LONDON 3 SOUTH-WEST
27/10/07
OLD REIGATIANS v LONDON CORNISH

Old Reigatians 5 - London Cornish 33

London Cornish produced further visible evidence that their early season travails are beginning to subside with this deserved victory at Old Reigatians Park Lane ground on Saturday, the win being achieved by 3 goals and 4 penalties to a try as returning fly half Dan Pollard produced an immaculate display with the boot with 7 out of 7 kicks. With the 2s hammering their PJF counterparts and the 3s having around 28 players available for selection prior to their win at home to Wimbledon 3s, selection should become a bit more fun for the coaching team in forthcoming weeks!

Cornish managed to field flankers Mike Allewell and Rod Petre together for the first time since the opening day win at Tottonians, with Will Ho moving to 8. Pollard returned from injury at 10 and a debut was given to Kiwi centre Graham Dodge at 13, Mike Harvey also coming back into the side on the wing. Cornish played with the elements in the opening period, choosing to play away from the clubhouse with the slope in their favour. The decent sized pitch was in perfect condition and a fair few supporters from both sides had to come to watch the match, an opportunity to demonstrate surely two of the loudest sets of blazers in the land?! Right from the off it was apparent that the two sides had elected to play starkly differing tactics, the home side content to hammer away round the fringes while the exiles employed a more expansive approach. Cornish won a penalty inside two minutes and with a portent of things to come Pollard stepped up and drove his kick between the uprights. The visitors quickly put their opponents under huge pressure in the tight, as they have done to many of their opponents thus far in the season. On 7 minutes centre Henry Mitchell, a recent signing from Barnes who has made an excellent impression, drove into midfield to set up a ruck. The ball was recycled and prop Andy Renner burst onto a flat pass just inside the Reigatian half. His line took him through the first line defence and with an astonishing turn of pace he sprinted away from the cover before crashing over the whitewash with the oppo full back in attendance to score a superb try. Pollard added the extras and Cornish had the early breakthrough. Any thoughts of extending this soon were quickly extinguished. Reigatians won a penalty and the strong boot of their 15 kicked the ball to the corner. Uncharacteristically, Cornish fluffed their lines defending the drive at the lineout, and an OR forward twisted out of a tackle to crash over and score. The conversion was missed as was a kickable penalty a few minutes mater, the home side now enjoying a short period in the ascendancy. Winning another lineout close in to the Cornish line, ORs used the same tactic but this the exiles defence held firm and Reigatians were not to get this close to the Cornish tryline again for the rest of the match. They shipped a ball from right to left across their backline on 22 minutes only to spill it on halfway. Pollard was quickest to react twice fly hacking through, and as he stooped to pick the ball up yards from the line he overbalanced and fell just short. The ball was quickly recycled to provide Dodge the chance to crash across the whitewash to score near the posts, the conversion a formality for the in-form Pollard. Now Cornish utterly bossed the game and errant hands from ORs cost them dear, two more Pollard penalties driving the lead out to 23-5. Only a slightly misfiring lineout prevented the vistors securing the quality ball required to set wings Harvey and Jim Strover clear as they both threatened in the closing stages of the half. Right on half time another superb kick from Pollard drove Reigatian back into their 22 where the ball was scrambled into touch. Hooker Will Carew-Gibbs nailed his throw at the lineout and the Cornish pack drove inexorably up to and over the line for former St Ives prop Ben Wheeler to emerge with the score. Pollard ended the half as he he had begun it, driving the kick from some way out between the sticks for a 30-5 half-time lead.

Now playing up the hill and into the freshening breeze, it was clear that it would be tougher for Cornish to gain field position. Within 5 minutes of the restart however, they had extended their lead, the former Truro back Pollard driving a kick into the wind between the uprights from way out on the left flank. From this point on the game became more fractious as Reigatians simply could not get within range of the Cornish line and the visitors deficiencies at the lineout severely hampered any attempts to build pressure on the home team. Cornish lost Skipper Jay Stirrett to an ankle injury on 52 minutes, James Turnbull coming on in the unaccustomed position of lock! Reigatians used long kicks infield to try and gain field position but these were returned with interest by Cornish full back George Bramble. With Pete Calvert, Ho, Petre and Allewell forcing a series of turnovers when Reigatians ventured inside the Cornish half, a stalemate was reached. ORs did finally make a clean break through the Cornish defence but their runner was hauled down outside the visiting 22 by Strover and Bramble, the ball then cleared to safety.Cornish brought on fresh legs with around 15 left, Jonty Saunders for Petre and James Hessey for Bramble. Hessey was quickly in action when a blindside move inspired by the in-form Mike Dardis saw Harvey given a smidgeon of room. He needs no second invitation and beat two players before slipping the ball to Hessey, who fell awkwardly as he was tackled yards from the line. He soldiered on for a minute or so before it was clear he would do more damage by staying on, and Cornish rode out the remainder of the match with 14 men.

A convivial atmosphere in the bar demonstrated the good relations these two clubs have built up over recent seasons, and we wish ORs well prior to their visit to REMPF later in the season. This was a much improved performance from Cornish with a hugely reduced error count. They stil have plenty of improvement in them but the attitude shown by this group of players has been excellent. The club is further boosted by the news that talismanic Portuguese International forward Manuel De Mello is rejoining from this week after the best part of a year working abroad. With other long term injured players such as prolific points scorer Tom Fegen, locks Ollie Luard and Max Vere-Hodge, and Dave Furze, Neil O'Connor, Rob Aird, Paddy Gidney and Cieran Shire also well on the mend, the club should move from strength to strength in forthcoming weeks. There is even talk of raising the phoenix of the 4th XV for the first time in many, many years!

LCRFC – George Bramble (James Hessey), Jim Strover, Graham Dodge, Henry Mitchell, Mike Harvey, Dan Pollard, Mike Dardis, Will Ho, Rod Petre (Jonty Saunders), Mike Allewell, Jay Stirrett (Capt.)(James Turnbull), Pete Calvert, Ben Wheeler, Will Carew-Gibbs, Andy Renner.


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