There are some things you just cannot control; the kit manufacturers failing to deliver the new 50th Anniversary commemorative kit in time for the new season for example, and the fixture list, which had sadistically arranged for London Cornish to play their 2 longest trips of the season against arguably 2 of the strongest sides in the league on the opening two weekends of this new London 2 South-West season! A tough assignment for any club, let alone one with a new Head Coach and new gameplan in a squad undergoing a transition. However, you play the cards you are dealt, and in this first ever match between London Cornish and Portsmouth at the hosts Norway Road HQ, the exiles were edged out by a goal, a try and two penalties to a goal and two penalties as their late rally was not quite enough to claim the win.

A warm sunny day greeted the two teams and a decent crowd of over 100 assembled on the balcony and around a big pitch with a sensible covering of grass given how hard the ground still is. Cornish had given debuts to 4 players in Andrew Dinwiddie at 6, Chris Anstey at 7, Tim Oakes at 8 and Tom Elliott at fly half, lock Phil Ridsdale and scrum half Dave Madigan returning to action after long periods out. Ridsdale was quickly in action, bursting through a gap before the ball was recycled and a forward pass called the action back. Elliott probed in behind the home sides back 3 early on, angled kicks pinning them in the corner in front of their clubhouse, but a scrum infringement relieved the pressure and allowed them to clear after they had conceded a scrum V following a mishandled pass fumbled over their line. With 13 on the clock, and somewhat against the run of play, the Pompey no 8 burst away inside his own half and was felled just outside the exiles 22. As the ball was worked left to right across the line, the home 10 dummied his way past a Cornish forward and away from the cover to dive over for the score by the posts, the conversion remarkably pushed wide. Cornish responded, winning a penalty that they kicked to the same clubhouse corner but criminally throwing to the back in a stiffening breeze for the ball to be cleared. Pressurizing the Portsmouth scrum, the visitors turned the ball over on the floor as Oakes and Will Carew-Gibbs ripped the ball clear, only for a knock on 5 metres out to stem the tide. Whilst mounting their next attack on 21, the exiles nearly conceded again when a spilt ball was fly hacked twice to the shadows of the try line only for Elliott to bravely fall on the ball and facilitate a clearance. The respite didn’t last long, a player going off his feet giving the home kicker the chance to redeem himself, which he did to nudge his side out to an 8-0 lead. On 24 the Portsmouth 11 wriggled out of a tackle and set off on an angled run from inside his own half. Finding the exiles defence as generous as his club President, he was able to clear clean away until a superb, bonecrunching covering tackle by Phil Francis, coming across from the opposite wing felled him and ended the attack with a penalty for holding. The collision forced the brave Francis off the pitch for the rest of the match to replaced by Dave Soar. Pompey quickly won another pen some way out, but this long range kick was wide and short. Cornish continued to dominate at scrum time, but passes went to ground or even straight into touch as the visitors seemed to force the game. On 33 a Stuart Bell counter attack from an aimless kick drove play deep into the Ps half, where the exiles won a penalty for a player in at the side, centre Luke Spells reducing the arrears to 5. 3 minutes later Cornish conceded another very soft try, the home centre able to dance through a few ‘after you sir’ tackles to round the posts for a converted try. There was still enough time for both sides to win kickable penaltes, Spells converting his after yet another home scrummage infringement, but the home kicker sliding his left from distance, the half time whistle going at 15-6 to the Hampshire side.

Portsmouth opened the second period keeping the ball tight and using the rolling maul, but teams seldom make this tactic work against Cornish and Anstey twice emerged with the ball. On 44 minutes Cornish won a penalty some way out to the right hand side, but Spells effort faded narrowly right and the exiles very nearly paid the penalty for switching off as the home side countered rather than touching down, only a forward pass halting their progress. They did extend their lead 4 minutes later however, a point blank effort following a ruck offence. Cornish brought on Mark Osei-Tutu in place of Ridsdale at this juncture, Dinwiddie moving into the row. Gradually, the balance of the game began to shift the exiles way, Carew-Gibbs pinching ball on the floor and Madigan picking up the tempo. Sensing this, the home fly half tried a very long range drop goal on 51, which barely made it off the ground. Soar was quick to react, taking a quick 22 to himself he sprinted up the left flank and linked with the rampaging Osei-Tutu. Bouncing the first tackler, he charged up to the home 22, the ball worked through Oakes, Skip Dave Theobald and Madigan for Ps to be pinged deep inside their 22. Electing to take a scrum, Cornish were twice more foiled by scrum offences as they drove their opponents back. Bringing on George Johnson at hooker in place of Carew-Gibbs, the exiles hammered away for fully 5 minutes, repeatedly winning penalties but not kicking them before they finally knocked the ball on in midfield for the home side to clear and regain some territorial advantage. Portsmouth won a penalty and tried to close the game out from some range but the kick fell wide with 14 left. On 69 minutes the home side won a series of penalties in front of their clubhouse deep inside the Cornish 22. The third of these saw a Cornish forward binned, a little harshly considering how many times the home side had transgressed in the previous skirmish in their 22 without similar punishment. However, Portsmouth found the Cornish defence reinforced now, and on 73 minutes Johnson pinched the ball on the floor to win a penalty, which Madigan took quickly hitting Spells, full back Tom Dorse and Bell to break from their own try line. As the latter linked with Madigan, the retreating Portsmouth 14 simply knocked the ball away, him too sent to the bin, but Cornish criminally kicking the penalty dead. Cornish had hit turbocharge now though, and Osei-Tutu was at the heart of much of the good work, powering through tackles and giving Madigan a target at every breakdown. Charging up the left flank after Dorse had recovered the drop out, the pair linked to send Dinwiddie into a slight gap, the debutant demonstrating no shortage of power to crash through the final tackle and slam the ball over the line for the score wide left. Spells steadied himself to send an excellent conversion into the wind and through the uprights, the deficit down to 5. With the home side visibly wilting in the heat, Cornish attacked from range again with 2 minutes left, Elliott showing real pace up that same left flank, linking with Bell who broke a despairing tackle, to draw the cover and hit Osei-Tutu on his inside, only for a following exile to concede the penalty as he dived off his feet at the ruck inside the Portsmouth 22, a huge overlap begging with many of the home players lagging behind play. Try as they might to wind the clock down, the home side were struggling to contain their rejuvenated visitors until they won another penalty at a maul, this one kicked out to much jubilation (and some relief!) from the home players and support.

Portsmouth’s Committee and supporters are another credit to the game of rugby union, and the club is a welcome addition to London 2 South-West, even if it is for the one season sabbatical they hope it to be! They were generous post match, and it was also great to see former Redruth Captain Roy Harris in attendance, him having lived in Portsmouth since the early 60’s. Though the game smacked of early season uncertainty, both sides will take something from the game and will look forward to the return on the last day of the season!

These early weeks of the season are always tough ones for the exiles, training on scrubland until they can move to their normal training pitch in early October and without their most experienced quad of last seasons Player of the Year Nick Harlock, top points scorer Rich McKeown, former England U21 and Bedford Premier Division player Simon Brading, and Surrey county lock Pete Calvert, all of whom will return over the next few weeks. In such an unforgiving league, it is going to be a tough ask to blend in a new coach and gameplan and expect instant results, but this performance was encouraging and the last 20 especially so. The point gained here may yet be crucial one if the club is to better its 4th placed finish of last season.