It is the nature of the London Cornish player base that the opening day of the league season is always a challenge as so many of our lads are still away in the West Country. In fact, in the last 15 seasons before this one, the exiles had only once managed to land their opening league game, and that in a season when they would go on to be unbeaten. You have to go back to 2008-9 to find the last time Cornish won their opening league game away, and that was in a season when the league campaign began a week later. This places into context the challenge that faced the exiles as they headed to East Grinstead RFC for their opening match in the Counties 1 Surrey/Sussex season, fielding a front V that had not even met each other let alone played together, and with an entire pack missing still away on hols!
Cornish arrived at the well-appointed Saint Hill HQ of the hosts in good time to find a pitch in decent condition, a decent and vocal crowd in attendance. Once they knew they were heading down, the exiles had spent the closing weeks of the season having some of this seasons opposition watched and all reports confirmed that this would be a challenging season. East Grinstead are a tough nut to crack, especially on their own patch, and the exiles spent much of the opening half on the defensive, a mixture of new combinations learning on the hoof and an inability to react to the refs interpretation of the laws gifting plenty of field position to their hungry hosts. Two unconverted tries were conceded, one from a snipe from a scrum on 7 minutes, and the other when one of their backs cut against the grain to cross on 18. A response was required to ensure the exiles stayed in touch and it came via the steady boot of Player of the Year Mike Edworthy on 22 minutes, though another more ambitious effort flew wide 5 minutes later. On the half hour mark full back Fin Robjohn took a knock to the head and was replaced shortly afterwards by Dan Phoenix. Though occasionally threatening from deep in the remaining minutes of the half, Cornish saw it through to half-time with no further damage, 10-3 down at the break.
The early part of the 2nd half saw the exiles lose another man to injury, this time centre Pete Brogden, Matt Hakes on in his place as the visitors had fortunately popped 2 backs on the bench. Having repeatedly threatened when in possession in the opening half, now last seasons top try scorer Robbie Mackay demonstrated he has lost nothing of his finishing prowess, fending off tacklers and carrying a couple more over with him as he scored an opportunists try on 47 minutes, the conversion attempt from wide right shaving an upright, but the deficit down to 2. With their next attack, the home side found one of their backs felled by a high tackle, a straight red seeing the exiles lose a forward for the rest of the match, the resultant penalty making the score 13-8. Cornish very nearly produced the move of the match when they attacked from deep on 53 minutes but the final pass hit the dirt and with it the opportunity. The game became fractious for a period now, the exiles losing a third man to injury when scrummie George Jackson was caught awkwardly in a ruck and also had to be replaced, Anthony Graham on and Phoenix switching to 9. On 68 minutes the home side added to their lead with a penalty for hands in the till, so now the visitors were 8 points down with 14 men, and all of their replacements already used away from home with a pack who were still learning each others names! However, the back line WAS familiar and it would only require a little quality ball for them to show what they could do. Sure enough, with 9 left Edworthy fashioned a set play to send former Falmouth back Kieron Rodda through a gap, the flier needing no second invitation to arrow away from the cover (pictured) and over under the posts, his fly half adding the extras to reduce the arrears to 1. Sensing momentum swinging their way and with the crowd conveying their anxiety to the pitch, Cornish grabbed their moment. Gradually driving play upfield, they won a scrum in an attacking position. The ball was worked to Mackay to cross the gainline, a penalty awarded in a kickable position, though by no means a gimme. With the referee indicating this would be the final play, up stepped Edworthy to calmly lift his kick between the posts and give his side the win having never led in the match until that final kick, his team rightly delighted with their win against the odds, it defying historical precedence!
Clearly gutted to have lost so late, East Grinstead were nonetheless decent hosts and both sides enjoyed the post match festivities. The home side will rue their inability to land points when on top but will have learnt plenty on the day.
Cornish move on knowing that they will need to improve markedly on this showing to continue to win matches in this new league. Though they will continue to blood new players in the next few weeks, a few more familiar faces return to the side next week with improved depth ensuring those injured on the day are replaced by equally capable replacements.