A game for the supporters rather than the coaches, London Cornish and Effingham shared 70 points in a topsy-turvy, helter-skelter match at the Surrey sides Browns Lane HQ in London 2 South-West on Saturday. The exiles snatched the draw late in the game despite being down to 14 men for the final 13 minutes following the loss of both their 9 and 10 to injury in the second period.

For the second time this season, Cornish had stumbled into an injury crisis, and entered this match having lost 4 front row in the last 2 weeks and having had to change 2 of their 3 back row from the previous week. There were full debuts for Alex Soskin at 7 and Phil Francis on the wing, the latter after wing Robin Heymann had failed a fitness test on his injured foot during the week. There was also a recall for 39 year old loosehead Gregg Quixley, his first start at this level for 4 years. Effingham had suffered the tragic death during the week of one of their coaching team, and a minutes silence was immaculately observed in front of an understandably large crowd gathered alongside the leafy top pitch. The home side made no secret in the matchday programme of the fact that they were able to call on most of their squad for the first time this season, so the exiles knew this was not going to be an easy afternoon for all of the above reasons.

Cornish played down the slope in the opening period and were quickly on the attack, fly half Rich McKeown angling a well weighted grubber down the right flank for the ball to be knocked on by the covering Effingham wing. A few phases was all it took before McKeown hit the bang in form exiles full back Nick Harlock on a classic switch, him clearing away untouched under the posts, the fly half adding the extras for his side to be 7-0 up inside 3 minutes. A feature of the match were the superb restarts from the home 10, every single one bang on the money and causing no end of problems for the exiles in the low, watery sunlight. His first one now set his side on the attack, and only a scrambling cover tackle from Harlock down the left flank prevented an instant reposte on 4 minutes. On 6 minutes of a breathless start, Cornish countered from a poor kick, Stefan Duda scooping up the ball down the left wing and linking with Harlock and no 8 Mark Osei-Tutu before a final inside ball to centre Graeme Smeaton saw a knock on just on the home 22. The visitors did not have to wait long to add to their lead however, scrum-half Tom Jacob sniping blind to hit McKeown on an arc, then Ian Keith taking the ball on to send Smeaton outside his man. He was tackled by the covering Effingham wing but able to offload to Francis, who crashed across the line wide right, the conversion sliding across the face of the posts but the lead already 12-0. The end to end nature of the game continued, the home side going close on 14 before knocking on the final pass and then gaining reward on 17, though this try had an element of fortune about it. Working the ball from left to right inside the exiles 22, a huge Keith hit on his opposite number dislodged the ball, which ricocheted straight into the arms of the onrushing Effingham wing to canter over untouched under the posts, the score converted. Cornish responded immediately, lock Pete Calvert driving over the gainline from the restart and McKeown doing the same, a few phases later quick hands enabling Harlock to walk over the line wide right for his second converted score, only 20 minutes gone but the exiles 19-7 to the good. With Quixley doing an outstanding job in the tight and the lose and very few lineouts in the opening half, the exiles were on the offensive again on 23, the loosehead punching a hole in the home d before an Es forward was pinged for hands in, McKeown launching a long range penalty from the left hand side between the posts for a 22-7 lead. You sensed that there would be plenty more points in the game, neither defence operating with particular solidity. Sure enough, with half an hour gone, the home 10 sashayed his way through on an arc to cross under the posts for a converted score, Cornish having declined 3 opportunities to clear their lines from set pieces. Within 2 minutes the carefully crafted lead had been reduced to 1, Es repeated phases gaining ground at every attempt before one of their forwards went clear from 5 metres out to score to the left of the posts, the conversion another formality. Three minutes later and Harlock again made ground, this time arrowing up the right wing before sending Francis into space, him stepping outside his man and into the 22 before the exiles conceded a penalty at the ruck for the ball to be cleared. The final action of an exhausting half saw Jacob snipe and then Theobald and Johnson take the ball on before Es were again pinged for hands in. The penalty was just a few steps inside the Effingham half, but McKeown took dead aim and launched a huge kick, which had the legs but drifted just to the left of the posts, the score at the break 22-21 to Cornish.

The visitors were quickly out of the blocks in the second period, blind side Andrew Preston breaking down the left flank and offloading to Osei-Tutu before Es were caught offside in midfield inside their 22, McKeown extending the lead to 4 points. Now it was the Surrey sides turn again, them working a 3 on 2 inside the exiles 22 but an immense Francis tackle preventing the final man from being able to place the ball down after he crashed across the line. A strong Smeaton tackle ensured the ball was knocked on following the scrum, but Cornish now handed the initiative straight back to their hosts at the ensuing scrum, the ball not cleared but an option to run taken, one offload followed by an exile passing straight to an Es player inside the 22 and quick hands sending in a gleeful home forward for the converted score, the home side now 28-25 ahead. McKeown pulled a hamstring during the melee, and was replaced by the fit again Stu Bell on the wing, Francis moving to his more accustomed position of centre and Smeaton to 10. Now the game settled for a period, Cornish hitting Tom Stock at a few lineouts to ensure clean ball and both sides managing to steady their defences. Seemingly worried by Harlocks countering, the home 10 did not play the territory as he might, and clearing kicks were not making such great distance forcing his side to defend deeper and deeper. On 61 Cornish replaced Calvert with Phil Ridsdale and he had an instant impact, claiming a lineout and driving his side from halfway to the 15 metre line before successive penalties gave Cornish great field position inside the home 22 down the right flank. However, to great frustration a messy lineout saw the ball knocked on and the ball cleared to the 15. Ridsdale again claimed the lineout, and this time quick, clean ball saw Bell strike a superb line off his former university mate Smeaton, the defensive line breached and Bells pace taking him clear for a wonderful score just to the left of the posts. While a few players debated who should take the conversion, Jacob simply stepped up and drop goaled the extras! Now Cornish gave Quixley a rest, him the type of player every club needs in emergency situations such as these, his job done and him having given everything for the cause, Rich Fisher on in his place. With the lead 4 points, Cornish were again the architects of their own destruction, picking up from a scrum, knocking on the ball and then conceding a kickable penalty. The home 2 dropped his knee into the small of the prostrate Jacobs back after the scrum, the cheap shot not seen by the referee and nor was it in keeping with the match, but Jacob could not continue so the exiles would play the remaining 13 minutes with 14 men having used all their replacements. Some justice was done in that the home 10 does not have the range of McKeown, and his shot was short and left. Back came Es, riding on an emotional tidal wave following a tough week for the club, their wing nearly clear wide left but thumped into touch by Osei-Tutu. Though Cornish cleared their lines, it was not enough and the defence parted as if to invite an Es forward to bullock through and under the posts untouched, the lack of the extra back meaning no full back home to challenge him. The conversion gave the home side the lead with 5 left at 35-32. Now the exiles would need to show some ticker, and they were shown a modicum of charity as two Es players went for the restart and knocked it on. In the panic that followed, Cornish worked the ball left to right across the Effingham 22 and caught the home side offside. Up stepped Smeaton, already having demonstrated that he is a capable 10, and now he drilled a great penalty between the uprights to draw the game level for the first time since the opening minutes. There was still time for one more attempt, but Es pick and drive was halted in side the Cornish half, a penalty awarded for holding as Johnson snaffled the ball, Smeaton kicking the ball into touch for the final whistle to sound.

Down the years, Effingham have been a side capable of defying a position in the bottom half of the table by beating sides in the top few. Don’t bet against them repeating the dose again at some stage this season as they possess plenty of weaponary and most of their best players are back in action again now. The awful incident at the club earlier in the week drew the club closer still, and the strength of feeling was demonstrated by the numbers at the club on the day, the Eagles family as one. Cornish pass on our condolences and it was perhaps fitting that there was no winner on the day. The exiles are simply relieved to have the week off, many of the injured back in contention for the remaining matches up to Christmas.