Old Freemen's   11

Old Freemen's maintained the top spot of Surrey 2 with a very hard fought victory against Old Blues. Old Freemen's started the game the stronger of the two sides, with solid rucking from the pack supplying plentiful good ball for the backs.  However Old Blues were not in the mood to lie down and countered Freemen's attack with solid defence. Freemen's first opportunity was missed with Steve Winslet unable to convert a penalty.

With Sam Tomkins looking back to his best behind the scrum it was some what inevitable he would set up the first try, a delicate chip form Tomkins over the top of defence allowed Matt Lister to scoop up the ball and score the first try, Winslet was unable to convert. A penalty then from Winslet put Freemen's 8-0 up.

Old Blues however were starting to look more dangerous in attack and scored a great try when their fly half chipped over the top of the Freemen's rushing back line to collect and off load to a winger who score an unconverted try in the corner. Old Blues buoyed by this score started to really test Old Freemen's defence, the pressure did tell with Old Blues landing a penalty. This left the score 8-8 all at half time.

After the huddle Old Freemen's came out strong, fully aware what this half meant for their season. Old Freemen's front row and in particular Nicos Charalambos sending their oppositions scrum rocketing backwards. Most of the second half was being played in the Old Blues half however Freemen's were unable to convert this pressure into points. This was therefore leading to a tense finish with either team able to win it.

After a series of attacks on the Old Blues line Freemen's were awarded a 5 metre scrum
thank to centre Jon Hobbs thumping the Old Blues number 8 into his own in goal area. From the scrum Tom Fair picked up from the base setting up a ruck, quick ball was available for Tomkins to deliver a pass to Winslet in the pocket who stroked over a drop goal with one minute left on the clock.

There was time for Old Blues to restart the game which was taken Rob Tyrell and with no time left the ball was sent back to Winslet who sent the ball into the stands. Final whistle and the game ended 11-8 to Old Freemen.

Special mentions must go to the tight five who worked tirelessly all day and the centre partnership of Hobbs and Rouse who tackled just about anything that moved. Next week is a top of the table clash with Freemen's entertaining Bec Old Boys.

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OFRFC vs Reigate (Friendly) - 10th February 07

by David Harn

Reigate    17    Old Freemen's  29

Old Freemen were very fortunate that Reigate were able to honour this fixture following the dire weather of the previous week. The game was just what Freemen’s needed before returning to league action this weekend. 

Considering the conditions it was a match full of enterprise and action. Both sides endeavoured to play open expansive rugby, which of course, led to errors, which made for an entertaining morning. Reigate scored first with a runaway try and conversion, following an error by Freemen’s in an attack on the Reigate ten metre line. 

Freemen’s then put together some very useful attacks which eventually led to tries by Tim Barnett and Marcus Hodges, making the lead 10 –7 at half time. 

The pressure exerted by Freemen’s continued in the second half and they went ahead 22 – 12 with tries by Tom Haywood and Jon Hobbs. 

The final quarter finished in hectic fashion, with the referee doing a great job, just managing to distinguish the players, who were now covered in mud.

First, Freemen’s scored again through Nicos Charalambous following a 50 yard kick and chase, and then Reigate scored following a missed kick from Freemen’s.  

The final score was 29 – 17 and both sides trooped of the field very weary from playing in such heavy conditions. This game will serve Freemen’s well because next weekend they play Old Blues away and hope to maintain their winning ways in the league.   

(END)

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OFRFC vs Mitcham  (League & Surrey Shield Rnd 2) - 20th January 07

by James Hutchison

Old Freemen's    40      Mitcham      0

Old Freemen’s produced another comprehensive first-half performance to win this vital double-header against Mitcham.  Scoring 6 scintillating tries in the process, they secured the all-important League points as well as a place in the Surrey Shield quarter-final. 

Fly-half Steve Winslet seemed unable to do any wrong as he turned in one of his finest performances yet.  With faultless kicking out of hand as well as 5 conversions and a try of his own, Winslet demonstrated why he still occupies the coveted Number 10 shirt. 

There were other notable performances from the likes of Tom Fair at Number 8 and James Reece in the centre, whilst the silky hands and cunning lines of running from full-back Reyno Norval had the club President shouting, “Great skill, great skill” – praise indeed from Mr W.T.Deighton. 

As in last week’s match, the Home side did enough in the first half to put the game out of reach for the opposition.  Captain Jon Bower opened the scoring, with a powerful run and a skilful sidestep to score in the corner, before Reece completed a flowing move as the ball moved through at least 12 pairs of hands. 

Freemen’s again showed what they can do when they keep the ball alive, as the ball was frequently popped out after several surges by the pack, allowing the backs to run from depth into open space.  Mitcham were constantly on the back foot, and with Winslet and his centres constantly breaking tackles, a third try was inevitable and Antony Rouse obliged with a strong finish through two defenders. 

Winslet then produced a moment of individual brilliance for the third.  As Mitcham’s drift defence all headed for the winger, Winslet stepped inside, beat the full-back with a slight show of the ball and was able to hold off two or three cover tackle attempts to finish under the posts. 

Mitcham had barely seen the ball all through the first half when wing Matt Lister scored the fifth.  Tim Barnett and Alex Shipp, both ferocious foragers on each flank, turned the ball over in midfield and the backs sent the ball wide quickly for Lister to beat his man and touch down. 

It looked like a long way back for Mitcham as they began to play up the hill after half-time 33 points down.  Reece scored a second try shortly after the interval, and it looked like Freemen’s could rack up a cricket score of which Australia would be proud. 

Instead, Mitcham fought back as Freemen’s began to relax – their defence improved, and they even began to string together a few phases in attack.  Whilst Freemen’s outstanding defence proved impenetrable, the Home side could not score again and had to settle for a cricket score of which England would be proud.   

The victory keeps them at the right end of the table, and the 1st XV remain on course for promotion to Surrey One and a third successive Surrey Shield title.  The 2nd XV meanwhile beat Chobham 31-0, with tries from Loughnan 2, Turk, Tribick and Burns.

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OFRFC vs Old Rutlishians (League) - 13th January 07

by James Hutchison

Old Rutlishians 10   Old Freemen's    21

Old Freemen’s kept the pressure firmly applied on the league leaders with another victory at Old Rutlishians on Saturday.  A very strong first-half performance was enough to clinch the points, and was a clear demonstration that keeping the ball alive and offloading out of the tackle creates opportunities. 

The Home side started the gamed very brightly, stealing an early turnover in midfield and allowing the Freemen’s backs quick ball.  A scything run from centre Reyno Norval was thwarted close to the line, but he skilfully released a pass to James Reece who touched down within 5 minutes.   

After such a positive start, the Freemen’s backs were looking a particular threat both in defence and attack. A second try came when Tom Haywood made a good break and was able to release another very unlikely offload to Tom Fair who dived over in the corner.  

Rutlishians game plan seemed to be to play through their forwards and attack the fringes, and for the most part Freemen’s were up to the challenge.  Whilst on occasions, the Away side did get close to the line, the committed, scrambling defence was able to prevent a try.  

Freemen’s were dealt a blow midway through the first half when influential number 8, Richard Butterfield, was forced off the pitch with a neck injury, but the legendary Tim Barnett was a more than satisfactory replacement.  He came on eagerly and performed outstandingly, scavenging for ball on the floor like a good openside flanker should. 

Towards the end of the first period, Rutlishians did get on the scoreboard with a penalty, but fly-half Steve Winslet was able to cancel this out with a penalty of his own after the opposition pulled down another driving maul. 

The second half was a slight disappointment by the high standards set this season at Ashtead Park.  Old Freemen’s let Ruts back into the game with some bad decision-making and lapses in concentration, the quick ball that OF’s were giving to the backs in the first half subsided and the game descended into a game between two sets of forwards. 

Somewhat against the run of play, Freemen’s did score the next try, after a well-worked line out put the rampaging Rob Tyrrell into midfield drawing in 5 defenders.  Powerful rucking and quick ball then allowed Norval an easy score under the posts. 

The Home side then had a significant lead to defend, and whilst Rutlishians did get a consolation try for their sustained pressure, by then the game was already won.  Winslet added another penalty right at the end of the game to put the match comfortably out of reach. 

Although OF did win with relative ease, there is some room for improvement: the OF backs looked very dangerous, but were not utilised to the full by a dominant pack. There were also some question marks at times around the Freemen’s defence at the fringes, and greater discipline will be required against the stronger teams.  

Next week is a big week – a double header against Mitcham, where the winner will secure a place in the 3rd round of the Surrey Shield as well as the Surrey Two League points.

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OFRFC vs Streatham & Croydon (League) - 6th January 07

by James Hutchison & Alex Shipp

Old Freemen's     15   Streatham & Croydon        3

Old Freemen’s ground out a difficult match at Home to Streatham and Croydon in terrible playing conditions.  With the rain coming down so hard, it was no surprise that no tries were scored with Freemen’s taking the league points by winning 5 penalties to 1. 

Freemen's dominated the first half due to the educated boot of Winslet putting the Freemen’s pack in the opposition's half, where they were able to force the opposition into mistakes.  Although the defence held out admirably, the pressure ultimately led to the concession of a string of penalties. 

Captain Richard Butterfield assessed the conditions and decided that building a score was vital and the reliable Steve Winslet slotted 5 kicks to put the Home side 15-0 up going into half time.

As the sides swapped ends, Streatham and Croydon were able to control more of the possession and began to attack.  They were met by adamant tackling from Jon Reece, Rob Tyrrell and Steve Winslet who were desperate not to concede a try. 

The rain continued to fall, and as the conditions became even worse, the opposition could only add 3 points to the scoreboard, and that is how the game ended.  Scrum-half Dom Smith was a deserving Man of the Match, expertly marshalling the large pack of forwards through the mud. 

Speaking after the game, flanker Alex Shipp commented, “It was the worst conditions I’ve ever played in.  At times it was raining so hard, I couldn’t see.” 

The win keeps Old Freemen’s promotion hopes alive at a crucial stage of the season, and the 1st XV are now joint leaders of Surrey Two.  Next week sees the team travel to Old Rutlishians where they will hoping to bag another two points. 

The 2nd XV also recorded a narrow victory, beating Raynes Park 14-12, whilst the Gentlemen’s XV drew 10-10 with Kingston.

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OFRFC vs Old Haileyburians (League) - 16th December 06

by James Hutchison

Old Haileyburians    43     Old Freemen's    10

The trouble with Old Haileyburians is that you never quite know which team will turn up.  On Saturday, they put out their strongest team who performed outstandingly to give Old Freemen’s a rude awakening.  The Home team played exceptionally well for the full eighty minutes, thoroughly deserving their victory and raising the question of how they could possibly have lost to Mitcham and Chipstead this season. 

Old Freemen’s started brightly and looked to be making good use of the slope in their favour.  A penalty from Steve Winslet gave them an early lead, and it looked as if they would be able to build on it comfortably.  However, 10 minutes into the match, the opposition began to play and used their backs effectively with strong, fast running into the heart of the Freemen’s defence. 

A characteristic of this season has been the almost impenetrable defence, but unfortunately this was painfully absent this week.  There seemed to be very little organisation out wide, and all too often there were players caught out of position with big forwards trying to defend in the outside centre channel. 

The Home side did well to capitalize on these mismatches and looked at times like they had two or three extra players in their back line as they enjoyed overlap after overlap.  Their forwards were also on top at the set piece, applying pressure to the Freemen’s scrum and lineout whilst comfortably winning their own.  In the loose, their rucking was also superior, forcing several turnovers and it was difficult to see where Freemen’s could concentrate their efforts to gain the upper hand. 

With four well-taken tries in the first period, the game was all but won by half time as the sides swapped ends to give Haileyburians the advantage of the slope.  A further three tries were scored in the second half before Freemen’s began to retain some possession.  Jon Bower and Rob Tyrrell started to lend their weight to rucks and mauls, and the back row of Richard Butterfield, Tom Acton and Jon Bird were able to recycle the ball and maintain some continuity in the attack. 

This slight improvement led to a consolation try for Tyrrell who was driven over from close range, but Old Freemen’s will need to take stock over the Christmas period, regroup and come out fighting in January if they are to win promotion to Surrey One. 

Next week at Ashtead Park, there is a friendly match between the under 30s and over 30s followed by a few festive celebrations.  The 1st XV return to league action on January 6th when they face Streatham and Croydon.

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OFRFC vs Burgess Hill (EDF Energy Junior Vase - 4th Round) - 9th December 06

by Simon Holt

Burgess Hill      21   Old Freemen's       11

Old Freemen's made the much anticipated trip to the self proclaimed Sussex All Blacks of Burgess Hill to continue their quest for a place at Twickenham in the EDF Energy Junior Vase.  Upon arriving at the ground, concerns were echoed amongst the strong supporting contingent regarding the state of the pitch, which certainly didn't help with the spectacle but should not detract from a well deserved win for the home team.   

The match started at a frantic pace but the renowned Freemen's defence was doing enough to keep the 'All Blacks' and the probings of their silver fox scrum half at bay.   However, the pressure did eventually tell as their scrum half and key player stepped up to give the All Blacks a 3-0 lead.    

Freemen's came back strongly from this and consistent pressure in the opposition half forced the home side to give away a string of penalties, one of which was kicked by fly-half Steve Winslet to draw the scores level.  Buoyed by their increased possession, the Freemen's forwards continued to up the ante and after several phases and some good recycling work, giant lock Rob Tyrrell managed to barrel his opposite man out of the way to touch down.   

The rest of the half saw both teams struggling to get to grips with the conditions, the most notable action being two tremendous hits from Freemen's ageless number ten Winslet dispatching both their centres to the pain locker in quick succession.  

As the pitch deteriorated even further in the second half, the Hone side used the advantage of the slope and spent the majority of the second period camped in the Freemen's half, with only the tireless tackling of the Freemen's back row Tom Acton, Tom Fair and man of the match Tim Barnett keeping Freemen's noses ahead.  There were signs that the pressure was beginning to tell as the All Blacks managed to add another penalty, but worse was to come for Freemen's as a spectacular 20-metre rolling maul saw the All Blacks cross the white wash to claim an 11- 8 lead.     

To their credit Freemen's didn't let their heads drop and determinedly made their way back into the All Blacks half.  However through a combination of the awful conditions and some poor decision making, they were unable to release their backs once overlaps had been created but settled for a Winslet penalty for to draw the scores level.  

As a thrilling climax appeared to be in the offing, straight from the kick off Freemen's contrived to lose the ball in contact and after several phases the All Blacks managed to score in the opposite corner. This seemed to quash the spirit of Freemen's who were unable to get out of the half for the remainder of the game, and just before the final whistle the All Blacks put their well rehearsed driving maul to good effect to leave the score at 21 - 11 to the Home side.  

Freemen's must now raise themselves for the last league encounter of this term against last years Surrey cup final opponents Old Haileyburians.

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OFRFC vs Old Walcountians (League) - 2nd December 06

by James Hutchison

Old Freemen’s 17 Old Walcountians 15

Old Freemen’s maintained their lofty position at the top end of Surrey Two with a hard-fought win over Old Walcountians.  The league newcomers gave an excellent account of themselves, but the experience and tactical quality of the Home side were enough to grind out the victory. 

Freemen’s lost three of their back line to injury during the game, ending up with a second row forward on each wing.  However, Steve Winslet’s superb kicking out of hand kept Walcountians pinned in their own half, and they were unable to exploit the weakness. 

The Home side started brightly, with strong driving play into the heart of the opposition defence but a number of mistakes and strong tackling from the visitors prevented them from scoring, and in fact they conceded a try against the run of play.  This try gave Old Walcountians the encouragement they needed and they came to life, regularly threatening the Freemen’s line.  Old Freemen’s could not find the necessary aggression in defence to force turnovers and retain the ball, and the Away side were winning rucks with ease to provide quick ball for their backs. 

Nevertheless, the Freemen’s defence held out until half time, confident that the conditions would help them in the second half.  Winslet put the forwards in a good position, and the pack, led ferociously by Richard Butterfield, did the rest.  Effective direct running from hooker Suneel Appan and Rob Tyrrell wore down the defence and forced them into mistakes. 

Early in the second half, as the opposition fly-half attempted to clear his lines, the Freemen’s back row put him under huge pressure forcing him to launch a high kick straight up in the air that Tom Fair was able to collect and touch down for the try.  Winslet duly converted from out wide to level the scores. 

The match continued in the same vein as Freemen’s maintained the upper hand despite the injury setbacks.  As the opposition yielded penalties, Winslet punished them by kicking for the corners.  One of these lineouts resulted in a fearsome driving maul, with Malcolm Beech, Jon Bower and Rob Tyrrell lending their weight to the forward surge.  Bower was then able to peel off the side and force his way over two other defenders to score.  Winslet’s conversion put them 7 points clear. 

Old Walcountians responded with a try shortly after, following a rare defensive lapse that allowed their prop to waltz over, but their kicker could not add the extras.  He made up for it shortly afterwards though by scoring a penalty and suddenly Freemen’s were behind again.  As is often the case, it was left to Winslet to win the game, as he coolly slotted a penalty of his own and Freemen’s hung on to their slender lead. 

Next week, Freemen’s travel to Burgess Hill for a 4th round tie in the EDF Energy National Junior Vase.  As they sit atop the league, they may also have one eye on a Twickenham final.

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OFRFC vs Streatham & Croydon (League) - 25th November 06

by Sam Tomkins

Streatham & Croydon    14     Old Freemen's     50

Having secured their place in the last 64 of the national cup last weekend, Old Freemen’s retuned to league action and surged to the top of the league with a scintillating 50-14 win over Streatham and Croydon.  Those that regularly attend training will have heard this quote a few times before: ‘Forwards win the game and the backs decide by how many’ (Bower, every Thursday, 2006) and this was certainly true on Saturday. 

Richard Butterfield stole the show with a mesmeric hat trick, but Old Freemen’s was also noteworthy, and a special mention must go to Suneel Appan for tireless tackling and to Nicos Charalambous for the biggest hit of the day.  

Having lost the toss, Freemen’s played with the breeze and the sun on their backs and this seemed to propel them into playing some exuberant 15-man rugby.  Old Freemen’s stamped their authority on the game and dominated all over the pitch, especially at set pieces where the combination of Jimmy Kent and Rob Tyrrell secured ball at the lineout all day.  The powerful front row of Jon Bower, Appan and Charalambous meant the scrum was constantly moving forward and the back line were able to show the cutting edge that perhaps has been missing at times this season. 

Matt Blacketer finished off a sweeping length of the field move, Matt Lister scored a dazzling solo effort and a brace from Richard Butterfield, meant that Freemen’s went in at half time with a lead of 24-0.  This was prevented from being increased when Tim Barnett raced through a beleaguered defence, only to be brought down centimetres from the line by a chasing prop. 

The game will be remembered for the change in character of the referee and the 3 sin-binnings the Freemen’s side received in the 2nd half.  The ever cynical Jeffrey Haywood was the 1st to have a 10 minute rest for deliberately slowing down ball and he was joined 1 minute later by Jimmy Kent for a similar offence.  With Freemen’s down to 13 men, Streatham and Croydon started to get a bit of confidence and crashed over for 2 tries, but the Away side rallied and Richard Butterfield went over to complete his hat-trick, finishing off a smart move from the forwards. 

The back line looked dangerous all afternoon, with Sam Telfer’s range of passing and the speed and power of Reyno Norval and Duncan Billane in the centres.  In the face of such attack, Streatham and Croydon were all at sea, and this finally told when a clever move led to Lister breaking through who managed to kick sideways into the centre of the pitch, where Sam Tomkins was waiting to receive the ball and unselfishly put the rampaging Simon Holt over in the corner. 

Old Freemen’s then went into a period of play where they could do nothing right and were constantly penalised; Matt Blacketer was next up for a 10 minute rest, after tackling the scrum-half – usually not an offence.  Once again this led to Freemen’s being on the back foot, but a smart break from Telfer under his own posts saw him sauntering down the wing, with support coming from all angles, and it was only a matter of time before the opposing line was breached once more, with Tom Acton going over! 

With Blacketer back on the field, Freemen’s were to save the best till last.  A sweeping length of the field move with the ball passing through 20 pairs of hands, gave Kent the enjoyable job of finishing off what must be a contender for try of the season.  This brought the score up to 48 leaving Haywood to add the conversion to reach the 50-point mark. 

Next week Freemen’s host newly promoted Old Walcountians at Ashtead Park.

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OFRFC vs Lockside (EDF National Junior Vase - 3rd Rnd) - 18th November 06

by Duncan Billane

Old Freemen's  18     Lockside     0

Old Freemen's returned to Cup action as they entertained Lockside in the 3rd round of the EDF Energy Junior Vase. Fielding a much-changed side from the previous week's league victory the Ashtead based team showed their strength in depth with a comfortable 18 to 0 victory over a determined Lockside team.

With the early stages of the match dominated by the powerful running of the Freemen's pack and some sharp lines of running from the backs it looked as if a large victory would be on the cards for the home team but some committed defence and the visiting sides deliberate slowing down of the ball meant a penalty from Haywood was to open the scoring.

With Telfer at Fly Half able to control field position with his accurate line kicking Freemen's spent most of the first half camped in the visitors twenty-two. Another penalty committed in the danger area was confidently kicked to the corner as Freemen's looked to use the advantage of the dominance of their forwards and well functioning line out. A clean take and drive was driven towards the line with the Lockside pack retreating quickly and Charalambous diving open for the first score. With the conversion missed Freemen's went in at the break 8 nil up.

Straight from the kick off Freemen's looked to continue their domination of the game and went for the early score. Number 8 Fair made some in roads into the visitors defence and was well supported by his back row partners Barnett and Blacketer. With the ball going through multiple fazes it was eventually swung out wide allowing Tom Haywood to dive over in the corner.

As Freemen's looked to capitalise on their dominance it was Lockside who returned the stronger but were kept out by some committed defence. Freemen's threatened to strike from distance as full back Holt broke the first line of defence but the final pass did not go to hand.

With the clock ticking down Freemen's were comfortably in charge but had one final effort to please the home team's supporters. A powerful run from Bower who handed off the covering defence allowed Dom Smith to dive over for the last play of the game.

Freemen's will be happy with the win and but know there is room for improvement as they return to league action with an away trip to Streatham and Croydon as they look to maintain their top of the table position.

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OFRFC vs Old Rutlishians (League) - Home - 11th November 06

by Tom Innes

Old Freemen's 27   Old Rutlishians     7

An afternoon of feast and famine for Old Freemen’s wingers ended with the Ashtead Park side joint top of Surrey Division Two after a comfortable win. The satisfaction of a job well done was however tempered by a serious injury to stalwart flanker Chas March, who was carried from the field in the 56th minute with a broken cheekbone. 

Wing is perhaps the most difficult position on the rugby field in which to take a proactive role in the game. Numbers 11 and 14 are usually reliant on their colleagues for the possession which they need to carry out their main attacking function: scoring tries.

Paired together a few hours before kick-off after the withdrawal of Matt Lister, Simon Holt and Tom Ormrod only decided just before the start who would play left and right. Ormrod ended up on the left, and hardly saw the ball all day, while on the opposite flank Holt was showered with possession and responded with a stunning hat-trick in 11 first-half minutes that was ultimately the difference between the sides.

Freemen’s had the better of the earlier exchanges with good surging drives from the forwards in front of the booming kicking from inside centre Duncan Billane. Billane’s centre partner Jeff Haywood had the first chance but missed a fourth-minute penalty attempt.

Second row Tom Fair was the pick of the home pack and charged to within a few metres of the line in the 19th minute. Quick ball from the resultant ruck was spun right and Holt touched down in the corner to make it 5-0.

Five minutes later, a rare sortie upfield by Ruts was ended with a turnover ball that was boomed long by Billane and then fumbled by the Ruts’ winger to give Freemen’s a 60-metre gain in territory. From the scrum Richard Butterfield broke right from the back row and found Holt with a scoring pass to make it 10-0.

Butterfield looked to have scored himself soon afterwards, and skipper Jon Bower also went close, but the third try was not long in coming, and was the pick of Holt’s trio, the winger close to full pace as he entered the line, caught a nicely-delayed pass from Billane and steamed through under the posts. Haywood’s first successful kick of the afternoon added the extras to make it 17-0 on the half-hour, and close to half-time he added three more points with a 25-metre penalty effort.

As well as Freemen’s were playing, there was surprise that Ruts, second in the league prior to the game, struggled to compete up front and were error-prone in the back-line.

The second half was a damp squib in comparison, and the injury to March after an  accidental clash in a ruck was among the factors that took the edge out of the match. The home side made three replacements in total and there were another half dozen positional switches, including flanker Tim Barnett joining the three-quarter line after fly-half Reyno Norval was also forced from the field after a heavy knock.

In addition to the injuries Freemen’s encountered some more serious resolve from the visitors and a combination of these factors, as well as 11 minutes of injury time and some gloomy Autumn light, meant the second period was largely a forgettable and downbeat affair.

The visitors may have sniffed an unlikely comeback with a 74th-minute try following concerted pressure, reducing the deficit to 20-7, but in fact their prospects remained remote. Freemen’s buckled down and leaned on the experience of Butterfield and replacements Malcolm Beech and James Tremaine, allied to a committed tackling display from 1 to 15, in nailing down the win. Any doubts were removed in the fourth minute of injury time: Fair charged towards the posts once again, and after he was felled by a handful of defenders Rob Tyrrell was first to claim the ball and plough over. Haywood’s conversion left the second-half scoreboard at 7-7 and sealed a comfortable 27-7 win overall.

Freemen’s were pleased to learn that a first defeat of the season for Bec Old Boys left them just a sliver behind Bec on points difference at the top of the table, each having won five of their six league games. But there will be an anxious wait this week for news on March’s constructive surgery on Tuesday, and whose absence for a prolonged period, in addition to the loss of skipper Jon Stainer for the entire campaign, would be a serious blow to the Old Boys.

Old Freemen’s 2nd XV travelled to Rutlishians and registered a comfortable 43-5 win, with tries from Blacketer (2), Ellison (2), Smith, Georgiou and Sowton, plus four Jem Davies conversions.

This Saturday Old Frees play in the EDF National Vase third round home to Lockside RFC (formerly Lensbury) of Herts/Middlesex League Two, with kick-off scheduled for 2pm. 

Old Freemen’s 1st XV: Telfer; Holt, Haywood, Billane, Ormrod; Norval (rep Walstow), Tompkins; Bower, Telford (rep Beech), Charalambous; Fair, Tyrell; March (rep Tremaine), Barnett, Butterfield.

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OFRFC vs Mitcham (League) - Away - 4th November 06

by Roger Seymour

Mitcham   10        Old Freemen's    45

Freemen’s kept up their challenge at the top of Surrey 2 with a comfortable win at Mitcham in another bruising but stop-start encounter on Saturday. Injuries to both sides kept the physio busy throughout the game and at times the pitch was more like a battlefield.  

Despite the scoreline, Mitcham stayed competitive and when Freemen’s concentration slipped in the last five minutes, they ran in two late tries to restore some pride.   

Another bizarre twist of the match was that ten tries were scored but only one conversion was successful. Freemen’s will be hoping that if they are in the promotion mix at the end of the season, they do not miss out on points difference again, as with last season.  

Freemen’s were on the board within three minutes with their first meaningful possession, Matt Lister finishing off a cross-field handling move. Steve Winslet stretched the lead with a penalty shortly after, but Mitcham recovered and gave Freemen’s something to think about with their driving mauls. They came close to scoring on several occasions but the visitors defence held firm through the magnificent back-row of Chas March, Tim Barnett and Richard Butterfield. Marcus Hodges eventually broke the shackles with a cruising run in from 22, to make it 13 – 0 at the turn. 

As in the previous week, the second half saw Freemen’s notch some spectacular tries from deep positions, using the wide pitch well. From the restart, Jonny Sowton started a move on his own 22 that ended with Hodges galloping over for his second. 

Almost immediatel,y a Ben Telford heel against the head gave fly half Reyno Norval room to break, link with the storming Tom Fair at his side who released Richard Butterfield for a try. 

Trailing 0-23, frustration grew for the home side which produced some sparks and  the referee kept the lid on by yellow-carding two players from each side (Malcom Beech and the spotless Norval for Freemen’s). 

Freemen’s then explored the extra space and virtually doubled their score in the final quarter with tries from Sam Telfer, Lister, Sam Tomkins, and Winslet.   

It was a good weekend for Freemen’s. Their seconds beat Old Walcountians 22- 19. Tries from Matt Blacketer, Tom Haywood and Richard Hill, two conversions by Jeff Haywood and a penalty by Tom Ormrod.  

The thirds beat Old Suttonians 43 – 0 with tries by James Burns, Matt Forest, Ed Scrase, Matt Bennion, Simon Gibbs, Chris Linsell, Rhys Warren-Evans and four conversions for Jem Davies. 

Freemen’s: Telfer, Hodges (Holt), Winslet, Sowton, Lister, Norval, Tomkins, Walstow, Telford, Bower (capt.) (Pepper), Beech, Fair, March, Butterfield, Barnett (Tyrrell).           

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Old Freemen’s RFC 75th Anniversary Dinner - 27th October 2006

by Bob Davies 

With former players heralding back 6 decades the 75th anniversary of the Old Freemen’s RFC was a splendidly attended dinner – held at the alma mater, the City of London Freemen’s School in Ashtead, Surrey.  

Our special guests included two great friends of the Club - Peter Mansfield (Secretary, Surrey Rugby)and John Vale (RFU Committee) and our guest of honour the Surrey President Ted Ivens. Ted is a Dorking RFC stalwart who more than a few of the Old Freemen’s present recalled lining up against over the years. It was fitting that a Dorking player of such repute was there as Dorking was the first Old Boys’ fixture 75 years earlier, which the Old Boys won to kick start their reputation as a successful rugby club. 

The Chairman of the School Governors, Robin Eve, was there to represent the School and the Corporation of London, but as a former pupil and contemporary of the OFRFC Chairman, David Harn, he was amongst old friends!     

The Club President – Bill Deighton – Head of Sports at the City of London Freemen’s School and a former player with the Old Freemen’s, thanked our honoured guests and even joined in the spirit of the 75 years by unearthing some jokes dating back to the 1930’s – fortunately most of those assembled were too old, or too merry or too young to recall the original telling! 

When the table plan was unveiled many of those present started to select the OFRFC ‘dream team’ – with players from the last 50 years ‘available’ and present in black tie, all were convinced -with a little time travel to bring everyone back to their hay day - we could have fielded a line up that would have troubled the best from Surrey – there was even a surplus of front row available, but then again our props were always up for a good meal and drinks! 

RFU Volunteer Awards were presented to the OFRFC back room helpers who run the club and have contributed towards its reputation as one of the friendliest and most sociable clubs in the County and Country! 

Patricia Jenkins – who not only supplied the club a very resilient front row forward in the guise of her son ‘Harry’ (actually his real name was  Stephen, but we thought that too soft for a tight-head), she has been Membership Secretary and the collector of annual subscriptions for as many years as anyone can recall. A true Old Freeman in spirit, support, good humour and selflessness in organising many socials and dinner dances – and the 75th Anniversary dinner itself! Thank you, Pat! 

Ronnie Gummer – probably the most consistent player the OFRFC has ever produced and one of the purveyors of the dark arts of the front row – Ronnie has long been seen as the man who typifies the amateur rugby player – one who portrayed both honest grit and a never-say-die attitude on the pitch, but who was always willing to buy his opposite prop a beer after the game. A hard man to beat on the field of play and an even harder man for anyone to dislike off it.  Ronnie was honoured by the RFU for his work post-retirement in keeping the social side active and enjoyable, and for organising countless former player lunches.  

Behind every great man is a greater woman and Irene Gummer is no exception – tireless support on the catering front, preparing the best after match teas in Surrey and with Ron her husband kitting out the Old Freemen’s in all manner of sports equipment and ‘tour’ shirts – the ‘G I Ts’ - Gummers Independent Traders - makes sure the club is as recognisable off the pitch as we are on it and for many, many years organising our tours to Mudeford in Dorset and with her band of willing helpers providing our excellent teas - Irene picked up an RFU Volunteer Award to sit alongside her husband’s. 

The evening went all too quickly, with food and wines of the best (provided by our sponsors Aramark Catering) the ‘very Old’ Freemens and the not so very Old Freemen’s now look forward to celebrating the 100th anniversary with our friends from Surrey, the School and the City of London Corporation with 25 more years of great rugby and a few beers as well with our friends perhaps. 

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OFRFC vs Old Emanuel (Junior Vase - 2nd Rnd) - Away - 28th October 06

by Roger Seymour

Old Emanuel  8       Old Freemen's    39

Old Freemen’s produced an electric finish to take them into the third round of the EDF National Junior Vase with an ultimately comfortable 39 – 8 win over Surrey 1 side Old Emanuel.

On the huge OE’s pitch, there was little daylight between the teams for the first hour of the match. Freemen’s held a slender 3 point lead carved by Jeff Haywood’s try and two penalties. A solid platform in the front five, with props Lee Walstow and Richard Pepper dominant, powered by locks Rob Tyrrell and Malcom Beech, and with Sunny Appan impressing as hooker, allowed Freemen’s to face-up in many phases of a bruising game. Both sides played some attractive rugby but the defences were solid and the scoreboard seemed stuck at 11-8 at the start of the last quarter.

Freemen’s then hit the gas and there was no stopping them. A perfect delivery from number 9, Sam Tomkins, gave fly-half Reyno Norval room to slide through for a glorious individual try and shortly he crossed the line again after his pack wrecked OE’s tight scrum on their own line. Jeff Haywood converted both.

OE’s were tiring and became careless and Freemen’s grew in confidence. Skipper Jon Bower built on this with a brief  cameo impact performance that directly produced tries for Ben Telford, receiving from the unselfish Tyrrell after a 30 metre burst, and for the rampant Richard Butterfield. Marcus Hodges was on target with both conversions.  

The final 39 – 8 scoreline left Freemen’s spectators brimming with admiration for the whole team’s performance against  very strong opposition. Freemen’s return to League action on Saturday with a Surrey 2 match at Mitcham.

Freemen’s: Telfer, Hodges, Billane, Sowton, Haywood, J (Haywood, T), Norval, Tomkins, Walstow, Appan, Pepper (Bower), Beech, Tyrrell, Butterfield (capt), Jeffries , Shipp (Telford).

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OFRFC vs Old Blues (League) - Home - 21st October 06

by Jon Stainer

Old Freemen's    19     Old Blues    10

Old Freemen’s maintained their third-place position in the league with a 19-10 win over Old Blues at Ashtead Park last Saturday. The opposition were at the mercy of fly half, Steve Winslet, as he stole the limelight with all of Freemen’s 19 points. 

It really was a game of two halves as a telling wind ensured a considerable advantage at one end and Freemen’s playing into it in the first half were confident with the 10-10 half time score. Such was the wind, rarely did the ball get past the No.12 jersey and Norval in this position punched his way through the opposition attack. One crashing blow resulted in space for Winslet, who handed off and made the twenty metre dash to the line, which he duly converted from in front of the sticks. 

A solid platform from the Freemen’s forwards allowed Winslet to kick into the opposition’s half and that is where Freemen’s stayed for the majority of the second half. Unfortunately a number of handling errors and turnovers in try scoring positions meant the Home side was unable to cross the whitewash again, but the territorial pressure resulted in three successful penalty attempts allowing the home side to close out the game with 10-minutes to spare. 

This win was accompanied by a convincing 19-0 victory for the 2nd XV against Streatham & Croydon in the Surrey Merit League. 

Old Freemen’s take a break from league action next week at they travel away to Old Emmanuel in the second round of the EDF Junior Vase.

Team: Pepper, Patel, Walstow, Beech, Tyrrell, March, Fair, Butterfield, Tomkins, Winslet, Ormrod, Norval, Billane, Lister, Holt.Subs; Smith, Bower, Shipp.

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OFRFC vs Bec Old Boys (League) - Away - 14th October 06

by James Hutchison

Bec OB  38        Old Freemen's   6

Old Freemen’s unbeaten record in competitive matches in 2006 was brought crashing down at the weekend with a heavy defeat at the hands of Bec Old Boys.  The opposition has been surging through the Surrey leagues over the last two seasons after being demoted from the London divisions, and so there was no shame in losing this match. 

In fact, the spirit in which Freemen’s played was encouraging – never giving up and mounting a credible fightback in the last quarter of the match, Freemen’s should not be despondent at this result. 

Of course, there are areas to be worked on, and with good attendance at training, a number of errors should be ironed out in the build up to the Christmas break.  Critically, Freemen’s rucking needs to be more forceful, so that when they are in possession, the backs can enjoy quick ball.  Too many times on Saturday was the ball sent wide after slow ball from a ruck, only for the centres Tom Ormerod and Simon Holt to be met immediately by the oncoming defenders.   

However, credit must go to the opposition, whose rucking was outstanding, and whose flankers frequently slowed the ball down.  Whilst their defence was strong, their attacking was also done at high speed and with clear purpose, and although Freemen’s defence held up well, it was inevitable that it would be penetrated in the face of such attrition. 

At fly-half, Steve Winslet tried to control the game as best he could with the quality of possession coming his way, frequently kicking the away side into good positions.  Indeed, it was from Winslet’s boot that the only Freemen’s scores came, with two penalties.  Up front, Malcolm Beech had a strong game in the second row, whilst Tom Fair stood out at number eight, behind a pack that was often going backwards. 

Next week, Freemen’s face Old Blues, and will look to use the Home advantage to return to winning ways and remain at the top end of Surrey League Two. 

Old Freemen’s: Pepper, Appan, Giorgiou, Beech, Tyrrell, Butterfield, March, Fair, Smith, Winslet, Hodges, Ormerod, Holt, Lister, Tomkins.  Subs: J Haywood, Bower, Reece

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OFRFC vs Uxbridge (EDF Energy Junior Vase) - Away - 7th October 06

by James Hutchison

Uxbridge 7   Old Freemen's   50

Old Freemen’s travelled to Uxbridge for their fixture in the EDF Energy National Junior Vase competition, with a mixed team due to a number of members travelling to play in the Jersey festival.  On a breezy day which was perfect for running rugby, the captain of the day, Richard Butterfield, gave the team one of his rousing talks before the game, and right from the start they were firing on all cylinders. 

Although Uxbridge had a large pack, the OF forwards dominated them throughout the game and gave the backs plenty of quality ball – it was obvious that the pre-season training is now allowing the team to out-pace their opponents.  Dom Smith at scrum half was able to link with Steve Winslet at will and the backs had a field day scoring a total of eight tries, and the support play of the whole team was exciting to watch.  

Indeed, the ball passed through nine pair of hands for Marcus Hodges to score the first try in the corner, and this was the start of some exciting rugby with the backs coming at angles regularly splitting the home defence. 

Freemen’s were seventeen points ahead at half time and turned round to face the wind and the sun. Astute kicking from Winslet kept them firmly in the home team’s half and they continued to play controlled but exciting rugby. 

The forwards roamed the pitch causing havoc to any attempted move by the home side and were exerting untold pressure on their scrum.  Ned Jeffries had a superb day spoiling their lineouts, and Sunny Appan had a fine game and was nominated as man of the match. 

The three-quarters linked well, seldom lost the ball in the tackle and were always looking for the support, which was regularly to hand.  Scoring 33 points in the second half is a clear indication that the team continued to strive to score and the substitutions made in no way weakened the team.  The home side made just one excursion in to the Freemen’s half when following a huge kick ahead with wind assistance as the bounce beat the defence and the home side scored under the posts.  

Overall, it was a fine display by a mixed team and a tribute to the fact that the Club has players in the junior sides capable of stepping up to the mark when required and they will continued to pressurise players in the first team for their places. 

Team: Pepper (Georgiou), Appan, Charalambous (Acton), Fair, Tyrrell, Butterfield, Jeffries, Shipp, Smith (Tomkins) Winslet, Ormrod (Brown), J.Haywood, Lister, Hodges, Holt.

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Old Freemen's vs Whitgiftians (League) at Home - 30th September 06

by James Hutchison

Old Whitgiftians 3  Old Freemen’s 10

Old Freemen’s maintained their stranglehold on Old Whitgiftians securing their fourth win in as many matches against their old rivals, but it was not without significant fight as the visitors put up a magnificent display in defence. The win puts Old Freemen’s at the top of the league on level points with Old Rutlishians.

With a significant Old Freemen’s crowd, buoyed by the Chairman’s pre-match lunch, both teams were eager to show their dominance in the first half. Playing with the wind the home side camped out in the visitors half but early season rustiness led to mistakes in crucial try scoring situations and it was not until 20 minutes that an infringement by the Whitgiftians No.8 allowed last week’s goal kicking hero, Marcus Hodges, to convert.

Whitgiftians came back strong but the home side’s defence remained solid until just before half time when the Freemen’s back row were penalised and the Whitgiftians fly-half duly converted, 3-3 at half time.

Much the same as last week the half time huddle seemed to boost Old Freemen’s efforts and the home team came out the stronger of the two with an immediate assault on the opposition’s try line only to be thwarted by some impressive Whitgiftians defence. The tactical change of Steve Winslet to fly half and Reyno Norval to full back gave the home side greater direction and Winslet was able to kick for possession whilst Norval cut open the opposition backline from deep.

Freemen’s forwards were working confidently up the pitch led by the inspirational Chas March and last week’s lineout problems were behind them as Ben Telford picked out Tom Fair and Rob Tyrrell with ease to move the home side into attacking positions. With 15 minutes left on the clock, sustained pressure from the home team resulted in a scrum in an attacking position on the visitor’s 22-metre line. A deft back row move offered quick ball to Winslet who put the rampaging Hodges into space on his inside who easily stepped and then handed off to score under the posts. Hodges duly knocked over the conversion to give him maximum points and Freemen’s up 10-3.

Whitgiftians hit back hard but sound defence from the home side and a number of turnovers at the hands of man of the match March, saw the away side wilt in the final 10 minutes and Freemen’s closed out the game easily with Winslet nudging the ball behind the opposition’s backs and Freemen’s back line pressuring the away side into mistakes.

Old Freemen’s extended their unbeaten league record to 11 matches in 2006 but will take a break from league action next week at they travel away to Middlesex side, Uxbridge in the EDF Junior Vase.

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Old Freemen's vs Chipstead (League) - Away - 23rd September 2006

by James Hutchison

Chipstead 10 Old Freemen's 19

Finally the wait for the league season to begin was over and Old Freemen's travelled to Chipstead, the venue that they lost their last competitive game in December 2005. There is a lot of history between these two teams, including the old boys victory over Chipstead in the 2005 Tetley Surrey Vase final, and this made it all the sweeter for Freemen’s as they came from behind in the last ten minutes to steal a victory. 

The match started with great pace and aggression as the teams traded attacking moves, but the early season rustiness lead to mistakes that stopped either team getting on the score board. The Freemen's defence was solid throughout but an injury-affected pack could not take advantage of attacking scrums and line outs that they worked so hard to win. It was not until 20 minutes into the game that a break through came – the Chipstead blindside flanker charged down a kick 15 yards out from the Freemen's try line, scooped up the ball and slid over. 

The rest of the half followed a similar pattern with strong forward play by Nicos Charalambous, Malcolm Beech and Chas March but Freemen’s lacked the continuity to turn the possession into points.  The only other score of the half was a Chipstead penalty 1 minute before the interval. 

At half time, with Old Freemen's 10-0 down, is was clear that harsh words were being spoken in the huddle and these words must have had some effect. Now with the advantage of a considerable slope, Duncan Billane and Reyno Norval took control of the territorial battle by spiralling kicks deep into the Chipstead half. The line outs and scrums started to click into place and most of the half was spent around the Chipstead 22. Twenty minutes later Freemen's still had nothing to show for the sustained pressure, but it was clear that the resilient Chipstead defence was weakening. Finally after 70 minutes the travelling supporters had something to cheer as Norval split the defence from 10 yards after a series of quickly taken tap penalties orchestrated by scrum-half Dom Smith. Norval, and Freemen's, will be thanking the tireless man mountain Rob Tyrell who drew the Chipstead pack away from the backs with well-timed dummy run from the penalty.   

Trailing 10-5 Freemen's became a new team and the talented back three of Richard Hill, Matt Lister and Marcus Hodges started to run the ball with confidence from deep within their own half. Barley 5 minutes had passed since the first try when Hodges collected a lose kick from the Chipstead fly half. Keeping the ball in hand Hodges made 30 yards before linking up with the impressive Tyrell. Using a combination of strength and skill he made a further 30 yards before offloading to Lister who touched down 10 yards in from the right hand touch line. Hodges had already missed three kicks at goal and was on the receiving end of some heavy verbal abuse from the Chipstead players and crowd, but with the score at 10-10 this was no time for nerves.  Thankfully for Freemen's he showed none and slotted the toughest kick of the day. Chipstead were clearly in a state of shock and in the 80th minute Norval linked up with the impressive debutant Jon Reece to send Man of the Match Billane over in the corner. Hodges converted the try and the match ended 10-19 to Old Freemen's. 

Chipstead were visibly shocked and could hardly come to terms that after leading for over 70 minutes that they had lost by 9 points. A special mention must go to Alex Shipp who took on a new position and duty by throwing into the lineouts.  Smith made his comeback after nearly a year out and looked like he had never been away, bossing the forwards and dictating the pace of the game. 

OF will take a lot from this game, but will know that there is still work to be done to eradicate some basic errors. Next week a big crowd is expected at Ashtead Park for the first home game of the season against Old Whitgiftians, and Old Freemen's will be hoping to keep their unbeaten run going.  

Team: Bower, March, Charalambous, Beech, Tyrrell, Reece J, Shipp, Jeffries, Smith, Norval, Hodges, Billane, Wilson J, Lister, Holder.

Subs; Hill, Tremaine, Beebe.

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Old Freemen's vs. Barnes (Friendly) - Away - 16th September 06

by James Hutchison

Barnes 3rd XV 34  Old Freemen’s 15

Old Freemen’s faced a tough test in the last of their warm-up matches before the League competition kicks off next week.  Up against Barnes 3rd XV, they fought well and were competitive throughout the match, but ultimately could not live with the well-drilled side from South West London.

Freemen’s will need to improve their defence against Chipstead next week, as too many missed tackles allowed the opposition to canter through gaps and maintain the offensive.  Despite having the edge in the pack, Freemen’s gave away the advantage by their erratic tackling.

At the scrum, the Barnes forwards were constantly shunted backwards by the power of Rob Tyrrell and Malcolm Beech in the engine room of the second row.  In the loose, the back row of Richard Butterfield, Alex Shipp and Tom Fair toiled all afternoon, but were not effectively supported by the back line.  The referee did not help either, with a number of questionable decisions, and seemed equally as one-eyed as the Barnes 3rd team manager who thought he was an international standard coach.

In addition to the defensive shortcomings, the backs rarely looked dangerous in attack, kicking possession away too frequently and squandering overlaps on a number of occasions.  There were only occasional glimpses of the high standards that have been set in the backs by the likes of Duncan Billane and Marcus Hodges, with full-back Simon Holt performing well and starting one or two flowing moves that saw the ball move through many pairs of hands.

The try-scoring duties were again left to Tyrrell, who again snatched a brace.  The first was after a surging drive from the pack after a lineout, which knocked the wind out of the defence and allowed Tyrrell to smash his way over from short distance.  The second came in the second half when a number of phases were strung together, drawing in the Barnes defenders, providing a two man overlap on the left wing.  With Tyrrell and prop Jon Bower lining up out, there was no chance of Barnes stopping 40-stone of front five muscle as the pair powered over in the corner.  Hodges converted one try and kicked a penalty to complete the scoring.

Fair made his strongest contribution for several games, with some powerful surges in the loose making many a hard yard up the field.  Suneel Patel also looked effective at hooker, getting the basics right with accurate throwing in the lineout, and some solid rucking in the loose.

Although this was a stern test for Freemen’s, there is room for improvement before next week.  The defence needs to be tighter, and the forwards must revive their ability to control the pace of the game that served them so well last season.  Preparation for the season has been ideal, with three practice matches before the first league game, and there is a positive atmosphere in the squad.  Training continues to be well-attended and the whole club is looking forward to a successful campaign.

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2nd September - Warlingham - Trial.

by James Hutchison

Ashtead Park staged a trial match against Warlingham at the weekend as an opportunity to identify new talent before the season begins in earnest.   

Pre-season preparation at Old Freemen’s Rugby Club has been hindered by the news that 1st XV captain Jon Stainer will not be able to take part this season.  The inspirational leader dislocated his knee playing cricket, despite being warned that he should stick to less dangerous sports such as rugby.  Player-coach Jon Bower has been appointed captain and takes up the role with the full support of the club. 

Nevertheless, the objective of the season is to win promotion back to Surrey 1.  The 1st team missed out on this last year on points difference only, and are more determined than ever to return to the top flight.   

Saturday’s trial showed that there is no lack of ability in the playing squad this year, with a number of people performing strongly.  Scrum-half Sam Tomkins continued where he left off last year by directing the pack effectively, and offering outstanding service to the backs despite the wet, squally conditions.  

Outside Tomkins, there were notable contributions from Alex Shipp at centre, and Marcus Hodges on the wing, while new signing Simon Holt looked strong at full back. 

Up front, Richard Butterfield at Number 8 was exceptional as usual, supported well by Ben Telford returning from injury.  In the front row, new hooker Suneel Appan looked more than capable of deputising for Stainer, but it was Nicos Charalambous that stole the show.  The prop forward was devastating in the set-pieces, but it was in the loose where he looked more dangerous than an Australian stingray.  With a hat-trick in the match, he looks set for an impressive season. 

The second team squad demonstrated that a number of players will be challenging for first team jerseys this year.  Stephen Eshelby was immovable in the pack, whilst Chris Linsell made some incisive breaks from behind the scrum.  There is no shortage of pace in the backs either, with the Turk brothers Richard and James renowned for their speed. 

Next week, Old Freemen’s host Ellingham and Ringwood RFC, with a hog roast and party to kick off the 2006-07 campaign.

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2nd XV Reports

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16th September - Sutton & Epsom 4

by Jeremy Davies

Old Freemen's 50 Somewhat older Sutton And Epsom 5

Having heard that the fixture with Old Blues was not taking place and that we had leaned Sutton and Epsom were taking their place, there was some concern over which side we might be facing.

On arrival of their first players there was still some question as to what side they were and whether we needed to think of last wills and testaments or not, (at Mr Tribbicks suggestion - methinks he is a little too commercial at times), as the answer to our question as to "who are you?" (of course much more politely asked than at stadia around the country at that unpleasant game of soccer), was answered with the Extra B... After much head scratching and alphabetical gymnastics we decided they must be a fourth team.

On taking the pitch there was some comment that they were a bunch of old geezers and this would be easy. Personally I couldn't see that they were that old.... plenty of experience, but surely there's a place for that!

Once the game started it was clear that there was plenty of experience in the forwards (and quite a lot in the backs as well) but the forwards were not making the very welcome and much awaited return of Dom Smith particularly easy. Much of the ball that the OF's forwards won was spoilt by the wily (some say wizened) S+E forwards making the task of digging out the ball from under the feet of the second row  an interesting illustration for Dom about the difference between 1st and 2nd team games. However, his service was very welcome to the OF's "experienced" fly half.

Despite the fact that the OF's forwards were faster around the pitch and would clearly dominate eventually it is a pity that we cannot be a little more ruthless in the execution of our game strategy earlier at times. (Sorry, for the forwards - stop ******** about and get the ball out quickly and don't go running at the big old lumps - they wouldn't still be playing if they couldn't wrap the ball and player up for minutes at a time would they!)

The OFs backs, with the ball that they were getting, were making ground at every opportunity with a number of new combinations around the pitch. Notably Tom Ormerod was being a belligerently (look it up forwards) effective centre partnering Jon Wilson who I think found it a little different having another creative ball carrier partnering him in the seconds.

Then we had ... Oh Bejesus, I thought you were joking about the shirts... Connor on the wing combining effectively with that showboating, effusive runner Jimmy (don't let his mum call him that) Williams at full back. The working of this effective combination tended to be that Jimmy would carry the ball and Conner would follow him waiting for that magical moment when the pass arrived. Still waiting... Some might say that what goes around comes around Conner...

On the other wing we had Jeff Haywood, what more can anyone say about Jeff that hasn't already been said... Oh yes, this is a new one, he got some of the conversions this week.

You'll note that as a back I know all the creative players that were on the pitch. The other eight were also pretty good, but apart from that I'm not sure what they did..I'm sure you all did very well. (Paul, remember they may be old and slow but they've still got reasonable hearing) Of course Reecie and Grant Holmes had storming games - they are the ones who of course are always brilliant (and any other back row players reading this) and will therefore be happy to continue to help the fly half in the tackling of the big ugly lumps.. thanks guys..

Oh yes, by half time we were 12 - 5 up. A try by Tom Ormerod finished off an artfully created backs move orchestrated by the experience player at fly half and then Jimmy was put in the clear after another planned move with the young and sprightly fly half looping Tom Ormerod, taking the pass, dummying the cover, straightening up and then passing the ball inside to let Jimmy have the easy stroll over for the try. (The fact there was a good 35 metres to go had nothing to do with the generosity of the pass.. anyone that says any different obviously hasn't got enough experience in the game yet).

One final point on the first half, the even more experienced S+E fly half scored their try by weaving his way over the line beating up to 4 or 5 OF's tacklers on the way. Fortunately John Hess wasn't one of them who is still recovering from being sidestepped and beaten for pace by the same player in last year's fixture.. at least we were spared him losing his lunch from embarrassment this time.

Much conversation at half time was about making sure Dom got good early ball and that we stopped engaging their forwards in a wrestling match... which I am pleased to say was listened to. The tactic was put into good effect early in the second half which started off at a slightly increased pace, the S+E forwards were falling further behind the pace and better ball was starting to appear for the backs. Another planned move saw the fly half unselfishly put Jimmy away for his second try... this one from even further out and despite being in the clear Jimmy swayed towards the touch line for the score... It's a charming characteristic of the Williams play that ensures that the kicker is constantly being challenged, don't you just love his little ways of lightening up the intensity of the game.

At this point the new fangled idea of having substitutes available came into play and those on the bench started to come into play. Having softened up and thoroughly demoralised the opposition the significantly less experienced fly half (Sam Telfer) arrived on the scene and your correspondent lost all interest in the game.

Apparently quite a lot went on and because S+E were exhausted and had given up the ghost quite a lot of other tries were scored.. another one for Jimmy and Tom Ormerod, even Jeff got over (told you they were exhausted), a welcome debut try was also scored by Telfer Junior from the wing with a kick and chase, and even the "inexperienced" Sam Telfer got one. An interesting point to note that all of the scores were from the backs, which must be quite an unusual event in the 2nd's.

As S+E started to fall apart physically as well as mentally Jeff who had been substituted earlier rejoined in an S+E shirt, which gave everyone the opportunity to test the theory that that may be the best position for him.... Eventually another S+E went off and the oldest member of the OF team was able to join in with the Old Geezers debuting at scrum half. I think I probably put the fear of God into Dom at that point...

I would like to point out that after the penultimate try by OF's from the kick off and recovering the ball from the ensuing ruck a superb pass from scrum half to fly half for S+E was the only time that they were in the OF's 22, the fly half moved in on deftly to the centre who couldn't handle the contact and spilled the ball forward into the OF's hands, the ball was cleared up field and the chase ended with a try in the corner. Did I mention that Jeff was playing centre for S+E? That was it.. the "jolly" ref decided to call it a day a few minutes early.

I hope you all had a jolly good time against Old Amplefordians and the fact that after all of those marvellous contributions mentioned above (entirely in the interests of good reporting) were ignored and experience has at last been replaced by youth at fly half in the 2nds... What is the world coming to?

I'm not bitter...

I'm perfectly happy not having anything to do on a Saturday afternoon...

I didn't miss it at all....

[Only joking chaps... very pleased that there are so many players available. However, I think it should be a policy that the third team captain doesn't get a game in the 2nds.. it may encourage him to work harder at getting a team out on a Saturday.. there I go.. not being bitter again...]

Jem (SO much experience it's frightening) Davies

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3rd XV Reports

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17th February 07     v      Old Oundelians

by Mark Jennings

Old Oundelians    17      OFRFC 3rd XV    0

3rds run-out against a very young Old Oundelians side at Old Cranleighians.

We get changed and jump in our cars and play at Esher College.

With very little time to prepare, the game starts and it's obvious the O's
want to run everything, passing quickly through the backs and forwards. 
However not much ground is being made despite this and Freemen's cope pretty
well, the tackling being excellent.  I suspect their centres and fly half 
were a bit fed up facing Emerton because he put in some big hits which
probably hurt, being on the large side for a number 10!!.

Freemen's  began to get their hands on the ball and tried to keep it tight
making good ground, however O's were very good at getting their hands in and
spoiled our ball constantly.  We should have discouraged this with a bit
more use of the shoe.

Freemen's nearly scored a try in the corner with a excellent 20 yard dash by
George who pushed off numerous tacklers , but support couldn't get there
quick enough as he was tackled just short of the line.

Tremaine, coughing and spluttering, went off early as he was very snotty and
couldn't breathe, Miers moving to flanker from centre.  The rest of us were
breathing heavily keeping up with these young lads.

Half time score 0-0.

The game was very tight, Freemen's were more urgent in supporting the tackled
player and looked to be getting the upper hand but couldn't find a way
through.
Time was ticking away. Inside the last 15 minutes, O's finally got into Freemen's
22 and after numerous tackles and not looking like scoring a try, they
dropped a goal.

From the kick-off, Freemen's attacked but after getting themselves into some
good positions, O's pounced on a couple of mistakes in mid-field and scored a
couple of tries, both converted.  This was against the run of play.

With a couple of minutes left, Freemen's got a penalty 10 yards out after
desperate O's tackling and killing the ball. We tried a 4x4 move but mucked
it up, probably due to fatigue and good defence.

Final score 0-17.

Once again though, the 3rds put in a good effort and the score doesn't reflect
this.  Daryl played well in only his second game as a prop,  Grant Holmes
drove forward constantly and deserves a mention, also Jason Fox was aggressive
throughout, playing his first game as hooker.
The back line's defence was excellent and overall everyone played very well.

More next week hopefully because great progress is being made with a good
squad of players.

Thanks everyone!!

On weeks when there is no game, could we all please try and make an effort
to train on a Saturday for an hour before beer to improve fitness and
practice set plays, etc, which I suspect will pay dividends.

Team:  1 Knight  2 Fox  3 Adams  4 Jennings 5  George  6 Tremaine  7 Smith    8
Holmes  9 Burns       10  Emerton  11 Warren-Evans  12 Gibbs  13 Miers  14
Bailey  15 Parish  16 Crabtree 17 van Dort

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3rd February 07 v Old Caterhamians "Club XV".

by Mark Jennings / Richard Adams

"We woz Mugged!!!"    O. Caterhamians    38   OFRFC 3rd XV     7

Nice sunny day. 3rds due to play O. Cats' 3rds who hadn't won all season! Should be a good run-out! Well, not quite.......the Cats' 1st and 2nd team games were cancelled so we were to play a Club XV. There didn't seem to be many 3rd team members included!

Game starts and after no time at all Cats score with a mazy run past 3 defenders. Then shortly after, one of their players thinks shoe-ing heads is acceptable. A tough afternoon beckoned!!

However, Freemen's keep the ball moving, but keeping it tight and get a penalty 5 metres out. A series of 4x4 charges led by the heavy mob of Bill Smith, Farm and Ging (Steve Acton) result in Iain George barging over. Emerton converts.

The Cats really don't like being run at and moan all afternoon to the ref!! My recall of the scoring sequence for the rest of the game is not very good because it's all Cats, so I'm not too bothered!!

But this was a very positive effort from this Freemen's team! The line-outs worked well, and a number of the Cats' throws were stolen and the scrummage was well-contested. The kicking from hand of Emerton was outstanding and the backs tackled well throughout; Rhys Warren-Evans especially, when he tackled the attacker in goal, rolled him, then ripped away the ball to clear. The Cats' player couldn't quite believe he'd not scored.

Summing up, everyone from 1 to 15 showed great determination and effort, so let's hope momentum is continued, against sensible opposition and not a team full of ringers!!

Old Freemen’s: 1. Steve Acton, 2. Harry Jenkins, 3. Richard Adams (captain), 4. Bill Smith, 5. Andrew Barnard, 6. Dean Smith,    7. Mark Jennings, 8. Iain George, 9. James Burns, 10. Duncan Emerton, 11. D. Knight, 12. Nigel Miers, 13. Simon Gibbs, 14. Rhys Warren-Evans, 15. Simon Parish

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