Hammers Looking Up But Made to Work for Win!

London Cornish completed the seasons quota of away matches in this inaugural Regional 2 Thames season when they made the trip to Champions elect Hammersmith & Fulham at Hurlingham Park on Saturday, the exiles 8th away trip in the last 9 games. A much-changed squad with an unfamiliar back line competed superbly for 60 minutes but eventually gave best conceding 5 tries in the last quarter to end a well beaten side. The pitch was bone hard in parts and bereft of grass in patches, so it was a blessing that steady drizzle fell in the hour before kick off as Cornish lost 3 players to playing career ending injuries on it the last time they played there.
The exiles began playing away from the river end in the 1st half with the breeze and rain in their faces. Early Hammers pressure was ended on 2 minutes when Kyle Hughes won a penalty with a jackal, though the intention from the home side was clear from the get-go, they were going to run everything. Cornish responded with a controlled period of possession driven by a fine performance from no 8 Niko Mirosevic-Sorgo who twice carried into the home half to win a penalty, which was kicked to 10 out down the left hand side, the visitors winning another lineout when the initial maul was pulled down. Tom Carr won the subsequent lineout from Ciaran Slaters arrow, the maul was set and as it drove to the line it was Gibraltar International back row Oscar Cruz on hand to drive over for the try (pictured smiling after he has scored), though the conversion was missed, Cornish 5-0 up with 8 on the clock. Clearly slow starting, Hammers began to gain territory and on the quarter hour mark kicked a penalty to 10 out. Their maul was brought down but they finally sent a reverse pass to their centre who skipped through a tackle to score by the posts, the conversion putting his side 2 points ahead. Any notion that the exiles would roll over at this point was soon scotched as first George Bromage and then George Jackson produce huge line breaks to take play deep into the home half. The second of these on 22 minutes precipitated a furious exiles assault on the Hammers line before Mike McEwen broke far enough through a tackle to reach out and plant the ball over the line for another unconverted try to restore his sides lead. Back came Hammers, only a fine tackle at full stretch by debutant Fergus Gibson preventing a score on 25 minutes. The exiles made a couple of changes around the half hour mark, Jimmy New and Conor Pearce replaced by the returning Tony Pellow and Adam Wheeler. Gradually, the exiles conceded territory and though able to sack a couple of mauls, they could not stem the tide, the home side able to send a centre over by the posts for another converted try to take the score to 14-10 with 3 left on the half. Throughout the match, both sides made a real horlicks of claiming restarts and another spill from Hammers allowed Cornish field position once more. Ben Boorman, playing out of position at fly half for the first time, prised open the home d before being blocked as he chipped ahead on the home 22, the offender sent to the bin. Bromage stepped up and drove the penalty between the posts to leave his side a point down but a man up at the break.
An early Hammers foray in the 2nd half saw the ball spilt on the exiles 22 and Bromage fly hack to the other end of the pitch where the home side scrambled the ball clear. However, with both teams transgressing when they had territorial advantage, there was no pattern to the play in the opening 10 minutes of the half. On 50 minutes Cornish were pinged then walked back 10 for some chat, a rarity for the exiles this season. This passage of play saw Hughes replaced with a knock for Matt Hakes to come on at centre. Hammers launched a maul then flung passes across the pitch, the second of which flew into touch much to their frustration. However, the steady stream of replacements was now having an effect on the balance of the exiles side and, despite a fine covering tackle by Jamie Wallace-Woodroffe on 53 minutes, the tide was gathering. A rare lineout failure on the day saw Hammers gather the ball and drive over close to the posts, though not improved, the difference now 6 points. Cornish responded well, a series of phases with Mirosevic-Sorgo, Wheeler, Dave Theobald, McEwen, Jack Rowlandson and Jackson all involved taking play into the home 22, but Gibson was injured in this sortie and replaced by the ailing Hughes, the ball lost forward. Though Tom Carr continued his fine form in pinching oppo lineouts, a Hammers forward produced a prodigious run from inside his own half to the exiles 22, a team mate finding no one home down the narrow side at the subsequent ruck to canter over unopposed for his sides bonus point try, well converted from out wide to make the score 26-13 with 65 minutes up. With players now tiring, the floodgates began to open, another converted try added on 70 minutes and a further one straight from the kick off, this one seeing Hughes finally succumb to his injury, New returning and Wheeler forced to trade in the backline! His side produced a sporadic attack on 75 minutes, Hakes chipping to Bromage hugging the right hand touchline but he was forced out at the flag following a great break by New. Running from deep then kicking long, an exile was binned with time almost up for killing the ball in his 22, the last action of the match seeing Hammers take a quick tap to send a back away from the tiring visitors d for an unconverted try wide right.
This may well have been the day that Hammersmith & Fulham cemented their promotion to Level 5 as results elsewhere mean they now have more than a 2 game cushion ahead of the chasing pair with 4 games to play. They are clearly a cut above and their back line will cause problems for plenty of teams at the level above too. We wish them well and enjoyed the post match festivities at their pub.
This game gave a few of the Cornish lads the opportunity to show what they could do at the higher level and they performed well against the league leaders for long periods. There were also a few lads returning from injuries in the game and that combination saw the side understandably tire in the last quarter, but the exiles will take plenty from the match and the club will now look forward to completing the Regional 2 Thames season with 3 straight home matches in March!