Old Freemen's 3rd XV Reports 2008 - 2009 Season

29 November 08 - Old Reigatians Club XV 5 - Old Freemen's Club XV 17 (Away Friendly Game)

By Tom Innes

Although the run of consecutive international weekends can play havoc with player availability, one upside is that it does occasionally allow players from different levels within a club to take the field together.

A mix of first, second and third team players made up the Old Freemen’s Club XV for Saturday’s trip to Old Reigatians. The throw-back to the days of coarse rugby was emphasised with some organisational hitches that saw the team shirts left behind, and several of the squad getting lost en route to Reigate. Nevertheless Freemen’s were just about suited and booted in time for the early kick-off.

With 1st XV captain Chas March opting to play in the ranks for once, the 2nd team skipper Jon Reece was in charge, but his men had an early setback when possession was lost from a five-metre scrum and the home team seized the ball, and a 5-0 lead.

It was all level by half time, thanks to prop Alex Moodie’s galloping run to the try-line, and Freemen’s turned round optimistic of continuing their revival.

The visitors were able to control the game far more in the second half. John Ormrod scored a try from a fine chip-and-chase, and added the ‘extras’ (12-5) before a fine passage of controlled teamwork and handling resulted in a final score for pacy winger Rhys Warren-Evans.

With November now over Freemen’s face some important league commitments in the build-up to Christmas. The 1st XV travel to Bec Old Boys this Saturday, facing a host team who are second to Freemen’s on points difference at the top of Surrey One. After a break from league action on December 13, the 1st XV, sponsored by Volkspeed Engineering, round off the first half of their 2008/09 campaign at home to Farnham on December 20.

Freemen’s 2nd XV, sponsored by the Shehnai Restaurant in Ashtead, host Weybridge Vandals in a Surrey Conference league encounter this Saturday, while the 3rd XV hope to capitalise on greater player availability with a run-out against opposition to be confirmed. All players and spectators will be hoping for some good results ahead of the club’s talent contest which takes place at the OFA Memorial Clubhouse on Saturday night.

DATE SEPT 08 - Old Freemen's 22 Old Suttonian's 10

by Theo van Dort

After the usual slog to find enough men to field a 3rd XV side in October let alone for the first game of the season, Old Freemen's 3rd XV pitched up at Ashtead on Saturday with 17 men. The lure of soft carefully manicured pitches, good weather and a chance to blow off the summer cobwebs was soon made harsh reality for several members of the 3rd team squad when it was suggested that we went through a "dynamic" warm up with the 2nd XV.  Those that hadn't quite made it to training yet got a short taster of what had been occuring on Thursday evenings.

Several dynamic stretching and warm up drills later and then the tackle bags were introduced.  I'm not a mind reader but you could tell by the look on some of the squad's faces that this wasn't the 3rd XV warm up they were expecting which usually involves a bit of banter, a few missed drop goals and standing in a circle passing the ball around while listening to stories of the single lad's Friday night encounters.

The 10 minutes of perspiration forming warm up as a squad was soon over and with 30 minutes to go the 3s headed down to the familiar uphill/downhill pitch near the long jump pit where foxes like to poo. A head count showed we had 7 backs and 10 forwards.  Suttonians only turned up with 13 men of which they needed 2 forwards so in the spirit of things Chris Blacketer and George Webb kindly volunteered to play a half for the oppo. 

After practising lineouts and running backs moves 3pm arrived. Both sides were a prop short so uncontested scrums were inevitable and London Society Referee Alex Tribick agreed to 35 mins each way in the 22 degree sunshine. Sutts won the toss and chose to kick off so Freemen's elected to play uphill first.  Sutts duly kicked off and Freemen's didn't secure the ball cleanly allowing Sutts to collect the loose ball, trundle down the field and their scrum half jinked through to score within 30 secs of the kick off. Not an ideal start...

Happily the game got better from there on. It was the wake up call needed and Freemen's spent most of the uphill first half both attacking and defending well, however scrum half James Burns needed a more stable platform to feed fly half Tom Haywood allowing him to make use of his back line. Play was interuppted shortly when Tigger Lyons clashed heads with his team mate Liam Crellin, who recovered quickly after the magic healing power of the water from the blue lucozade bottle. A good section of play had Freemen's camped in Suttonians 22 and the home team were eventually awarded a penalty in front of Sutts uprights which Haywood slotted over making the score 5 - 3 at half time.

Blacketer & Webb came back to the team with Liam Crellin and the ageless Mike Bailey good-sportingly switching to play for Old Sutts meaning they had to play the second half uphill too.  The slope worked in Freemen's favour and the second half proved a much more exciting half with flowing rugby, good second and third phase ball and a much more spirited performance. The back row of Lawrie Gummer, Chris Blacketer and Colin Cooper were all over the place securing lots of ball for the backs with prop Paul Hurford also looking strong in open play. Richard Slee, Mark Jennings and George Webb secured good ball from the lineout. Crellin also unintentionally helped out by kicking one of his 2nd half Suttonians team mates in the hairy bean bag whilst trying to clear back loose ball. Fly half Haywood had injured his ankle shortly before the end of the first half and was replaced five minutes into the second by Bob Davies. 

The second half saw three tries. One by George Webb who pushed through scoring strongly, the second a great sidestepping charge for the line by man of the match Tigger Lyons and a third well orchestrated running try by Rob Reynolds. Two out of three were converted. One by Tom Haywood (I think) and the other by James Burns. Other notable runs appreciated by the spectators came from man of the match second nominee Chris Blacketer who handed off most of the opposite numbers in one particulary fantastic peice of play. Old Suttonians had a chance when their full back hacked through a loose ball resting nicely under Freemen's uprights which resulted in a 45 yd sprint race which skipper Van Dort won to secure Freemen's a 22 drop out. The summer training had paid off. Old Suttonians stayed in the game right up until the final minute with a well deserved push over try that went unconverted making the final score 22 - 10 to the home side.

A good winning start for the 3rd XV with hopes of a repeat performance next weekend 20th September.  Anyone wanting to play - please email oldfreemens at gmail.com

Forwards: Paul Hurford, Mike Bailey, Dan Jones, Richard Slee, Mark Jennings, Lawrie Gummer, Liam Crellin, Colin Cooper, George Webb, Chris Blacketer - Backs: James Burns, Tom Haywood (Bob Davies), Nigel Miers, Tigger Lyons, Simon Gibbs, Rob Reynolds, Theo van Dort.

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Pre Season Report 2008 by Tom Innes

After a solid first year back in Surrey Division One and some “hard yards” put in during pre-season training, the players of Old Freemen’s RFC are chomping at the bit for the start of the 2008/09 rugby season this Saturday.

Freemen’s travel to Croydon for their first league encounter, with hopes high of improving on last season’s sixth place after promotion in 2006/07.

The Old Boys head of playing James Tremaine said the club was “quietly confident” of a good season, and paid tribute to the work put in by the coaching team of Paul Hart and Simon Crane during July and August, ably assisted by fitness coach Sam Tomkins.

“There’s been a good turnout both at training and for our warm-up matches, and there are some new faces at the club as well as some people who are back in the area after university,” he said.

Freemen’s took part in a pre-season tournament at Haslemere before playing games against a Chobham squad and Old Wandsworthians.

The Chobham game saw 27 players see action on a day where the temperatures topped 80C. Tries from skipper Chas March and Reyno Norval kept the vistors in contention before Chobham eventually won 19-12.

A week later and the meteorological conditions had switched to heavy rain, but there were still 39 players kitted for action and Freemen’s eventually won by three tries to one with Jon Reece and Nicos Charalambous among the scorers.

Surrey One has four new clubs this season. Chipstead and Bec Old Boys won promotion from Surrey Two last year, while Farnham and Old Paulines, who meet this Saturday, both struggled at London Four level and were relegated.

The division is made up by Freemen’s, this weekend’s opponents Croydon, Old Caterhamians, Old Whitgiftians, Battersea Ironsides and London Exiles.

Fly half Wade Brunsdon is a key new face and will be looking to nail the kicks that regularly made the difference in a series of tight encounters last season. Threequarters James Reece and Matt Lister are back in contention while Freemen’s also have their usual strength-in-depth at back row which sees player-coach Hart selected at centre for the first game.

The Freemen’s 2nd XV start their season at home to Old Walcountians having been promoted to the Surrey Conference Division Two reserve league after going unbeaten last season. Playing numbers are strong, and the Old Boys will also be looking to have the 3rd XV in action before the end of September and playing regularly thereafter. Some of the more mature – in age terms anyway – players are also gearing up for the annual veterans’ tournament in Jersey which Freemen’s have graced for the past three seasons.

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