Sidcup Land First Win at Exiles Expense!

A familiar refrain for London Cornish supporters as a failure to secure clean set piece ball, and in particular at the lineout, saw the exiles fall to defeat at basement side Sidcup on Saturday. Cornish spent the best part of the opening 5 matches lacking a hooker – now they have this sorted its the locks that require attention. This can only be sorted when the locks who turn up to train are available on the following Saturdays, and the ones who are available on Saturdays actually train on a regular basis! Over to you lads…
The game began on a great surface but in steady showers falling throughout with the visitors playing towards the clubhouse in the opening half. The Kent side were caught offside at a kick in the opening minute, Mike Edworthy giving his side the earliest lead they have held this season, 1 minute in (pictured). With territorial dominance in these early exchanges, Edworthy doubled the lead with another pen on 9 minutes following a deliberate knock on. Sidcup replied with their first attack of note on 15 minutes, when they worked room for their right wing to slide over by the touchline for an unconverted try, and they took the lead 3 minutes later with a penalty after an exile was pinged for rolling on the floor after being tackled. Back came Cornish, Edworthy giving his side the lead as the home side were in at the side, but even at this stage the visiting lineout was malfunctioning, tight head prop Rory Ling claiming 3 lineouts in the opening half about which he looked as surprised as anyone! For a period now defences were on top until the exiles were pinged for not rolling away, the lead retaken by Sidcup at 11-9 with 3 minutes left on the half. In the remaining minutes of the half the exiles half back pairing of George Jackson and Edworthy combined to take play into the home 22, but with a number of players playing for the side for the first or second times this season, the visitors lacked the fluidity across the park to penetrate with any cohesion and when the ball was spread wide, a penalty was conceded for the whistle to sound at the break.
RWC unavailability had forced Cornish to field 5 front row in the pack with the bench solely consisting of props, so it was no surprise to see Mat Hand on at half time for Ling. However, within 3 minutes of the restart he would be standing under his posts, Sidcup quicker out the blocks and finding a curiously pliant exiles d enabling them to drive over half way in from the left hand side, their kicker stretching the lead out to 9. As the rain grew heavier, the lack of a functioning lineout was not lost on the home side, who sought to get the ball off the pitch at every opportunity but struggled when they went wide as Matt Hakes and Fin Tweedie were rock solid in midfield. On 51 minutes loosehead Jimmy New was replaced by tighthead Mark O’Leary, Hand moving to 1. Within 5 minutes Anthony Graham pinched a loose ball on the floor on the home 22 and when the exiles went wide Sidcup were pinged for a high tackle and marched back 10 for dissent. This time Cornish elected for the scrum and as it moved forwards, Mark Osei-Tutu broke off the back to carry would be tacklers with him to crash over for the try wide right, though it wasn’t improved, the score now 18-14 to the Kent side. The next score would be crucial and it came within 3 minutes when Cornish were pinged at a scrum on half way. A great touch finder saw Sidcup gain a lineout 10 out on the left hand side in front of a group of their supporters, and when the maul was sacked one of the home pack drove to the line where a try was awarded, the conversion taking the lead out to 11. With 17 remaining there was still plenty of time for the exiles to get back in the match and they won a penalty for blocking at the restart, kicked to 10 out down the right hand side. Tony Pellow hit Nathan Smith at the lineout but as the maul formed a home lock simply pulled it down, him consigned to 10 in the bin, Cornish bringing on Ryan Abraham for a tired Graham at this point. Electing for a thrice reset scrum, as it twisted the ball was picked up and an exile was downed by a no arms tackle, a second Sidcup player binned. Once more the visitors elected for the scrum as the home side had sacrificed a back to ensure they had parity up front. This time the ball was worked to Hakes to make a break through the middle and free up his arms to pass to Alec Gregory to take the ball to the house and round towards the posts, making Edworthy’s conversion easier, the deficit reduced to 4 with the extras. Crucially, Sidcup responded with a rare attack and won a kickable penalty with 7 left on the clock – their kicker landed the kick, George Bromage taking a knock and Cornish having to move Jack Waving to the backs with no backs replacements on the bench, New back on in the pack. With both their binned men back on the pitch for the last 5, Sidcup would hope to see out the remaining minutes, but they were pinned back in their 22 as they conceded penalty after penalty, Osei-Tutu making ground with every carry and O’Leary hitting angles to catch out the drift d. With a minute left the referee lost patience with the home side and binned another player. One last thrust took Cornish a few feet out, but those ball carriers who could carry were well marshalled whilst some could barely raise a gallop. With time up a long pass was missed out wide and when a retreating exile gathered it, he was pinged for holding on, the whistle sounding to great jubilation for the home side, deserved victors for their more clinical approach on the day.
Sidcup have a decent set up and this was a fairly contested match. Their bar was understandably packed post match as everyone dived inside with heavy rain falling. We look forward to welcoming them to the REMPF for the first time ever towards the seasons end.
The break week gives Cornish time to regroup ahead of the run up to the Xmas hiatus. The club will be looking for an element of bouncebackability from this point on!