Jackson's Double Sees Cornish Win Again!

London Cornish continued their steady improvement in Regional 2 Thames when they landed their 3rd straight league win at the REMPF on Saturday, running out ultimately comfortable winners by 45-27 against Buckinghamshire based Aylesbury on Saturday in the first ever meeting between the two clubs. Cornish once again demonstrated their capacity to wear teams down, scoring freely in the last half an hour of this match to take the game away from their visitors.
On a balmy October afternoon the game began with Cornish playing away from the clubhouse and into a freshening breeze. Though Aylesbury had territorial advantage, they twice fell foul of the breakdown demon that is Will Carew-Gibbs, winning penalties on the floor inside his own 22, and once from loose head Ciaran Slater, another who enjoyed a decent day at the coal face. From the outset in this match, it was clear that the exiles could put the visiting tight V under extreme pressure and this was to form the foundation of the victory as it produced a steady stream of ball from both sides put ins. On 14 minutes and with their first real foray into enemy territory, a Dave Theobald rumble caught A’s offsite just outside the 22 in a central position, Skip George Kimmins giving his side the lead with the pen. On 17 minutes Cornish worked the ball to Robbie Mackay wide left inside his own half, and when the cover brought him down inside their 22, the visitors were again caught offside in midfield though this penalty was one of three misses on the day by Kimmins, an unusual event for him. On 21 minutes as Cornish again attacked just inside the A’s half, lock Dave Chalkley suffered a very nasty knee injury, the full diagnosis for which we are yet to receive, him replaced by Nick Goss with Adam Wheeler moving into the row. The injury understandably unsettled the exiles for a period, Aylesbury taking full advantage to level the scores on 25 minutes with a penalty of their own. On 32 minutes, and following a retreating scrum on their put in, the visitors turned the ball over on halfway, and Mike Edworthy sent a mispass to Kimmins, and on to Dan Phoenix who fixed a man then sent another mispass to George Bromage wide left on his own 10 metre line. He took off, chipping the ball in behind his opposite man, ran round him off the pitch then regathered the ball back on it, beat the full back then stepped the cover before reaching out to score a fine opportunistic try, this one not improved. Aylesbury closed the gap to 2 points with a penalty on 35 minutes but, after concerted Cornish pressure nearly saw the visitors shoved over their own line at 2 scrums, strong carries by Mike McEwen and Niko Mirosevic-Sorgo laid the foundations for Kimmins to drop a goal to leave his side the happier, 11-6 ahead at the break.
Cornish extended the lead in the opening 3 minutes of the 2nd half after the hard yards won by Wheeler, Goss and McEwen took play down the right side of the A’s half, Kimmins again making no mistake with a penalty given for a ruck offence. With all of the territory now, a further exiles penalty flew wide 5 minutes later as the exiles upped the tempo. However, with dominance in the tight it took 10 minutes of the second period for Cornish to add to their lead, a set play from a scrum on half way seeing Mackay arc his run beautifully between 2 defenders and clear away to take the ball to the house under the posts, Kimmins making it a 3 score difference. The home side made a change shortly after this point, Phoenix rested to bring Pete Brodgen on at 12, Kimmins moving to 13. Without the platform to launch him, Aylesbury found it hard to get their powerful, ball carrying 8 into the game but he was at the centre of much of their good work and would make his mark on the game in the remaining minutes. Just after the hour mark, Cornish were called back for accidental offside inside the A’s 22. At the scrum, the home side simply drove their visitors off their ball, scrum half George Jackson picking up at the base and driving through a tackle to dive over for a try that typifies his game, Kimmins lifting his kick between the posts to give his side a 28-6 lead. Pinged at the restart for crossing in their 22, Cornish were forced to defend a quick tap and though they repelled the initial burst, a grubber ricocheted off a hand and landed squarely in the arms of the onrushing Aylesbury 8 who was so surprised he nearly ran out of in-goal as he crossed under the posts for a converted try out of nowhere. Suddenly winning a few decisions from the referee, the visitors now stepped up their game and were rewarded again when the same player arrived on a short pop to crash his way over half way in from the right touchline, the score now 28-20. The exiles had to respond and when they forced A’s to clear the ball from their 22 on 74 minutes, it landed in the arms of the bang in form Kieran Rodda. The Falmouth flyer saw his chance sending a raking kick down the right flank, pinning his ears back to run right past the cover to claim it as it bounced up and dive over for the bonus point try, well converted from wide out by Kimmins. 2 minutes later and the home side were back on the attack, a strong Wheeler carry into the 22 catching Aylesbury offside, Kimmins taking the score out to an unassailable 38-20 lead. 4 minutes later and the exiles added to their score, quick hands sending Mackay away wide left only for a tap tackle to bring him down 10 out, Jackson hitting McEwen to drive to 5 out, then sniping his way over for his 2nd try (pictured) and his teams 5th, Kimmins bringing up his 20 points with the conversion. To their credit the visitors still didn’t lie down, taking play to 5 out where the Cornish d stepped up as a player had his hands on the ball, but when asked to step back caught unawares as the Aylesbury 8 drove over with them to land his hat-trick, the conversion bringing down the curtain on the action, Cornish victors by 45-27.
Aylesbury have landed as many bonus points as the teams in the top 4 and will hope to make their 4g pitch the fortress it was for them in Southern Counties North last season. They made full use of the long journey to come back and enjoy the pasty’s post match and were great value in the clubhouse. We wish them well and look forward to the return at their fine setting in Bucks.
Cornish will feel like there are still plenty of areas in which they can improve despite now looking far more dangerous out wide than they did earlier in the season, all of the back 3 scoring on this day and the backs looking a threat whenever they had ball. This is still a work in progress but regular supporters can look forward with less trepidation than they have done for quite some time on this showing!