History Made as Cornish Take 6th Spot!

The 2022-23 incarnation of London Cornish RFC carved out a small slice of history for themselves when they completed a hat-trick of bonus point wins in the last 3 matches of the league season with a 37-19 victory over Fullerians at Cobham’s Fairmile Lane HQ on Saturday to land 6th place in Level 6 Regional 2 Thames, representing the highest position the club has ever finished in the league structure. Those regular watchers can be in no doubt that they are witnessing the genesis of an exciting new squad at LCRFC and, with some prudent recruitment to add depth in a few key areas in the close season, could well see that 6th place bettered next year.
With the match switched to Cobham’s 4g at the 11th hour due to heavy overnight rain and the understandable reluctance to risk pitches at the REMPF ahead of this weeks Rosslyn Park 7s, and with a referee on exchange from the Gloucestershire Society, there were a few uncertainties facing both teams as the game began in rain, Cornish playing towards the clubhouse in the opening period.
In an odd opening where both sides had periods of utter domination in the tight, Cornish began more slowly than their opponents, who also came into the game in decent form having won 3 on the bounce before running Cobham close on this same pitch a few weeks back. However, a scrum penalty on 8 minutes gave George Kimmins the chance to register his team’s first points, which he duly did. The visitors took the lead on 10 minutes after a cagey opening when they rolled a maul close to the exiles line before one of their forwards demonstrated that Inspector Gadget has nothing on him as he extended a very long arm to plant the ball on the line for the opening try to the right of the posts, converted by the visitors kicker. No sooner had the match restarted in steady rain the exiles pinched the lead back again, a carry by a Fullerians forward out of his 22 seeing him stripped when in full flight by Ed McCord who ran in unopposed down the blind side for a try well converted by Kimmins, the clock showing 13 gone. 2 minutes later the exiles extended their lead when a poor pass forced a wayward kick by Fullerians, which was fielded by George Jackson on his own 10m line. The scrum half has repeatedly proved an extremely elusive runner who successive teams in this league have found tough to bring to ground. Here he swerved one way, dodged another and ducked a third to break right the way through to take the ball to the house wide right for a wonderful counter attacking try also improved by his Skipper. This score clearly unsettled the Herts side, for they kicked the restart out on the full and began transgressing, successive penalties forcing them to defend deeper and deeper. They repelled a rolling maul wide right on 23 minutes after Tom Carr had claimed a Tony Pellow arrow, but were then pinged for a high tackle on their 22 on 25 minutes. This time just as Kimmins was about to strike the ball it blew off the tee forcing a hurried drop goal attempt, which flew narrowly wide, the score remaining at 17-7. However, Cornish did not take long to extend their lead, a quick tap on 32 worked to Ciaran Slater to bash a hole, then Jackson seeing the ball squirt out of the ruck darting under a tackle to evade two tacklers who crashed into each other to score his second just to the left of the posts, causing something of a heated post mortem amongst a few of the visiting players, Kimmins extending the lead to 17 points with the kick assisted by Mike Edworthy holding the ball on the tee! Now with the sun out both sides began to run the ball at every opportunity but a Fullers knock on half-way saw the ball worked to George Bromage in space, the pacey wing stepping inside and burning his way to the 22 before chipping and regathering in the shadow of the posts where he was downed. With an advantage Cornish sought to spread the play but Matt Hakes was glued down by a tackle wide right and the ref came back for the pen. Kimmins took a quick tap and crashed over the line but was deemed held up by the posts, the effort seeing Fullerians lose a man to injury. Back came the exiles from the drop out, this time Ben Boorman into the line to again give Bromage a run but a fine tackle brought him down 5 out and the follow up player forced into touch for the whistle to sound for the break, Cornish good value for their lead.
Whatever was said at the break seemed to galvanise the visitors for they came out of the blocks all guns blazing. On 42 minutes a miss move in midfield saw one of the Fullerians backs break clean through without a finger being laid on him and when the covering McCord brought him down 5 out, the visitors were awarded a penalty. Electing for a scrum, the Herts side made good use of a wheeling tight v to allow their 8 to pick up and dive over for an unconverted try, the score now 24-12. Cornish responded, Adam Wheeler and Dave Theobald combining to rumble into the Fullerians 22, but as the ball was worked left to right and back inside again, a loose pass was picked off by the visitors d and the danger cleared. However, from a scrum on halfway on 52 minutes Fullerians fashioned a simply midfield move that appeared to flummox the exiles d, a centre breaking thru and one offload inside sending over another of their backs to score under the posts, the conversion reducing the deficit to 5 points. Well in the ascendancy, the visitors won a penalty 5 minutes later, which they nudged into the exiles 22. They set a rolling maul, which was stopped and stayed still for a long while before Cornish emerged with it, quick hands from Hakes and Kimmins allowing Boorman to demonstrate just what a balanced runner he is as he angled in then out to canter away for the bonus point try 10 in from the left hand touch line, the conversion missing left. A scrappy passage of play followed, which at least allowed the exiles to bring on fresh legs, Pete Brogden on at 12, Hakes moving to the wing and Gibson rested. On one occasion the visitors 9 sniped blind but was turned over on the floor by a smart piece of jackalling by Alex Davey, enjoying his return to action. Cornish made further changes just after the hour mark, Slater and David Chalkley withdrawn in favour of Will Carew-Gibbs and Oscar Cruz, the former embarking on his last start in the league after 15 seasons in the exiles pack. Typically, within a couple of minutes of coming on, WCG provided another lesson in turnovers as the visitors ran everything from deep. At it again on 70 minutes, it was a WCG chop tackle that gave Davey the chance to pinch a ball on the floor and set up another counter, Wheeler through a gap and up to halfway before linking with Kimmins and Bromage, who beat his man on the outside and looped a pass back inside to Kimmins to finish 10 in from the scoreboard (pictured on his way to the line), this score really putting the match to bed as a contest, though the conversion flew wide. With time almost up now in bright sunshine, Fullerians again attempted to run from deep but when they hit the deck just inside their own half they were again pinged for not releasing – not sure who won the pen for Cornish but we’ll give it to Gibbsy! Up stepped Kimmins to launch one final howitzer through the uprights to put a little gloss on the score at 37-19, the final whistle on the league season sounding shortly after.
Fullerians have hit their pre season goal of remaining in this league and they have provided stiff opposition for every team they have played, not least the Champs who found them difficult to put away. They are a well run and sociable club and we hope to cross paths again sooner rather than later.
Cornish really have come on in leaps and bounds since last season and can justifiably chuffed with their season. The 6th place finish is the highest placing the club has ever achieved and thoughts now turn to the Cup in whatever form that takes! In the meanwhile, thanks to Joe Lynch and Ed McCord who move on to pastures new and especially to 2 time Player of the Year and Proprietor of the Turnover Clinic Will Carew-Gibbs – its been a blast Gibbsy!