A far more familiar looking London Cornish set about reminding folks just why they went through London 2 South-West unbeaten last season, when they emphatically beat Cobham by 57-10 in London 1 South at the Richardson Evans on Saturday. Cornish are gradually re-introducing many of that Championship winning squad into the action after an extended break, and with many of the close season signings carrying injuries, it has taken a while longer than normal for things to gel. This 9 try to 2 demolition suggests that patience is beginning to reap dividends.
For the first time this season, the exiles were able to select a side where no player was playing out of position – having recently returned from a spell down under, Cornishman Harry Somers was available for his first run at lock, him packing down alongside fellow countryman James La Broy, and the versatile Tim Homan came in at hooker for Jake Slade, who was working. Jamie Robert-Tissot gained a full debut at loose-head, and Rich Stephens returned at scrum-half having been unavailable the previous week. Out wide, with David Smith away, Tom Jeffery started on the wing and Andy Hill reverted to full back. The upshot was an increasingly large and powerful pack now had a lineout to match the work in the tight, and the physical battering saw the visitors work through their bench far earlier than they had probably planned.
From the off it was apparent that this seasons Cobham outfit is a younger and lighter–weight incarnation than seen in previous years. The last team you would want to face would be one with a vast pack and fielding 2 wingers who are 6 foot 5 inch + powerhouses. Chris Kolapo-Ajala has already demonstrated this season that he is a real weapon, and when he received the ball wide right on 6 minutes he still had plenty to do. Breaking the first tackle, he burst through the next (pictured) before reaching out and planting the ball over the try line as the cover downed him, the conversion flying wide. With their opening possession of the match of note, Cobham won a kickable penalty on 10 minutes, but their kicker in explicably drove the point blank kick wide, and from that point on the visitors ran every penalty they won, even when out in front. It took Cornish time to punish this profligacy, and when it came it was Somers who scored, breaking off the back of a ruck to squeeze the ball onto the line for another unconverted score. With the pack now dominant in the set pieces, a huge rolling maul was the bedrock of the next try, Homan the beneficiary but the try again not converted. The exiles were the architects of their own downfall 5 minutes later, turned over inside their 22 when trying to run from the base of a scrum. Cobham worked an extra man wide left, a forward plunging across the line for an unconverted score. With time running out on the half, centre Dave Funston made an incision on half-way, and his pass found Jeffery arriving at pace to swat aside the cover and score wide left. A Cobham supporter was overheard saying “Well at least they haven’t got a kicker,” from which point Skip George Kimmins landed the touchline conversion and the remaining 5 from every angle around the pitch!
Jeffery doubled his tally 9 minutes into the second half, Stephens sniping blind and quick hands from Dan Phoenix sending the former Blaydon flyer outside his man to round under the posts for Kimmins to add the extras. Cornish withdrew Claude Springer at 8 to allow Homan to move into the back row, Mark O’Leary into the front row and Dave Theobald hooking. The first scrums after this change were very one sided, but Cobham enjoyed a decent period of pressure, aided by some aimless kicking and a few knock-ons by their hosts. However, their lineout was being increasingly read by Tom Ievers and Somers, meaning that clean ball was increasingly tough to secure. Further changes followed for the exiles, Matt Hakes on in the backs to allow Funston to rest a knock, and Tom Lloyd on in the front row to replace an exhausted Robert-Tissot, who could be happy with his days work. Reward came for the visitors with another score on 68 minutes to make it 29-10, though they clearly did lack a kicker, and now the floodgates opened, much as they did last season once Cornish had worn their opponents down. Phoenix scooped up a loose ball on 71 to run in from half-way wide right; a jinking run from the excellent Hill saw him run in under the posts from half-way on 73; Kolapo-Ajala skipped past weary tackles to round the sticks on 76; and finally, Stephens capped a great performance diving over by the posts on the whistle. All of these tries were converted by Kimmins, the home side having scored 28 points in the closing 9 minutes.
Only Cobham know if they had a bunch of their more experienced, lumpier players unavailable or if this was just an off day. Some of their more disgruntled supporters were disappearing well before the final whistle, and none of their players or coaching team came back for the post match meal, so who knows?
Cornish will take the win as a building block on the road, secure in the knowledge that no matches in this league are gimmees, and that there are plenty of areas for improvement if they are to challenge the best at in the league. They do have plenty more ammo on which to call yet, and it may well prove those opening 2 weeks have been very useful in establishing the required level for all those involved to attain.