London Cornish staged a remarkable comeback from 3-17 down to turn this important London 2 South-West match against 3rd placed Old Reigatians on its head at the Richardson Evans Memorial Playing Field on Saturday, the hosts running out eventual winners by virtue of 3 goals, 2 penalties and a drop goal to a try and 3 penalties. The win lifted the exiles back up into the 3rd place slot previously occupied by their visitors, and onto the heels of the front pair.
The hosts lengthy injury list had claimed another victim at training during the week, regular fly half Rich McKeown suffering a head injury ruling him out of this fixture. However, in Conor O’Daly Cornish have a more than capable deputy and he stepped into the slot at 10. An additional and hugely unhelpful late withdrawal on the morning of the match had also meant the club Chairman being despatched to the Dukes early kick off at Law Society to summon Humphrey Bowles from the pitch to bench for the 1s, him being the only available registered exile in the vicinity with the 2s away at North Walsham in North Norfolk! With the front row issues not far from being resolved, the DoR had taken the precaution of giving club stalwart James Turnbull a couple of fresheners in the clubs lower sides in recent weeks as he returned from semi-retirement, and here he was recalled for his first 1s start of the season at tight head. On the bench regular 1s Skipper Dave Theobald was finally fit enough for a recall, Rob Aird standing in as Skip on the day and moving to lock for Ed Nimmons to start at 6. There was also a return on the bench from injury for Mike Allewell as the exiles injuries finally began to recede, and a debut for wing Tom Burns, signed in the close season from St Mary’s Old Boys RFC in Bristol. On the other wing Iain Short was recalled having recovered from Dengue Fever (well with such an injury list we had to have one exotic illness ruling a player out!) The pitch was in perfect condition and the visitors arrived in good form, having won their last 4 league and cup matches.
Cornish began the game very brightly, claiming the kick off on the floor for no 8 Andrew McEwen to drive at the heart of the OR’s defence. Scrum half Dave Madigan worked the ball to his former Clontarf half-back partner and may have been as surprised as anyone to see O’Daly strike a snap drop goal squarely between the posts to give his side a lead within the first minute of the match. On 5 minutes Nick Harlock, in great form and on this day playing at full back, received a kick deep in his half, which he returned with interest into the OR’s 22. His tackler took a brief rest on the wrong side and conceded the penalty, the attempt well struck from wide left but drifting just left of the posts. In this first 10 minutes, Cornish twice drove deep into the OR’s 22 but were repelled by a decent defensive line, though centre Ian Keith was proving a real handful for the visitors making ground on every occasion he had the ball, and Burns had twice demonstrated that his opposite number didn’t fancy tackling him much! On 13 minutes, and somewhat against the run of play, ORs levelled when they intercepted a midfield pass and won a penalty for an exile not rolling away. Their kicker has a prodigious boot and this successful effort was quickly followed by 2 more on 16 and 25 minutes, the second penalty from some distance out on wide right. Despite their bright start, Cornish were now 9-3 down. On 28 minutes a poor kick chase was to prove even more costly for the hosts, the ball being worked to the visiting 10 who showed a quick step and a clean pair of heals to 3 defenders to waltz over half way in to the posts at the clubhouse end of the pitch. This time the kick was missed but the Surrey side now had a 14-3 advantage. Cornish responded, driven on by some fine turnovers by hooker Will Carew-Gibbs and lock Pete Calvert, the latter belying his height to twice claim the ball on the floor. Another penalty was won on 35 minutes again wide left and again the exiles were disappointed as it flew right of the posts. The ball was cleared and within a minute Cornish suffered a double blow, conceding a penalty in front of the posts inside their 22 and losing Skipper Aird to a nasty looking knee injury. The kick was made to give OR’s a 17-3 lead, Allewell on at 6 and as Skipper, Nimmons moving into the row. Many sides at such a point would be bemoaning their luck and throw the towel in, but there is a cussedness about us Cornishman and now it shone through right when it was needed most. Crucially, the restart was claimed on the gallop by front row George Johnson, Carew-Gibbs on hand to receive the offload. The forwards piled in and drove on to the 22, from where the ball was worked left to right to Keith, who hit a fine angle cutting back on the defence, then straightening to clear away from the cover and score to the right of the posts, O’Daly adding the extras to give his side the momentum they needed, the whistle going at the break with the visitors 7 points to the good.
For the first time this season, Cornish had a scrummage that could provide them quick, clean ball, the influence of Turnbull on proceedings visible to all regular Cornish supporters. With the lineout also functioning well, Cornish could finally provide decent quality ball to a talented if unfamiliar back line, but the side were still behind with work to be done. An early score would be crucial in the second period, and Cornish got it when they caught the OR’s midfield offside in a central position, O’Daly reducing the arrears further to 4. A perceptible momentum shift was now apparent in the match as the home support increasingly found its voice, the exiles rolling maul carving huge yardage out the of the visiting defensive line. On 50 minutes Cornish struck again. Working a maul down the right wing inside the visitor 22, Carew-Gibbs and Allewell being joined by Short in the close quarter encounters. The ball was spun to the talismanic McEwen in front of the posts, and he burst through tackles to plunge across the whitewash for the try just to the left of the posts, the score greeted by an appreciative roar from the watching support. O’Daly added the extras and the lead was now with the home side at 20-17. Totally dominant for a period now, Cornish nearly scored again on 63 minutes following a searing run by Harlock to the shadow of the OR’s posts, but the ball was knocked on in the offload with the line beckoning and the chance was gone. Calvert had begun to pinch OR lineout ball now, so it was little surprise that when the visitors backs did get the ball, they twice knocked on in midfield. Cornish countered, Adam Gingell producing a couple of penetrating bursts down the right flank. From one of these runs on 70 minutes, Cornish worked the ball into midfield on the OR 22 where the visitors backs were caught offside, O’Daly extending the lead to 6 with the penalty. At this point Cornish replaced Turnbull with Theobald, the proud Cornishman rightly happy with his days work and the latter finally hoping to kick start his season. On 74 minutes OR’s won a penalty, which they elected to kick to the corner. They were unable to move the rolling maul, and when felled in close quarter action, the ball was snaffled on the floor by Charlie Wapshott, him having another decent game in the back row. The huge clearing hoof downfield was being chased by the home side only for the referee to award them a penalty where the ball landed for an unidentified offence that ended the visiting open-sides match, him being confined to the bin. Cornish kicked to the corner for Nimmons to claim the catch and set up a maul. Two phases later and Gingell linked with Harlock to send Burns away down the left wing, him leaving his opposite number trailing as he scorched over wide left in front of the scoreboard. Though the conversion was way out, O’Daly had his range now and the kick flew over to put the seal on the match at 30-17, the comeback complete. There was very little time remaining, Harlock driven into touch down the right flank as he attempted to gain a bonus point, the final whistle going on an entertaining match.
This incarnation of Reigatians is clearly a developing one, their average age somewhere in the low 20s, and they will be disappointed to have let a decent lead slip here. They are clearly very talented and it would be no surprise to see them bounce back from this defeat very quickly, their engaging coach seeking no excuses post match. With their clubhouse soon to be reopened and their new 1s pitch an excellent addition, it is great to see them back in this league.
Cornish will be delighted to have responded both to the mini crisis mid match, and to the larger injury crisis at present. With many of these working their way back over the next few weeks and the 2s having thumped their North Walsham counterparts 40-3 in Norfolk, the competition for places has never been greater than it is just now. It will need to be, the challenges approaching thick and fast in the weeks leading up to Christmas!

LCRFC - Nick Harlock, Iain Short, Adam Gingell, Ian Keith, Tom Burns, Dave Madigan, Andrew McEwen, Charlie Wapshott, Ed Nimmons, Rob Aird (Capt.) (Mike Allewell), Pete Calvert, James Turnbull (Dave Theobald), Will Carew-Gibbs, George Johnson. Rep Not Used - Humphrey Bowles.