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12th April 08 - Old
Freemen's 12 London Exiles 29 (League)
by Tom Innes
The end-of-term
frolics that are a characteristic of Old Freemen’s annual Easter
Tour seem to work against the quest for league points at the
climax of the season.
Although Freemen’s have twice
roused themselves for cup final wins in April in recent years,
league success has generally been elusive – just one league win
after Easter in seven attempts dating back to 2000.
It was therefore as well that,
just as promotion from Surrey Division Two was secured with a
game in hand 12 months ago, so the team had achieved safety from
the Surrey One relegation zone this season as long ago as March
1.
In the end it was a relatively
narrow escape with Old Amplefordians propping up the table on
nine points, and Cranleigh the other club set to be relegated: a
points difference of –103 saw them just behind Battersea
Ironsides (-81) and Old Caterhamians (-72), with all teams on 13
points. Freemen’s, with 14 points, finished sixth of the 10
teams.
Surrey One was especially
keenly-contested – although Kingston were beaten only twice and
secured the league title in March, the other clubs all appeared
capable of beating each other. All of Freemen’s seven league
wins were by 10 points or less, while seven of the 11 defeats
were by the same margin. Nevertheless to compete so gamely in
the tough climate of Surrey One the season after promotion was a
creditable achievement by the team under the enthusiastic
leadership of skipper Jon Hobbs and new coach Paul Hart.
London Exiles were the form team
in the league, unbeaten since early January and looking to take
third place in the division. Their efforts in the first half of
Saturday’s final league encounter appeared no better than par,
scoring only 10 points playing down the appreciable slope of the
‘B’ pitch at Ashtead Park. But the visitors gained the crucial
score just two minutes after the break, a converted try making
it 0-17 and effectively ending the contest.
Freemen’s did show more evidence
of their attacking prowess thereafter, but conceded a fourth try
on the hour before front-rowers Alex Moodie and Taymor Tabbah
got on the scoresheet to halve the 24-point deficit. Exiles had
the last word with a try shortly before the final whistle.
Having secured the Surrey
Conference Division Three title a fortnight earlier, Freemen’s 2nd
XV realised their aim of remaining unbeaten in the league by
virtue of a 21-7 victory away at Reigate and Redhill. Andy
Owens, Andy Catlin and Richard Bethell scored tries while
veteran fly-half Jem Davies kicked three conversions.
Old Freemen’s: Charalambous,
Tabbah, Moodie, Tyrrell, Fair, Daniels, Bird, Butterfield,
Barrett, Billane, Ormrod, Rouse, Turk, Haywood T, Williams.
Subs: Hobbs, Walstow, Acton T.
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28th
Mar 08 - Cranleigh 27 Old Freemen's 3 (League)
by Duncan
Billane and Jon Hobbs
Following another highly
successful Easter Tour, Freemen’s returned to league action with
an away trip to Cranleigh. Despite their lowly status in Surrey
1, Freemen’s knew that this would be a tough away test as
Cranleigh fought to get out of the relegation zone.
Despite the poor weather
conditions, Freemen’s started the match brightly using the
strength of their pack to make in-roads into Cranleigh’s
defence. With their pick and drive game working efficiently
Freemen’s momentum was halted illegally by the opposition
allowing Rouse to convert for the opening score.
As Freemen’s looked to build
on their early advantage the deteriorating weather conditions
made handling near impossible. Despite working their way in to
good field positions the ball was too often lost at the critical
time allowing Cranleigh to successfully clear their lines. A
Cranleigh penalty levelled the scores and a defensive lapse
allowed Cranleigh to score in the corner as the first half came
to a close. The missed conversion meant Freemen’s had everything
to play for as the teams changed ends.
In the
second half Freemen’s ran out of steam and could not match the
intensity or commitment of Cranleigh. Despite some stellar work
from the base of the scrum from man-of-the-match Richard
Butterfiled, all too often Freemen’s
forwards were caught without support and either penalised or
turned over. With the individual quality of the Freemen’s
players there is always a hope that they will break away and
score at any time, but in this match teamwork and determination
came out on top and Cranleigh were able to batter their Ashtead
foes into submission.
A further try midway through
the second half extended Cranleigh’s lead and with about 15
minutes remaining the floodgates opened. Defensive lapses
allowed some smart Cranleigh handling to break through seemingly
at will and two further tries were scored.
Whilst Freemen’s pride
stopped the game from becoming a rout the score line highlights
what a difficult league Surrey One is this season. On this
showing Craneligh do deserve to emerge from the relegation zone
but it does make you wonder what they’ve been doing for the rest
of the season.
Freemen’s on the other hand
need to take stock and regroup for their last league match of
the season, at home against London Exiles on 12th April. The
match might be seen as a “dead rubber” as neither team can be
promoted or relegated but the focus must now be on building for
next season.
Meanwhile, Old Freemen’s 2nd
XV were crowned champions of the Surrey Conference 3 Merit Table
after their 10-0 defeat of Cranleigh 2nd XV. This
was the latest in impressive performances that have marked their
season and the promotion is fully deserved.
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15th Mar 08 - Old
Freemen's 7 Kingston 25 (Surrey Shield Semi-Final)
by Tom Innes
Freemen’s crashed out of the Surrey Shield at Ashtead Park on
Saturday, sustaining their third defeat of the season, and
second in eight days, to Kingston.
With
their opponents heading to the London leagues after winning
Surrey One this year, and fielding a strong line-up, there was
no disgrace in the defeat for Freemen’s, although after two
Surrey Shield wins in successive years in 2005 and 2006, players
and supporters had the taste for a hat-trick.
Freemen’s competed gamely during the early stages of the semi
final tie, but the visitors’ pacy backline was waiting for the
slightest opportunity. This came with turnover ball from a
lineout after about quarter of an hour, with the ball spun wide,
a crucial missed tackle, and the game’s first try.
Kingston then scored a penalty, and seized control of the game
with another score around the half hour mark, the try again
featuring turnover ball, some silky back play and another missed
tackle.
Freemen’s did manage to make gains into their opponents half in
the closing minutes of the first period and shortly before the
break a try by Simon Daniels, converted by Olly Gotto, narrowed
the gap to 15-7 at the break.
Freemen’s needed the first score of the second half, but in
spite of some close shaves – Daniels and Andy Catling were both
held up over the line – it was Kingston who were able to raise
the siege and score a penalty and a converted try to make the
game safe.
Catling, playing his first game at fly-half for the 1st
XV, was the home team’s stand-out back, while prop Alex Moodie
was voted man-of-the-match by team-mates after a committed
display of ball-carrying and tackling. Evergreen lock Malcolm
Beech played the last 15 minutes as a replacement in spite of
having played a game only 18 hours previously for Combined
London Old Boys Vets against a touring Irish team.
Freemen’s attention for the remainder of the season will be to
win their two remaining league games to attain a solid mid-table
finish in Surrey One, while the 2nd XV, soundly
beaten 45-0 in a friendly by Old Caterhamians on Saturday, look
to cement the Surrey Conference Division Three title. Before
that, current and former players and their wives, girlfriends,
friends and children will head to Christchurch for the annual
Easter tour that is a highlight of the club’s year.
Freemen’s: Moodie, March, Charalambous, Beeson, Tyrrell,
Daniels, Barnett, Butterfield (C), Smith, Catling, Ormrod,
Norval, Turk, Gotto, Williams. Subs: Beech, Owens, Walstow,
Tabbah
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8th Mar 08 -
Kingston 17 Old Freemen's 13 (League)
by Spike
Hobbs
Old
Freemen’s failed to make it four wins out of four in this tense
away defeat against Kingston. Knowing also that Freemen’s have
to play the same team at home next weekend for a place in the
Surrey Shield Final, a few improvements could see the Ashtead
side contesting the Shield for the third time in four seasons.
With
the slight slope in the first half OF began by playing some of
the forceful, direct rugby they have been trying to perfect in
the past few weeks. When forced to defend against the large
Kingston pack and quick backs, they did so with gritty
determination.
In an
excellent passage of forward driving mid-way through the first
half, Kingston were penalised for being offside and Billane
slotted the place kick to put Freemen’s in the lead 3-0. Later
in the half, Freemen’s lost their influential second row Tom
Fair to a nasty cut on the chin which destabilised the scrum and
lineout somewhat. It was at this stage that the Freemen’s number
eight, Simon Daniels, came into his own – cleaning up from the
base of the scrum regularly and always making yards with the
ball in hand.
After
stringing a few decent phases of rugby together, Kingston were
able to score the first try of the afternoon to go 5-3 up.
Freemen’s turned round at half-time with everything to play
for.
Kingston brought on replacements to shore up their scrum and
after some concerted pressure in the Freemen’s half, they drove
the ball a full 30 metres over the Freemen’s line for a classic
forward try. However, Freemen’s didn’t allow Kingston to settle
with a pick and go try from Alex Moodie which went unconverted.
Kingston scored again late in the second half after an excellent
pick up from the base of a scrum committed all the OF blindside
defence which allowed a Kingston back to breeze through to
score. At 17-8 up Kingston could have cantered away but straight
from the kick-off Freemen’s wing John Ormrod picked up a
bobbling ball and raced round the Kingston cover to bring OF
back within one score with two minutes left to play.
Unfortunately Freemen’s were unable to carve any further scoring
opportunities and the match ended 17-13 in Kingston’s favour.
It is
evident why Kingston have been able to maintain their lofty
position in the league, they are very well drilled and there are
no obvious weaknesses from one to fifteen. They have a very
strong pack, good athletes in their back row, powerful centres
and a quick back three. The fact that Freemen’s were a match for
them in every position is enough to believe that next season
could see them challenging for the top honours.
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1st Mar 08 -
Old Amplefordians 25 Old Freemen's 27 (League)
by Roger
Seymour
Another nail-biter was served
up by Old Freemen’s as they hung on for a two point victory at
Old Amplefordians in a game of three distinct parts.
Freemen’s were driven by an
uncompromising performance from Chas March, back in his favoured
number 6 shirt after weeks in the darkness of the front-row.
Scrum-half Dominic Smith was also a key influence in an
important League win.
Attacking at will from the
start, Freemen’s used the power of the pack and the skill of
fly-half Duncan Billane to launch raids from all over the pitch.
The attentive Smith opened the scoring with a stunning solo
darting run from halfway and he just kept on going through
tackles for a try. Skipper Richard Butterfield steamed over from
40 metres and Nicos Charalambous then created space for fellow
prop Alex Moodie whose skilled hands put Jimmy Williams away for
the third try that Jon Ormrod converted.
17-0 ahead within the half
hour and Freemen’s were cruising, preparing for their evening
riverboat party. They then ran aground badly as the home side
began a comeback with a converted try and penalty before half
time.
Amplefordians continued in
the second half with two well-worked tries and a penalty, taking
them into the final quarter with an 8 point lead. Freemen’s
struggled to regain some composure under this onslaught but the
hard graft of their forwards drove Tim Barnett over for a try to
restore some shape, although still trailing 22 – 25.
The home side’s response was
to exert more pressure from deep, but Freemen’s enigmatic Jon
Ormrod set off on a speculative cross-field run from his own 22,
backed himself against the defence and slipped through the gears
as he straightened and sprinted upfield. Two defenders were
closing him down but in vain as both missed their target and he
dived triumphantly into the corner for the winning try.
Freemen’s survived an
interminable final five minutes with the shaken home side
desperately seeking to regain the lead, a Simon Daniels
interception proving crucial. Only one successful kick at goal
from eight attempts by Freemen’s added to the overall tension.
At Old Rutlishians, Freemen’s
2nd XV maintained their lead of the Merit Table
Conference 3 with an 8-3 win. Nick Hutt scored a try and Jem
Davies a penalty.
This Saturday, Freemen’s
travel for the first of two consecutive fixtures against
Kingston. In this week’s League fixture, leaders Kingston seek
to secure the Surrey 1 title while Freemen’s seek to ensure an
upper table position. Kingston will then visit Ashtead Park for
the Surrey Shield semi-final on 15th March.
Freemen’s: Williams, Ormrod, Norval (Gotto), Turk, Hess,
Billane, Smith; Charalambous, Stainer (Daniels), Moodie,
Tyrrell, Fair, March, Barnett, Butterfield (c). Sub not used:
Walstow.
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23rd Feb 08 -
Chipstead 10 Old Freemen's 16 (Surrey Shield
Quarter-Final)
by Roger
Seymour
Freemen’s did just enough to
win through to the Surrey Shield semi-finals with a sound but
edgy display against a determined Chipstead.
From the whistle, Freemen’s
launched a wave of attacks against the home side from Surrey 2.
A rampant Chas March had a try disallowed for a forward pass but
from the next play, Richard Butterfield blasted towards the
tryline, found Simon Daniels at his shoulder who cleverly
released the ball for Tom Fair to round off with a try.
The visitors kept up the
pressure on Chipstead’s well-organised defence, but only added a
Jon Hobbs penalty. Moving wide to use good possession to try to
extend their lead, a drifted Freemen’s pass was intercepted on
the 22 and the Chipstead back covered the length of the pitch
with a pace that even Freemen’s speedy wingers were unable to
match.
Rob Tyrrell then made his
presence felt as he blasted aside attempted tacklers and
presented Butterfield with a scoring pass. In attempting the
conversion, skipper Jon Hobbs collapsed with a strained leg to
be replaced by Richard Turk who proceeded to do a fine job in
defence and attack.
Freemen’s had dominated the
play in the first half but it was not translated to the
scoreboard as they reached half-time only 13-7 ahead.
The tricky sloping pitch
played havoc with Freemen’s attempts to find touch and they
were forced to defend for long periods of the second half,
despite Jimmy Williams inventive play from full-back. Tension
grew amongst the Old Boys’ large band of supporters when a
penalty brought Chipstead to within 3 points. The reassuring
sight of Jon Stainer returning to first team action raised
spirits and there was some added relief when Duncan Billane
found the target with a penalty five minutes from the end. The
final play of a gritty match saw Chipstead securing a penalty
line-out on Freemen’s line but the ball went loose and Freemen’s
breathed again.
The semi-final draw takes
place this week with the game currently scheduled for 15th
March.
Next Saturday Freemen’s
firsts travel for league action at Old Amplefordians and Jon
Reece’s seconds strive to maintain their Merit Table lead
against Old Rutlishians.
Freemen’s: Williams, Ormrod, Norval, Hobbs (capt) (Turk), Gotto,
Billane, Smith (Barrett); Charalambous, March, Walstow, Tyrrell,
Fair, Daniels (Stainer), Barnett, Butterfield. Sub not used:
Pepper
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16th Feb 08 - Old Caterhamians
26 Old Freemen's 36 (Surrey Shield 3rd Round / League)
by Tom Innes
Unveiling a brand of attacking rugby that they
have hinted at but delivered only sporadically in the season to
date, Old Freemen’s blitzed to victory on Saturday.
The encounter against Old Caterhamians was a
double triumph, as fixture congestion had meant the Surrey
Division One league encounter was also a Surrey Shield match.
After some good opening drives by the
Freemen’s pack it was the Cats’ backs who broke the deadlock as
some pacy running and handling, allied to poor defence, left
them 12 points ahead after as many minutes. It was to Freemen’s
credit that they stemmed the tide, scored a try of their own
through James Williams from Rob Tyrell’s flipped pass, and ended
the half in arrears by ‘only’ 20-7.
Needing to translate the advantage of the
sloping pitch into early second half points, Freemen’s took only
two minutes to strike, when Jon Ormrod’s fine break down the
left culminated in Richard Butterfield burrowing over. The good
work was partially undone when Cats converted an easy penalty
chance awarded for back-chat (23-12).
But Freemen’s pegged the home team back in
their half and tries began to flow: Ormrod shot through to touch
down in the 51st minute and skipper Jon Hobbs latched onto
Duncan Billane’s chip and raced to the line 10 minutes later.
Then scrum half Dom Smith spotted a half-gap next to a maul and
raced through like Matt Dawson on England’s famous night in
Sydney, the only difference being that Smith went all the way.
To the delight of the small bunch of visiting
supporters, Freemen’s cemented victory with their sixth, and
arguably finest try, after 78 minutes with replacement lock Tom
Fair rounding off a dazzling move with the scoring pass to
Billane.
Cats, who had managed just one further penalty
amid the whirl of tries, finished 10 points adrift and
shell-shocked by the second-half reverse, which left them out of
the cup and a point behind Freemen’s in the still-congested
league table.
Freemen’s 2nd XV notched a 15-5 success over
Raynes Park to make it nine straight wins in the JONAP Surrey
Conference Division 3.
This weekend Freemen’s, sponsored by Volkspeed
Engineering, travel to Chipstead for the Incentive FM Surrey
Shield quarter final, starting at 2.15pm. A club XV will visit
Old Walcountians.
Old Freemen’s: Charalambous (Moodie), March,
Walstow, Tyrrell, Beech (Fair), Daniels, Barnett, Butterfield,
Smith, Billane, Ormrod, Hobbs (c), Norval, Hess, Williams. Sub:
Haywood.
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9th Feb 08 - Old Freemen's 14
Battersea Ironsides 16 (League)
by Tom Innes
Freemen’s supporters were aghast to see their
team give a convincing impression of England in the Six Nations
opener against Wales. They started the Surrey Division One game
strongly and looked comfortable after 50 minutes, only to be
pegged back and lose their lead, and the game.
Freemen’s pack began impressively, as they had
left off the previous week, and the visitors seemed to have
little in response other than their fly half’s booming clearance
kicks.
Anthony Rouse’s 18th-minute penalty was the
only score until a burst of activity just before the break.
Freemen’s stretched their lead to 11 points
through another Rouse penalty and Jon Ormrod’s try when a
mis-hit kick gave him room to dash 35 metres to the line.
Battersea hit back with a penalty of their own and were pressing
for a try when a knock-on close to the line triggered the
half-time whistle with the score 11-3.
The turning point of the game came 10 minutes
into the second period, and as with England/Wales, the home
team’s full-back made a key error. As yet another Battersea kick
arrowed towards touch, Rouse essayed a volleyball-style overhead
tap to keep it in play. He succeeded in doing this, only for the
ball to drop to an opponent who hacked on 30 metres, and scored
a try which was converted (11-10).
The visitors self-belief grew massively, and
although Rouse made partial amends with a penalty to make it
14-10 he had further trouble with a kick-through leading to a
penalty for the visitors, who struck again soon afterwards to
take the lead for the first time.
Freemen’s regrouped and gained the territory
they required to win the match. As injury time commenced a
series of forward drives took the ball agonisingly close before
fly half Duncan Billane called for the ball. Sadly for the home
team and fans his drop-kick was scuffed and the siege was
lifted.
This weekend Freemen’s travel to play Old
Caterhamians in a ‘double-header’ game that is both a league
game, between two teams just a point apart in the table, and a
Surrey Shield last 16 encounter, starting at 2pm. The 2nd XV,
beaten 35-0 in a friendly by Hammersmith & Fulham last weekend,
are home to Raynes Park at 2.30pm.
Freemen’s: Walstow, March, Charalambous,
Tyrrell, Beech, Daniels, Barnett, Butterfield, Smith, Billane,
Ormrod, Hobbs, Turk, Barrett, Rouse. Subs: Moodie, Gotto,
Tabbah.
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2nd Feb 08 - Old Freemen's 23
Old Whitgiftians 14 (League)
by Tom Innes
Freemen’s completed a league double over their
old rivals with this well-deserved victory at Ashtead Park. Two
precious league points were the result, leaving the winners
sixth of the 10 teams in Surrey’s competitive Division One
league table.
Freemen’s looked to establish themselves early
on in the game, both through the power of the pack and the
attacking thrust from the backs. Barely five minutes had passed
when skipper Jon Hobbs took advantage of the damage caused to
the Whitgiftian defence by successive driving phases by the
pack. Hobbs fired a flat pass to winger Jon Hess, whose dummy
inside began almost before he caught the ball, wrong-footing his
opposite number and setting up a 30-metre dash to the line.
Eager to consolidate their third place in the
league, and avenge the 19-15 reverse to Freemen’s in Croydon
last November, Whits hit back in the 12th minute. A midfield
scissors move led to big gains down the right, and when the ball
was spun left skipper James Schad found himself opposed by
Freemen’s prop Alex Moodie and comfortably evaded the tackle to
score The conversion gave the visitors a 7-5 lead.
The Freemen’s pack increased their dominance
as the match developed, driving powerfully around the fringes
and earning several penalties. Lock Rob Tyrrell was the
stand-out forward, but his seven colleagues lost little in
comparison. One good chance was spurned by Hobbs when his kick
to the corner went the wrong side of the goal line, although the
Whitgift response was to fire a long 22 drop-out straight into
touch and hand back the initiative. Shortly afterwards Jimmy
Williams showed great pace in a thrust from full-back, but
failed to gather his kick ahead.
The hard work of the Freemen’s pack was
translated into points five minutes before the break with a
textbook series of drives which began about 30 metres from the
try-line. Each ball-carrier made ground and was immediately
supported by his team-mates to ensure continuity. By the time
the ball was within five-metre range Whitgiftians had
moreorlesss run out of numbers to repel the drive, and flanker
Simon Daniels, showing great strength, barrelled over. Hobbs’
conversion made the score 12-7 at the break.
Early second-pressure saw the Whitgift
fly-half ‘sacked’ by the Freemen’s back row, resulting in a
penalty chance for Hobbs which went narrowly wide. But another
forward drive, with Tyrrell again to the fore, earned a similar
chance which Hobbs slotted (15-7).
Replacement wing Jon Ormrod made his presence
felt soon after replacing Richard Turk with a searing diagonal
burst and soon after the hour mark it was Hess on the other wing
who provided another good finish in the corner (20-7).
If there was a disappointment for Freemen’s it
was the fact that they allowed Whitgiftians to work their way
back into the game, a converted try making the score 20-14 with
just over 10 minutes left and causing some anxious moments for
Freemen’s players and spectators alike. But the visitors
subsequent attempts were repelled, with a fine defensive effort
led by the back row and centre Anthony Rouse and Reyno Norval.
Freemen’s then worked their way upfield to earn another penalty
which Hobbs slotted to guarantee the win.
After several comfortable victories in their
Merit Table league, Freemen’s 2nd XV had to resort to something
altogether uglier and grittier with a 13-6 win over Merton.
This weekend the 2nd team go to Old
Amplefordians while Freemen’s 1sts entertain Battersea
Ironsides, who currently lie ninth in the table but are just
three points behind Freemen’s.
Old Freemen’s: Charalambous, March, Moodie,
Beech, Tyrrell, Daniels, Shipp, Butterfield, Smith, Hobbs, Turk,
Rouse, Norval, Hess, Williams. Subs (all used): Hodges,
Mitchell, Ormrod.
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26th Jan 08 - Old Alleynian
25 Old Freemen's 10 (League)
by Roger Seymour
Freemen’s spirited showing in defeat at
second-placed Old Alleynian on Saturday left them pondering what
might have been if hard-won penalties had been converted. With a
15-point deficit, the missed kicks at goal could have swung the
balance.
A journey to Dulwich is always a challenge and
when Alleynian scythed through untouched for an opening try
after only three minutes, it looked like it might become a
nightmare. Freemen’s immediately bounced back into attack. Quick
ball at a scrum on the 22 was whipped out on the short-side by
Dom Smith to skipper Jon Hobbs who unleashed Jimmy Williams with
a deft scoring pass.
Throughout the game, Hobbs led his line with
some decisive tackling but the admirably clear referee soon
caught Freemen’s backs off-side and Alleynian took the penalty
points to regain the lead.
Watched by their Coach, international Nick
Easter, Alleynian’s line-out produced a good supply of ball for
their backs, notably their influential inside centre, but
Freemen’s defended well and created chances themselves, notably
the penalty awards.
Flanker Simon Daniels enhanced a growing
reputation alongside Richard Butterfield and Alex Shipp, and
Chas March and Malcolm Beech foraged tirelessly. Prop Lee
Walstow saved a certain try with a tap-tackle just before
half-time but Alleynian recycled and used the full width of the
pitch to score on the left wing, making it 5 –13 at the break.
The third quarter saw Alleynian turn the screw
as Freemen’s battled to keep them at bay, but they were unable
to prevent two further tries. It looked bleak for the visitors
into the final quarter when they lost their ballast as both Rob
Tyrrell and Nicos Charalambous were injured. This served to add
to Freemen’s determination as they rallied and produced twenty
minutes of dominance during which Alex Moodie crashed over for a
try.
The upbeat finishing display, despite the
10-25 score, gave sufficient positive signs ahead of this
Saturday’s rearranged League game at home to Old Whitgiftian.
Freemen’s: Williams, Ormrod (Hess), Norval,
Hobbs (capt), Turk, Billane, Smith; Moodie (Charalambous),
March, Walstow, Tyrrell (Barnett), Beech, Daniels, Shipp,
Butterfield.
Freemen’s thirds met Old Cranleighans Vets XV
and, despite shipping 29 first half points, produced a drawn
second-half, final score 5 – 34, try scorer Mike von Speyr.
This weekend, Freemen’s table-topping second
XV hope to get back into action for the first time in four weeks
due to previous cancellations.
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19th Jan 08 - Postponed v Old
Whitgiftians (League)
by Tom Innes
Unlike televised professional rugby, which
seems to take place in moreorless any weather, amateur clubs are
obliged to heed the word of their groundsman before taking to
the field.
Thus it was that for the second consecutive
Saturday Old Freemen’s 1st XV fixture at Ashtead Park was
cancelled. The day itself dawned dry, but the damage had been
done by heavy rain earlier in the week and following liaison
between OFRFC president Bill Deighton and City of London
Freemen’s School head of PE – W.T. Deighton – on Friday morning
the decision was taken.
In the absence of any action on the pitch
players and supporters enjoyed a beer festival and buffet lunch
at the clubhouse, superbly organised by Mike Bailey and Irene
Gummer respectively. And there was a chance to watch the pros
splashing about in the mud in Heineken Cup action from Reading,
Leicester and Limerick.
While no-one can account for the weather, and
churning up pitches with half the season still to come would be
regrettable, the twin cancellations leave something of a fixture
log-jam for the Ashtead Park outfit.
With 12 weekends up to and including the final
designated day of the season on April 12, Freemen’s have eight
league games and a possible four cup encounters left in the
season. Subject to consultation with the powers that be, this is
likely to mean a double-header weekend at the start of February,
with the rearranged league encounter against Old Whitgiftians
taking place on Saturday February 2, and the Surrey Shield match
against Old Caterhamians 24 hours later, both at Ashtead Park.
Extra substitutes – up to a maximum of seven – are permitted for
the second game, but nevertheless playing resources will be
stretched.
Before then Freemen’s 1sts are scheduled to
resume action in Surrey Division One with a trip to
second-placed Old Alleynians this Saturday, starting at 2.15pm.
The 2nd XV are at home to Old Cranleighans in a Merit Table
game, while the 3rds are also scheduled for a home outing.
In the two games to survive the weather in
Surrey One this weekend, Caterhamians beat bottom-placed
Cranleigh 18-15 while London Exiles pipped Battersea Ironsides
6-3. Freemen’s remain seventh in the table, three points above
Cranleigh but also just three points behind third-placed
Whitgiftians.
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5th Jan 08 - Croydon 8
Old Freemen's 3 (League)
by Tom Innes
Another year, another tight victory margin in
a Surrey One league game involving Old Freemen’s. Determined,
but lacking self-discipline and largely toothless in attack, the
Old Boys had to concede the two points to their hosts.
Freemen’s were forced to reshuffle their squad
close to kick-off when skipper Jon Hobbs was delayed on his
return from a skiing holiday, arriving at the ground only
minutes before kick-off and dropping to the bench as a result.
Stand-in fly half Reyno Norval had the chance
of three early points, but no kicking tee was to hand and the
penalty from 25 metres went wide. Before too long Freemen’s were
forced onto the back foot as Croydon drove forward, using the
wind at their backs with some searching kicks.
During one attack Freemen’s seemed to have
their opponents measure until a member of the Croydon backline
embarked on a burst towards the line that took him through
several tackles for a try that went unconverted.
The spectre of back-chat to the referee reared
its head several times, mainly from Freemen’s, and continued
even when the referee made it clear he would punish the offence.
Veteran forward Chas March lambasted his colleagues for not
holding their tongues, but a further offence saw a penalty moved
forward 10 metres and easily converted to put the hosts 8-0 up.
The closing stages of the first half saw the
hosts press forward for a crucial third score, but Freemen’s
rearguard was impressive as a series of driving mauls –
Croydon’s use of their threequarters was rare – were repelled,
and eventually Norval raised the siege with a crucial turnover.
There were grounds for optimism at the break,
especially as Freemen’s had the wind at their backs to aid the
booming, if underused, tactical kicking of full back Anthony
Rouse. Hobbs entered the fray after an injury to Norval and Jon
Bird replaced Simon Daniels in the back row.
The first kickable penalty chance for
Freemen’s was spurned in favour of a quick-tap that narrowly
failed to bear fruit, but the next chance was slotted by Hobbs
to make it 8-3 after 52 minutes. A further attempt from longer
range a few minutes later seemed well-struck but fell just
short.
Tempers became heated in the second half,
notably when a Croydon forward took exception to a display of
the ‘dark arts’ of back-row display by Bird on the floor of a
ruck and put the boot in, sparking a flair-up and earning
himself 10 minutes in the sin-bin.
Freemen’s endeavoured to press home the
advantage of their extra man, but failed to sustain any of their
attacking drives, with the home team equal to everything that
was thrown at them, even if they rarely looked like adding
further points of their own.
A penalty close to the halfway line with just
a couple of minutes left on the clock seemed to offer the chance
of a lifeline via a kick to the corner and an attacking lineout,
but this chance was rejected in favour of another fruitless
tap-and-go, and soon afterwards the final whistle was blown.
With some impressive defence, a few key
absentees and the misfortune of the skipper’s delayed flight,
the result was far from a disaster for Freemen’s but served
notice of the improvement required before the next league
fixture at home to Old Whitgiftians on Saturday week.
Old Freemen’s slipped to seventh in the
league, with eight points, one behind four rival teams in a
division where every team, with the exception of clear leaders
Kingston, seem capable of beating any other.
Following the postponement of the Merit Table
game against Old Blues, Freemen’s 2nd XV destroyed their
counterparts Mitcham by 60-5, with the world, and his wife,
among the try-scorers, while there was a result to cherish for
the 3rd XV and hard-working skipper Richard Adams, whose merry
men beat Old Hamptonians 22-5.
This weekend sees three home games scheduled
at Ashtead Park, with the 1st XV entertaining Old Caterhamians
in a Surrey Shield third round tie. With extra time a
possibility the cup game will start at 1.30pm, while the 2nd and
3rd XVs go into battle at a more conventional 2.15pm.
Old Freemen’s: Walstow, March, Moodie,
Tyrrell, Fair, Daniels (Bird), Barnett (Shipp), Butterfield,
Ormrod, Norval (Hobbs), Bambrick, Catling, Reece, Hess, Rouse.
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15th Dec 07 - Old Freemen's
13 Cranleigh 5 (League)
by Tom Innes
Two precious league points was the Christmas
gift both teams wanted, and Old Freemen’s were the team
unwrapping their present after a game that was more entertaining
than the scoreline might suggest.
The temperature at Ashtead Park was such that
it was unclear whether spectators were shouting “Old Free’s” or
“cold freeze” at some points. At least there eventually were
some spectators present – at kick-off the 36 players comfortably
outnumbered those watching, but a decent contingent was in place
by half-time.
The latecomers missed a superb try from the
home team after just six minutes. A hesitant Cranleigh defence
allowed Dugald Loughnan’s chip ahead to bounce, and first to
seize the loose ball was Freemen’s Tom Fair, who charged forward
and took the ball into contact with real purpose. Fair’s second
row partner Rob Tyrrell played a key role in the swift recycling
of the ball, picking it off his shoelaces and feeding it left
where Reyno Norval gave the scoring pass to winger John Ormrod
(5-0).
Cranleigh, bottom of Surrey Division One prior
to kick-off, replied with some concerted pressure, but Freemen’s
defence was made of sterner stuff than in previous weeks –
tackles were made, lineouts close to their goal line were safely
won and touch kicks were landed. A kick-and-chase was as close
as the visitors came, but Marcus Hodges was first to touch down
the loose ball.
The closest Freemen’s came to adding to their
lead was when Tyrrell rampaged forwards from a lineout, and
Norval and Chas March went close, but the danger was cleared.
A tight call against Freemen’s for not
releasing the ball gave Cranleigh the chance to get on the
scoreboard five minutes after the break, but the visiting place
kicker, displaying a style even more eccentric than Jonny
Wilkinson, struck the left-hand upright from 30 metres.
Reyno Norval then had two penalty attempts for
Freemen’s – for the first he used a sand wedge when an
eight-iron was required, and the ball fell short, but the second
was safely landed to make it 8-0.
Both teams continued to play attacking rugby.
One fine dummy from fly-half Jon Hobbs split open the Cranleigh
defence, but Fair couldn’t hold on to the pass or a try would
have resulted.
Cranleigh were also looking to spread the ball
wide, but in the end this was their undoing – a flat, looping
pass across the midfield was picked off by Ormrod, who juggled
the interception and then hared 50 metres to the line (13-0).
Freemen’s tight defensive effort looked like
it might result in a creditable clean sheet, but the one blip
came after 70 minutes when Hobbs’ clearance was charged down,
and a member of the Cranleigh pack followed through to score.
A successful conversion could have narrowed
the gap to six points, but the kick went wide, and Freemen’s
were able to finish the game in relative comfort, especially
when the referee called a halt to proceedings after 38 minutes
of the second half.
The game was a farewell appearance for Dugald
Loughnan, whose 12 month placement at the City of London
Freemen’s School ends this month and will be returning to his
native Australia. During the post-match send-off, his colleagues
discovered that his tenacious tackling was in inverse proportion
to his ability to down a yard of ale!
The win sees Freemen’s, sponsored by Volkspeed
Engineering, head into the Christmas break in fifth place in
Surrey Division One, with eight points, although three teams are
just a point behind in a table that remains extremely tight.
Several more wins will be necessary in the New Year to ensure
the club’s league status is retained.
Old Freemen’s: Charalambous, March, Walstow
(Moodie), Fair, Tyrrell, Daniels, Shipp, Butterfield, Smith,
Hobbs (c), Hodges, Catling, Norval, Ormrod, Loughnan. Subs:
Barnett, Bambrick.
The Freemen’s 2nd XV stayed top in their merit
table challenge thanks to a 27-10 away victory at Cranleigh.
Reece and Hutt both grabbed a brace of tries, Tom McKee scored a
fifth and Jem Davies added a conversion. Meanwhile the 3rd XV
battled bravely against youthful opponents from Old Reigatians
but eventually lost 32-0.
This Saturday the club’s sprightly youths will
pit their wits against the grizzled veterans in the annual Under
25 versus Over 25 fixture. Kick-off at Ashtead Park is at 2pm.
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1st Dec 07 - London Exiles
22 Old Freemen's 7 (League)
by Tom Innes
South-west London in December could never be
confused with the South Pacific, but Old Freemen’s struggled to
cope with the Fijian-style flair of their hosts London Exiles.
Struggling to compete at the scrummage, Exiles
relied on some bold attacking moves and Freemen’s played into
their hands with some loose kicking from hand and poor tackling.
The first score came from a scrum in the
exiles half that the Freemen pack were shunting backwards. But
the number eight managed to extricate the ball and inspired a
60-meter move that ended with a try, and conversion (7-0).
About halfway through the first half the home
team struck again and took the score to 12-0 with another try,
with a third touchdown threatening to take the game away from
the visitors (17-0).
Freemen’s had managed some isolated moments of
attacking flair and it was from one such move, inspired by
winger Marcus Hodges, that Richard Butterfield snaffled the ball
from an Exiles lineout and used his strength to power over. Tom
McKee’s conversion made it 17-7 and gave hope for the visitors
with half time approaching. But in fact by the break Exiles had
stretched their lead back to 15 points with the last move of the
half, a quick tap penalty resulting in a score in the left-hand
corner – a real blow to Freemen’s ambitions.
The second half was an even affair, but
Freemen’s needed an early try in order to get back into the
game, but were unable to achieve this. Exiles had some moments
of their own but found a more determined defensive effort by
Freemen’s standing between them and further points.
Once the match past the hour mark it began to
lose shape – Freemen’s knew that the three scores required
weren’t going to arrive, and Exiles were happy to coast to an
easy victory, their third of the campaign, after a scoreless
second period.
Surrey Division One remains the tightest
league in the entire London & South-East pyramid. Kingston head
it with a maximum 16 points, Old Alleynians have 12, but then
the remaining eight teams all have between 9 and 5 points, with
Freemen’s, who have 6 points, knowing a home win against
Cranleigh on December 15 is a must.
Old Freemen’s: Walstow (Moodie), Acton
(Walstow), Charalambous, Fair (Loughnan), Tyrrell, Shipp
(Daniels), Barnett, Butterfield, Smith, Hobbs, Hodges, Bambrick,
Billane, Ormrod, Mckee.
Freemen’s 2nd XV steam-rollered their
counterparts from Reigate by 41-0 at Ashtead Park. Chas March
and Marcus Bolton scored two tries each, with others from Rhys
Warren-Evans, Mark Mitchell and Jem Davies. Davies also notched
three conversions.
This weekend both the 1st and 2nd teams are
due to play Old Paulines at home, with a 3rd XV fixture also
planned. Confirmation of this will be available on
www.oldfreemens.co.uk
on Friday.
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24th Nov 07 - Old Freemen's
20 Croydon 10 (League)
by James Hutchison
Old Freemen’s secured another important
victory at Ashtead Park on Saturday, launching them up the
Surrey 1 league table further away from the danger of relegation
- the 20-10 win sees the team move to 5th place in the county’s
top flight.
The performance also demonstrated some of the
potential of this young side that has continued to improve
through the first half of the season. Captain Jon Hobbs is
looking to play a more expansive style of rugby, and the way he
marshalled the back line to play with pace and direction
suggests they are making progress towards this goal.
Nevertheless, the foundations on which the
club’s recent success has been built continued to look solid,
with the Freemen’s forwards holding their own against a strong
Croydon pack. The Away side was looking to play a tight game,
using their effective rolling maul to rumble forwards, and this
led to their first try as they crashed over from close range
midway through the first half.
The Freemen’s pack, spearheaded by the
sensational back row of Alex Shipp, Tim Barnett and Richard
Butterfield rose to the challenge and tirelessly defended the
narrow channels, looking for turnover ball. Much of the first
half was played in the centre of the field, with neither set of
forwards able to convincingly gain the upper hand, and 5-0 was
the half-time score.
After the break, Freemen’s class began to
show, and they started to dominate territory and possession,
allowing the centre partnership of Reyno Norval and Duncan
Billane to play with more width and time on the ball. The backs
began to run with more and more pace in attack, and a few line
breaks and deft offloads, notably from Norval, put the
opposition on the back foot.
Early in the half, the pressure began to tell
when Butterfield capitalised on a mistake at a Croydon lineout
deep in their half, and accelerated through the bemused defence
to level the scores. With the crowd now on their toes, another
scintillating backs move shortly afterwards saw the prolific try
machine, Marcus Hodges, put into space and he didn’t need a
second invitation to finish in the corner. If Stuart Dickinson
had been on hand, the television official may have been called
upon, but the referee judged that his foot had not touched the
line and the try was awarded.
The third try came from a thrilling break
through midfield by Hobbs who skillfully offloaded to Norval who
carried another 15 yards. As the move looked like it was
ending, Butterfield pounced again, ripping the ball away and he
was bundled over under the posts by Shipp and Tom Fair who were
always close in support.
Although Croydon scored a try of their own,
Tom Mckee put the game out of reach with a penalty to secure the
vital league points and round off an accomplished display that
saw Freemen’s demonstrate both their power in the forwards and
their growing ambitions out wide.
Next week, Freemen’s travel to Barnes to face
London Exiles who currently sit two points behind them in the
league.
Old Freemen’s 1st XV: Walstow, Acton,
Charalambous, Fair, Tyrrell, Shipp, Barnett, Butterfield, Smith,
Hobbs, Hodges, Norval, Billane, Ormrod, Mckee. Subs: Moodie,
Crane, Bambrick
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17th Nov 07 - Old Freemen's
13 East Dorset 16 (EDF Energy National Junior Vase 4th
Rnd)
by Tom Innes
After being comprehensively out-sung by their
opponents during the post-match festivities, Freemen’s could
reflect that the contest on the pitch had at least been a close
one.
The defeat in the fourth round of EDF Energy
National Junior Vase ended the distant – but not impossible,
just ask Dorking – dream of a Twickenham final next April, and
left Old Frees to concentrate on league matters.
If league form had carried into the cup then a
repeat of the solid performance against Whitgiftians the week
before would have been too much for East Dorset. But the
visitors, renamed (from Old Portcastrians) and revitalised since
receiving a hiding from Freemen’s on Easter Tour six years ago,
were determined and focussed, and eventually took their place in
round five by a single kick.
The contest lacked shape in the early stages
and the first notable incident broke the deadlock after 12
minutes, when the visiting fly half sold a silky dummy and
cantered to the line, the conversion making it 0-7.
East Dorset looked the most likely to score
next, enjoying the lions’ share of possession for most of the
rest of the first half. But with two claims for tries being
ruled as ‘held up’ by the referee, all they had to show for it
was the full back’s well-struck penalty (0-10).
Freemen’s had played error-ridden rugby up to
this point, with the pack failing to exert much control, but on
36 minutes they fashioned a superb try. Skipper Jon Hobbs’ flat
pass to Ollie Bambrick saw the centre tear through the visitors’
midfield, crossing half-way and eventually the 22 metre line
before being hauled down. But he was able to find scrum half Jon
Ormrod, also travelling at express speed, and the try was scored
under the posts, and converted, to make it 7-10 at the break.
Two changes to the pack, and perhaps the first
signs of tiredness from the visitors, saw Freemen’s gain greater
control early in the second half, and full back Tom McKee
levelled the scores with an excellent 35-metre drop goal after
fielding a loose kick.
Although two sorties into the Freemen’s half
earned penalty chances for the visitors, both kicks were missed
and the home team looked most likely to score. Replacement prop
Nicos Charalambous came close after a powerful run, and when the
referee ruled offside McKee gave Freemen’s the lead for the
first time (13-10).
Closing out the game was Freemen’s aim for the
last quarter, and the entry of Chas March into the fray was
warmly received from the touchline. But the hosts were beginning
to give away penalties with increasing frequency, meaning
valuable territory was conceded. This enabled East Dorset to
notch a drop goal to level the scores, and a penalty with about
five minutes remaining to regain the lead.
Freemen’s attempted to get back into the game
in the dying moments, and McKee had a drop goal attempt that
went narrowly wide and could have forced the game into extra
time. But East Dorset held on and celebrated with gusto during a
beery post-match session.
Old Freemen’s: Walstow, Acton, Telford
(Charalambous), Tyrrell, Beech, Shipp (Fair), Barnett (March),
Butterfield, Ormrod, Hobbs, Hodges, Billane, Bambrick, Smith,
McKee. Sub (not used) Mitchell
Freemen’s 2nd XV were on the receiving end of
a rare defeat, going down 42-0 against Old Pelhamians. Meanwhile
the club’s 3rd XV took to the field for the first time after the
easing of early season unavailabilities caused by injury and the
Rugby World Cup. A number of ‘blasts from the past’ showed more
than a hint of their former skills, but were eventually beaten
by a Reigate XV 20-0.
While the 3rds hope for another outing soon,
Freemen’s 1sts XV returns to league action this week, at home to
Croydon (kick-off 2.30pm), the 2nds travel to Old Blues.
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10th Nov 07 - Old
Whitgiftians 15 Old Freemen's 19 (League)
by Tom Innes
After being squeezed out by single-figure
margins in four of their five Surrey One league games to date,
Old Freemen’s needed to turn the tide or risk dropping to the
bottom of the division.
The entire squad rose to the challenge,
perhaps inspired by the chance of getting one over their Croydon-based
hosts, who pipped Old Frees for the Surrey Two title last
season, which ended with both sides being promoted. Picking out
heroes in such situations may be invidious, but nevertheless one
extraordinary tackle by Rob Tyrrell and the nerveless place
kicking of Tom McKee were the key factors in a narrow, tense but
ultimately deserved victory.
McKee, in his first season of senior rugby and
taking the place-kicking role for only the second time, had an
early sighter three minutes after kick-off when he slotted a
penalty goal awarded for off-side.
On 16 minutes Freemen’s played one of those
complicated double scissor moves that can seem easy on the
training ground, but so often leave egg on faces on match day.
This one worked a treat, with skipper Jon Hobbs calling and
orchestrating the move from fly-half. Winger Marcus Hodges
scorched through into the Whits’ half, beat several defenders
for pace, but appeared likely to be held up as he crossed the
22. As he searched for options, defenders hesitated and Hodges
surged again to the line. McKee’s conversion made it 0-10.
The captain’s sense of adventure was less
productive on 22 minutes when Hobbs attempted a chip out of
defence, only for his kick to find the home side’s burly winger
Todd, who strolled over to open his team’s account, the
conversion making it 7-10.
The move of the day was inspired by Freemen’s
prop Alex Moodie, who made a bold interception deep in his own
half and tore through the midfield. He was well-supported by
Hobbs and Jon Ormrod but sadly for Freemen’s the move was
stifled close to the try line.
When Whits launched an expansive move of their
own soon afterwards it bore more fruit, Freemen’s defence being
breached and the hosts’ right wing crossing the line. A missed
conversion and a late penalty for Freemen’s by McKee after a
maul was collapsed made it 12-13 at the break.
The referee’s grip on the game loosened in the
second period, not helped by persistent back-chat from players
of both teams which eventually saw the Whits number 8 sin-binned
after 65 minutes.
Although Colletta struck a penalty to regain
the lead for Whits, McKee struck back for Freemen’s (15-16), and
after 74 minutes he stretched the lead to four points when a
Whits players entered a maul from the side, attempting to slow
down Freemen’s after a useful back row move.
The four point lead was crucial, forcing the
home team to push for a try in added time. It might have come as
they pressed forward, a half-gap opening only for the player
dashing through it to be hauled in by Tyrrell, who used both his
pace and reach to execute a magnificent tackle.
The atmosphere became even more frantic after
the referee called ‘last play’, another Whits surge being halted
by blatant spoiling by Freemen’s hooker Tom Acton, earning him a
yellow card and another penalty for the home team. With a man
down Freemen’s defence had to answer even more questions, but
eventually Whits lost the ball some 15 metres from the try line,
Freemen’s back row pair Chas March and Tim Barnett snaffled it,
and the whistle blew.
Surrey One remains incredibly tight after
Saturday’s results: Cranleigh lie bottom of the 10-team table
with three points, Freemen’s and London Exiles have four each
and another four teams have five points each.
Old Freemen’s: Walstow, Acton, Moodie, Fair
(Beech), Tyrrell, Shipp (March), Barnett, Daniels, Ormrod, Hobbs
(c), Hodges, Norval, Billane, Bambrick, McKee. Sub (unused):
Smith
Old Freemens 2nd XV continued their excellent
merit table form with another important win against Merton at
Ashtead Park. While the final score was 44-3 it does not
indicate the difficult first half that Old Frees encountered.
The score was 10-3 at the break, with
Freemen’s points split between the boot of Jem Davies and a Rhys
Warren-Evans try. But an early sin-binning in the second half
gave Freemen’s a crucial advantage, exploited by further tries
from Nicos Charalambos, Richard Butterfield, Mike Barrett, Rob
Reynolds and Tom Haywood, plus nine more points from Davies.
This weekend Freemen’s host former Easter Tour
opponents East Dorset (formerly Old Portcastrians) in the fourth
round of the EDF Energy National Junior Vase, kick-off 2pm,
while the 2nd XV travel to Old Pelhamians and the 3rds prepare
to host Mitcham.
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3rd Nov 07
- Old Freemen's 11 Old Alleynians 20 (League)
by Roger Seymour
Newly-promoted Old
Freemen’s knew that life in Surrey 1 would be tough, especially
with the retirement of key players and allowing for injuries,
and so it is proving. On Saturday, they faced-up to a competent
Old Alleynian side at Ashtead Park but went down to a fourth
defeat in five League outings, and a win which took the
visitors to second place behind unbeaten Kingston.
However, Freemen’s
are digging deep with great character and each week it is
evident that the new mix of classy young players and seasoned
campaigners is starting to blend. They have not been intimidated
by strong opposition, the margins of defeat have been narrow and
there is a strong feeling that soon they will come good.
The game
against Alleynian was well-refereed and tight with both sides
taking advantage of the slope to exercise territorial
domination. In the first half, the visitors had the downslope
and built a lead of 15 – 6 after thirty minutes. Two tries were
scored but several more were missed due to poor handling at the
final kill.
Freemen’s held
firm and kept in touch through two penalties by Tom McKee,
before Reyno Norval set up Ollie Bambrick for a try before half
time. McKee’s conversion rebounded off the post, leaving
Freemen’s trailing by only 11 – 15 at the turn.
The second
half saw Freemen’s driving hard to take the lead, but Alleynian
were sound in defence, easing the pressure with a breakaway
third try which went the length of the pitch.
Ben Telford led
his front row of Lee Walstow and Mark Mitchell with some
terrifying tackles and Simon Daniels debuting at number 8 showed
that he will become another name on the long list of illustrious
Freemen’s back-rowers. Tim Barnett was a major nuisance to
Alleynian in the loose and Rob Tyrrell and Tom Fair secured
their share of the line outs.
With a
nine-point cushion, Alleynian protected their lead well in the
final quarter, well-struck touch kicks keeping the home side
at a distance and frustrated.
Freemen’s:
Loughnan (Hodges), Ormrod, Bambrick, Norval (Hobbs), McKee,
Billane, Smith, Walstow, Telford, Mitchell (Moodie), Tyrrell,
Fair, Shipp, Barnett, Daniels.
Freemen’s
seconds under skipper Jon Reece continued their good season with
a 26 –5 win at Old Cranleighans. Still undefeated in the Merit
Table, they scored four tries in an entertaining display at
Thames Ditton by Mike Barrett, Andy Owens, Steve Acton and Andy
Catling, and Jem Davies was successful with three conversions.
Tough fixtures
continue this week as Freemen’s travel to third-placed Old
Whitgiftians, k.o. 2.30.
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27th Oct 07
- Battersea Ironsides 15 Old Freemen's 14 (League)
by Roger
Seymour
It was so near yet
just too far for Old Freemen’s as they lost by a single point on
Saturday in a typically bruising encounter at Battersea. There
was a lot of effort but not too much flair on show from either
side, until the tries were scored.
Tom McKee, in his
first season in senior rugby, was impressive as he kept
Freemen’s in touch with three finely struck penalties, but they
were unable to get the degree of control needed against such a
physical side. His forwards pressed hard as the finale
approached, but were unable to work a position to give him a
chance of another match-winning kick at goal.
The first half
passed with both defences closing down waves of attack through
the over-worked narrow channel. The outside backs on both sides
saw little ball and were forced to go looking for work.
Battersea’s key player at fly-half had to wait until just before
half time before finding a rare gap as Freemen’s robust defence
surprisingly dissolved, and he glided through four tackles for a
try under the posts, making it a 6 – 10 lead at the turn.
The second half
had a lively start. McKee kicked a penalty and Battersea bounced
straight back literally as a clever chip from the fly-half sat
up perfectly for his wing to run in at the corner.
Freemen’s
responded immediately with a try made by skipper Richard
Butterfield for scrum-half Dom Smith. Battersea, defending on
their 22, disrupted a Freemen’s tight scrum, but from number 8
Butterfield picked-up and powered down the left touch-line. He
was about to be sent flying into touch by the defenders but
managed a perfectly-timed inside pass to the attentive Smith who
scored to make it 14-15.
In the final half
–hour Freemen’s endured some sustained attacks from Battersea’s
forwards, but were unable to create any further chances to score
themselves.
Freemen’s:
Loughnan, Ormrod, Bambrick, Norval, McKee, Billane, Smith,
Walstow, Telford, Mitchell, Tyrrell, Fair, Shipp, Butterfield
(capt) (Crane), Moodie (Acton).
Freemen’s seconds
met Raynes Park for the second week running and stepped up a
gear to win again, by 62 -17. Two tries apiece were scored by
Rhys Warren-Evans, Richard Turk, Marcus Hodges and Simon
Daniels. Tries also came from Nicos Charalambous and the match
was notable for a debut score in his first season from the
promising Lawrie Gummer. Hodges succeeded with six conversions.
This week,
Freemen’s entertain Old Alleynian in Surrey 1 at Ashtead Park,
k.o. 2.45.
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20th Oct 07 - Old Freemen's 28
Old Caterhamians 24 (League)
By Roger Seymour
Old Freemen’s secured their first league win
on Saturday, despite nearly yielding a 16 point lead to a late
rally by visitors Old Caterhamians, which had the home support
holding their breath for the final whistle.
Ashtead Park was an Autumnal picture and in
the first quarter Freemen’s defence was almost still-life as
Cats backs carved through some fragile defence from half way for
two identical tries. In attack though, Freemen’s were wide
awake, the forwards providing a steady supply of quality ball
for their impressive half backs, Dom Smith and captain Jon
Hobbs. From the pressure, there came hope. Hobbs slotted a
penalty and Dugald Loughnan spilled the ball with the tryline in
sight.
Hobbs then cleverly chipped through to the 22,
Tim Barnett was first there to rip the ball away to feed Smith
who set his line going. Good hands by Reyno Norval created space
for Ollie Bambrick to beat his man and score a fine try.
Cats bounced back and were pressing hard just
before half time, spreading the ball wide on Freemen’s 5 metre
line, when John Ormrod gambled and won, intercepting the scoring
pass – there was no stopping the ‘Ashtead Express’ on his way up
the length of the field, and he touched down under the posts!!
Hobbs converted making it 15-12 to Freemen’s at half time.
Freemen’s forwards dominated the second half
with several rumbles that Cats found hard to repel. Rob Tyrrell
sealed a magnificent game with a try, converted by Hobbs, from
one of the drives, and he found good support from fellow second
row, Tom Fair. Alex Shipp and Richard Butterfield showed
exquisite touches and in the front row, Lee Walstow and Ben
Telford united well, as did Jon Bird coming off the plane from
New Zealand to appear as replacement hooker when Telford bravely
moved over to the loose head slot.
The lead stretched to 28 – 12 with two further
penalties by Hobbs, meaning they had scored 25 unanswered points
and only 10 minutes remained. Perhaps this caused them to
relax, but it provoked a huge onslaught by Cats in the final
period, yielding two tries, the second deep into injury time.
There was great relief in the home camp when the final whistle
blew.
Freemen’s: Loughnan, Ormrod, Bambrick, Norval
(Catling), McKee, Hobbs (capt), Smith, Walstow, Telford,
Charalambous (Bird), Tyrrell, Fair, Shipp, Butterfield, Barnett
(Adams).
Freemen’s seconds beat Raynes Park 30 –22,
with tries by Rhys Warren-Evans, Michael Barrett and Oli Gotto,
all converted by the promising Jem Davies, who also landed three
penalties!
On Saturday, Freemen’s go to Battersea
Ironsides, also searching for their second league win.
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13th Oct 07 - Farnborough 0
Old Freemen's 28 (EDF National Vase - 3rd Round)
By Spike Hobbs
A performance to be proud of. The pride of the
nation flowing through the heart and soul of every player.
Triumphant against the odds. Through to the next round…..and
England won too.
Old Freemens found the form they had been
searching for against a committed but disjointed Hampshire 1
side in the EDF Junior Vase.
Before the kick-off there was something about
the atmosphere in the changing room that suggested OF’s would
come out all guns blazing and not allow themselves to be
intimidated. This was indeed the case with the opening exchanges
going the way of the away team, an early penalty the reward for
some great work in the contact and scrum by the pack.
The pack continued to dominate and were
further rewarded when a lineout on the opposition 22 became a
rumbling maul which resulted in a try. It is so crucial to gain
the upper-hand in the early exchanges and having got these early
points, Freemens were able to play the game they wanted to –
kicking into the corners, driving through the pack and attacking
in numbers around the fringes.
The work done by the forwards was
complemented by some strong defence in the backs, Reyno Norval
standing out for well-deserved praise (and the man-of-the-match
award). One tackle in the first half saw Norval (ably assisted
by Hobbs) drive the Farnborough fly-half 15 metres back and
steal the ball to turn defence into attack for the visitors.
In the first half an opportunistic try was
scored by Dom Smith after a kick through was not fielded by the
hapless Farnborough back-three and Smith pounced to touch down.
The new influx of young CLFS graduates is helping the back-line
rekindle it’s dynamism, Tom McKee proving the point with a great
solo try from a midfield scrum where he handed off his opposite
man then beat the covering defence to touch down in the corner.
Leading 18-0 at the break, Freemens were not
going to allow Farnborough back into the match and despite
concerted pressure from the home side in the first 10 minutes,
Freemens repelled them. A cheeky breakaway try from within his
own half got Ormrod’s name on the scoresheet and McKee closed
the game out late on with a well-struck drop-goal to add to his
try.
This form will be carried on into next
Saturday’s league match with a couple of returning injured
players bolstering the bench.
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29th Sept 07 - Old Freemen's 10
Old Amplefordians 17 (League)
by Tom Innes
With two teams at home, school games on
adjoining pitches, a large crowd on the touch line and World Cup
excitement to follow, there was something of a festival
atmosphere at Ashtead Park on Saturday. Sadly this did not
permeate the Surrey Division One game between Old Freemen’s and
Old Amplefordians, which was for the most part a turgid and
error-strewn affair.
The home club had organised a reunion lunch
for the all-conquering Freemen’s 1st XV from 1967-68, but sadly
the “In My Day” brigade had little to cheer about from their
contemporary counterparts.
The game lacked shape to begin with, with
neither team able to impose themselves for any sustained period
of attack. Credit should in part go to the defence of both
teams, including the reassuring presence of Chas March, Tim
Barnett and skipper Richard Butterfield in the Freemen’s back
row. There was also a second row slot for Simon Crane, back in
the 1st XV less than a month after resuming his career following
a long absence.
The deadlock was broken after 20 minutes when
Freemen’s ran the ball wide, winger John Ormrod chipped ahead
and with the visitors failing to field it, Reyno Norval was
first to the loose ball and ploughed over the line, and after a
missed conversion it was 5-0.
A kick through was also the means to the
retaliatory score by Amplefordians after 29 minutes, Freemen’s
being forced to concede a five-metre scrum. This led to a second
scrum and the visitors were through under the posts, gaining a
7-5 lead that they held until the break, missing a late chance
to extend it when a penalty chance was kicked wide.
Although it was a dry day, handling errors
continued to proliferate after half-time, and there were few
clear-cut chances other than another penalty chance for
Amplefordians, kicked wide after 63 minutes, but the kicker
eventually found his range, slotting a straightforward chance
after 70 minutes to extend the lead to 10-5.
The highlight of the day was a searing
70-metre diagonal break by John Ormrod which culminated with the
right wing touching down for the equalising try, which fly half
Duncan Billane was unable to convert. Freemen’s might have been
happy with a draw, but as the match moved into injury time,
Amplefordians attacked themselves, spread the ball right and
scored in the corner. The conversion made it 17-10 and there was
to be no repeat of Ormrod’s try to give the home crowd anything
to cheer about.
Old Freemen’s: Norval, Ormrod, Bambrick,
McKee, Hodges; Billane, Smith (Owens); Walstow (Moodie), Acton,
Mitchell, Crane, Tyrell, Butterfield, Barnett (Shipp), March.
Old Freemen’s 2nd XV won their merit table
encounter against Old Rutlishians in convincing fashion. Tries
from Jon Reece, Richard Adams, Marcus Boulton, Mike Barrett,
Simon Daniels and Richard Hill (2) set the tone for a 43-7 win,
with Jem Davies adding four conversions.
There is a break from competitive action for
Freemen’s this weekend, with both 1st and 2nd teams having
provisionally arranged friendlies at Ashtead Park this Saturday.
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22nd Sept 07 - Old Freemen's 50
Worth Old Boys 17 (Friendly)
by Roger Seymour
Fielding a side with some new youth combining
with the gnarled experience of the senior players, Freemen’s
were comfortable winners of an 11 try feast against Worth OB in
superb conditions on Saturday in Ashtead Park. Worth played a
full part in an entertaining game as the power of Freemen’s from
two Leagues higher eventually took its toll.
Flanker Alex Moodie set the scoreboard rolling
with a well-taken try in the second minute rounding off the
early pressure as Freemen’s leapt out of the traps. Marcus
Hodges converted.
Worth bounced straight back with a speedy chip
and chase that caught the home defence asleep. This gave them
confidence to mount further attacks but Freemen’s defence led by
skipper Richard Butterfield held and then reacted with a series
of tries before half time from Hodges, Chas March and Rob
Tyrrell, the last following an impressive 30 metre forward
drive. Conversions from Hodges and Duncan Billanemade it 26 – 5
at the turn.
The second half started much as the first,
with tries from each side within 5 minutes of the restart. Jon
Ormrod showed electric pace for his first, confirmed with
another length of field run to score just before the close.
Moodie snaffled a second try and Butterfield also ran one in to
round off a strong personal game. Further conversions came from
Billane and Hamish Dickie.
Freemen’s relaxed as the score mounted and
Worth scored a superb try but Freemen’s then made it to the half
century with Ormrod’s long range effort. The match was refereed
with ruthless efficiency by Club Captain Alex Tribick who
ensured that whistle didn’t get in the way of a guiding word!
On the adjacent pitch, Freemen’s 2nd XV nearly
matched the firsts with a 45-17 win over Chobham. Despite a
nasty leg injury requiring hospital treatment for Jeff Haywood,
Freemen’s enjoyed some free running with tries by Rhys
Warren-Evans (2), Jon Wilson (2), Simon Crane, Tim Barnett, and
Marcus Bolton. Conversions came from Jeff Haywood (4) and Jem
Davies.
On Saturday, Freemen’s veteran Eddie Law has
organised a reunion lunch of the teams from 1967, one of their
most successful seasons – from a time before the advent of merit
tables, leagues and physios. Who will bring the bucket and
sponge? Lunch will be followed by watching Freemen’s second
Surrey 1 fixture at home to Old Amplefordians. (k.o 4 p.m.)
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15th Sept 07 -
Old Freemen’s 14 Kingston
20 (League).
by James Hutchison
After a poor start to the game, Old Freemen’s
had too much to do to come back against Kingston at Ashtead Park
on Saturday. The Home team spent the afternoon chasing the game
having allowed the visitors to build a lead, and with 5 minutes
to go was unable to capitalise on the sustained pressure to
score the converted try required.
A brilliant score from Marcus Hodges midway
through the first half put Freemen’s back in touch after
conceding early points. Scrum-half Jon Ormrod made a sniping
run down the blindside from a ruck just inside the opposition’s
half. He then threw a long pass to Hodges on the wing who
finished superbly, beating two defenders to score.
At half time, Freemen’s were in the
ascendancy, and the home crowd began to find its voice in
support. Despite dominating possession and territory, the newly
promoted team could not break down the opposition defence.
Captain and fly-half, Jon Hobbs, kept his side in touch by
kicking three penalties – the third of which reduced the deficit
to 6 points with just less than ten minutes on the clock.
The Freemen’s pack maintained possession and
the crowd was on tenterhooks as they sought the final try. When
James Reece was fed by Dugald Loughnan, it looked like the
moment had arrived, but alas he was pulled down short of the
line and the opportunity was missed.
Credit to Kingston for their sterling defence,
and whilst it wasn’t the victory that Old Freemen’s were hoping
for to start their new campaign, they should take heart from
their performance and go into the next match in a fortnight’s
time with a lot of confidence.
Show your support for Old Freemen’s by
cheering them on at their next league match against Old
Amplefordians on September 29th at Ashtead Park. Go to
www.oldfreemens.co.uk
for a full fixture list and to keep up to date with club news.
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