Ah the best laid plans! In a tough league, where no games are a given, you need to build depth capable of ensuring you can win games on the many occasions when you cannot field your best side. For this seasons opener, London Cornish discovered that when that depth is over stretched, the malaise of the inability to match the physicality of a fired up opponent can affect players who should know better. So it was as the exiles succumbed to conceding the highest score against them in league rugby since October 2007.

A decent pre season had seen the exiles feel able to give a league debut to former Penryn forward Adrian Montague at lock in an otherwise familiar looking pack, but it was behind the pack that changes were forced. With scrum-half Dave Madigan absent with work until at least October, new signing Simon Edmunds from Bedford Athletic was given the nod at 9. The fly half conundrum was slightly more complicated, with Rich McKeown absent with a toe injury suffered in the previous weeks pre season game, and both Conor O’Daly and new arrival Rich Frost from Marlow away on holiday, 2s Skipper John Barker was given a rare start. The depth at centre was stretched further still; Iain Keith and the returning Henry Mitchell were both still on holiday, Ian Short broke his nose at training a couple of weeks ago, and on the eve of the match the exiles discovered that new signing Luke Spells from Worthing had not submitted his registration on time, forcing a rejig that had not even had the chance of a training session together, Graeme Smeaton moving to 12 and Dave Soar given a shout at 13. With Nick Harlock still away, Stu Bell made a long awaited debut on the wing, and on the bench Fraser Smeaton was handed a debut.

The exiles arrived at their hosts Watchett HQ later than anticipated after a major accident on Putney Hill had seen a number of roads in the area closed. A heavy shower had dampened the paddock, in decent enough nick, unlike the changing rooms, which were the size of a postage stamp. A stiff breeze blew down the pitch, and Cornish elected to play into it in the opening period. A hasty and unsatisfactory warm up was carried into the match, Cornish coughing up a poor try inside 5 minutes when the first of a series of missed tackles saw a Cam back score wide right, the conversion attempt missing. For the next 10 minutes or so, the exiles worked their way into the game, the jinking running of Robin Heymann and countering of Ed Good at full back linking well with no 8 Andrew McEwen before twice the ball was knocked on when in promising positions. On 17 minutes Cornish kicked a penalty won for offside to the 22. Off the top at the lineout, they worked a fine move in midfield for Simon Brading and Graeme Smeaton to link before an inside pass to the blind side Mark Osei-Tutu saw him scoot clear to score just to the left of the posts, the conversion made by Barker for a 7-5 lead. The lead was handed back for holding at the restart, the penalty smack in front of the posts, and though Cornish had a chance to retake it on 23, their effort flew wide. On 25 minutes Good and Montague linked well down the right flank only for the wrong option to be taken as the ball went into midfield, the ball turned over and hoiked downfield on the wind. Within 60 seconds dreadful defending around the fringes allowed the home 9 the luxury of walking over untouched to swallow dive by the posts, the conversion a formality. Hampered by poor handling and poor decision making when in good positions, the exiles repeatedly conceded possession when in promising positions, and on 30 minutes conceded a truly awful try when the home 13 was able to evade 2 pathetic tackles down the left flank to dash over near the posts, the kick taking the lead out to 22-7. The rest of the half saw Cornish hanging on grimly, relying heavily on the immense work in the tight of their pack as they drove their hosts off a scrum V for Montague to snaffle the ball and Edmunds to clear. In the final act of the half, Edmunds sent Bell away from inside his 22 but he inexplicably elected to kick when he reached halfway only to see the ball go out on the full. A chastened exiles heard the whistle at the break.

Any semblance of a turnaround at the break was quickly shattered at the restart, the exiles slow to respond and the Cam 10 finding no-one home from a grubber that sat up perfectly for him to crash over by the posts on 43, the conversion stretching the lead out to 29-7, and the hosts beginning to believe that this league holds no fears for them. Within minutes Cornish conceded an even worse try when a long kick ahead rolled over their try line, but despite 4 backs being in attendance, the ball was allowed to squirm clear for a Cam back to gleefully dive on for the score, this one right up there as one of the worst tries the exiles have conceded in recent years. On 51 minutes, and after some repeated phases and a strong McEwen run, Cornish won a penalty 5 metres out for lock Pete Calvert to take quickly and crash over to the left of the posts, Barker adding the extras and the score now 34-14. However, and chance of a comeback would require the visitors to start making first up tackles and on 59 they simply watched as a clearing kick was returned by a Cam player who barely had to jink to run straight down the middle of the pitch to score under the posts, the conversion making the lead now 41-14. Bell pulled a hamstring in the chase and was replaced by Fraser Smeaton, and Ridsdale came on for the ailing Osei-Tutu, Montague moving to 6 to accommodate the lock. Now the exiles finally started to control the ball, Brading and McEwen often to the fore. However, on 63 Cornish lost a forward to the bin for an offence at a ruck. A final change saw former Cornwall schools cap Hamish Cuming on at loose head for Bond. On 70 minutes and after a strong Graeme Smeaton run, the exiles won a penalty, and despite being a man down elected for a scrum some 8 metres out. Their one area of strength did not desert them, and the 7 men drove their hosts back over their line for McEwen to plunge on the ball for the score, but the conversion was pulled wide. Back up to full number and with Skipper Dave Theobald leading a late charge, the exiles again won a scrum V, but this time as they drove their hosts over the line the ball was knocked on at the base to huge frustration all round. Though finishing the stronger, the exiles were a well beaten side at the final whistle.

Camberley are a welcome addition to the league and will be combative and strong opponents for all. Just 10 years ago they were a National 1 side and their slide down the divisions has now been arrested and the reverse has begun. They can hardly have hoped to find more amenable opponents than they did on this day, but you can only beat what’s in front of you and they did so comfortably. Good singing with The Scruffs too - we look forward to the last day of the season gentlemen! This was a truly dreadful start by Cornish, the performance described by one seasoned watcher as the worst he has seen. You don’t become a poor side overnight however, and the coaching team will expect a response both at training and on the pitch to put this one behind them. Expect a few changes too....