6 Try Cornish Produce Seasons Best at Last!

London Cornish ended their 9 match losing run in the league stretching back to January with this emphatic seasons best 6 try 43-19 victory over Chichester at the REMPF on Saturday. The win was gained by just about the strongest starting XV Cornish have been able to field all season with the exiles also able to field a full 2nd XV squad on the day to demonstrate that the club will end the season having made significant steps to recovering from the combined effects of covid, a lengthy injury list and an extraordinary number of stags/weddings in the 1s squad.
Playing on the 2s pitch again against a Chi outfit with a mix of young lads and experienced campaigners, Cornish opened playing towards the clubhouse with a very strong wind angling across the pitch and slightly favouring the visitors. From the off it was apparent that Cornish were at it, a ball stripped in midfield by Ed Grassby and worked to Robbie Mackay on 2 minutes, the powerful back demonstrating just what a huge miss he has been for the majority of the season for the exiles, the arch finisher clearing away to plant the ball down wide right, George Kimmins improving the try with a decent conversion. However, with conditions favouring running rugby, Chi were quick to respond working room to send one of their centres through a gap to score half-way in from the right hand touchline, though their conversion attempt slewed wide. Cornish have rarely been able to field a front V with all players playing in their favoured positions, but here they had just that with power on the bench too, and on 13 minutes Joe Lynch, Tony Pellow and Dave Theobald drove their opposite numbers off their own ball inside the Cornish half, Mike Edworthy orchestrating a well executed set play to send Kieran Rodda on an in/out path before flicking the ball to the waiting Chris Wright to hug the right touchline outside his man, him beating a despairing last ditch tackle to crash over for an unconverted try, the exiles 12-5 to the good. The next 15 minutes were full of endeavour from both sides, attack and counter attack mixed in good measure, David Chalkley causing problems for the Chi lineout and the ball carrying of Lynch, Adam Wheeler and Mark Osei-Tutu keeping the exiles on the front foot. On the half hour mark, and with Wheeler off the pitch receiving treatment, the exiles paid the price for a little too much ambition, a pop pass intercepted inside the Chi half and two carries later a Chi back breaking through to score under the posts, the conversion levelling the score. Though winning plenty of lineout ball for the first time in ages, poor delivery to scrum-half Dan Phoenix hampered the exiles attacking options so try scoring opportunity dried up for a period. On 38 minutes Chi were pinged just inside their own half for rolling on the floor after the tackle, Kimmins launching a bomb from distance through the posts to regain his side the lead. With time almost up on the half, a Kimmins grubber saw Cornish bundle the recipient into touch. James La Broy claimed Pellow’s arrow and the ball was worked to Matt Hakes who was downed within a foot of the line down the left wing. Chi were pinged for a ruck offence and Cornish kicked to touch but the lineout wasn’t straight and the opportunity went along with the half-time whistle, Cornish 15-12 to the good, Wheeler returning at the break for Alex Davey, whose cameo served notice of his considerable talents.
With an attacking scrum on the Chi 22 in the early moments of the 2nd half, Cornish could have expected to add to their score. However, they made a horlicks at the base of the scrum, sent a hospital pass to a player who was pinged for holding on, and were then marched back 10 for backchat! Rodda was withdrawn at this point, John Hughes coming on at 9, Wright moving to the wing and Phoenix to full-back. Chi kicked the penalty to 5 out down the left hand flank but Osei-Tutu pinched it for Kimmins to clear. On 47 minutes Cornish produced a great team try to stretch their lead, Osei-Tutu making an initial incision over half-way, Chalkley taking the ball deeper into the Chi half, Lynch wrestling a few more key yards into the 22, then Edworthy linking with Mackay to send Hakes away to plant the ball over the line wide left (this try is superbly covered by a sequence of photos on the site), Kimmins arrowing over an excellent touchline conversion to make the score 22-12 to Cornish. Back came Chi, roared on by their every vocal support and on 51 minutes they were very unfortunate not to add to their score, driving over from close range near the left hand touchline. Though the Cornish coaching team confirmed the try to the referee, the arbiter felt that as he was on the other side of the ruck he could not give it, awarding the visitors a scrum instead. Once again, Cornish drove Chi back and won a penalty, which Edworthy belted clear, Theobald withdrawn to give the evergreen Mark O’Leary a run, him champing at the bit to get involved. A further change on the hour mark saw the impressive Osei-Tutu replaced by Davey but the match had to be halted a few minutes later when a player collided with a Chi spectator who was heavily knocked over and required treatment – we hope she has recovered and wish her well. On 68 minutes Edworthy arced his back thru a gap after another La Broy carry made hard yards over half-way. Hughes chose the narrow side and as Cornish worked an overlap a Chi player knocked the ball on and was consigned to the bin. Kicking to 5 out in Terry’s Corner, the home side won another pen as the visitors collapsed the maul. This time the exiles elected for a scrum and as Hughes worked the 2 on 1 down the blind side, the final pass was again knocked away by Chi but this time the referee added a penalty try to the 2nd man being binned, the game now up at 29-12 and Cornish having landed the try bonus point. With a 2 man advantage Cornish now attacked from everywhere, countering from their 22 on 76 minutes, Mackay breaking outside his man, linking with Hughes whose inside ball sent Hakes away for his 2nd try just to the left of the posts, him evading the last gasp attempt to claw him back, the try improved by Kimmins. Within seconds Cornish were over again, this time Hakes and Grassby were the architects, breaking away over half way for Edworthy to hit Wheeler on a great line, crashing through a tackle on the Chi 22 before taking the ball to the house under the posts (pictured) for Kimmins to take the lead out to 43-12. In the remaining minutes of the match and with Chi restored to 15, the visitors saw Cornish lose a man to the bin for blatantly killing the ball under the posts, a quick tap seeing the visitors awarded the try with the final play, the well struck conversion completing the scoring on the day and the season, Cornish worthy winners by 43-19.
Chi are rightly intent on building their 1s squad from the ground up, blooding a series of former colts during the season and mixing them with some of their very experienced lads. There remain great relations between these 2 clubs and the post match further enhanced these, no end of dubious post match awards topped by a pasty off! We may not be in the same L6 league next season but their young lads will be all the better for their experience this season and we wish them well.
Cornish end a torrid season on a high note with thanks to all those 60+ lads who have put their hands up to play 1s rugby this year. There is plenty to do in the close season but this match and the restoration of the 2s have ensured the base is there on which to build. All eyes now on the reorg!