London Cornish could not overcome their lineout deficiencies at CS Rugby on Saturday, in a match where they had plenty of practice, and though the exiles still managed to score 3 excellent tries with the limited possession they had, the concession of so much ball and territory proved too much against a confident opponent. The result was Cornish lost away from home in a regular season league fixture for the first time since September 19th 2015, a near 2 year golden period for the travelling support.
Though strengthened by the return of Dave Funston at centre, Cornish also had to deal with a few additional absentees on the day, Mark O’Leary, Oli Low, Pete Calvert, Steve Wood, Rich Stephens and Dan Phoenix all unavailable from the previous week. In came former Civvy prop Tom Lloyd, and debuts were given to another former CS man in Claude Springer in the pack, scrum half Wij Travers, and off the bench prop Jamie Robert-Tissot.
With thunderstorms looming large, the game began on a perfect pitch with the visitors playing up the slight slope and into a significant wind. Funston was a key player for Cornish last season at centre, and he demonstrated just way with his first touch, Skipper George Kimmins spinning a pass to him inside his own 22 following a poor clearance kick. Deceptively quick, Funston arrowed between two defenders and straightened, before exchanging a couple of exquisite passes with Chris Kolapo-Ajala to clear away from the cover (see picture) to score, less than 90 seconds on the clock, though the tough conversion attempt flew wide. An infringement at the restart saw the home side land a penalty, then the concession of lineout possession inside their own 22 saw a home back wriggle free for a try, this one also unconverted. When the London 2 South-West Champs repeated the lineout error, this time on the other side of the pitch, the home hooker was the beneficiary and this try was converted to give his team a 15-5 lead on the half hour. Lloyd was injured in this defensive set and was replaced by Robert-Tissot. Cornish had to respond, and so they did, Kolapo-Ajala, who has started the season on fire, weaving a path before being brought down just inside the 22, for Travers and Springer to give the powerful Andy Hill the chance to demonstrate that he is a great finisher, driving across the line wide left with a couple of defenders in tow, this conversion attempt held up on the wind. Cornish needed to hold out until the break now, but just when they had good territory following a marauding James La Broy run, they turned the ball over and were split apart down their right flank for CS to score wide left, the conversion making the score 22-10. An offside at the restart saw Kimmins reduce the arrears to 22-13 at the break, the whistle sounding to a backdrop of thunder and lightening.
Toby Fletcher had suffered a recurrence of an injury picked up in the previous weeks game, and was withdrawn at half-time, Tom Jeffery on at 11 and Hill moving to centre. Now with the elements at their back, sensible kicking from Travers and Kimmins kept CS pinned in their half, but in a game with only 6 scrums (which Cornish again comfortably edged) and countless lineouts, each time the exiles had territory they coughed it up again. It took 20 minutes for the home side to score again, and this after a titanic defensive set appeared to have seen Cornish clear the danger. However, a change of tactic saw a long miss pass send their full back in for the score, and the conversion was good. Cornish had brought on Chris Anstey for Matt Hakes in the back row, so had used all of their replacements at this point. As CS attacked inside the visitors 22 on 70 minutes, they conceded a penalty. Spotting the opportunity immediately, Travers spun the ball to Funston, who drew a man and sent the hitherto underutilised former England 7s international David Smith away. Unaware of who he was facing, the CS wing showed Smith the outside, and was aghast to find he didn’t get close to the flyer as he took it, away down the left flank to score half-way in to the posts. On 3 occasions as Kimmins approached the conversion attempt it fell off the tee, and his rushed drop goal attempt flew narrowly wide. With a bonus point now within their grasp, Cornish needed ball, but CS kept it tight and added to their lead with 5 to go when their forwards rumbled over wide right for an unconverted try. Showing great spirit and with a sniff of a bonus point, Cornish responded with a series of pick and drives, Dave Theobald joining Jake Slade, La Broy, Nick Goss and Tom Ievers in driving play to the home 22. However, with the conditions having changed, the ball was knocked on and cleared, Cornish having fought to the end but deservedly beaten for the second week running.
CS is a club who in recent seasons have started the season well, and are probably one of those teams to avoid during that period. They will want to maintain their form to mount a promotion challenge, and it will be interested to see the relative paths of the 2 clubs before they meet again just before Christmas.
It will take a few more games yet to see how Cornish will cope with the step up, as a club who get stronger and stronger as the season progresses there will be a clear vision of what is required in the remaining 24 games.