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Sat 19 Oct 2019 · London 1 South
Cobham
1st XV
23
13
Tries: D FunstonConversions: T WhelanPenalties: T Whelan (2)
Big Step Forwards But no Cigar!
Dickon Moon21 Oct 2019 - 20:17
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Next step for Cornish is to regain clinical edge.
A much improved performance from the embryonic new look London Cornish was not quite enough to down in-form Cobham at Fairmile Lane in London 1 South on Saturday. The exiles will rue the amount of times they made it deep into their hosts 22, but came away with nothing, whereas the Surrey side were far more clinical, with a lesser share of the possession.
The match began on a perfect surface on an unseasonably warm October day in ideal conditions, the exiles playing up the hill in the opening period. Cornish began well, debutant Jack Willey quickly involved, and his aggressive running was a feature of the early period. On 3 minutes, one such run supporter by Cameron Crozier and James La Broy won a kickable penalty, but the effort was pulled wide. With Dave Funston a constant threat, the visitors had 2 more penetrative attacks in the opening 10 minutes, once when a Lawrence Elliott grubber just rolled too far on 8 minutes, and 4 minutes later when Cornish knocked on inside the home 22. In a physical opening, Cobham lost a lock to injury on 14 minutes, and their fly-half on around 25 minutes. The Surrey side attempted a rolling maul on 17 minutes, but were rebuffed by a Pete Calvert lead counter, kicked dead when well placed a few minutes later, and then threw a cut out pass intercepted by Cornish Skipper Ed Carne on 22 minutes. The home side finally opened the scoring with a penalty from some way out following an exiles lineout offence, and this was levelled on 35 minutes when Andy Munro-Lott sniped his way into the Cob 22, and the home side were caught with hands in the tills, Tom Whelan converting the kick. 3 minutes later, the same player was the architect, angling into the 22, winning the penalty for not releasing the tackled player, and then converting to give his side a 6-3 half-time lead.
The hitherto quiet home no 8 took the game by the scruff of the neck at the start of the 2nd half, claiming the restart and setting off on a bullocking run, eventually winning his side a lineout deep in exiles territory. The lineout won, the same player then burst through to reach out and plant the ball over the line for an unconverted try. 3 minutes later a penalty increased the lead to 11-6, and on 48 minutes Cornish nearly levelled again. Jasper Mowatt, fielded at 6 here, broke through the middle of a ruck to the shadow of the try-line, but his offload was lost and the chance with it. Cornish penned their hosts in their 22 for 5 minutes now, Tony Pellow held up over the line following a dominant scrum, and then the visitors conceding a penalty for accidental offside following a knock on at the base of the reset scrum at the base of the posts. On 56 minutes the exiles countered from their 22, but a very poor cut out pass was picked off, and then worked back to the reverse side for a Cob forward to take a decent line against the retreating d, him waltzing over under the posts for a converted try. (Your correspondent had to take his son to the loo at this point, and missed an unconverted home try sometime around the 65 minute mark.) Back came Cornish on 70 minutes, La Broy to the fore, driving his side to 1 metre out down the left flank. As the referee indicated a penalty advantage to the exiles, an injudicious attempt to free the trapped ball quickly saw the pen reversed, and the visitors lose a man to the bin. Undeterred by being down to 14, the visitors kept up the pressure, and when they won another penalty inside the Cob 22 on 72 minutes, it was the home side who lost a man to the bin for kicking the ball away as it was about to be picked up. Hammering away with 5 left, Carne finally found a way through, hoisting a deft chip over the on rushing Cob d for Funston to gather and touch down for a try quickly converted by Whelan. Upping the tempo and sniffing more points, La Broy and Eji Erhirhie made great ground to give their side great field position, again in the shadow of the posts. At the restart, the ball was worked to Whelan, who dummied through and was again held up over the line. With time nearly up, it was La Broy seemingly crashing through a tackle and over for the try his performance deserved, only for him to be called back for the illegal use of a fend in the lead up, Cornish finding many ways not to score! The last moments of the match saw the visitors win a penalty bang in front, but seemingly forget that 3 points would have given them a losing bonus point, the tap and go knocked on, the chance lost, the whistle sounding shortly afterward.
Cobham have a great set up and these 2 clubs know each other well, so the post match festivities lasted well into the early evening. They are in good form at present and represent the standard bearers for London 1 South, as one of its longest standing tenants.
This was a step up all round on recent performances by Cornish, and with the imminent return from the RWC of Head Coach Corne du Rand at the same time his new squad fills out that bit more, the tide will turn soon enough at LCRFC!
The match began on a perfect surface on an unseasonably warm October day in ideal conditions, the exiles playing up the hill in the opening period. Cornish began well, debutant Jack Willey quickly involved, and his aggressive running was a feature of the early period. On 3 minutes, one such run supporter by Cameron Crozier and James La Broy won a kickable penalty, but the effort was pulled wide. With Dave Funston a constant threat, the visitors had 2 more penetrative attacks in the opening 10 minutes, once when a Lawrence Elliott grubber just rolled too far on 8 minutes, and 4 minutes later when Cornish knocked on inside the home 22. In a physical opening, Cobham lost a lock to injury on 14 minutes, and their fly-half on around 25 minutes. The Surrey side attempted a rolling maul on 17 minutes, but were rebuffed by a Pete Calvert lead counter, kicked dead when well placed a few minutes later, and then threw a cut out pass intercepted by Cornish Skipper Ed Carne on 22 minutes. The home side finally opened the scoring with a penalty from some way out following an exiles lineout offence, and this was levelled on 35 minutes when Andy Munro-Lott sniped his way into the Cob 22, and the home side were caught with hands in the tills, Tom Whelan converting the kick. 3 minutes later, the same player was the architect, angling into the 22, winning the penalty for not releasing the tackled player, and then converting to give his side a 6-3 half-time lead.
The hitherto quiet home no 8 took the game by the scruff of the neck at the start of the 2nd half, claiming the restart and setting off on a bullocking run, eventually winning his side a lineout deep in exiles territory. The lineout won, the same player then burst through to reach out and plant the ball over the line for an unconverted try. 3 minutes later a penalty increased the lead to 11-6, and on 48 minutes Cornish nearly levelled again. Jasper Mowatt, fielded at 6 here, broke through the middle of a ruck to the shadow of the try-line, but his offload was lost and the chance with it. Cornish penned their hosts in their 22 for 5 minutes now, Tony Pellow held up over the line following a dominant scrum, and then the visitors conceding a penalty for accidental offside following a knock on at the base of the reset scrum at the base of the posts. On 56 minutes the exiles countered from their 22, but a very poor cut out pass was picked off, and then worked back to the reverse side for a Cob forward to take a decent line against the retreating d, him waltzing over under the posts for a converted try. (Your correspondent had to take his son to the loo at this point, and missed an unconverted home try sometime around the 65 minute mark.) Back came Cornish on 70 minutes, La Broy to the fore, driving his side to 1 metre out down the left flank. As the referee indicated a penalty advantage to the exiles, an injudicious attempt to free the trapped ball quickly saw the pen reversed, and the visitors lose a man to the bin. Undeterred by being down to 14, the visitors kept up the pressure, and when they won another penalty inside the Cob 22 on 72 minutes, it was the home side who lost a man to the bin for kicking the ball away as it was about to be picked up. Hammering away with 5 left, Carne finally found a way through, hoisting a deft chip over the on rushing Cob d for Funston to gather and touch down for a try quickly converted by Whelan. Upping the tempo and sniffing more points, La Broy and Eji Erhirhie made great ground to give their side great field position, again in the shadow of the posts. At the restart, the ball was worked to Whelan, who dummied through and was again held up over the line. With time nearly up, it was La Broy seemingly crashing through a tackle and over for the try his performance deserved, only for him to be called back for the illegal use of a fend in the lead up, Cornish finding many ways not to score! The last moments of the match saw the visitors win a penalty bang in front, but seemingly forget that 3 points would have given them a losing bonus point, the tap and go knocked on, the chance lost, the whistle sounding shortly afterward.
Cobham have a great set up and these 2 clubs know each other well, so the post match festivities lasted well into the early evening. They are in good form at present and represent the standard bearers for London 1 South, as one of its longest standing tenants.
This was a step up all round on recent performances by Cornish, and with the imminent return from the RWC of Head Coach Corne du Rand at the same time his new squad fills out that bit more, the tide will turn soon enough at LCRFC!
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