London Scottish Lions made the trip down the M3 to face fellow newly promoted side Farnham RFC in Round 6 of Regional 1 South Central. Both teams entered the match in strong form — the Lions sitting third in the table with four wins from five, and Farnham just behind in sixth, fresh from a thrilling 45–44 victory over Wimbledon.
The hosts made their intentions clear early on, using their physical forward pack to assert control in the opening exchanges. Farnham crossed in the 4th and 15th minutes, adding another before the half-hour mark to open up a commanding 21–0 lead.
Scottish finally broke through in the 36th minute when Chris Rolfe powered over from a rolling maul to get the Lions on the scoreboard. But Farnham hit back almost immediately before the break to lead 28–5 at half-time.
The Lions came out rejuvenated after the interval, shifting momentum with some slick handling and pace in the wide channels. Aaron McLelland sparked the fightback with a superb solo effort on 58 minutes, stepping through defenders to touch down under the posts.
Farnham briefly steadied themselves with a converted try on 65 minutes, but Scottish were now playing with confidence and freedom. McLelland struck again just four minutes later, this time slicing through from midfield to narrow the scoreline to 35–15.
Momentum stayed with the visitors as Callum MacTaggart finished off a sweeping backline move on 71 minutes, before Nick Hill added a late score of his own to bring the game within a single converted try at 35–27.
The Lions pressed hard in the closing minutes, dominating territory and forcing Farnham onto the back foot. Despite their best efforts, the final whistle came just short of what would have been an extraordinary comeback.
While the result didn’t go their way, the second-half performance — built on resilience, pace, and attacking intent — will give the Lions plenty to build on heading into the next round.
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Tries: Chris Rolfe (36’), Aaron McLelland x2 (58’, 69’), Callum MacTaggart (71’), Nick Hill (74’)
Conversions: Nick Hill x1 (72’)
Man of the Match (Captain’s Pick): Aaron McLelland – led by example in attack, scoring two fine solo tries and sparking the second-half comeback.
Farnham RFC’s Pick for Lions Man of the Match: Callum MacTaggart – dynamic out wide and capped a strong all-round display with a crucial try.
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Looking Ahead
The Lions return to King’s House next weekend, looking to bounce back and continue their impressive start to life in Regional 1. With growing confidence, strong squad depth, and a well-earned bonus point from Farnham, the group will take plenty of positives into Round 7.
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Saturday 25 October
Next up for the Club:
Lions vs Maidenhead (H)
– Venue: King’s House Sports Ground (W4 2SH)
– KO: 15:00
