Teams in London 2 South-West have tried a variety of ways to unsettle London Cornish this season, and London Exiles tried a new approach on Saturday when they tried to (legally) batter the unbeaten Champions into submission in a brutal local derby in which no quarter was asked or given from first to last. However, if you are going to dish it out, you must expect to receive it, and Cornish drew the sting from their enterprising visitors before delivering a withering final 5 minute riposte to smash their way over for a bonus point try with an 18 phase final play of an absorbing match at the Richardson Evans Memorial Playing Fields on Saturday. The win leaves the Champions one match away from going through the league season unbeaten, and within sight of the second goal the squad set at the outset.
Cornish showed a few changes from the squad successful at Winchester the previous week, Dave Theobald returning at tight head, Ben Ievers in for the absent James La Broy at lock, Tom Ievers back for Chris Anstey in the back row, Paddy Dean in at 10 with George Kimmins away, and Chris Kolapo-Ajala back from injury with Tom Havercroft dropping to the bench. There was also the menacing presence on the bench of the multi-capped Samoan International Dan Leo, back from a 6 week holiday in Australia. In a division littered with teams who can field exceptional teams on occasions during the season, but not regularly enough to sustain a promotion challenge, London Exiles were sure to present a tricky opponent as only a few miles separates the two teams respective homes.
The Champions kicked off playing towards the clubhouse on a warm day and on a perfect surface, and it was quickly apparent that the visitors tactics were to rush up in d as fast as they could and smash the ball carrier with everything they had. The tactic can unsettle teams, especially if they are chasing the game, but relies on everyone making the tackles count, and on 7 minutes open side Tom Ievers simply brushed aside 3 would be tackles down the narrow side to cross for an unconverted try. With a breeze at their backs, Exiles narrowed the gap on 12 minutes with a penalty, then missed the chance to take the lead when a simpler kick was scooped wide on 17. With their scrum under pressure and Jake Slade having nicked a couple against the head, the visitors would need to defend well to keep the score down, but Dean spotted a kink in their flying d on 26 minutes, searing through the first line outside the 22, drawing the full back and then sending an excellent pass from left to right to the supporting Kolapo-Ajala to continue his fantastic try scoring opening at the club, under the posts for Dean to convert, 12-3 to Cornish. 10 minutes later the fly half added a penalty, but frustratingly the Champions were unable to add to their score before the break, despite a couple of decent breaks by Chris Smart and a typically robust one by Tom Jeffery out wide. The home also rolled mauls close to the visitors line on a couple of occasions, Harry Somers and Ben Ievers in imperious form in the lineout, supported by a series of great runs from the in-form pair of Nick Goss and Skipper Craig Chatley, but the visitors rush d held firm. Job only part done, Cornish turned round 15-3 up at the break.
A couple of changes at half-time served notice of intent by the home side, Leo on for Mark Osei-Tutu at 8, and Oli Low on for Mark O’Leary up top. However, with their first attack it was Exiles who struck next, forcing their way over for a well converted try on 45 minutes, game back on. Leo stamped his authority on the game in no uncertain terms a couple of minutes later when he slammed the talismanic visiting lock into the ground with a massive hit, once again met with audible gasps from the biggest attendance at Cornish this season, fuelled by the Ladies Day festivities. A key period of the match followed, with the Champions returning fire with fire, smashing into tackles themselves, one of which forced one of the visitors back row from the field with shoulder damage, the referee doing an excellent job of managing a match that simmered, but never went over the top throughout. Cornish pose a threat all round the park this season, and when the next score came it was from the ever alert Rich Stephens at 9, him spotting the flying d had left a guard missing at a ruck, stepping through the gap on the Exiles 22 and sprinting over for a try to the left of the posts, Dean adding the extras to lift his side 12 clear again with 20 left on the clock. Kolapo-Ajala then returned a kick with so much interest he nearly ran through the entire visitors team before the ball was lost in contact at the next phase. Shortly after this, Low got a poke in the eye and had to be replaced by O’Leary, both excellent ball carriers so no let up for the mid table team. With a defence over 100 points better than the next best side in the league, it was going to be a tall order for Exiles to claw this one back, but a step out of line by one player in the defensive line was all it took for the visiting right wing to demonstrate a decent turn of foot to canter clear and over for a converted try with 10 left, the deficit down to 5. This is the point at which Champion teams show their mettle, and despite missing a penalty on 72 minutes, Cornish drew on all of the experience of their giant pack to pin a frantic but tiring Exiles outfit deep inside their 22, and very nearly fashioned a try wide left when Matt Hakes tried to drive over despite the attention of 3 Exiles defenders. Hakes took a knock in his attempt and was swiftly replaced by Havercroft. Driving the visitors off the subsequent scrum inside the 22, and with the referee indicating 58 seconds remaining on the clock, the Champs launched a series of accurate driving runs to suck in the defence. Not content simply to launch the ball into touch for the win once the time was up, Stephens linked with Somers, both Ievers, Leo, O’Leary, Kolapo-Ajala (who seems to enjoy the close quarter stuff!) and Theobald to hammer away close to the Exiles line, before Slade burrowed his way over to plant the ball on the line for the all important bonus point try (see picture), Dean ending the match with the conversion, Cornish victors by 29-17. Following the match, Middlesex RFU President Tom Brownsell presented the London 2 South-West Championship Trophy to Tribute Sponsored London Cornish 1st team Skipper Craig Chatley.
Exiles finished last season in 3rd place, and must have had promotion hopes at the start of the year, but they have been far too inconsistent this season, and distractions off the field (eg skiing, and apparently shooting!!) are likely to stem their rise, though you wouldn’t bet against them in the Cup next year as they have the capacity to beat most teams at this level.
One game to go for Cornish and no easy one either, with a visit to 4th placed Twickenham in the offing on Saturday. There promises to be a decent crowd in attendance and the home side will want to avenge their close defeat on the opening day. Can Cornish remain unbeaten? We shall see….