London Cornish produced a seasons best performance to hand title chasing Chichester a big defeat at Oaklands Park on the Sussex coast in London 1 South on Saturday. The win was founded on the forwards first matching, then edging the battle up front, and the backs causing pandemonium every time the ball was spread wide, resulting in a 6 try to 3 victory for the visitors. The win solidifies Cornish in 5th place, and moves the top 5 a little clear of the other 9 sides, the 8 point gap the largest between sides in the division.
Cornish made a few changes from the team successful the previous week, which ensured that this was a vastly experienced pack with a singular mission to nullify the home teams strength in the tight and the maul. With torrential overnight rain having left the excellent surface heavy, neither team warmed up on the main pitch to allow it more time to drain. Cornish kicked off playing away from the clubhouse, and for the opening 10 minutes found themselves under the cosh, as the home team, cheered on by a crowd of near 200, launched wave after wave of attacks. A feature of this opening period was that Cornish were launching clearing kicks, but with a half hearted kick chase, Chi were able to return them with interest. Eventually, this is going to hurt you, and so it proved, the home side working room for one of their backs to scamper over for a converted try on 10 minutes. Any thoughts the home side had that this was going to be an easy afternoon were soon blown away, for a the next scrum the Cornish front row of Mark O'Leary, Tim Homan and Dave Theobald took the ball against the head, and launched a series of their own attacks. They thought they had levelled it on 13 minutes when David Smith was sent over wide right, and were very disappointed to be called back for a forward pass, that even those Chi supporters level with play hadn't called. However, soon after a Chris Kolapo-Ajala run, chip and chase down the right, saw the ball recycled until full back Smith hit the line at pace to feed Toby Fletcher on his outside. The wing evaded a desparate tackle to dive over wide left for an unconverted try. There was huge blow for the Sussex side at this point, their talismanic no 8 unable to continue from a knock sustained in the opening play of the match, and having to be replaced. Bouyed by their success, back came the exiles, working the ball across the home 22 with a set play on 25 minutes for centre Dave Funston to take a great line off Skip George Kimmins, step the cover and dash over for a try converted by his Skipper. Mutterings amongst the home crowd suggested an oppo with a penetrative back line met their greatest fears. Frustratingly, 5 mintues later Cornish coughed up a cheap try when a cross field kick was juggled then caught by the home left wing, who set off on a run to break a couple of weak tackles before an inside pass sent one of the home back row over for the levelling score, this one also unconverted. 3 minutes later, the London 2 South-West Champs retook a lead they were not to give up again in the match. Joe Donnelly, in great form at present, had continually targeted the 10/12 channel with great success, and he burst a tackle to draw the full back and send Kolapo-Ajala under the posts for a try converted by Kimmins. Worse was to follow for Chi, for at the restart one of their forwards took out James La Broy in the air, so they would complete the half with 14 men. This actually seemed to galvanise the boys in blue, for they dominated territory for a period now, but with their rolling maul well marshalled and their scrum unable to dominate, they had to settle for a penalty on the stroke of half-time, though the offence cost Cornish as they too now had a forward in the bin, the exiles 15-19 to the good at the break.
As it turned out, that latter bin only cost Cornish 3 points, another penalty on 50 minutes seeing the arrears reduced to 1. O'Leary had to curtail his afternoon early at this point, a tight calf seeing him replaced by Oli Low. This was the point at which Cornish also re-launched the playing career of Herts County no 8 Matt Chambers, him replacing Claude Springer who had produced another tireless afternoon of solid ball carrying when his side needed it most. The game entered a critical phase, and Chi found that rather than tiring, their visitors defence now stepped up a gear, bolstered by another huge game from Tom Ievers at 7. With the back line now cramping the home side for room, errors began creeping into Chi's play, and Cornish have just the weaponary to seize on such profligacy. The visitors brought on more fresh legs in the form of Matt Hakes for Nick Goss at 6, the latter having produced another barnstorming effort. Chambers was at the heart of the next attack, driving play to the Chi 22 where the hosts were caught offside in midfield, Kimmins driving the penalty between the sticks to take his team out to a 4 point lead. 4 minutes later, and a loose Chi pass on halfway was fly-hacked on by Fletcher, him regathering before linking with Funston and Hakes to pop a pass to the supporting former Bude lock La Broy to dive over under the posts in front of a stunned Chi balcony. Cornish had brought plenty of support too, and the noise made by the black & gold paid due tribute to the significance of this score converted by Kimmins, taking the lead out to 11. The situation deteriorated further for the Sussex side, for on 72 minutes as Chi chased the game, they were intercepted just inside their own half by lock Harry Somers. The Truro born former Pirate gleefully ran in unopposed for another 7 pointer, and now Cornish were clear and gone at 18-36. A series of pick and drives following the concession of penalties saw the visitors lose a man to the bin with time running out, and a Chi forward squeezed the ball onto the line on 75 for an unconverted try that at least gave his side the sniff of a losing bonus point or two. Chi threw everything into the closing stages, but could not free themselves from the defensive stranglehold, and with the referee indicating last play, they turned the ball over on the Cornish 22. Homan, who has so many facets to his game, and who will be back from parental leave on a regular basis in the New Year, made the first incision, before Low drove on in characteristic fashion, and scrum half Rich Stephens danced his way through tackles up the right, linking with Funston to straighten and release Kolapo-Ajala. No side in the league has managed to shackle the flier for long, and nor could Chi, him swatting off a tackle and sprinting down the tramlines to slide over for his 2nd of the match, and 9th try of the season. Kimmins delivered the coup de grace on arguably his sides best ever result in league rugby, a 43-23 win on the road at Chichester.
Chi would seem to be testing their strength in depth at present, and lost more players to injury here. Their regular 10 has left to go travelling, and their midfield seemed hesitant and uncertain in defence. They have an experienced coaching team, who will know what to do to shore up the lines in the future, so expect them to bounce back soon. As ever, they are decent hosts and the good relations between the two clubs were enhanced on this day.
Once Cornish had negotiated the car parking fees (£2.50 will see you right for the day), this was another example of how quickly the team is adapting to playing at the higher level. The full squad of 18 played a part in this win, and with more players set to return to the fray in coming weeks, the portents for the rest of the season look good. No respite though, we need everyone back at training on Wednesday!