Folkestone humble Lewes for the second time this season

London 3 South East Folkestone 1stXV 50 Lewes 1stXV 16
Saturday 7th March 2015. Report by Steve Hughes
Folkestone Rugby Club are this year celebrating their 40th Anniversary and a Vice Presidents Lunch was held to celebrate the occasion. The meal for one hundred and ten V.P.'s and guests enabled the current Chairman and President respectively to present the original Founder Members of the Club with Honours Ties to mark their forethought in starting the Rugby Club in 1974 and for their continued support ever since.
It was a beautiful day for rugby with clear skies, a light breeze blowing across the pitch and a firm ground to run on. And run they did. Both sides were prepared to play open rugby to entertain the large crowd.
Folkestone took a little time to settle down and a penalty to each side in the opening stages gave very little to cheer about. 3-3. The hosts then put together a series of play which saw Thomo Murray kick ahead and harass the visiting full back into hastily kicking out of defence. This was collected by Chris Petley to drive through defenders to put Ryan Farrow over in the corner for a try which went unconverted. 8-3.
Lewes hit back with a break down the left wing to cross in the corner for an unconverted try which levelled the scores. 8-8.
Lewes are at the bottom of this League but were playing rugby of a higher standard than their lowly position merited.
Folkestone then seemed to wake up and put together a series of passing movements that got the crowd excited and tries were denied only by desperate tackling by Lewes.
Frankie Morgan and Jon Morton then initiated an attack from their own 22m area up into the Lewes red zone and the visitors were lucky to claim the ball before Morton got to it.
Young James Mead is developing into a solid, attacking scrum half and his partnership with Adam Tolman is paying dividends. Another youngster, Ryan Farrow, who has been convinced by Coaches Leigh Fitchie and Mark Spearpoint that he is a forward and not a three-quarter had a tremendous game and was in the thick of it from the start.
With the help of Adam Tolman and Jon Morton he scored his second try just to prove a point!! No conversion and Folkestone were at last in the lead by 13 - 8.
Farrow was again involved in a delightful move right across the line which involved both forwards and three-quarters to put John Eustace over in the corner for another unconverted try. 18 - 8.
Lewes were then awarded a penalty which they converted only for James Mead to slot one at the other end of the park making the half time score 21 - 11.
To get the second half into gear, Will Turner, Jon Morton, Ben Stringer and James Mead all combined in a delightful passing movement when Jon Morton drew the defence to put Adam Tolman over for an unconverted try. 26 - 11.
A chip into the visitors corner by Tolman this time saw Mead, Tolman and Kemp combine to put John Eustace under the posts for James Mead to convert. 33 - 11. Mead and Tolman are establishing a workmanlike partnership and young Mead is proving himself quite competent both in attack and defence.
By this time Ritchie Bowen had replaced the injured Chris Petley and it was his next act which set the crowd alight when he picked the ball out of the back of the scrum on the half way line. He avoided the attention of the scrum half and flanker, fended off one of the opposing centres and beat everyone in a foot race to score under the posts and James Mead added the two extra points. 40 -11.
By this time Folkestone were dominating the scrums and pushing Lewes all over the park. The powerhouse of Josh Kemp and Ben Stringer behind the front three of 'Moose' Murray, Steve Doughty and Tom Carvill was enough to ensure enough clean ball for the three-quarters to play entertaining rugby.
This side is a good mix of youth and experience with the youth of Mead, Morgan and Farrow being offset by players like Stringer, Kemp, 'Moose' Murray, Morton, and Tolman. The blend is down to the thought behind it from the Club Coaches who have moulded the style of play to suit the players and long may it remain so.
Ollie Walton had been leading a sheltered life out on the wing but got into the action when fed by Tolman to sprint over for a try which went unconverted. 45 -11. Folkestone had a re-shuffle in the backs when Tolman went to scrum half and Seyhan Fell came in on the wing. Folkestone then seemed to relax and let in the visitors for a try up the left flank. 45 -16. This lapse of concentration was wiped out when again, Tolman and Morton combined for Morton to chip over his opponent, hack the ball on and win the race for the touch-down. No conversion. Final score 50 - 16.
There is no Man of the Match as there were too many contenders which included four backs and three forwards. If you were there (and you should have been) I'll let you make your own choice...

Team: Frankie Morgan; Thomo Murray, Jon Morton, John Eustace, Ollie Walton; Adam Tolman, James Mead; Martin Murray (Capt.), Steve Doughty, Mat Roots; Ben Stringer, Josh Kemp; Will Turner, Ryan Farrow, Chris Petley.
Subs: Tom Carvill, Richie Bowen, Seyhan Fell.
Scorers: James Mead 3, 3, 2, 2; Ryan Farrow 5, 5; John Eustace 5, 5; Adam Tolman 5; Richie Bowen 5; Ollie Walton 5; Jon Morton 5.