Alfie Richardson scored a hat-trick and both Sam Garbett and Charlie Shipp scored twice as Thorns recovered from conceding a first minute try to rack up their highest total in a cup match. The forwards dominated possession and the backs capitalised as Thorns played at pace for the full eighty minutes.

Having won on the road the previous weekend Thorns were able to select a similar side although injuries and prior commitments forced some changes. In the front row Johnny Heaven continued in the absence of Kieran Wilson with Luke Panting remaining at loosehead prop. James Wood and Tom Constable remained at lock whilst the injury to Gez Asante saw Mike Johnson switch from centre to flanker. With Jack Pickles away Mike Priday came in at scrum half and Mike Gaston slotted in at outside centre. Sam Garbett switched to wing with Alfie Richardson coming back in at fullback. Charlie Shipp remained on the wing with fellow colt Tyrese Redgers continuing as back row cover on the bench alongside Chris Perrett and Chris Moseley, who was available again after missing the last two months’ rugby.

This was the first senior match between the sides and Surrey club Farnham came into the game on the back of a 50-35 win over Chobham. However, both Thornbury and Farnham were short of a few players so were largely unknown quantities to each other.

Farnham kicked off downhill into the sun and after Thorns made a hash of managing the kick-off the visitors scored when skipper and No.8 Oscar Henderson crashed over after Thornbury’s defence were opened up. Forty-eight seconds had elapsed. Although close to the posts the conversion missed but Farnham had put a marker down. They had come to play.

A few minutes later Sam Garbett raced down the touchline as Thorns attacked from a scrum. The run setup a good position and after Farnham were penalised Thorns went for the corner and drove for the line. Farnham initially repelled the drive but Thorns reset and surged over with Mike Priday coming up with the ball. Jack Pinker converted to put Thorns 7-5 ahead.

Thorns scored again a few minutes later when the forwards drove again from a lineout but quickly released the ball and Max Curtis ran a fine line to score. Jack Pinker converted for 14-5, and then the lead was extended shortly afterwards when Thorns attacked from a scrum outside their own ‘22’ and after crisp passing Alfie Richardson was put into space and after dummying a defender put on the after-burners and scorched in for a fine try. Jack Pinker converted the first try and as the first quarter came to a close Thornbury led 19-5.

There was a delay whilst Stuart McWhinnie received treatment for a stinger on his shoulder and he went off to be replaced by Chris Moseley. A few minutes later Thornbury shoved Farnham back at a scrum and after a couple of phases Jack Pinker cross-kicked, the ball bounced viciously away from the defenders and the leading attackers but was gathered by Sam Garbett following up and he scored. Jack Pinker converted for 26-5 and things were looking good for Thorns.

The scrum was beginning to become increasingly dominant and Thorns shoved Farnham off the ball at the next scrum. The visitors infringed and Jack Pinker put the ball into touch on the ‘22’. From the lineout Mike Gaston and Mike Johnson tied up the defence then Mike Priday moved quickly to the right, Alfie Richardson came in on a great line and put Sam Garbett in for his second try. The conversion made it 33-5, but any thought that the game was in the bag were dashed in first half injury time when Farnham’s excellent No.8 Henderson scored a second try after pressure on the Thornbury line. Rufus Doran converted but the margin was significant as Thornbury led 33-12 at the break.

During the break Tyrese Redgers came on for Mike Johnson and within two minutes of the restart Thornbury scored again. Chris Moseley and Henry Low tied up the defence and fed Mike Priday who raced clear then fed Tom Constable in support who wrong-footed the fullback and charged thirty metres to score a fine try. Jack Pinker added the extras and even the most doubtful of Thornbury supporters believed at 40-12 the tie was won.

Thornbury were now moving the ball from every part of the field as confidence was high. A cross-kick from Jack Pinker nearly put Charlie Shipp in but it was skipper Luke Panting who scored next. Farnham overthrew the ball at a lineout ten metres from their line and he gathered the ball and powered over in the corner. Jack Pinker converted with a fine kick from the touchline. Chris Perrett came on and Mike Priday went off with Jack Pinker moving to scrumhalf and Max Curtis to outside half.

Thorns passed the half-century shortly afterwards when following a dominant scrum Jack Pinker moved the ball to the right and Alfie Richardson’s pace was too much and he scored in the corner. The try wasn’t converted but Thorns led 52-12.

The biggest roar of the afternoon came two minutes later when Jack Pinker took a quick penalty and the ball was moved quickly through the hands to Charlie Shipp who backed himself and sprinted thirty-five metres for his first senior try for the club. Tyrese Redgers was the first player there to congratulate his fellow colt. Thorns led 57-12 as the third quarter drew to a close.

Farnham wing Toby Simmons scored a well-worked try in the corner as the home defence was tied up and space exploited out wide but Charlie Shipp scored a second a few minutes later when Thorns turned over Farnham on the Thornbury ‘22’ and the ball was moved quickly into the backline by Chris Moseley for Charlie Shipp to race in from halfway. Jack Pinker converted for 64-17.

Mike Priday, now back on, made a break late in the half and moved the ball to the right. Alfie Richardson stepped inside, wrong-footed the cover and sprinted through the defence on a forty-metre run to the posts. Jack Pinker’s conversion took Thorns into a rare place of the seventies. As the match approached fulltime Henderson completed his hat-trick with a try by the posts as Thornbury’s defence cracked for almost the first time. Doran converted but Thornbury had won 71-24.

It had been a fine performance all-round by Thornbury who demolished Farnham. The forwards drove hard and scrummaged well whilst the backs made the most of their possession to run in a hat-full of tries. Thorns’ back three, who scored seven tries between them, had fine afternoons and took their tries well. Jack Pinker was again the master of ceremonies and dictated the play whilst in the forwards James Wood, Chris Moseley and Henry Low in particular carried hard. The lineout functioned well but the scrum was particularly impressive and Johnny Heaven limped off the field with a particularly content expression on his face. It was, however, not surprising that the man of the match deservedly went to Ben Wood for an all-action performance.

There was some sympathy for Farnham, whose players decided to drive to the game. They are clearly a better side that the result suggests, but they caught Thornbury on a day they were determined to play open rugby. They did that very well and scored some glorious tries.

Referee Ciarán Elster also contributed to the spectacle by allowing play to flow and playing advantage whenever he could.

Thornbury take on Drybrook in the Quarter Finals, which takes place next Saturday in the Forest as they had not played a home game in the competition so far. Kick off at The Mannings is 3:00.

Scorers:
Thornbury: Alfie Richardson (3), Sam Garbett (2), Charlie Shipp (2), Mike Priday, Max Curtis, Tom Constable, Luke Panting; conversions: Jack Pinker (8).
Farnham: tries – Oscar Henderson (3), Toby Simmons; conversions: Rufus Doran.

Teams:
Thornbury: Alfie Richardson; Charlie Shipp, Mike Gaston, Max Curtis, Sam Garbett; Jack Pinker, Mike Priday; Luke Panting (c), Henry Low, Johnny Heaven, Tom Constable, James Wood, Mike Johnson, Ben Wood, Stuart McWhinnie.
Replacements: Chris Moseley, Tyrese Redgers, Chris Perrett.
Farnham: Max Williams; Alex Wennen, Chris Duringer, Reece Stennett, Toby Simmons; Rufus Doran, Harry West; Marco Azevedo, Joe Marsh, Sam Woodhams, George Bellamy, Harrison Horner, Jack Buxton, Tom Hammond, Oscar Henderson (c).
Replacements: Oban Baird, Dan O'Keeffe, Jake Harris.

Referee: Ciarán Elster (Bristol Referees Society)

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