London Cornish provided promotion contenders Sevenoaks with a stern test, both of their 100% home record, and of their promotion credentials in a titanic arm wrestle of a match in cold, heavy conditions at The Knowle in London 1 South on Saturday. In the final analysis, the home side prevailed by making the most of 2 of the very few clean line breaks on the day, securing the 2 tries that were the difference between two well matched sides.
Cornish knew their task was a big one, Oaks having felled both runaway league leaders Brighton and free scoring Camberley at home so far this season. Whilst the match began with the visitors opening playing towards the football ground, many spectators elected for the warm and dry of the clubhouse, as a filthy day was enhanced by a spiteful wind blowing into the face of those stepping out of the front door. The Kent side were quickly on the board, landing a penalty on 5 minutes as an exile attempted to winkle a ball out of ruck with his feet. Cornish were next to attack, and it took all of the home sides organisation to repel a multi-phase attack, with forwards Oli Low, Harry Somers, George Shirlaw and Dan Leo to the fore. After 7 minutes spent in or around the home 22, the visitors finally won a penalty, lifted between the uprights by Skip George Kimmins. Oaks have clearly outmuscled many opponents in the tight and the maul this season, but had maybe forgotten that one of their 2 defeats was at the hands of the exiles in the second round of matches. When the home side attempted to roll a maul over for a score on 22 minutes, they were simply manhandled into touch for the danger to be cleared. With driving rain getting into the players faces and the pitch, there were plenty of handling errors as freezing hands could not grasp the ball. Dan Phoenix, playing against his former club along with fellow back 3 Jamie Owen, made a clean break into the home 22 on 31 minutes but the ball was lost at the next phase. On 33, a Kimmins chip was grassed by the home wing, and at the scrum Cornish drove play to the line, scrum half Rich Stephens pulled into the ruck, Kimmins giving his side the lead with the resultant pen. Needing to see out play to the half, the visitors relaxed for a moment, and the wrecking ball home prop saw his chance to power through a half hearted tackle deep into the exiles 22, from where the ball was recycled quickly for the Oaks right wing to scoot over for an unconverted try. This was the home sides only visit to the red zone in the half, but they had made it really count and turned round 8-6 to the good.
With both teams heading to the huts at the break, a longer than normal break meant the gathering gloom worsened in the 2nd half, the conditions no fun for either side or those watching. Cornish replaced Low with Guy Sullivan up front, his just about the only visible shirt on any forward on the park. On 42 minutes, an exiles forward was binned for an alleged no arms tackle at a clearout, the referee not seeing the clearly wrapped left arm on his blind side, the card seeing those few Oaks supporters on the far side from the clubhouse chuckling at the injustice. This was to prove very costly for the visitors, for with their next attack the same prop dashed through a gap, quick ball recycled to send a fellow forward rumbling over wide left for another unconverted try. Now 7 points down, Cornish needed to respond, and respond they did, pinning Oaks back inside their 22 for a full 7 minutes of lung bursting runs and mauls, Jake Slade, James La Broy, Sam Vaughan and Chris Smart all half through but clawed back when the space appeared to open up . On a couple of occasions the home side regained possession but could not clear their lines far, the relentless attacks fully testing their mettle and technique. On 58 minutes it was Leo who broke clean through, and though he ran through the first tackle, his support runners could not arrive at enough pace to take the ball to the house from just inside the Oaks 22. Eventually, Cornish spilt the ball on the line as they reached out to try and score, the home side gleefully able to lift the ball into the gathering darkness downfield. On 65 minutes, and after concerted pressure of their own, it was Oaks who lost the ball near the line, but on this occasion they had an advantage, which their kicker used to take the lead out to a precious 10 points. With the pitch approaching unplayable in patches with the tram lines in front of the club house all but obliterated by mud in some areas, the remaining minutes of the match were played out in the middle third of the pitch, lineouts a lottery and the backs simply bogged down in the mire. The light had faded fast, and with neither side fielding a change strip it had become virtually impossible to tell the 2 packs apart in those closing minutes, but it is to the 2 teams great credit that they made every effort to try and play their way through it, no quarter given or asked in terms of the physicality. When the final whistle sounded, everyone made for the changing rooms, the Oaks cameraman up high in his stanchion deserving of some kind of medal for bravery!
A shorter report than normal simply because it was nigh on impossible to take notes, though the match itself was compelling. Sevenoaks were gracious in victory, and deserved their win for being more clinical when they had the opportunity. Their challenge will not fail for their home form, so expect it to last deep into the season. We wish them well.
Cornish have been given a sharp reminder that improvement needs to be continuous, and though they left The Knowle with plenty of plaudits, they also did so with no points. No injuries to report, and a few more new players ready to bed in for early 2019, so you can expect the upward curve to continue to develop post the festive break!