Spectators who found their way to the back pitch at the REMPF for the final game of the regular season were treated to a try fest as London Cornish and KCS Old Boys shared 14 tries between them, made all the more remarkable for the exiles 45 points without reply in the 2nd half. Cornish have handed the heaviest defeats of the season to all of their potential London 2 South-West promotion contenders this season, and once again here demonstrated that when they blow hot, they blow red hot.
With the overnight rain having left the pitch in perfect playing condition, and the game having nothing riding on it from a league perspective, a game of running rugby was eagerly anticipated by two sets of alickadoos who have strong off field friendships. Whilst their recent results had not been encouraging, KCS arrived with a few familiar names in their squad, players who had not featured for them of late but who play at the highest level of varsity rugby. Keeping this fact to himself, the home DoR hoped that their influence would not be as great as that in the opening fixture of the season when frankly, their back play was great to watch.
Cornish have nursed a few key players back to health to hit their straps in time for the closing weeks, and it was great to see the likes of Mark O’Leary, Matt Johnson, Craig Chatley and Stefan Duda all named in the match day squad. With a few more either rested of unavailable for this game, Cornish have an enviable task selecting just 19 for the Play Off but this has been a squad effort and it was good to see a number of those not involved on this day on the sidelines in support.
Playing away from the clubhouse end, Cornish were quickly on the scoreboard when Mark Osei-Tutu, playing at lock on the day, peeled off the back of a rolling maul to dive over for an unconverted try. Any thoughts that the promotion hopefuls would have an easy day were quickly quashed when KCS produced a great backs move to send their winger over wide left for a similarly unconverted try. Running the ball from everywhere, it was clear that in these early exchanges there was something of a contrast between the styles, and the visitors took the lead on 19 minutes when their 10 found a gap in midfield to scoot over under the posts for a converted try. Chatley had taken a knock in the run up to this score, and with fellow centre Luke Spells on the bench (who is also a kicker when none was in the starting XV), Cornish took no chances and withdrew him. For the next 5 minutes the home side battered away in the far right hand corner, drawing a sequence of penalties from the referee before O’Leary burrowed his way over to reduce the deficit to 2. On 28 minutes, and with Cornish on the attack, KCS countered from a knock on to send their left wing over again in the corner for another unconverted try. Worse was to follow 8 minutes later when a missed tackle saw the visitors claim their bonus point try wide right, this one also unconverted but the score now out to 10-22. The exiles other starting centre Joe Donnelly was injured in this piece of action, bringing Johnson back into the fray for the first time since January, him on at 6 to allow Matt Hakes to switch to centre where he began the season. Both of these players were to play a significant part in the 2nd half proceedings. There was just time left in the half for Osei-Tutu to claim his second try, once again powering over from the back of a maul, this one converted by Spells to leave the score at the break 17-22.
Cornish made a further change at the break, Rory Ling on at prop for Oli Low, who had put in a decent shift to ensure that the exiles once again had the edge in the tight. Having mauled their way back into the game in the opening period, what followed from Cornish was a complete contrast as the backs now produced their best half of the season. KCS knocked on the restart, Tim Homan gathered it and burst a tackle before linking with fly half Chris Smart, who weaved his way upfield before sending Hakes away for the bonus point try, which when not converted brought the scores level. Smart was pivotal to much of the good work that was to follow, and this score lit the blue touchpaper. A great break from Ed Atkin saw him link with Smart and Ben Ievers to send Hakes over again a few minutes later for another try converted by Spells. Smart returned a loose kick 2 minutes later, linked with Tom Ievers and gave full back Robin Heymann the chance to demonstrate that he retains his great sidestep, his score wide right also converted by Spells. In a devastating 8 minute spell, Cornish had scored 19 points without reply to turn the game on its head. More great tries followed: on 56 minutes Atkin and Heymann combined to give Hakes the chance to hug the right touchline to complete his hat-trick, Spells converting this one from the touchline. The shell-shocked visitors finally managed to gain territory and possession, but all too frequently lost the ball or were scragged into touch. The Bude Flyer had not seen much ball up to this point, but these are his conditions, and he hit a great line off Smart and Hakes to angle through a gap and round the full back for an unconverted try, the score now out to 48-22. With Skip Dave Theobald seemingly claiming every restart to send his side on their way again, there was more to follow – 73 minutes and another Cornish counter, Ling producing a barnstorming run, Ben Ievers carrying on the good work, and Atkin on hand to send Hakes over for his fourth try, converted by Spells. Amazingly, top try scorer Tom Jeffery did not add to his tally in this match, but it was his unselfish work that produced the final score, Hakes sending Duda away to round the posts, Spells completing a decent afternoons work with the conversion.
KCS have hit a bad run of form in the closing weeks of the season, but once again demonstrated that they are such a dangerous side when given time and space. They were simply blown away in the 2nd half, and it wont be much consolation to them to learn that that was the best half of rugby Cornish have produced this season. As ever, they fronted up post match and play the game the way it should be played on and off the pitch.
The Play-Off now beckons for Cornish, and the focus will be on getting that selection right. Morale in the camp can only have been improved by the way this match was finished, and there is plenty of experience amongst the players and coaching teams of how to handle these situations, so here’s hoping for a positive outcome.

Summon up St Piran,
Trelawney’s Army too it’s said.
The Play Off is afoot
To Sevenoaks we must head!