Cornish Improvement Takes Game to the Last!

A pulsating, physical and at times feisty encounter on the opening round of the inaugural Regional 2 Thames division matches was only finally settled when a last kick of the match penalty from way out left by London Cornish skipper George Kimmins flew narrowly wide of the left hand upright to ensure hosts Amersham & Chiltern landed the spoils at Weedon Lane in Buckinghamshire on Saturday. Never in front in the entire match and 21-3 down after 20 minutes, the exiles grew into the game to largely silence an expectant home crowd as the visitors new look pack wore down their lumpier opponents. The 2 bonus points landed at least ensured some return on the second longest trip of the season, which took many of the squad over 2 hours.
A&C have their own bore hole, which ensured the pitch had a decent covering of long grass. In changeable weather on a pitch that seems to be uphill whichever end you stand, the game began between 2 sides who have never faced each other in any 1st team competition previously, the exiles in their change gold strip as the arrival of their new strip had been delayed. It only took the Bucks side 4 minutes to take the lead, Cornish guilty of a very poor kick chase that saw the home left wing saunter over for a converted try. This lead was doubled on 9 minutes when a home back simply galloped through an attempted tackle just inside the exiles half and one offload saw them over for another converted score. Cornish hadn’t really had any ball of note to this point, but on 13 minutes combative debutant hooker Charlie Bolton twisted his way into the home half where the home backs were caught offside in front, Kimmins landing his teams first points ever in the new league. However, the earlier warning wasn’t headed and another fractured kick chase saw the home left wing scoot around the cover and over for a third maximum, the lead out to 21-3 with only a quarter of the match gone. Last season Cornish would have wilted when falling behind like this, but the pre season has demonstrated far more steel to the exiles and they wrestled back momentum as new combinations settled in. On 23 minutes and after an Alex Davey steal on the floor, a penalty was kicked to 10 out down the right hand side. Bolton hit Ed Grassby and the maul was set, Marc Osei-Tutu barrelling across the line for a try improved by his skipper. Galvanised by the score, back came the exiles, phase after phase of play prompted by the returning Rich Stephens working his options with Mike Edworthy following bullocking runs from the entire front row of Bolton, Tony Pellow and the evergreen Dave Theobald, to drive play to 5 out on the half hour mark from where Robbie Mackay drove his way over for an unconverted try, the score now 21-15. The game had been very physical to this point (Nick Goss, whose parents had again driven up from Cornwall for the match, suffering a cut head and playing on with a bandage) and on 35 minutes one of the home back row was given a yellow for a high tackle that ended Grassby’s involvement in the match, his replacement former American footballer Ed Fink, another on debut. However, just as Cornish appeared set to take the lead following a fine Edworthy break and Matt Hakes sprint, a spilt ball was intercepted and nearly run the entire length of the pitch before the A&C player was downed in the shadow of the posts, Cornish guilty of killing the ball and a point blank penalty extending the lead to 9. There was just time for Mackay to make another searing break from inside his own half, but he was taken down by the Old Reigatian sniper (see OR’ s matches passim!) when apparently clean through and the opportunity was lost.
Cornish made a tactical change at the break, Kieron Rodda replaced by Dan Phoenix at centre to allow Mackay to switch to the wing where he could keep a beedy eye on the rapid A&C wing. Now playing towards the clubhouse and into a cross wind, the visitors began the 2nd period with all the momentum, lock Mark Takacs enjoying his debut with a galloping burst on 45 minutes, which saw the Bucks side pinned in their 22. After a long spell of pressure, Osei-Tutu sniped blind from a maul and managed to smuggle the ball to the supporting Edworthy, who evaded a tackle and hugged the right touchline to take the ball to the house and round to near the posts for another 7 points, the score now 24-22 to the home side. The next score would be crucial and it came in unfortunate circumstances for the exiles. As they attacked from just inside their half, a chip in behind out wide bounced directly backwards and straight into the arms of the onrushing home wing, who had the simplest of tasks to draw the last man and send a forward over for a converted try to take the lead back out to 9. Twice in the next 8 minute spell Cornish went close, first Bolton and Goss combing wide left only for the ball to be knocked on at the try line, then a forward pass seeing play called back when an overlap beckoned. Finally, on 68 minutes, Edworthy won a 50/22 and when the ball was worked to Davey, he punched a hole in the d and drove over the line for the exiles bonus point try (pictured), again converted by Kimmins. This bonus point score saw Goss withdraw for Pete Boele to come on at prop, Bolton moving into the back row and Pellow to hooker. The game had teetered on the edge throughout, and on 72 minutes it exploded in a flurry of close armed combat, both sides reduced by a player for the remainder of the match. 3 minutes later the home 9 suffered what looked like a serious shoulder injury in a tackle (we hope he makes a speedy recovery) and the game was halted for a while. Cornish were penned in their 22 for a while now but with time almost up, broke upfield after full back Fin Robjohn joined the line at pace. Play was taken to the 10 metre line wide left and, with the referee indicating last play, the visitors won a penalty. The gathered throng held their breath as Kimmins stepped up, but this kick was into the cross wind and it faded to the left of the posts for the home side to touch down and gratefully claim their victory.
Those watching greeted both sides with a tremendous hand as they made their way off the pitch, the match a decent advertisement both for the level and the new league. Decent hosts with a top post match feed and real ale on tap, Amersham are set to enjoy playing a few Bucks local derbies for the first time in a while this season. They are unlikely to finish in the bottom half of the league on this showing and we look forward to following their progress before we meet again at the seasons end.
Cornish will take a huge amount from this match, Head Coach Paul Spivey clearly having improved his charges since last season on this showing. Early days yet with plenty of ‘work ons’ post match, but the building blocks are there for a far more enjoyable season than the last one!