By Dave Fletcher.

A Cornish side featuring two more league debutants in full back David Smith and scrum half Rich Stephens, and including lock Harry Somers and back row Tom Patton both returning after a long-term injuries, travelled to Warlingham knowing that they had come unstuck at this venue in previous seasons. The pitch was in good condition following heavy rain over the previous 24 hours and Cornish started downhill but into a noticeable breeze.

The early skirmishes demonstrated that the hosts would struggle with the exiles’ pace and power with one maul marching fully 25 metres downfield and it was no real surprise when wing David Funston crossed wide left on 6 minutes, the conversion missed. Warlingham were defending tenaciously but often illegally, and the home hooker saw yellow on 12 minutes at a breakdown on their goal line, the resultant penalty seeing scrum half Rich Stephens wriggle through to score, the conversion again missed.

Cornish were dominant now with Smith crossing wide right, the conversion again missed, swiftly followed by back row Matt Hakes with Smith finally converting, taking the score to 22-0 at the end of the first quarter, the bonus point in the bank. The exiles continued their dominance for the rest of the half with further tries from Funston, Smith and a 50 metre sprint from No 8 Mark Osei Tutu. Two of these were converted by Smith taking the score to 41-0 at half time.

Straight from the kick off, the host’s woes continued with a maul being driven over their line, lock James Le Broy emerging with the ball. Again the conversion missed, 46-0.

Cornish were then forced into a reshuffle with wing Joe Donnelly picking up a lower leg injury and outside centre Miles Rushworth tweaking a groin muscle. On came last year’s top try scorer, wing Tom Jeffery with blindside Hakes moving to the other wing and Tom Patton on in the back row, Funston moving to his more usual centre position. Prop Oli Low also came on in a straight swop with Mark O’Leary.

When a team is on the ropes the last thing they need is to see the burly Jeffery coming onto the pitch and it was a trademark bullocking run from him that put in Smith wide right on 50 minutes, conversion missed, 51-0. This was shortly followed by Hakes crossing wide left, the impatient Smith not waiting for the delayed kicking tee and slotting am impressive drop kick conversion, 58-0.

It is often difficult for sides so utterly dominant to keep their concentration and not slip into sevens mode. And so it proved with Cornish profligate over the next 15 minutes before Osei Tutu scored under the posts after running a great line. Conversion kicked and 65-0 with over 10 minutes to go.

Another reshuffle was then needed as Smith had felt a hamstring tweak. Back on came O’Leary with hooker Homan into the back row and the impressive Tom Ievers out to the wing. The final period played out much as the rest of the second half and it was probably to everyone’s relief when the referee called a halt slightly early.

This was a very dominant performance from the visitors with the hosts spending no prolonged period in the attacking half and never looking like scoring. Warlingham are a young side who will only improve and we wish them well, but their coaching team will be concerned at the number of tries conceded from first phase. Cornish played some very good rugby in patches but will know that they will face much sterner opposition as the season progresses, with their next 3 matches against the other sides with 100% records to this point.