Alex Mawdsley’s focus saw a young Winchester team gain a massive 26 to 32 away win against rivals Farnham. 

In a team peppered with youngsters, Coach Gareth Martin had nothing but praise for the way his young ‘Gazettes’ stepped up on a torrid afternoon.

“Mawdsley, Kyle Dreyer and Wes Wong stepped in as we lost our starting front row and over 600 caps worth of experience. The work over the summer at the Army Training Regiment has really paid off.”

Mawdsley was very cool throughout, even after he was dummied by the opposition hooker who slipped a scoring pass to the predatory fly half Toby Salmon. Farnham had taken the lead within minutes and looked set for a rampant afternoon.

Winchester, shaken, began to play the percentages. Mawdsley and Connor Breen kicked Farnham back, pinning them in their own half. As pressure on Farnham built, Mawdsley kicked a penalty. Winchester forwards, up quickly, harried the defence and Matt Golding surged through to score under the posts. A simple conversion took Winch into a lead they never relinquished. 

Farnham failed to make significant ground and the frustration of being locked in their own half told, as their winger was sent to the bin. Winchester scored twice to complete the dominant half. Breen, finding the defence asleep, effortlessly touched down and Wilf Nicholson battered through from a lineout drive. 

Farnham came out determined to play and put real pressure on Winchester through combined forwards and backs running their channels. The momentum had swung to the home side and as Winch fumbled a lineout for the first time, Farnham gathered the ball and the wing, Max Williams, dotted down taking the scores to 12 - 25. 

From the restart Breen took the ball cleanly, pivoted and immediately fell to the ground. Winchester’s controlling half back pairing was broken. Farnham were clearly in the ascendant. 

Winchester's reshaped defensive line held, until Salmon slipped through to offload and Tom Dulwich scored. One score would clinch a remarkable comeback but it was Winchester who won the final quarter. The excellent Ben Turner touched down for a bonus point try and Maudsley 's conversion took them two scores ahead.

As academy prop Wes Wong stepped up, the team drew upon their fitness training in the intense heat. Farnham scrabbled a bonus point try but Winchester's fantastic forwards won the final set piece to crown an outstanding victory.