Any lingering doubts about whether London Cornish are running into form in London 2 South-West this season were comprehensively removed as the exiles summarily dismissed the challenge of last seasons 3rd placed team Winchester at the Richardson Evans Memorial Playing Fields yesterday. The hosts took the match by 7 goals to a goal and a try to move up the fledgling table into 2nd place with this win.
Cornish began the game playing away from the clubhouse in their change gold strip, as the Hampshire side also play in a predominantly black kit. Only 1 place but a whopping 19 points separated these two teams at the end of last season, but it was only in the latter stages of the season that Winch fell away from the top 2. Right from the off in this match the physicality that the home side bring to the game was presenting a challenge to the visitors, and on 8 minutes a huge rolling maul following a penalty won at a scrum, saw Winchester marched back at a rate of knots and then penalised for collapsing the maul right on the line for a penalty try to be awarded, Phil Dale adding the 2. There were few complaints, even from the travelling faithful. On 18 minutes Cornish repeated the dose, another penalty kicked to 15 out and another irresistible maul allowing Mike Bond the try that his 80 would fully merit, Dale slotting this one from wide left. Although the fly half missed a long range attempt 8 minutes later, he would otherwise go on to produce a flawless display with the boot from all angles. With virtually their first attack of note, Winchester served notice that their pack could also maul, scoring after twisting away from their own maul wide right, though the conversion attempt slid across the posts despite a freshening wind at the kickers back. A feature of this opening period was the total dominance in the tight of the Cornish 8, frequently driving Winchester off their own ball, though the visitors lost a lock to injury early on and seemed to have players down with an assortment of knocks throughout the match. They had a period of pressure on the half hour mark that resulted in an exiles back being binned for a high tackle, but the numerical advantage did not stem the tide. On 36 minutes, Cornish drove Winchester off their own ball inside the Hampshire sides 22, and when debutant Ed Atkin, a recent signing from Crowborough, found Tom Ievers, the open side evaded 3 tackles to plunge over wide left, the kick beautifully struck by Dale. When Winchester did win kickable ball in the closing minutes of the half, they gave the impression that they were already chasing the game, choosing to run it but then knocking on with Cornish now back up to full numbers, the home side 21-5 to the good at the break.
The visitors began the second period with renewed vigour, and penned Cornish in their 22 only for Tom Ievers to pinch a ball on the floor. Back came Winch, and on 53 minutes Cornish lost another man to the bin for an indiscretion at a ruck. The Hants side kicked to 5 out, and when their hooker overthrew the lineout, it landed squarely in the hands of their on rushing back row to crash over for a converted try well merited on the opening period of this half. Cornish brought off tight head Rory Ling for Mark O’Leary at this point, the former enjoying another good day at the coalface. A loose Winch kick on 56 saw Rich Skinnard counter up the narrow side, and when Dale hit Craig Chatley as the ball was worked back the other way, Cornish won a penalty for a player flopping off his feet over the ball. Ben Ievers won the subsequent lineout, and the exiles produced a fine passage of phases, O’Leary three times involved, linking with Tim Homan, Mark Osei-Tutu and Atkin before the latter hit his lock on a great angle to smash over under the posts, 14 man Cornish now 28-12 up after Dale’s conversion. Cornish made 2 more changes shortly afterwards, Saltash man Skinnard replaced by Bude man Stefan Duda, the latter returning for his second stint at the club, and former Pirates player Skip Harry Somers (pictured in action at Warlingham) replaced by another debutant Joe Bough, him signed from Maidenhead RFC in the close season. The visitors refused to be cowed by an overpowered game in the tight, increasing relying on lineout throws to the back to give their starved backs clean ball. This saw a period of territorial pressure once more, and another kickable penalty eschewed in favour of a kick to the corner. This time however, Ben Ievers had read their intentions and the late tackle that followed allowed the exiles to clear their lines. Like a boxer whose body has taken too many blows, Winchester were now on the ropes and if it had been the home forwards who had put them there, it was now the Cornish backs who needed no second invitation to finish them off; on 75 minutes Cornish completely destroyed a Winchester scrum and won a penalty, the visitors losing another player to injury. The set play that followed saw Dale hit Spells, who linked with Tom Ievers, and then Atkin hit Chatley to dummy his way over and end the match as a contest, Dale taking the lead out to 23 points. 2 minutes later and Cornish supporters were applauding more superb rugby from their team, Matt Johnson taking a great angle to thunder over halfway supported by full back Jackson Szabo, and Dale then hitting Spells on the rewind to fend off a tackle and clear away under the posts for the 6th converted try. The exiles were not finished yet, Dale sending Tom Jeffery on the slice from some way out to penetrate the first line and have too much power for the remaining Winchester cover for another converted try under the posts.
This was a harrowing afternoon for Winchester, who have rarely suffered defeats such as these in recent seasons. Their strength in depth was severely tested in this match, but it should be noted that their players and coaching team continue to be a credit to the club, fronting up post match and enjoying a beer or two post match at The Telegraph. It bodes well for them bouncing back quickly from this defeat as their spirit is clearly strong and they also some influential players to return to the fray, not least their excellent captain who was confined to a supporting role on the day.
The portents for the season ahead for Cornish are good, because they have landed 16 points from 20 while still in the continued absence for a variety of reasons of their own Skipper Dave Theobald, hooker Will Carew-Gibbs, prop Oli Low, former England U21 international and Prem player Simon Brading, scrum half Rob Healey, fly half Tom Baker, centre Matt Hakes, fly half Joe Skinnard, back row Chris Anstey, wing Andy Nicolls and the 2 injured from last week no 8 Ben Devonport and full back Josh Allison. Its not that these necessarily would all be first choices, but they would certainly provide even more competition and depth. There are few in many of the regional leagues that could cope with this length of injury list let alone continue to thrive, but Cornish have. A week off is well earned at this point, before the action resumes on 24th October.