CS approached this game with a certain amount of trepidation, not solely down to the recent form of the opposition but due to the absence of four key players: three forwards and a fly half who between them have scored eleven tries this season. However a stunning first ten minutes, during which the home side didn’t make it out of their own 22, conceded three penalties and 12 points, all but sealed the win, but ultimately did not lead to what at that point looked like being a very healthy points tally. That was due to a controversial red card for the CS fly half, after just 15 minutes. CS therefore had to survive 65 minutes with 14 men, in difficult conditions and testing circumstances. However for the next 50 minutes you would not have known that it was the away team that had 14 men; it was only in the last 15 minutes that London Cornish put any significant and sustained pressure on the visitors, and took two chances to score two converted tries to record a losing bonus point. CS therefore gained four points but failed to obtain the try scoring bonus point, despite numerous assaults on the London Cornish line, with scrum half Adam Nixon crossing the line but held up by the effective Cornish defence, right wing Pumulo Banda having been released down his wing to sprint to the line, but in the act of scoring put a foot in touch, and left wing Mike Walker kicked the ball towards the line, but as he dribbled it over the line to score knocked on, but CS still remain just three points behind the leaders Medway, who won away at Old Colfeians 19 – 21.
On the day the match was moved from the first team pitch to the second team pitch, due to water lying in the dead ball area, which CS kicked off, and almost immediately regained possession which they worked into the home side’s half. After 14 phases of possession a penalty was awarded resulting in an attacking line out. After a further infringement and a second successive line out CS again exerted much pressure which Cornish looked to be absorbing. Within moments and with just five minutes on the clock a third penalty was awarded to CS. From the resulting line out, with good work from second row Tom Proctor and his fellow forwards, the backs were given a chance and it looked like fly half Liam Cleary would pass to full back James Houstoun entering the line, but he didn’t and ghosted through to score; Houstoun converted 0 – 7. The Cornish kick for the restart was poor and CS took possession straight back into Cornish territory. Hooker Josh Forrester punched forward with determination and from the ensuing ruck the ball was entrusted to the backs, Cleary fed Houstoun, he then fed Mike Walker who scored in the left corner; Houstoun could not convert 0 – 12 after ten minutes. After 13 minutes fly half Cleary, with play having moved, was injured and out of play, which was duly stopped, to allow him to be treated. Despite still recovering from his injury, in the next play, he had to deal with unwarranted attention, and the unexpected result was that he received a red card for a spear tackle. From the resulting penalty Cornish kicked for touch and an attacking line out, but did not generate the expected drive towards the CS line. Then on 20 minutes they received another penalty and such was the balance of play, and despite playing against 14 men instead of going for a five metre line out, opted for the 38 metre kick at goal which the fly half missed.
Although the home side were awarded another penalty, which this time they kicked for an attacking line out the opportunity was lost and soon CS were pressurising the home side line again. After a significant number of pick and drives, on 28 minutes CS were awarded a penalty, they went for the three points which Houstoun secured 0 – 15 . Not long after the restart CS inside centre Paddy O’Halloran slipped and accidently clipped his opposite number for which a penalty was awarded to Cornish; they kicked to touch for a 22 metre line out but which came to nothing. Again play moved to the other end and during the closing periods of the half CS received 4 consecutive penalties, and for the Cornish No 5 a spell in the bin for ten minutes. From the first penalty, huge pressure was exerted, initially down the right, and then quickly switched to the left. On the award of the second penalty a five metre scrum was taken, and followed by two five metre lines out, Cornish were defending magnificently, during this period, CS crossed the line near the left corner, but at this level, and without the facility of a TMO lock Ben Davies attempt to touch down could not be awarded and the half came to an end 0 – 15.
The second half started in much the same fashion; CS pressurising and after two minutes Number 8 Matt Gibson, making his first appearance following two years off through injury, scored the third try down the right wing; Houstoun’s conversion attempt narrowly missed 0 – 20. Immediately following the try a break by CS took play deep into the home side’s territory, but it was then the turn of Cornish to generate some positive play, who received three penalties in quick succession and took play into the CS half before a penalty to CS enabled them to set up a five metre line out of their own, but play was stopped for the referee being concerned that Forrester was injured, but he was ok to continue, which was imperative as he and the whole CS team were putting in massive shifts, and would need to continue to do so later in the match. The match was cruising along, still 0 - 20 but on 29 minutes an initial kick up field resulted in a Cornish try which their fly half kicked very well from wide right. The home side were now within sight of a losing bonus point. It looked like CS had done enough having won back the ball but a CS player accidentally ran into one of his teammates and a scrum was awarded to the home side. This led to a penalty and from the resulting line out, the Cornish Forwards drove the tired CS forwards over the line for another converted score. The match therefore finished 14 – 20.
Head coach Mark Jackson said “I am immensely proud of the boys today; they showed tremendous heart and composure in trying circumstances. With some absences already affecting selection, it wasn't ideal to go a player down as we did but the squad rallied around and controlled the ball well and killed some time when called for.
We are going into the Christmas break in a good position in the league and hope our good form and results continue into the New Year. London 1 is a tough league but you could see the belief in the boys on the pitch today.
Promotion will take a massive squad effort and having players like Matt Gibson and Darragh Kelly back in the fold will make my job harder come selection time, a problem any coach would enjoy having.”
There is now a break for Christmas and the New Year until CS host Brighton Blues on 6th January. We played them away at Waterhall Playing Fields in mid-September and won 17 – 38, seasonal greetings to you all.