For the 9th time in the last 10 national cup draws, Cornish are heading away. The consolation is that it is only down the road in a mouthwatering EDF Senior Vase 4th Round tie at Hammersmith & Fulham. The tie will be played on Dec 8th unless Sky decide to make it their live game.

Nice one Dickon,i could not resist posting your Cup Draw announcement from your site.  
 

Dickon-your Ashmoleans report brought back a lot of memories; I played briefly at St Albans [!?] years ago and well remember an away trip to OA, including the bizarre shuttle arrangements between pitch and changing rooms.
Great result; onwards & upwards.

F/T London Cornish 54 - 13 KCS OB's

Great result boys, keep it up. 15-4 H/T must have been a great second half.  

--Last edited by Pz01 on 2007-11-24 17:08:21 --

How did st Ives get on. Was 7-7 a full time score?

Yes

I'm afraid those waiting on tenderhooks for Dickon's report may well have to wait until monday for a report. I'm not one to spread nasty rumours but I heard he is playing football tomorrow - how sick....

Anyway another pleasing day for the guys. We didn't function at the line out but our scrum is now getting the reputation of being one of the strongest in the league.

the backs seem to be putting lots of additional 'dry runs' in place before each game and this is now paying off. classic game from cornish. We score in the first minute then go to sleep thinking we'll win this one easily. Suffice to say KCS were desperate to win and played well in the first half to really test the Cornish defence. Half time bollocking pushed the right buttons and the score line speaks for itself....  

--Last edited by tumbler on 2007-11-25 11:50:50 --

Good run boys, keep 'er goin'.    

--Last edited by oggie on 2007-11-25 11:04:28 --

LONDON 3 SOUTH-WEST
24/11/07
LONDON CORNISH v KCS OLD BOYS

London Cornish 54 - KCS Old Boys 13

Another emphatic win for London Cornish saw off a stubborn KCS side by 4 goals, 4 tries and 2 penalties to 2 tries and penalty in a pulsating local derby at the REMPF on Saturday. The win was the 5th straight victory in League and Cup from the side, as the club continues its fine run that brought victory for all 4 of its sides on Saturday.

In the absence of Will Carew-Gibbs, recuperating from a minor operation, former St Ives forward Ben Wheeler switched to his favoured position of hooker with Club Skipper James Turnbull coming in at prop.The only other changes saw Mike Dardis reclaim his spot at scrum half with Adam McVicar benching, and Jim Strover move to full back in a swap with George Bramble. This consistency of selection has allowed this young team to flourish in recent weeks, particularly against sides in the lower half of the table who have been unable to cope with the huge variety of the attacks coming at them.

On a cold, dark day in windy conditions on a perfect surface Cornish got the perfect start when lock Pete Calvert, enjoying the best form of his time at the club, fielded the kick off and set off on a powerful surge that was only halted just outside the visiting 22. Within 2 phases the exiles had worked some room out wide for Bramble to demonstrate his finishing prowess and plant the ball down out wide right, the conversion sliding across the face of the posts. On 7 minutes and with the home side dominating proceedings in all aspects, fly half Dan Pollard opened his account for the afternoon with a well struck penalty in front of the posts. On 16 minutes after another barnstorming run by the Cornish forwards, prop Andy Renner made the first of a series of powerful, battering incursions to break through on the KCS 22 and drive through tackles to smash his way across the whitewash to the right of the posts, Pollard adding the extras. Seemingly lured into a false sense of security by the ease with which they had build up a 15-0 lead, Cornish now took their feet right off the collective pedal. Back came KCS, demonstrating that with ball in hand they have a well structured game, albeit built heavily around a rolling maul and astute kicking from their 10. On 21 minutes they gained due reward for their efforts with a penalty having missed an earlier attempt. For all their domination of the KCS scrum, which had been sent backwards right from the start of the match, Cornish could not score the try that might have killed off the visitors, a number of possible scores being butchered after clean linebreaks had split the KCS rearguard open. This profligacy in the first period was punished when minutes from the half time whistle a break down the left flank saw an innocuous kick take a wicked bounce into the arms of the onrushing left wing who scooted over to score by the posts. The visiting kicker, who takes an inordinately long run up for his kicks, was rushed at the conversion and pushed his kick wide. Cornish Skipper Rob Aird greeted his troops with a few choice words at the break, aware that his team had not expended much energy in the opening period.

In a virtual carbon copy of the Old Wimbledonians game a few weeks earlier, Cornish had allowed a side back into a game in which the exiles had total control. Similarly to that game, things got worse before they got better, KCS managing to convince the referee of a touchdown from a maul after they worked some space down the left flank. Though the conversion was missed, the visitors were now only 15-13 down with fully 36 minutes left. What followed was a savage demonstration of the kind of rugby of which Cornish are capable as they responded to the crisis with a 6 try, 31 minute salvo of exhibition finishing. On 49 minutes Dardis sniped blind at a maul and after quick hands Calvert was on hand to twist his way over on the right flank at the clubhouse end, the tough conversion into the wind fading wide. On 52 minutes Pollard launched a kick left to right from half-way. Bramble anticipated it perfectly and outjumped the cover defence to retrieve the ball, scoot clear and score half way in from the right. Cornish made a couple of changes now, the perenially excellent McVicar replacing Dardis, taken off as a precaution following a knock, and Turnbull succumbing to the flu, Ashley Holloway coming in at hooker and Wheeler returning to prop. Pollard struck the conversion perfectly and within 5 more minutes had added a further penalty to take the score out to 30-13. On 62 minutes Matt Strover, a constant thorn in the visitors side all afternoon with his powerful running, was sent clear after quick hands from centres Henry Mitchell and Graham Dodge. He stepped the first defender and handed off the second before dashing over to score wide left, the extras not added on this occasion. With the Cornish scrum driving the visitors back at every set, only the KCS lineout guaranteed them any go forward ball but this too started misfiring now. On 68 minutes Cornish pinched one outside the visiting 22 and after a sharp interchange between Will Ho and Calvert, no 8 Chris Milne was on hand to apply the coup de grace, Pollard nailing the conversion to take the lead out to 42-13. Cornish were forced to make a final change when Matt Strover suffered a slight strain to his ankle, open side Rod Petre moved to the wing, Aird moving into the back row and former Portuguese International Manuel De Mello continuing his gradual return to Cornish ranks coming on at lock. Any thoughts the KCS right wing may have had regarding an easier last few minutes were soon dashed when on 74 minutes the ball was worked right to left inside the KCS 22 for Petre to demonstrate the extreme pace that has given him the nickname 'Hot Rod' at Cornish, his opposite number having no chance as Petre slid across the whitewash to take the score within sight of the half century. Finally, following a fantastic run by Ho from inside his own half, in which he beat 5 defenders and produced a superb hand off to get beyond another, Cornish won a penalty for offside deep inside the KCS 22. Aird eschewed the kick, the tap being worked to Jim Strover coming in at pace on the angle to burst through tired tackles and score underneath the posts to huge cheers from the cold but happy Cornish support. Pollard closed out the game with the conversion and Cornish had recorded their most convincing win yet at this level.

There are strong bonds between these two clubs built up over recent seasons, and is good to report that these were only strengthened following this match. KCS have immense strength in depth with very strong 2s and 3s sides and you would not bet against them recovering from their current plight in London 3 South-West. Cornish go from strength to strength, the exciting thing about this group of players being that they still have plenty of improvement in them, not least in staying focussed for a full 80 minutes of their league matches. With the 2s producing a superb win at their KCS counterparts in the Surrey Prem Reserve League to move within a whisker of the top of that division, a host of injured players yet to return to action, and a couple more new recruits yet to be unleashed on League action, the three matches leading up to the festive break should be fascinating to watch at LCRFC!

LCRFC – Jim Strover, George Bramble, Graham Dodge, Henry Mitchell, Matt Strover (Manuel De Mello), Dan Pollard, Mike Dardis (Adam McVicar), Chris Milne, Rod Petre, Will Ho, Rob Aird (Capt.), Pete Calvert, James Turnbull (Ashley Holloway),Ben Wheeler, Andy Renner.

Dickon, I started reading it as soon as it was posted. Just finished it. Leicester do a one word review - perhaps LC should do the same.

Only joking, it is always enjoyable reading you reports. Thanks for posting them.

Dickon, was in Whirlwind sports today, they do not have your shirts.  Apparently they had asked the suppliers for some but they have not been back in touch with them.

Thx Newlyn Boy - will get on to them immediately about that.

Dickon, surely LC would be better off selling them directly? Or dreckly.

Well it is something we are looking at, but like all these things, it requires someone at the club to 'own it'.

Have just checked with Samurai - the LCRFC shirts should be with Whirlwind in around 2 weeks time.

London Cornish up against it today in London 3 SW

H/T Purley John Fisher 22 - 7 London Cornish

Come on you L.C. lets have a big second half.

According to Radio Dreckly

F/t Purley John Fisher 29 - 12 London Cornish

Tough day at the office for us yesterday. Underpowered up front, we let them score 4 tries in a 20 minute spell in the first half and never recovered. Purley JF are in 2nd place in the division so it was no disgrace, but we are learning all the while! Report to follow.  

--Last edited by DICKON on 2007-12-02 11:09:09 --

LONDON 3 SOUTH-WEST
01/12/07
PURLEY JOHN FISHER v LONDON CORNISH

Purely John Fisher 29 - London Cornish 12

London Cornish fell to their first defeat in 6 games when a nightmare 25 minute spell in the first half cost them the game at promotion chasing Purley John Fisher on Saturday. The home side won the game by 2 goals and 3 tries to a goal and a try to cement their position as play-off hopefuls behind unbeaten Cobham.

Cornish were forced into a couple of changes from their previous weeks team, Ben Wheeler continuing at hooker in place of the recuperating Will Carew-Gibbs, Dave Hill, son of former LCRFC stalwart Frank Hill, being given his debut in place of the absent Pete Calvert, having signed from National 3 North Morley for whom he had made his 1s debut at the end of last season, and Mike Harvey coming back in on the wing in place of the injured Matt Strover. The bench saw Ben Shribman and Mike Allewell recalled, both having recovered from injuries that had kept them out for the previous few weeks. For the first time in months, the Cornish starting front 5 had never actually scrummaged together, and this lack of practice proved an achilles heal well exploited by the strong home pack.

The game began in overcast conditions with a very strong wind swirling across it. Despite the incessant rain of the previous 24 hours, the pitch was in decent condition and Cornish played up the hill in this opening period, the wind marginally in the exiles favour. Cornish started in terrific fashion, putting pace on the game. On 4 minutes a PJF 22 drop out was misjudged by their pack and landed in the arms of visiting right wing George Bramble. He dashed through the advancing home pack and caught the cover defence completely wrong footed to sprint clear and score way out on the right flank. On approaching the conversion, Dan Pollard saw the ball topple off the tee. He coolly scooped it up and drop kicked a stupendous conversion across the wind and between the uprights to extend the lead to 7-0. For the next 5 minutes Cornish dominated possession and territory, Pollard bouyed by his earlier success twice going close with drop kick attempts. However, on 12 minutes Cornish lost influential prop Andy Renner to an injury that had troubled him all week, Allewell coming on at hooker and Wheeler switching to prop. From this point on until half time, Cornish conceded an extraordinary 17 penalties as they fell foul of the referee for a succession of different offences. On 15 minutes PJF worked an overlap wide right to send a back in at the corner, the conversion attempt going well wide. A few minutes later, two penalties having forced Cornish deep inside their own 22, the PJF no 8 pounced from the back of a twisting scrum to score in a similar position, the conversion again missed. Unable to get their hands on the ball and frequently turned round by angled kicks by the PJF 10, Cornish conceded a further two tries, one to a rolling maul after having defended a series of other attempts to do the same, another when a quick tap caught Cornish napping down the left flank. Only one of these was converted but from starting the game in such fine fashion, Cornish were suddenly 22-7 down. Players had fallen off tackles, were not listening to the referee and were making bad decisions with what little ball they did have. Just prior to half time, centre Henry Mitchell took a short drop out and sent the ball from left to right through fellow centre Graham Dodge to Bramble, who enjoyed a fine game throughout. He scorched past his opposite number and was only brought down deep inside the home 22 by a superb tackle from a covering back row who had dropped deep to cover the initial drop out. On the few occasions Cornish had managed to build phases of play, they had demonstrated an ability to break through a PJF side who rarely ventured beyond 10 man rugby in the opening period, though in truth this was probably driven by the conditions. The half time whistle went on a disappointing score for Cornish, 15 points in arrears.

The early score in the second period was always likely to be crucial. The visitors immediately conceded another penalty, were forced to the corner and, having defended the rolling maul successfully, saw a missed tackle allow the home backs to work a slice move that their winger finished by reaching out and planting the ball on the line, the kicker taking the lead out to 29-7. The exiles made an early change bringing Adam McVicar on for scrum half Mike Dardis, and gradually the visitors began to gain ascendancy in the possession stats. Now the penalties were going the other way and as PJF appeared to tire, it was now the visitors who drove their hosts deeper and deeper. Hill started pinching home ball at the lineouts and the back row of Will Ho, Rod Petre and Chris Milne forced turnovers allowing Skipper Rob Aird and Allewell to make some hard earned yards. On two occasions on 53 and 61 minutes Cornish worked an overlap, but as soo often happens when a side is chasing a game, the ball was spilled with the try line begging. Full back Jim Strover became more involved as clearing kicks did not find touch but PJF are not promotion candidates for nothing, and their defence in this period was excellent. The exiles made their final change on 54 minutes, bringing Shribman on for James Turnbull at prop. With the penalty count climbing fast against them, PJF failed to stop a magnificent Cornish rolling maul make fully 50 yards to the home 22, where it was cynically dropped by a PJF forward. The referee trained his beady eye on the culprit at the bottom of what was now a ruck, and consigned him to a 10 minute holiday. He must have come perilously close to reducing PJF further for on two more occasions they offended in the shadow of the posts, but their domination at scrum time allowed them to win some set piece ball and force Cornish back. On 68 minutes and while still reduced to 14 men, PJF conceded three penalties that drive them back inside their 22. Shribman was quickest to react at the last, taking a quick tap and driving through tacklers and over the whitewash to score to the right of the posts. Pollard drove the conversion attempt into the teeth of the very strong wind but it struck the upright and came down on the wrong side, the score now 29-12. In the closing minutes Cornish continued to take the game to PJF, some of whose players were now going down with cramp. Wing Mike Harvey nearly skipped through late on but was brought down yards from the line, the blue line holding firm to prevent any further score. Two tired sides greeted the final whistle, the score 29-12 to the home side.

PJF secured a level transfer to London 3 S/W after having twice been beaten play-off finalists when in London 3 S/E. They may well be playing for a play-off spot again on current standings, but they are a difficult side to break down and are particularly strong at their Parsons Pightle HQ. One minor gripe though; please can someone put some lights in the visiting changing room because none were working on Saturday?! This was a setback to Cornish after their recent form, but the club are aiming to consolidate in the division this season and need to learn from defeats such as this. It is good to report that Tom Thirlwall, 1s Skipper for the previous 3 seasons, and Tom Fegen, multiple points scoring back, both made successful playing returns in a second team runout at the weekend having missed the entire season thus far. The squad continues to grow and develop, the exceptional numbers at training giving good cause for continued optimism.

LCRFC – Jim Strover, George Bramble, Graham Dodge, Henry Mitchell, Mike Harvey, Dan Pollard, Mike Dardis (Adam McVicar), Chris Milne, Rod Petre, Will Ho, Rob Aird (Capt.), Dave Hill, James Turnbull (Ben Shribman),Ben Wheeler, Andy Renner (Mike Allewell).