Closing the Gap is Scant Consolation!

One of the key steps London Cornish still need to make is to re-discover the knack of scoring points when dominating matches. In this penultimate home fixture of a pretty torrid 2021-22 league season, the last for a while (and possibly ever) in the current format of Level 6 London 1 South, the exiles passed up a significant number of scoring opportunities to ultimately lose a match they should probably have won against Farnham. The visitors were gracious in their appraisal of the balance of play, but the truth is that they were far more clinical than their hosts.
On a bright, breezy day played on the 2nd pitch out front at the REMPF because the 1s pitch had moved from quagmire to concrete in the space of a couple of weeks, Cornish played towards the clubhouse in the opening half. The early exchanges were scrappy , notable for a long range missed penalty from the home side playing into a stiff wind. On 11 minutes the exiles were called back for crossing deep inside the visitors 22 and then knocked the ball on when well placed following the first of a series of scything runs from Robbie Mackay. How Cornish have missed his penetrating runs this season him but at least he will have played in 5 matches by the seasons end following his return from serious injury. On 16 minutes the same played combined with wing Chris Wright to take play to the visitors 22 and when Adam Wheeler barrelled through a tackle, Farnham were pinged 5 out, George Kimmins lofting the penalty over to give his side an early lead. Another Wright break took play to the shadow of the posts but an over-excited exile ran into the back of one of his team mates for an accidental offside to be called. Finally, Cornish pinched a ball against the head and set up camp in the Farnham 22 before Kieran Rodda sent Wheeler away to step the cover and score a try the home side well deserved (pictured), the conversion missed but the lead now 8-0. The visitors responded and, after their rolling maul was halted, saw one of their centres break a tackle and scamper over by the posts with their first attack of note, the conversion closing the gap to 1. The score seemed to unsettle the home side, whose lineout malfunctioned for long periods of the game gifting an increasing amount of ball to the Surrey side during the middle third of the match. On 37 minutes one such lineout inside the Farnham 22 was pinched and when the ball was spread across the pitch a raking kick was ripped from the grasp of a retreating exile for the visitors to recycle blind and cross with their only other real attack of note of the first half. Though the conversion was missed the visitors could probably hardly believe their 12-8 half-time lead.
An early Farnham foray into the exiles 22 in the 2nd half was ended by a Ciaran Slater steal on the floor, Wright replaced with a knock in the opening few minutes of the half by the returning Matt Hakes. Twice on 46 and 50 minutes Kimmins sent arrowing kicks deep into the visitors 22 but with their lineout unchallenged, the visitors were able to clear their lines. On 52 minutes a high tackle on Andy Munro-Lott saw a Farnham player binned, 2s Skipper Will Murray withdrawn at this point for Oli Low to come on at loose-head and Slater to move to hooker. However, the long range penalty attempt again flew narrowly wide. On 55 minutes a 22 drop out was claimed by George Shirlaw, who set out on a great run to take play back to the Farnham 22. The ball was worked from right to left where Kieran Rodda’s quick hands sent Mackay away to beat his man on the outside and round half-way to the posts, Kimmins making it 7 with the conversion and the lead back with the exiles. When Dave Chalkley ripped the ball from a visiting carrier on the hour mark, another Kimmins range-finder sent the visitors back to their 22 but again the chance went begging when the lineout was lost. This profligacy was bound to tell eventually and so it did a mere 2 minutes later, Farnham breaking through and offloading for one of their number to cross under the posts for another converted try. Despite great work by Ed McCord and Ed Grassby to win back ball on the floor throughout the match, Cornish continued to find ways of coughing up possession, pinged when isolated inside the Farnham 22 on 64 minutes, then losing the ball at the base of a 5 metre scrum after they had forced the visitors to carry the ball back over their own line on 66, this last action seeing Grassby withdrawn to bring on Chris Hayes fresh legs in the back row. On 68 minutes Kimmins reduced the deficit to 1 with a penalty, which seemed to galvanise the visitors for it was they who finished the match the stronger. In the final 10 minutes they dominated much of the possession and were held up over the line on 74 minutes, Dave Theobald combining with wing Terry Gillam to get under the ball. Just when Cornish seemed to have weathered the storm, Farnham found no guard home at a ruck just outside the 22, a forward able to saunter through a gap and angle away from the cover to score their bonus point try, which was also improved to remove even the losing bonus point from their hosts. In the remaining minutes of the match Cornish once again gained great field position but were pinged 5 out when a carrier was isolated for the final whistle to sound soon afterwards. Cornish had at least closed the gap from the reverse fixture to 8 this time, but it was scant consolation for all their efforts on the afternoon.
Farnham have clearly enjoyed their return to Level 6 this season and have been competitive in every match. They will have learned plenty from their season and next year will likely throw up new challenges for them with a phalanx of clubs in north Kent likely to join the fray. We may or may not see them there given the vagaries of the re-org but either way wish them well.
Cornish simply need to rediscover the winning thread, which will happen once they become more accustomed to dominating matches for long periods, something that hasn’t been the case for much of the season. The lineout is still an aspect that requires remedial work but there is plenty of cause for optimism despite the disappointment with this result with the front V beginning to gel in the tight again. Two matches to go, which both represent challenges for differing reasons – can Cornish stop the rot? Here’s hoping!