Old Freemen's 2nd XV Reports 2009 - 2010 Season

2nd XV shirts sponsored by: (click link for info)

05 September 09 - Old Freemens vs Verwood Trial Game

by Tom Innes

The start of September signalled a return to rugby action for the players and supporters of Old Freemen’s RFC.

After two months of skills and fitness training, the Old Boys squad took to the field for their first action of 2008/09 in a predictably sun-bathed Ashtead Park on Saturday.

With the powers-that-be setting a September 26 start date for the Surrey One league campaign, three weekends of warm-up games will lead into the 1st XV’s league opener away to London Exiles. The 2nd XV also start their new Merit Table campaign at the end of the month.

Freemen’s consummated a new relationship by bringing new friends back home for the first time on Saturday. Verwood from Dorset, who play their rugby in the Hampshire leagues, hosted the Old Boys Easter tour hordes last Good Friday, and this time had travelled up the M3 for the return match.

Both sides were missing some key players, but nevertheless both teams had plenty of talent on show, and regular substitutions meant everyone saw some game time.

The visitors took a while to shake the long journey out of their system and after the first quarter Freemen’s had built a commanding 31-0 lead. A solitary try was added in the second quarter, and after half-time the pattern was repeated: 17 more points in the third quarter (53-0), and a final try during the last period to make it 60-0.

Jones (2), Crouch, Fair (2), Rowan (2), Alex Moodie, Ian Moodie and Bambrick scored Freemen’s 10 tries, with conversions from Anthony Rouse (4) and Jem Davies. Verwood played gamely throughout and certainly held their own during some lively after-match socialising, putting rugby’s summer of controversy firmly to bed.  Their chairman also wrote a great letter of thanks

Old Freemen’s players have trained hard during the summer under new head coach, Simon Crane and fitness coach, Sam Tomkins. Crane has introduced innovative ideas based on an expansive game.

"We have had excellent attendances at pre-season training with a number of new faces that bodes well for the new season" says James Tremaine, Director of Rugby. "We shall be looking to run three sides every week with the firsts and seconds playing league rugby and the third team playing friendlies".

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------