Cornish Step Up to Go Back to Back!

London Cornish produced a markedly improved performance to record back to back wins for the first time this season, as they downed Thurrock at the REMPF in London 1 South on Saturday. While last weeks win was notable for the fact that it broke the losing run, this win was all about the performance, as the exiles produced further evidence that all the remedial work undertaken on the squad in the close season is beginning to bear fruit.
Despite significant rain during the week, the groundsman at the REMPF again produced a decent, though heavy surface, and on a still, dry day it held up well. Cornish played away from the clubhouse in the opening half, and were quickly on the board, Freddie Cruz breaking blind on 3 minutes following a Dave Chalkley lineout steal, feeding his wing Christian Wright. Wright fended off tacklers and wriggled into the 22, and when the ball was recycled Sam Vaughan sashayed through a gap, and handed off the full back to dive over to the left of the posts for a try converted by Chuqi Cruz. The younger Cruz was in the action again shortly afterward, this time lifting a penalty through the posts for a penalty to be awarded for T’s straying offside in midfield, Cornish 10-0 up inside the opening 10 minutes. Thurrock gained a foothold in the match on 12 minutes when their lively scrum-half found a smidgeon of room to snipe through a gap and plant the ball on the line for a converted try, and this score seemed to galvanise his side for they took the momentum, working a set play on 20 minutes to send one of their centres over for a try near the posts, though this was not improved. A feature of the exiles squad on a number of occasions this season has been the lack of physicality in the pack, but with the likes of Kyle Coulter (who enjoyed a magnificent match), Niko Mirosevic-Sorgo, Will Carew-Gibbs, Mark Osei-Tutu and Jasper Mowatt now in the 8, Cornish are returning to the granite hewn image of yore. On 23 minutes, it was the arch jackal WCG winning a penalty for holding, T’s marched back inside their 22 for Cruz junior to give his side back the lead at 13-12. The next 15 minutes saw an arm wrestle develop, Coulter racking up a huge tackle count and Cornish very dominant in the tight, twice driving the Essex side off their own ball when they had decent field position. On 37 minutes, Cornish forced a knock-on in midfield on halfway, Skipper Ed Carne twice fly-hacking the ball on but, despite protestations to the contrary, being denied a try for it having reached the dead-ball line as he dived on it. On 39 minutes, NMS made a break from inside his own half, and combined with both OTT and WCG, before debutant Miles Lloyd saw his chip in behind carried over by a T’s back. With good reason, Cornish elected for the scrum, and T’s were pinged two times for scrum offences before the ball was worked to the shadow of the posts, where a T’s back was binned for a high tackle. Despite the referee indicating last play, Cornish elected for the scrum again, and this time it only took 2 phases before the ball was worked to OTT to angle his run and slide in for an unconverted try, his side now 18-12 up as the sides turned round.
With far greater defensive solidity than in previous weeks, it was Cornish who began the 2nd half the best, WCG winning the restart on the floor, and Coulter producing a powerful run that seemed destined to produce a try, only for the last pass to be knocked on. Under real pressure in the tight, T’s could not clear their lines far, and on 43 minutes they paid the price. With soft hands, Chuqi Cruz flicked a ball to Lloyd arriving at pace and on the angle to break the defensive line (pictured), draw the last man and send Freddie Cruz cantering round towards the posts for a great try, improved again by his brother. On a couple of occasions in the next few minutes, Thurrock were thwarted by strong defence, the ball lost forwards as the exiles worked as hard as they have all season. On 50 minutes, Cornish withdrew prop Joe Lynch, a key part of his teams recent improvement, and fellow front row Mowatt, Jamie Robert-Tissot and Jake Slade on in their places, though no respite these for the Ts tight V, especially with Dave Theobald giving his opposite number a torrid afternoon at the coalface. The exiles continued to threaten, OTT bursting through and seemingly away for a score, only for the referee to have blown up a tad too early for an advantage to Cornish. On the hour, Cornish launched a penalty to 10 out down the right hand side. WCG hit Chalkley, and when the ball was worked into midfield, it was Skipper Carne who barged his way through, twisting to get across the line and eventually scoring the bonus point try despite facing up the pitch! When this try was also converted by Chuqi Cruz, the exiles were out to a 20 point lead, Wright now replaced by Jack Willey. T’s would need to score next to keep the game alive, and they were to benefit from a touch of luck for it to happen on 64 minutes, them seemingly destined for 2nd place in a foot race to chase down a fly-hack, only for the referee to miss a blatant shove in the back of the chasing exile, T’s wing able to gather and scamper over wide left for an unconverted try. This score signalled a furious assault by the visitors to rescue something from the match, the penalty count mounting against the home side, but Thurrock hampered by an ever retreating scrum and a superb rearguard defensive display by a revitalised exiles squad. On 68 minutes, Vaughan forced a knock-on on his own 22 to halt an attack after Matt Hakes had nearly intercepted; on 72 minutes, it was Slade over the ball in the shadow of his posts to win a key penalty; on 75 minutes, Chalkley and NMS forced a knock-on when T’s were well placed; and then on 78 minutes it was WCG and Carne in a double tackle to force the knock-on. Finally, with time up in darkening conditions, NMS again stole ball on the floor for Cornish to celebrate a job well done.
Thurrock have not yet won at the REMPF, as Cornish have yet to do at the Essex sides Oakfield HQ, so perhaps this result is not such a surprise. They are a combative and talented team, and continue to be great value off the pitch, them enjoying the post match pasties and continuing to represent all that is good in the game. They have hit a 4 match losing streak themselves, but only need look at the exiles to see how quickly this can be turned round when you have a 26 match league to help you work things through.
Whilst the exiles were not perfect by any stretch in this match, the faithful would be hugely encouraged that this game represented such a big leap forwards on recent games, and with the promise of more to come with so many players yet to join and/or return. With no new injuries to report, selection will become very, very competitive from this point on.