London Cornish became the first team in London 1 South this season to record 4 back-to-back bonus point wins, when they came back from a near impossible 24-5 half-time deficit to extend the clubs extraordinary away record in the league to 1 defeat in the last 24 matches. The win hoisted the exiles into 5th place, the highest ever placing the club has achieved in its 55 year history. The win bore all the hallmarks of some of last seasons Championship winning season, Cornish well behind until launching a withering reposte to cut down their opposition in the closing stages.
Cornish arrived at the Fowlers Wells HQ of their hosts forced into a few changes, Skip and top points scorer George Kimmins unavailable and his place taken by stand in fly half Dan Phoenix, while out wide top try scorer Chris Kolapo-Ajala was not risked after the knock he took in the win against Thurrock, Tom Jeffery returning. The bench saw the long awaited return of Ben Ievers for the first time this season, and places for Oli Low and Joe Donnelly, and all 3 played important parts in the comeback.
The game began in front a of decent crowd on a bone hard pitch with the exiles playing downhill, and it was quickly apparent that both sides wanted to play an expansive game. In an error strewn opening, Cornish twice missed touch with penalty kicks, cocked up a series of lineouts in key areas, and elected to kick in a number of occasions when better placed to hold on to the ball. The home side very nearly scored inside 5 minutes, but a super David Smith cover tackle dislodged the ball as the carrier was in the act of scoring wide right. The upshot of the visitors profligacy was that Chobham scored once when they broke off a maul on 7 minutes, and again when they worked room down the right flank for a back to cross on 24 minutes. In between times, Cornish had pieced together some decent rugby, but too often went wide too early and were shut down by a quick defensive press by the hosts. Finally, a Toby Fletcher break from half-way saw quick ball recycled to centre Dave Funston lurking wide right, and he had too much toe for the cover crossing for an unconverted try. The score seemed to galvanise a lack lustre exiles side for a period, helped as ever by an utterly dominant scrum that once more would force the opposition to elect for uncontested scrums late on, Dave Theobald making life for his opposite number absolutely miserable. However, on 33 minutes double disaster struck for the exiles. Attacking with an apparent advantage deep inside the home 22, a long cut out pass was snaffled by a Chobham back, whose starting position was questionable at best. He hared clear, aided in no small manner by full back Smith pulling a hamstring in the chase, the rejig bring Donnelly on at centre and edging Fletcher out to an unfamilar spot on the wing, with Andy Hill reverting to full back. The conversion was good and now Cornish were 17-5 down. Worse was to follow, for at a lineout 5 out from their own line, the visitors found their dart lifted on the wind straight into the arms of an onrushing Chobham back row, who had the simplest of tasks to fall across the line for another converted try, the hosts probably barely believing their luck at 24-5 ahead at the break, though the exiles coaching team sure of what needed to happen to reverse the momentum.
Early in the 2nd half Cornish made their move, and on came Ievers for the unlucky Matt Hakes, who had played well but who had to be sacrificed for the visitors to change up their tactics. James La Broy moved to 6 and Ievers came on in the row, a sure fire sign that if the ante was to be upped, it would be through softening up the Chobham pack first. On 53 minutes, and following a great interchange between the galloping Ievers and effervescent scrum-half Rich Stephens, Cornish had their reward, back row Nick Goss on hand to dot down for a try importantly converted by Phoenix. The momentum of the game had begun to swing now, with the London 2 South-West Champions dominating the breakdown and targetting the Chobham 9/10 channel with plenty of success. On 60 minutes, and after the visitors had hammered away inside the home 22 for 11 phases, Fletcher was put 1 on 1 with the Chob scrum-half down the narrow side, him too strong for the lad, plunging over for an unconverted try, but the arrears now down to 7. There seemed a calm confidence about Cornish, and an air of inevitability about what was to follow for a worried home support, now reduced to odd shouts of support. The next score saw Donnelly break from well within his own half, and when he was downed Cornish won a scrum in an attacking position. Stephens darted blind, and Donnelly was again involved before Hill showed his potent finishing once more, crashing over wide out for the bonus point try superbly converted by Phoenix to level up the scores at 24 each with less than 10 left. Stephens had so many options every time his side won the ball, stand in Skipper Harry Somers and no 8 Claude Springer always at his shoulder, and it was no surprise when hooker Jake Slade won a penalty for holding that Cornish kicked to 10 out wide right. Slade threw in, and Ievers won the lineout, before a juggernaut of a rolling maul drove Chobham backwards until their 3 simply pulled it down as it reached the line, the referee right on the spot to award the penalty try to little dispute, him binning the home tight head, the exiles now 7 to the good. Shortly after the restart, which was returned with interest by La Broy, Springer and Stephens, Cornish won a penalty some way out but in a central position, Phoenix driving a great kick between the uprights to see his side now 10 to the good with 3 minutes remaining. With the game now uncontested, Chobham finally found a platform, and in the closing minutes with Cornish also with a man in the bin, they fashioned some room for their 8 to slip over for the final act of the day, this try also unconverted.
Chobham have apparently made something of a habit of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory this season, but though this was a galling loss on the pitch, they were nothing less than generous hosts off it, relationships between the 2 clubs only enhanced on this day with a handful of exiles staying on for the Chobtoberfest event that followed.
This was not one of the exiles better performances, but despite key players missing, the team retain that priceless ability to find a way to win when all seemed lost, and in Phoenix (pictured) a back up kicker for Kimmins. Where previous matches had been won out wide, this one was won through the forwards relentless 2nd half, which augurs well for when the pitches turn. A break now and well earned too, with the 4 straight wins in the first season at this level in direct contrast to the 8 seasons it took Cornish to win 4 on the bounce at the level below!