A late, late try in a final 20 minutes where the lead changed hands 4 times saw London Cornish claim 6th place in London 2 South-West and continued their fine end of season form as they completed the double over Effingham & Leatherhead to record their fourth straight win in all competitions, this one despite having made 9 changes to the squad from the previous weeks Cup win. The win, by 3 goals and 2 tries to 3 goals, one try and penalty, also ensured the club improved their record from the previous seasons tally, and ensured Cornish recorded the curious statistic of being the only side in the division not to concede 30 points or more in a league game.

Arriving at the Browns Lane HQ of their hosts, the first task for the exiles was to find any parking space, the home side coupling a VPs lunch with their AGM. The Eagles are one of the wealthier sides in the league, and few sides make it away from their ground with an easy win, them having also won at both Guernsey and Guildford in 2011. Cornish were without a recognized hooker on the day, electing to play Hamish Cuming at 2, both him and Skipper Dave Theobald having had experience in that slot. In the back row, illness prevented Chris Alder from playing, so Humphrey Bowles was called up from the 2s, and Mark Osei-Tutu was recalled at 6. Rich McKeown started at 9, and out wide Tom Burns and Jim Reynolds were recalled for Robin Heymann to switch to full back.
The game was played on the far pitch from the clubhouse, on a bone hard surface in warm but gusty conditions. Cornish played down the slope from right to left as you watched from the clubhouse side of the pitch, and any semblance of the changes affecting the visitors fluency were soon blown away as Cornish smashed into the early action, Burns issuing an early warning by pounding down the right flank after a great pass from Graeme Smeaton and the move only called back for a forward pass inside the home 22. Cornish kept it tight early on, and a pattern quickly emerged as the exiles lumpy front 5 put huge pressure on the Eagles pack in the tight, but the home side had the edge in the lineout as the exiles lack of a hooker told. On 9 minutes first Cuming, then lock Phil Ridsdale and no 8 Andrew McEwen launched into driving runs to take play into the home 22, a swift transfer of the ball via McKeown and O’Daly sending Heymann into a gap on the angle to dash over for a well deserved score wide right. O’Daly launched a fine conversion to take his side to a 7-0 lead. 3 minutes later and with Cornish beginning the game at a tremendous pace, O’Daly sent Burns away just inside the Eagles half, and this time he made no mistake, fending off his opposite number and then crashing through the attempted covering tackle to plant the ball down in a similar position to the first score, this conversion mishit wide. The home side had barely touched the ball in the opening 11 minutes and were already 12-0 down, but within 3 minutes they demonstrated their all court game, only a fine tackle by Iain Short and subsequent knock on inside the Cornish 22 preventing a reply. On 18 the home side was on the board, Cornish pinged for offside in midfield in front of their own posts, the Eagles 10 exacting a 3 point revenge. 4 minutes later, and a carbon copy counter attack saw another Effingham knock on when well placed, O’Daly clearing at the scrum. With both sides now willing to attack from depth, this was becoming a thrilling encounter for a very sizeable watching home crowd. Cornish won a penalty, kicked to the corner, then lost the lineout; Eagles went blind and made great ground only for McKeown to snuff out the danger with a strong covering tackle into touch. With the exiles not finding touch with their clearing kicks, increasing pressure just after the half hour mark saw the Eagles win a scrum v in front of the exiles posts, but the ball was won against the head and cleared. On 37 minutes Cornish again won a ball against the head inside their 22, but the ball shot out of the back of the scrum and when a covering exiles back took an airshot to clear it, a home back row was on hand to pick up and drive across the line wide left for a very soft try. The conversion was missed right but the deficit was now only 4. Just when the boozy home crowd found their voices, they were immediately silenced by a superb counter attack by their visitors. With 1 minute left in the half, Bowles and McEwen snaffled an Eagles player and turned the ball over just outside the exiles 22. McKeown hit O’Daly who passed on to Reynolds arriving at pace on a great line wide left. He set off outside his man and drew the covering full back before a perfectly timed inside pass put Short away to round the posts, the conversion a formality and the whistle going at the break on a 19-8 lead for the exiles.

Cornish knew that they would need at least one more score to really put this game to bed and so it proved. Eagles began to counter from everywhere, but all too frequently knocked on, particularly when they went wide as Short and Smeaton are difficult waters to navigate! On 47 the home side had their early score, when their 9 and 8 combined to send the latter crashing through a weak tackle to score by the posts, the conversion making the score 19-15. Now with momentum of the game swung hugely towards the home side as Cornish took their feet right off the proverbial pedal. On 53 another missed tackle and subsequent quick hands saw a home player waltz clear to score under the posts to scenes of great jubilation on and off the pitch, the conversion made and the game turned on its head at 19-22 to the home side. The exiles had seen little quality ball in this second period bar a brief burst in the opening few minutes, but on 61 minutes superb chip by O’Daly bounced awkwardly away from the covering wing, who was scragged just 6 feet from his own line by the chasing Short and Burns and the ball turned over. In came McEwen, who picked up and drove through a tackle and across the line to regain the lead for his side with the bonus point try, O’Daly again making the conversion and the score now 26-22. Cuming and Humphries were withdrawn for James Turnbull and Miran Serdarevic, and their impact was immediate, the former reinvigorating the scrums and the latter the loose. A further change was made on 64 with Reynolds replaced by Keith Thompson, who moved to full back to give free rein to Heymann wide left. This was to prove a decisive tactical change. However, on 74 the Eagles 10 found no one home on the exiles 22 at scrum time and simply waltzed through to score under the posts, this score again greeted with scenes of cup winning joy, him adding the extras and seemingly the win at 26-29. Hampered by their lineout issues, this despite some decent spoiling from Pete Calvert, Cornish would have to find another avenue to launch one last assault, but they would have to do so with 14 men as Osei-Tutu took a knock to the knee and could not continue. When the Eagles knocked the ball on in close quarter contact on the exiles 22, it was dived on by McEwen. McKeown spun the ball to O’Daly right to left inside his 22, and he in turn sent loosehead Mike Bond on his way. Tearing out of the 22, he drew a man and hit Thompson, whose beautifully quick hands sent Heymann clear. He sped outside the despairing dive of his opposite man and was simply too quick for the full back, all 5 of the exiles supporters and at least 1 coach going off their collective faces, as the length of pitch counter attack saw Heymann touch down wide left! Though the conversion attempt slid right, Cornish were now 31-29 to the good with 3 on the clock. Errors crept into the Eagles game as they forced it, and when they finally reached Cornish territory they were aghast to be turned over by Serdarevic, standing strong over the ball as hit after hit couldn’t clear him out. Within a minute the exiles won a scrum and O’Daly gently nudged the ball into touch, with it going Eagles hopes of finishing in the top half of the table.

Effingham are decent hosts at their well appointed Browns Lane ground, and are rarely an easy touch for any side in the division. They have had a few nasty injuries to key players to contend with during the season, and we wish their number a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing them again next season. Cornish close out the season as they began it, with back to back wins. They demonstrated real strength in depth to land this one, and the players who came in did so with real effect, though not using a specialist hooker is not an ideal way to take on a game! The league programme is now complete, so the exiles will set to the task of trying to find enough available players for the Cup match next weekend.

With Guernsey deservedly up as Champions, Trojans will be keeping a beady eye on that exiles Cup match next week, since it influences both when their play off is played and what kind of game it is likely to be. Down come Wimbledon and Chobham from 1 South, and up come Teddington and Camberley from 3 S/W. Since Warlingham and OMW return from 2 S/E, at least 2 sides will head east and that will be 3 if the play off is lost. The latter 2 may not be shoo ins to return to 2 S/E as the balance of that division has now shifted south and east; watch this space cos we could have a much changed division next season. Your correspondent only hopes that a few more will take up their computers and report on their matches!

LCRFC - Robin Heymann, Jim Reynolds (Keith Thompson), Graeme Smeaton, Iain Short, Conor O'Daly, Rich McKeown, Andrew McEwen, Humphrey Bowles (Miran Serdarevic), Mark Osei-Tutu, Phil Ridsdale, Pete Calvert, Dave Theobald (Capt.), Hamish Cuming (James Turnbull), Mike Bond.