Despite a more competitive performance than the opening weekend, London Cornish again came up short as visitors Battersea Ironsides more clinical approach landed them the 5 points in the 2nd round of fixtures in London 1 South at the REMPF on Saturday. The defeat came at greater cost to the exiles as they lost lock Dave Chalkley to a fractured arm and debutant Alex Davey to concussion to further compound an already lengthy list of absentees and likely increase the number of players Cornish will have used in their opening fixtures beyond the currently extraordinary level of 29!
The match began on warm day on the immaculate 1s pitch at the REMPF, the first league game on this surface since September 2018 after new drainage was laid. Cornish had had to make 9 changes to their starting XV and 11 overall from the previous match and continue to effectively use these opening games as a form of pre season as so many of the lads have barely met, let alone trained together such has been the effect of the pandemic on player recruitment at LCRFC with players only having moved up to London in the late summer. Debuts were handed to South African tight head Matt Scarlet, back rows Davey (from Newton Abbott RFC) and Jack Waving (Caerleon RFC), and backs Fin Robjohn (Chobham RFC), Lee Humphreys and Kieran Rodda (both Falmouth RFC). The latter 2 at least had played together since their school days back home in Gods Country. On the bench Conor Pearce (St Peter’s RFC) and George Jackson (Sudbury RFC) also launched their LCRFC careers.
Cornish played towards the clubhouse in the opening half and in the opening minutes the 2 kickers exchanged penalties, Skipper George Kimmins on target for the exiles. On 9 minutes the home side worked an overlap wide right but knocked on, the ball bouncing up perfectly for the visitors to counter quickly and cross half-way in to the posts, the score not improved but Ironsides 8-3 to the good. With a solid scrum ensuring plenty of ball, it was the exiles who struck next, a Kimmins dummy creating a slither of space for Rodda to arrive on the angle to break the cover and score under the posts, his Skipper giving his side the lead for the first time in a match this season. The lead did not last long though as Ironsides landed another pen on 17 minutes and within 3 minutes they had their second try when a simple missed tackle saw them cross wide left for another unconverted score, their lead now 16-10. This saw then end of Davey’s involvement, Pearce on in his place. Cornish had the chance to close the gap on 23 minutes when Kimmins threw off tacklers and thundered to the shadow of the posts, but when the ball was recycled a poor pass was knocked on with the line at their mercy and the chance was lost. On 26 minutes Cornish fashioned another great chance when they rolled a huge maul following a Chalkley claim to 10 out but again spilt the ball when well positioned, Ironsides countering but also knocking on, both sides showing the rustiness of having played so little in the last 18 months. Just after the half hour mark Cornish were caught offside in midfield for the visitors to extend their lead to 9. On 33 the Cornish scrum forced a penalty, the combo of Scarlett, Jake Slade and the returning Joe Lynch one of the more encouraging aspects of the afternoon. Following the subsequent set pieces Chalkley was left in pain on the floor with what was subsequently diagnosed as a fracture in his arm – off he came for Ciaran Slater to join the fray, Pearce moving into the row. In the remaining minutes of the half, another incisive Rodda break (following a great line out claim by Joe Ferguson, who enjoyed a decent afternoon in the row) again created a chance but the final pass once again hit the deck when a little more composure would surely have seen Cornish close the gap, the exiles turning round 19-10 down.
In the early part of the 2nd half it was clear that Jack Skerritt was struggling with a knock and it did not take long for he to be replaced by Jackson at 9, with all of the backs moving 1 out. On 47 minutes it was Kimmins again with the pen to close the gap to 6 points and the same player produced another rumbustious run to take play into Ironsides 22 on 52 minutes but the ball was lost as it was recycled. On 57 a typically lung busting burst from Niko Mirosevic-Sorgo took play deep into the visitors 22 but to huge frustration a long cut out pass missed its target and the danger was cleared. Both sides erred with their arrows for a period now, a scrappy period seeing neither side with the ascendancy and the game remaining in the balance. Skerritt had to return on 64 minutes when Terry Gillam took a knock to the throat. One feature of the visitors play was the great work of their no 8 who was at the centre of much of the yardage they made on the day in a talismanic role around which his teammates could rally and on 69 minutes his intervention helped take his side clear. Cornish were pinged for not rolling on their 22 and Ironsides 8 took play near the line before one of their number was able to plunge across the line for a converted try. Worse was to follow for the exiles for on their next attack they once more coughed the ball up, Ironsides finding room to waltz down the centre of the pitch and a series of ‘after you sir’ tackles enabling them to land their bonus point try under the posts, the extras taking the score out to a now unassailable 33-13. Though Mirosevic-Sorgo and Kimmins continued to take play to the Surrey side in the remaining minutes, it was somewhat fitting that Cornish should knock on in the final act when well placed as it was in their passing execution that the 2 teams differed on the day.
A decent bunch, Ironsides enjoyed the match and the post match hospitality where the beer and pasties flowed. They will enjoy this first season in London 1 South and make a good addition to it. Good luck to them and we look forward to the return just prior to the Christmas break.
Cornish fielded a young side here with no player in the squad aged 30 or above as they continue to test new combinations on the fly. There is method in this madness and it will take a wee while yet to establish some continuity, but there was room for optimism in this performance despite the injuries. We end by wishing Chalkers a speedy recovery.