You begin to question the place of the Intermediate Cup in the Level 7 fixture list after days like this one. Both teams, given byes all the way through to the 3rd Round, fielded plenty of unfamiliar names as players from both camps decided the Cup was not their priority. As a previous supporter of the importance of a national cup in the fixture list, your correspondent is beginning to rethink his position. 2 walkovers in the last 16 of the London section, with some of the regions simply electing to put forward a few representatives to this stage given that their Level 7's have 26 league games versus the 22 in London and the Midlands, has the time come for all Level 7s at every region to become 26 league games and for the Intermediate Cup to be consigned to history? The players it would seem, are beginning to vote with their feet at many clubs...

To the game itself, played on the old Cobham 1s pitch with its much sounder surface (and we would have done the same if the roles were reversed so no complaints on that score - would that we had such luxury!). It was a curious game, with the strongest wind of the season favouring the side playing away from the clubhouse, and yet the team playing into that same wind actually winning both halves when the elements were not in their favour. Cornish had a great chance to open the scoring when a Tom Jeffery run caught the home side offside at a ruck on 2 minutes, but the effort surprisingly flew wide. Within a few more minutes a very poor missed tackle saw Cobham fashion a 2 on 1 wide left to arrow over for a converted try. Right from the off Cornish had a massive dominance in the tight, and after Cobham were pinged at a scrum, a Mark Osei-Tutu run saw another penalty awarded and this one was landed by Phil Dale. Cobham missed a penalty into the wind on 10 but were gifted their next score when the visitors made a complete horlicks of fielding a kick for the Surrey wide to recycle and drive over for another converted try, them now 14-3 up. With Cornish seemingly unable or unwilling to use the wind in open play, it took a clean strike against the head by hooker Will Carew-Gibbs on 28 to give the visitors a foothold in the game, Josh Allison kicking to 10 out down the left flank, Carew-Gibbs arrow hitting Ben Ievers, and the exiles launching an unstoppable rolling maul with Mark O'Leary claiming the unconverted try (see pictures). For the next 8 minutes Cornish bashed on the door with Jeffery, Osei-Tutu and Craig Chatley all involved, and during one of these attacks O'Leary, who had been under the weather all week, was replaced by Rory Ling. Having weathered the storm, Cobham broke from deep on the stroke of half time and another poor missed tackle saw them cross for an unconverted try to go in 19-8 up at the break.

Cornish replaced Joe Donnelly with Chris Smart at the break, the visitors continuing with their plan to give as much game time as possible to a number of players who had not yet had the chance this season, given the absentees across the team. The exiles began the second period with renewed vigour, and on 44 minutes the referee lost patience with a home defender for the increasing penalty count against his team, him binned. Sensing their moment, Cornish launched a 16 phase attack with Chatley, Carew-Gibbs, Smart, Ben and Tom Ievers all involved until Ed Atkin hit Dale on an arcing run and his beautifully floated cut out pass was clutched from the air by the giant Jeffery to dash over wide right and bring his side back into the game, though the try was unconverted. Cornish made 2 more changes now, bringing on Shiv Khara and for the first time this season former Surrey lock Pete Calvert for Carew-Gibbs and Owen Bater. Though Cornish won another strike against the head in their own 22 on 50 minutes, they switched off a few minutes later to allow Cobham to take a quick lineout and then work the ball across the pitch to their right wing to deliver the coup de grace, seemingly putting the game to bed at 24-13. However, playing into a strong wind forces teams to be far more careful with the ball, and a mighty rolling maul from halfway by Cornish sounded a warning sign to Cobham that the game was not dead yet. Another 16 phase attack 5 minutes later, Calvert showing that he has lost none of his ball carrying ability, saw the home side pinged again, and when Allison took play to 10 out with his kick, and Joe Bough took the lineout, Cobham drove at where the ball appeared to be held, only for Osei-Tutu to peel away blind and simply walk over for his sides third try, the kick once more wide. With the game now down to 1 score, Cobham sensibly resorted to using the wind to try and keep their visitors at arms length, and though their potent back line was starved of the ball, the home side defended stoutly in some close quarter combat as a few of the now unfamiliar Cornish pack put their hands up for future selection. A Dale break took play inside the home 22 in the closing minutes, but the ball was lost forward and cleared long. When the final whistle went, Cobham deserved their place in the next round.

Cobham were clearly fired up for this game and their fast start was ultimately what won it for them. Whoever they play in the next round will find them a tough opponent, and if the game is hosted at Fairmile Lane, their visitors will be well looked after too. Cornish can now begin to see their fixture backlog clearing, and should also now be guaranteed Easter weekend off. Post match, both coaching teams bemoaned the inconsistent availability that plagues their seasons - it's a familiar tale that seems particularly bad on Cup weekends. Food for thought, and perhaps an item that might be the nut at this level as in 'the sledgehammer to crack a nut' that was the hopefully deceased Adult Competition Review.