LONDON 2 SOUTH-WEST
07/11/09
WINCHESTER V LONDON CORNISH

Winchester 7 - London Cornish 20

A competent and patient performance by the exiles landed the spoils at bottom club Winchester Nuns Road ground on Saturday, the win being achieved by two goals and two penalties to a goal. In an incredibly tight division where only 2 of the top 6 won on the day, the result lifts Cornish into a 6 way tie for 2nd place, 2 points behind the 2 way tie at the top.

Cornish were forced into a late change prior to the match, Skipper Nick Taylor having suffered a scratched retina at training and him having woken up with a closed left eye. In came former Portuguese World Cup star Manuel De Mello for this first start for a few years, Jim Brennan switching to 6, Rob Aird Skippering from 8 and Mark Osei-Tutu brought in on the bench. With James Hessey still injured, Rob Davies came in at 7 after a string of impressive performances for the 2s. There was also a full debut in the back line for Giles Humphries at 13. The visitors were pleased to see that their hosts pitch was a vast improvement on previous visits, with plenty of grass on it and no sand in sight! A cold but clear day with a light breeze blowing would also ensure that there would be a decent crowd once the international match had finished.

The exiles played up the slope in the opening half, and came under early pressure when a midfield pass was intercepted by onrushing Winchester defence. However, the home side are bereft of confidence at present and on the few occasions they did fashion room they did not seem to have the know-how to finish, scrambling defence on this occasion by Davies saving the day. Both sides were guilty of conceding unnecessary penalties in the opening quarter, the result of which was that it was a scrappy period of play. However, the home side were badly hampered by the inability of their hooker to throw in straight and the problems their loose head was having with his binding, and this meant that whenever the home side gained field position they lost it again with the set piece. JJ Moore, WIll Carew-Gibbs and Ales Harris were beginning to dominate their opposite numbers in the front row, but it was actually the home side who had the first chance to score, a penalty won just to the right of the posts 10 metres inside exile territoy for a hand in a ruck, which was then marched forward a further 10 for back chat. The Winchester kicker then demonstrated why his side have scored so few points this season, scooping a woeful effort well wide. With 23 minutes gone, Cornish now warmed to their task, powerful runs by De Mello, left wing Jim Strover and Carew-Gibbs resulting in a penalty wide left some distance out. Fly half Dan Pollard once again struck his kick beautifully and the visitors had a lead they would not lose again. The score seemed to settle the exiles, and now they attacked down the right flank, a series of rolling mauls driving up to the line but disrupted by tacklers who this weeks referee deemed fair. On two occasions the exiles worked room for De Mello and full back Tom Hurley to be stopped agonisingly close to the line, the Winchester defence holding strong. For a full 5 minute period the home side simply could not clear their lines, but the exiles overcomplicated when simple hands would have seen them home, and the forwards were guilty of taking it on one or two phases too many with their backline baying for the ball. Finally, a ball broke from a ruck kindly for the Hampshire side and the danger was averted. With minutes remaining in the half the home side won a lineout deep inside Cornish territory and worked it into midfield, where a thumping tackle by Humphries supported by his midfield teammate Iain Short forced Winchester back, and at the ensuing scrum they lost the ball against the head from where it was cleared by scrum half Rob Mazur. The half ended with a little bit of 'afters', well managed by the Berkshire Exchange referee, the exiles 3-0 to the good.

While their DoR preached patience and discipline to his charges at the break, the Winchester faithful made their way out of the bar on the clubhouse side of the ground, suddenly providing extra fervour to the fixture. They were to be disappointed, for a mere 9 minutes into the half Cornish followed a well flighted Pollard kick into the home 22 down the left flank and scragged the home wing into touch. The maul was then rolled steadily toward the line with Brennan and fellow lock Pete Calvert to the fore, only for one of the home side to blatantly pull down the maul right in front of the referee. Erring on the side of caution, the arbiter sent the miscreant to the bin but did not give the penalty try. Cornish opted for a scrum, causing a wholesale reshuffle in the home front 3 as it was one of their number who had been binned. No matter - the exiles drove the home side back over their line and with the referee indicating a penalty for boring in, Aird bunny hopped the ball over the line and touched down for the score. To further deflate the home side Pollard converted from way out on the left touchline and the lead was now out to 10. The exiles made a couple of changes at this point, De Mello withdrawn with a hamstring strain, Brennan moving back into the row and Osei-Tutu on at 6, and Harris withdrawn because he only had short studs in his boots so was losing grip to be replaced by Hamish Cuming. Both of the latter two are decent ball carriers and now the exiles started playing their best rugby of the match, runners coming from deep to smash holes in the home defence. Reward was swift in coming, Short winning a penalty just inside the Winchester half when the home side played the ball on the floor. Up stepped Pollard again to convert and keep his kicking success since his return at around the 80% mark. With the back 3 of Hurley, Jim and Matt Strover now seeing plenty of ball, the alarm bells must have been clanging in home ranks, Hurley returning one kick with interest to weave his way from half way deep into the home 22, from where they were able to scramble it clear. On 56 minutes and with Cornish still in the ascendancy another lineout was won on the Winchester 22. Two phases of crashing runs into midfield saw Cuming held up just short, but when play was recycled with the referee indicating advantage to Cornish, Pollard spotted Matt Strover all alone wide right, the perfectly flighted kick collected by the exiles top try scorer for him to extend his record of having scored in each of the last 5 matches in which he has played, this try greeted with jubilation amongst Cornish ranks. Despite this too being a kick way out on the touchline, Pollard again spliced the uprights and now his side had an unassailable 20-0 lead. A final change now saw Mike Dardis on at scrum half in place of Mazur, who again had had a decent days work. Having enjoyed very little possession in the half to date, Winchester now won successive penalties and then a tap penalty for a crooked feed to work their way up the field. Their left wing, so often a danger in previous matches between the sides, was twice put in space but whereas in those previous matches he may have finished, now he seemed uncertain and was well marshalled into touch by first Jim Strover and then Hurley. Cornish were now forced to defend deeper in their half, the home side failing in attempts to get their rolling maul moving but twice tackled wide left just short of the line. With 10 minutes remaining Cornish turned over a ball 5 metres from their line only to see the clearing kick charged down and the ball bounce straight into the arms of an on rushing home player, who simply had to fall down to score. The conversion made and Winchester had a glimmer of hope at 20-7. Cornish responded immediately and won a penalty inside the home half, only for this attempt to fly narrowly wide. With 6 minutes left and the exiles forcing the Winchester scrum into retreat in the home half (Cornish had also started pinching ball against the head at this point), an incident round the base of the scrum saw an incredibly harsh yellow given to an exiles player, the referee alone on the ground in believing it was an appropriate punishment. Now it would have to be all hands to the pumps for the remaining minutes of the match, but you only have to read last weeks report to see that Cornish seem to excel in such situations, and so it proved again. Despite their baying support egging them on, despite plenty of possession in the remaining minutes helped by a sudden inability by the exiles to throw in straight, a granite wall was erected to safeguard the points, and Winchester could not break it down. When the final whistle went, few could argue with the result, the exiles first away win in the league since their big win at Guildford in March.

By all accounts this was the strongest side Winchester have been able to field this season, and you can see that they just lack confidence at present. Their day may yet come, but with 7 straight defeats in an unforgiving league where they are already 6 points from safety, they will want to start winning soon. We wish them well for they have issues both on and off the pitch and are clearly going through a tough patch in their history. Cornish move on, this their third straight win and fourth in five matches, bolstered by the improving form of the 2s. This game proved that no game in this division will be easy and there is plenty of hard work ahead - the exiles players are at last warming to their task.

LCRFC – Tom Hurley, Jim Strover, Giles Humphries, Iain Short, Matt Strover, Dan Pollard, Rob Mazur (Mike Dardis), Rob Aird (Capt.), Rob Davies, Jim Brennan, Manuel De Mello (Mark Osei-Tutu), Pete Calvert, Jonathan Moore, Will Carew-Gibbs, Alex Harris (Hamish Cuming).


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