Club News
This is becoming as depressing as England Football
By Tony Randel & Richard
Nov 22, 2007, 14:54

NATIONAL DIVISION ONE

Cornish All Blacks chuck it away at Monks Lane

Newbury 24, Cornish All Blacks 23

What disappointment! With the Cornish All Blacks leading 20-5 after 43 minutes the game looked in the bag. They took their foot off the pedal, lost concentration and allowed Newbury to run in three tries in 17 minutes. Despite Cornish All Blacks coming back hard in the closing minutes Newbury closed down the game with their slender one point lead and held on to get a five pointer which they really did not deserve; writes Ton y Randel.

It all started on a high note after seven minutes when a Matt Jess clearance kick just failed to make touch. Matt followed his kick so fast that as it bounced slightly in-field he was able to gather it, jink round full back Martin Nutt and scamper in for a try which Jon Fabian converted. Newbury came close to opening their account when a Tim Walsh penalty hit the posts and rebounded. It was not until the visitors were down to 14 men with Neil Clark in the sin-bin that the Blues got their first score from a catch-and-drive after the resulting penalty. Flanker Chris Morgan was credited with the try but Tim Walsh missed a difficult conversion.

The almost statutory kicking duel developed between the back threes as the Cornish All Blacks tried to gain territorial advantage despite the numerical disadvantage. It was all pretty inconclusive. With Neil Clark back on the field the Cornish pack were forcing Newbury into making errors as they were caught off-side three times in the space of ten minutes. Jon Fabian landed two out of three long range penalties to take the score to 5-13 on 35 minutes. Newbury changed their tactics and came close to scoring just before half time with a series of ‘pick-and-go’ moves which were stopped just short of the line.

As the teams came out for the second period the visiting supporters sensed that they might be going home with the spoils. This feeling was heightened after three minutes when Scott Ireland broke the defence through the centre to pass to Jon Fabian who found Andy Birkett inside him as he was tackled. Andy touched down between the posts and as Jon Fabian added the extras a 20-5 lead surely looked unassailable.

Then the wheels came off the Launceston chariot! Whilst too many visitors were involved in some minor post-ruck skirmish in mid field Newbury full back Martin Nutt grabbed the loose ball and cut diagonally through the weak defence to offload to fast ex-England winger David Ress to score in the corner. Tim Walsh landed the difficult conversion. On 48 minutes. Launceston extended their lead again with a simple penalty inside the Newbury 22 but that was to be their last score. On the hour Mark Simpson-Daniel jinked away from a scrum, found big strong centre Isoa Damudamu (who had looked dangerous all afternoon) for him to break two very half-hearted tackles before off-loading to Rees for his second try.  Although Walsh missed the conversion Newbury were within a full score of the visitors at 17-23 going into the fourth quarter. Their much needed score came only five minutes later from another catch-and-drive. This time hooker Paul Fincken was credited with the try. As Walsh stroked the ball between the posts Newbury took the lead for the first time.

The last fifteen minutes was tense as Cornish All Blacks suddenly seemed to realise what they had let slip away, brought on fresh forwards and came back hard. Newbury were having none of it and closed the game right down to hang on to their slender one point advantage.

So Cornish All Blacks slump to the bottom of the table again. The win that should have been would have taken them above Sedgely Park! That sloppy 17 minutes of play could well be what decides where the Cornish All Blacks will be playing their rugby next season; I hope I am wrong! It seemed a long journey back in a car; it must have seemed even longer on the team bus.

Newbury: Martin Nutt, Andrew Henderson, Isoa Damudamu, Andrew Reay, Davis Rees, Tim Walsh (capt), Daniel Smaje (Mark Simpson-Daniel 57), Mark Irish, Paul Fincken, Wayne Thompson (Simon Carter 48), Ian Ashcroft-Leigh 48), Tom Radbourne, Chris Morgan, Douglas Abbott, Tom Brown; reps not used, Greg Hayter, James Doherty, Gavin Turner, Jack Avery

Scorers; tries, Morgan, Rees (2), Fincken, cons, Walsh (2)

Cornish All Blacks; Andy Birkett, Matt Jess, Marc Sweeney (Ryan Westren 76), Steve Perry (pete Fisher 76), Jon Fsabian, Scott Ireland, Sam Alford (Marc Dibble 76), Richard Liddington (Jason Bolt 76), Neil Clark, Keith Brooking (capt) (Wayne Reed 43), Steve Pape (Dave Sims 76), Mike Myersough, Sam Hocking, Tony Roques (Wayne Sprangle 60), Tinus du Plessis  

Scorers; tries, Jess, Birkett; cons, Fabian (2), pens, Fabian (3)

Referee; Mr Bruce Robertson (RFU)