London Cornish moved 6 points clear of the chasing pack and 4 points behind league leaders Totts, with a withering second half display at home to Warlingham in a thoroughly entertaining London 2 South-West encounter on Saturday. The title contenders had to come from 17-19 behind at the break as the enterprising visitors became the first side this season in any competition to score more than 2 tries against the exiles, more of which to follow as the feat was achieved in one half by one player on his first ever start at this level! Cornish will have been particularly pleased to see the backline click in that second period, watching England international Alex Goode (who had mates playing for both teams) commenting that the exiles had some great finishers to pair with a powerful pack.

Warlingham have already proved a worthy addition to London 2 South-West this season, having lowered the exiles colours with a last ditch penalty win in the reverse fixture, so Cornish went into the game wary of their visitors. With the game being played on the same pitch as last weeks win over Winchester, the surface was in excellent condition considering the steady rain and snow that had affected the morning. It did not take long for returning wing Rich Skinnard (one of 3 backs returning to action who had missed the Winchester game, the others being centres Craig Chatley and Luke Spells) to stamp his mark on the match, returning a clearing kick with interest to take play to the visiting 22. A series of hammering phases later gave the room his brother Joe Skinnard required to launch a beautifully weighted crossfield kick to the waiting arms of Matt Hakes, him crossing unchallenged for a try wide right, skilfully converted into the wind by Josh Allison, 7 minutes on the clock. Any thoughts Cornish had that this would be one way street were put to bed just 3 minutes later, and again on 35 and 38 minutes by the same player. For a teenager making his debut at this level, Declan Williams finishing on Saturday served notice of a raw talent who is destined for higher things, and he is at the right club to shepherd that talent. His first involved a fine fend, a swerve to the outside and a sprint for the corner; his second was even better, him leaving 3 exiles in his wake to finish in the same spot; his hat-trick try demonstrated another ability, him latching on to a fly hack to clear away from desperate cover and get the bounce his dribbling skills deserved to score under the posts. The last prompted one of his teammates to add “I don’t know his name, but I know he’s scored all 3!” Two of these tries were converted, making the score at half-time 17-19, as in response the home side had landed an Allison penalty on 18 minutes and a rolling maul try courtesy of Bond on 31 after Ben Ievers had claimed another lineout (he had another of those days that makes you wonder if he knows the oppo’s lineout calls!).

Right from the off in the match, Cornish had demonstrated a massive dominance in the tight, Mike Bond, Will Carew-Gibbs and Skip Dave Theobald eviscerating their opposite numbers. In the absence of top try scorer Mark Osei-Tutu (who will be out for 4-6 weeks with knee and ankle ligament damage suffered scoring against Winchester), it was a man of the match performance by Cornishman Ben Devonport (pictured) at no 8 that proved the bedrock of the exiles win on the back of his front V’s work, particularly in the second period. Cornish had made a tactical switch at the break, moving their own speedster Rich Skinnard across from the other wing to mark young Williams. They also now had a freshening breeze at their backs, which Allison in particular used well to find decent field position with booming kicks. From one of these, Cornish won a scrum 10 metres out, and simply drove Warly back over their line for Devonport to score, this one unconverted but the lead back with the exiles. This try brought the long awaited return of former Prem player Simon Brading, on at 6 in place of Chris Anstey, who had enjoyed a quietly efficient match with fellow flank Andrew Eustace. Brading is not really the type of player you want to be facing when you are a fresh side, let alone a tiring and underpowered one. This was his first appearance of the season following a steadily managed return from a long term injury. However, it was another returning player who stole the show on 56 minutes, Rich Skinnard taking a ball on an arcing run on a set play, his pace seeing him through a gap and then an exquisite show and go giving him the room to fool the cover and plunge over the line for the bonus point try, the score now 27-19 with the conversion narrowly wide. Rob Healey produced another great kick on 65 minutes to land Warly back in the same corner, and when Harry Somers forced the knock on, the visitors were pinged for hands in, Allison taking his side out to 30 with the penalty. Now chasing the game, the Surrey side were caught in possession on 72 minutes, Ievers utilising his long levers before offloading to Hakes to show he too has decent finishing skills, the same corner having a monopoly on tries and missed conversions. Prop Rory Ling was given his debut for Bond at this point, and on 75 from a scrum on half-way, Devonport produced a coruscating run before being felled in the visitors 22, replacement scrummie Sam Williams working the ball blind for Rich Skinnard to sprint over for the final try, this too unconverted.
Warlingham are a club who nurture talent so well, demonstrably in the case of the current England Skipper. They play a great brand of rugby and will be a force next season if they can bolt on some gnarl in their pack. They played their full part in an open game of rugby, and we wish them well in the remainder of the season.

Results elsewhere meant the 5 points won here had lifted Cornish and Totts more than one win clear of the rest of the league. However, the two clubs long standing tenancy in the division will have taught them one thing in particular – there are no gimme’s in this league so the focus can only ever be on the next game.