With a final 5 point flourish, London Cornish secured the highest place the club has ever attained in the league structure, 3rd in London 2 South-West. The win was not straightforward however, as the exiles had to contend with 4 yellow cards during the match, and since 2 of those were show to the same player the red that followed left the exiles down to 14 men for the last 20 minutes and 13 for the last 10!

After overnight rain, it was a relief to Cornish to find a dry, blustery day and a pitch in fine condition at the REMPF. With injury and unavailability ruling out locks Ben Ievers, Harry Somers, Luke Bridges, Pete Calvert, Dave Hill, Joe Welch and Phil Johnson, a full debut was given to Liskeard lad Alec Vincent and he was partnered by back row Jamie McDonald. With the late drop outs of Will Carew-Gibbs and Simon Brading, a reshuffle saw the exiles in the unusual situation of fielding a very lightweight pack against a Weybridge Vandals pack that is one of the lumpiest in the league. Gregor Morris started at hooker, and Tim Homan shifted to 8 with Mark Osei-Tutu moving to blind side. In the backs, fly half Phil Dale was available again, so Joe Skinnard switched to full back in place of hamstring victim Matt Hakes.

Cornish were asked to play into a very strong wind away from the clubhouse in the opening period, amply demonstrated on 2 minutes when a well struck Luke Spells penalty fall way short. An early scare for the visitors saw Vincent claim a lineout for Rob Healey to head blind and send Robin Heymann away on a jinking run, only downed on the Vandals 22. 4 minutes later, and as Cornish were prevented from taking a quick tap at a penalty, a flashpoint saw a number of players involved in some close quarter activity, the referee binning one from each side. The visitors were the architects of their own downfall on 14 when they kicked a penalty dead from halfway. At the scrum, Dale popped a well delayed pass to centre Craig Chatley to arrow through a gap, draw the full back and send the supporting Vincent over for a try wide right, the conversion wide. Repeatedly and understandably attempting rolling mauls at every opportunity, the visitors finally made their way to the exiles 22 on 17 minutes and were delighted to see Cornish pinged in front of their posts and a man sent to the bin for a technical offence, the exiles down to 13 for 2 minutes, and Vandals on the board with the penalty. Restored to 14, Cornish again threatened out wide, both Heymann and Rich Skinnard a constant threat throughout. On 25 Vandals were incensed to lose a man for offside on the exiles 22, but Cornish fluffed their lines at the lineout and the ball was cleared. 5 minutes later, and following another blind side move from halfway, quick hands from Dale and Spells sent R Skinnard away wide left. A burst of the afterburners and a sidestep was all it took for the Saltash man to register his 16th try in his 16 league games to date for the exiles, the score out to 10-3 with the conversion into the wind unsuccessful. The visitors had to respond quickly with the wind at their backs, and they did when they nudged a scrum forward deep inside the exiles 22 and a missed tackle around the fringes was the only invitation one of their larger back row required to plunge over for an unconverted try. In the final minute of the half, Homan made one of a series of barnstorming breaks to within striking distance but frustratingly for his side the chance went begging with a knock on when well place, Cornish turning round 10-8 to the good.

The next score was likely to be vital, and the home side visibly stepped up the pace in the opening period of the 2nd half. First McDonald won a penalty for holding when Vandals tried to run the ball out of their 22, then after twice wining penalties for lineout offences, Cornish scrum half Healey was too quick for the cover, him tapping and going to dive under the defence to the left of the post for a try converted by Spells. It was all Cornish for a period now, and they hammered away in the same corner in front of the clubhouse, Vandals losing another man to the bin for not rolling away after Chatley had again shown real strength with a driving run. On 51 minutes, Cornish seemingly put the game to bed when they winkled a ball out of a Vandals ruck on half way, Spells scooping it up down the right hand side and sprinting away before checking and passing inside to Heymann. The Falmouth man still had plenty to do, but he has pace to burn and a wicked side step, both of which were used to finish the job with the bonus point try out wide. With the conversion wide, the score was now 22-8 to the exiles. Gradually, the larger Vandals pack were beginning to tire their out hosts, the tackle count of Healey and open side Andrew Eustace well into double figures. Cornish brought on Oli Low for Mike Bond to provide extra ballast to counter the visitors thrust but on 58 minutes the home side suffered a double blow. Vandals finally worked a rolling maul up to and over the exiles line wide left, but while they were celebrating the referee had seen something else, awarding a penalty try and giving a second yellow to an exile back who was thus given a red. With the wind causing havoc for the kickers, Eustace was amazingly able to charge down the conversion attempt slap bang in front of the posts, though the deficit was down to 9. Sensing their opportunity, Vandals upped their game and it required a huge Osei-Tutu tackle on 63 minutes to prevent them entering the exiles 22. An increasing force in the latter stages of the game, the same player was twice involved to win penalties that the exiles kicked to the corner, but the lineouts were not straight and the danger averted. On 70 Cornish lost another man to the bin for a deliberate knock on on halfway. Vandals once more rolled a maul and won a penalty, but were hugely frustrated to see their lineout throw not straight. With time running out, Cornish brought on Italian Giulio Schinaia and Dave Soar to stiffen the sinews for the final visiting assault, and they were both involved in the trench warfare that was the remaining minutes, a fitting end to the exiles season seeing another Healey tackle end a Vandals attack. It was a relieved Cornish that greeted the final whistle having defended with reduced manpower for much of the 2nd half.

Vandals have consolidated their promotion but end up in 10th place in the division, only staying up on matches won. They are very reliant on the rolling maul as a weapon, and the more physical sides in this division have their measure in this respect. Whilst only 10 points separated the team in 6th from the team in 11th in London 2 South-West, Vandals scored the second lowest points in the league and had the second worst points difference so will need to improve if they are not to be embroiled in a similar battle next season.

Cornish achieve their pre season goal of a best ever placing in London 2 South-West, in the process registering their highest number of wins at this level and the most points they have scored too. The aim next season must be to reduce the number of players used in the 22 league matches from the 46 used in this season, and to add a little more depth in a couple of key areas. However, any team that takes 51 out of the 60 available points in its last 12 league games will go into the off season in high spirits, so for the time being at least let the Cornish lads have the plaudits!