There are all kinds of different styles in London 2 South-West, which is why it can be such a tough test of sides and why the league winners in recent seasons have powered through the league above the following season. Witness the results on this day, when only 2 of the top 6 were able to register a win, and where the only away win was registered against the league leaders! Effingham & Leatherhead always present a unique challenge, a stifling side with a destructive ability to break up game plans, the challenge they offer is a little like taking on traditional Irish sides, and they supplement this style with some outstanding individual players through the spine of the team; few teams actually thump Effingham, and it is rare for them to concede the bonus point. That, coupled with the need for London Cornish to bounce back from back to back defeats, made the exiles bonus point win all the more meritorious on Saturday, it being achieved by 2 goals, 2 tries and a penalty to 1 try and 4 penalties.

Cornish had made the promised changes following the late collapse in the match at Guildford the previous week, though a couple were forced as loosehead Mike Bond had suffered concussion, George Johnson switching to prop and Will Carew-Gibbs in at hooker, and fly half Rich McKeown had to work, Graeme Smeaton an able deputy. In at 9 came Josh Furniss, after a string of decent performances for the 2s, some 3 seasons after his league debut, a match in which he had broken his ankle. Former Bristol Uni centre Luke Spells was recalled at centre, and Tom Dorse on the wing. On the bench a debut would be given to Liam McConnell – look out for this player in the future at Cornish; a tall and beautifully balanced runner, he can play anywhere in the back 3 and is a decent finisher. He joins from Loughborough Uni and will be a real asset to the club in the next few seasons.

Cornish played away from the clubhouse in the opening half, a warm and sunny day greeting a crowd bolstered by a decent following for the visitors. Despite warnings that the Effingham kicker has a prodigious boot, it didn’t take long for the exiles to concede a string of penalties, one for crossing and another for offside gifting the visitors an early 6-0 lead. Though no 8 Simon Brading attempted to lift his side with a couple of early driving runs, his side were hampered early by a rusty lineout coughing up ball, and by inaccurate passing when in good field position. On 15 minutes E’s extended their lead further when Cornish were pinged for a scrummage offence, and suddenly the lead was becoming threatening at 0-9. A quick response was required, and suddenly the exiles snapped into life, and how! Furniss sniped blind on halfway, linking with Smeaton and then Dorse, the former Cullompton man drawing the wing and sending full back Nick Harlock into space wide right. With alarm bells sounding amongst the visiting rearguard, audible instructions on how to cope with the bang in form back were relayed too late, Harlock stepping on the gas to go outside one man and then stepping to leave the next flat footed as he sped away to round under the posts for his 11th try of this league season, Spells adding the conversion to reduce the arrears to 2. Effingham were next to attack, but Dorse demonstrated why he had been selected, forcing a knock on in a tackle inside the 22. Another Es attack was halted when their 9 hesitated long enough for Mark Osei-Tutu to launch himself at the slighter man, smashing the poor lad backwards and into next week! With 23 gone Cornish produced a move that would have had their coaching team purring, a lineout ball to the back launched at Andrew Preston, who athletically sprung the ball down to Furniss. A wonderful delayed pass sent Spells thundering through a gap and into the visitors 22, him drawing the last man before sending fellow centre Iain Short away to hand off the final tackle and away for a fine try wide left, though this one was not converted. Now Cornish were playing at a tremendous pace, Brading and Spells constantly over the gainline. Effingham were beginning to bicker, and back chat on 29 minutes saw them concede a penalty, quickly tapped by Furniss and quick hands sending wing Robin Heymann away only for his final inside pass to be knocked dead by the Surrey side, some debate about a penalty try made immaterial by what followed. The scrum V saw the exiles front row march their opposite numbers inexorably back over their line, Brading the beneficiary as he simply fell on the ball for the try, which Spells converted half way in from the left hand touchline. With the recriminations now audible under the visitors posts, the mood wasn’t lightened when the restart didn’t make the distance. Back came the exiles, Harlock and Spells both threats whenever they touched the ball. On 36 minutes, after fine work by both Spells and Furniss after a Preston turnover had the Es defence at 6s and 7s on their 22, it was Short who made the final incision, his pass giving Heymann all the room he needed to dive over for the bonus point try wide left. Though not converted, Cornish had just scored 4 tries in little over 20 minutes, not such a surprise when you note that this is the third highest scoring side in the league. In the final few minutes of the half Harlock again broke clear, this time down the right flank from on his 22, clearing away from the first line defence he drew the full back but the final pass to Osei-Tutu arriving at pace flew behind his man with a clear run to the line ahead. The whistle sounded for the break shortly afterward, the home side in the clear at 24-9, though the penalties conceded just about keeping the visitors in touch.

Fired up by a half-time roasting, Effingham began the second period in rumbustious mood, a couple of off the ball fracas noted by the spectators if not the arbiter. 4 minutes in, Cornish conceded a penalty for going off their feet, this one just outside the 22 a formality for the Es 10. Though the impressive Preston claimed the restart, and Cornish began to turn the screw in the tight, Es had now upped their game and for the first time in the game looked more threatening with ball in hand. On 47 minutes they seized their moment, quick hands sending their full back away to beat the final defender and reach over for a conversion wide right. The lad has a fine record in this division over many seasons, and his consistent performances are one of the reasons his club are so tough to beat year in, year out. Though he had successfully landed a kick from a similar spot earlier, the visiting 10 could not add the extras this time but the score was now 24-17. Cornish now reasserted their authority in the best way they knew how, Johnson, Carew-Gibbs and Skip Dave Theobald turning over an Es scrum and then winning a penalty when the visitors were in good field position. As they attempted to force their visitors to attack from deep, the home side twice kicked the ball dead in a 5 minute spell, before another piercing Heymann dash saw him step into the visiting 22 following a punishing burst by the marauding lock Pete Calvert, though on this occasion the wing was too quick for his support and was pinged for holding. Back came Es as the game began to really open up, an angled kick fly hacked on by one of their backs until it rolled tantalizingly over the try line, Osei-Tutu quickest to react to ensure it was touched down for the drop out. This was his last action of the match, him succumbing to an injury suffered in an earlier melee, Chris Turner on in his place at 7 and Preston moving to 6. Now having seemed to lose his range, the visiting 10 missed a quite kickable penalty on 60, and was soon made to pay, a series of pick and drives by Carew-Gibbs, Tom Stock, Calvert, Theobald, Preston and Turner being enhanced by another thundering carry from Brading, his offload to Preston seeing the Es d pinged bang in front inside their 22. Spells, enjoying his best game in Cornish colours, launched the penalty between the posts and the lead out to 27-17. Just minutes later the visitors again missed a kickable penalty, and when the drop out went out on the full, they were driven clean off their own ball at the ensuing scrum for lines to be cleared. Cornish made their final changes now, Gregg Quixley on in place of Johnson, and McConnell on for Heymann in straight swaps. Es continued to attack from deep, and twice big tackles from Spells and McConnell halted their progress, the second time for the ball to be knocked on. At the scrum, Cornish drove Effingham back to within 6 feet of their try line before the visiting skipper simply broke his bind and tackled Brading as he controlled the ball at the base of the set play. Cornish have only been awarded 2 penalty tries all season despite their hugely dominant scrum, referees simply seeming unwilling to give the ultimate award, and here the arbiter binned the miscreant but gave no try. Calling for a reset, this time the scrum skewed and when Brading broke, he was met by fine defence. Try as they might in the final few minutes, Cornish could not add to their score, and the final whistle went on a breathless match a short time later.

Though Effingham slip down to 9th after this defeat, they should enough points in the locker to fend off any late rally by Teddington, and the two sides actually meet on the final day of the season. As ever, they are great guests and we look forward to seeing them again next season, their particular brand of rugby sure to be a puzzle some will not solve again next year.

Cornish responded well to the promptings of their coaching team following the previous weeks defeat. Here a few players put their hands up for future selection, and those returning from injury and/or holiday may find their shirts not quite as secure as they may have originally thought. A best ever finish of 4th place in the league is still within the clubs grasp, and the closing weeks could be good to watch at LCRFC!