London Cornish swept to the top of the London 2 South-West table with a comprehensive bonus point win at previously unbeaten Cobham, the fourth straight such a win in the row, in the process registering a first ever win over the Surrey side at the 7th attempt. The bedrock of the exiles win was fantastic defence, Cobham never able to mount any sustained pressure inside the visiting 22 as a high octane and hugely physical encounter saw them frequently spill the ball in contact.
The injury concerns at Cornish have been well documented in recent weeks, and to add to these wing Rich Skinnard had failed a fitness test on his hamstring giving fellow Cornishman Stefan Duda a call on the left wing, while both full back Jackson Szabo and Tom Hupfield were also missing as they were away with work, James Thomas given a start in the 15 berth. Otherwise, the squad was similar to that which had given Winchester a wake up call in the previous match, with Matt Hakes available for the first time this season to take a spot on the bench. Also for the first time this season, damp conditions greeted the players, showers ensuring the pitch would be wet throughout. The facilities at Cobham are fantastic as befits a RWC team hosting venue, and the pitch itself is right up there with the carpet at the REMPF having remained unused until this point in the season.
Cornish played up the slope in the opening period, the first 5 minutes of the match a microcosm of the match itself, Cobham clearly well drilled but despite plenty of possession unable to penetrate a stifling defence with former Cobham player Matt Johnson (pictured making a tackle - pictures courtesy of the Surrey Comet newspaper), fellow back row Tom Ievers and Skip Harry Somers revelling in the close quarter combat. Having weathered the early storm, Cornish now pinned the home side in their 22, a deft Phil Dale grubber driving them there. On 11 minutes a hasty clearance down the right wing was fielded just inside his own half by Thomas. The full back quickly noted a jagged kick chase, drew the first man and slipped the ball outside to Duda. His rapid acceleration took him outside his man, before he cut inside leaving the full back in his wake to clear away and score a fine try under the posts, converted by Dale. Cobham struck back with a penalty 4 minutes later, and there the score remained for a period, notwithstanding a huge Cornish rolling maul serving notice of a future intent on 20 minutes, it taking play from halfway to inside the home 22 before the ball being lost at a subsequent lineout. The visitors had noted that the home full back had not enjoyed the opening 30 minutes, frequently spilling the ball and kicking it out on the full, and when he spilt it again on 30 minutes, many exiles stopped chasing and nearly paid the penalty, as the referee ruled the ball had fallen backwards. When spun across the back 3 the home right wing showed a fine turn of pace before a combination of a Thomas tackle and Duda scramble saw a scrum V conceded. Cobham spun the ball along their backline but a crunching tackle from Luke Spells saw the ball spilt for centre partner Craig Chatley to fly hack on twice to take play into the Cobham 22. As the visitors sought to recycle the ball, Cobham were caught offside in midfield but before a penalty could be taken, scrum half Ed Atkin had to be replaced having caught an errant knee to the head from one of his own team. The reshuffle was significant, Dale moving to 9, Thomas to 10 and Hakes on at 15. Dale converted the penalty to take his side back out to a 7 point lead. In the remaining minutes of the half the home side gained some territory and won a penalty out in front, which they knocked over to make the score at the break 6-10 to Cornish.
Cornish began the second period at a tremendous pace, Ben Ievers and Spells twice involved down the right flank before winning a penalty, which was kicked to 10 out down the right hand side. Hooker Tim Homan threw the perfect arrow, and now the lumpy exiles pack executed what they had threatened in the opening half, driving a maul at pace over the line for Mike Bond to claim the try, and though this was unconverted, the deficit was now out to 9 with 46 on the clock. To the horror of those watching from the home balcony, worse was to follow with the very next attack from Cobham. Spinning a cut out pass from right to left inside the Cornish 22, the home fly half had failed to spot former Blaydon wing Tom Jeffery targeting the outside channel. Plucking the ball out of the air, Jeffery demonstrated that he is also quick, and he set off down the right wing to outpace the desperate home cover and round the posts for a crucial try converted by Dale. Whatever the home half-time talk had been, conceding 12 points in the opening 10 minutes of the second period was not part of it, so now the new home coaching team would learn something new about their charges. Cornish rang the changes in the next 10 minutes, Mark O’Leary replaced by Rory Ling at tight head, and an exhausted Somers replaced by Joe Bough. With no 8 Mark Osei-Tutu beginning to carve holes in the home defence, Cornish won a series of penalties, each of which was kicked into the Cobham 22, but the home pack had found a way of stifling the mauls now so the opportunities went begging, though one was called back for truck-and-trailer rather than being stopped at source. With time running down, Cobham desperately sought to gain field position, their hooker a decent ball carrier often at the heart of their best work. However, they frequently went backwards when in possession, and though their pacy right wing remained a threat throughout, they simply turned over far too much ball, Tom Ievers a menace at the break down. A perfect example of this came in the 70th minute, the home side working a set play off a lineout just inside the Cornish 22, but Johnson simply ripping the ball clear from the ball carrier for Chatley to clear. The high tempo of the match saw the exiles next on the attack, but two poor decisions had seemingly ended thoughts of a bonus point try; first a quick tap penalty saw the ball turned over when better options may have been taken, and then a loose Cobham clearance kick presented a huge overlap for the Cornish backs but a woeful forward pass butchered the chance. With the final whistle imminent, Cobham tried one last time to attack up the right wing on half-way, but as a huge hit flew in from Bough, the ball flew out to Osei-Tutu down the short side. Despite being a forward, Osei-Tutu is one of the quickest players at Cornish, and now he powered away from the first line defence, timing his offload to Duda perfectly for the Cornishman to deliver the coup de grace, evading the last ditch tackle to score the bonus point try under the posts to the delight of his team mates and those who had made the short trip to Cobham (and a few from further afield such as Redruth and Cornwall centre Craig Bonds.) Dale completed the scoring with the conversion to send London Cornish to the top of the table!
Cobham were relegated on the last day of the season from London 1 South last season, and certainly have the facilities to be playing at a higher level than they currently are. They are undergoing something of a transition this season, with a new coaching team (who were miked up throughout this match – not seen that for a while!) and some player turnover as a result of the previous regime - they are clearly ambitious. Expect them to bounce back quickly from this set back and to be up there when the prizes are being handed out at the seasons end.
Cornish have enough experience in this league (having won 31 of their last 36 games in this league dating back to January 2014) to know that while they sit top today and have played 5 of the other 6 teams in the top 7 so far, there are plenty of clubs able to field dangerous XV’s on their day in London 2 South-West. The focus can only ever be on the next match, and that takes place at the REMPF in 2 weeks time.