There have been several occasions this season when Cobham's rugby has been described as extraordinary, but this display took them to another level. Faced with reporting 19 tries, it would be very easy to accumulate them all together but that would not do justice to the skills deployed by Cobham and, indeed, KCS so what follows hopefully captures a beyond fast-moving match where a try was scored just over every four minutes.
It was very appropriate that backs and skills coach Marcus Watson was on the sidelines to watch the team he has coached all season deliver this result. With Rory Penfold scoring five tries, taking his tally for the season to 25 and Cobham scoring 14 in total (versus KCS scoring 5), try-scoring records may well have been broken for modern-day Cobham. It was great to see Club historian and Braemar Club co-founder Dick Blackman watching this game, so if he can advance any thoughts on these records they will be gratefully received.
The last time Cobham scored 80 plus points was in their last match of the season against Chiswick in April 2017 when they won 87-14. The previous occasion was on 13 February 2016 when they won 85-3 against Basingstoke; Jake McQuade played hooker in both matches. It will therefore perhaps come as no surprise that McQuade not only returned to the front row as hooker for this match, but scored the opening try after just 50 seconds, taking advantage of a break made by centre Will Palmer and territory gained by winger Henry MacQuire. Stephen converted (7-0).
Four minutes later, Tom Davison created the next try when his trademark 'pick and go' took KCS by surprise, which set-up Penfold for the first of his five-try haul (14-0). When Cobham had played KCS in November, they edged a close match 22-25 and KCS have secured one of only three victories over league leaders Old Rutlishians, so it was inevitable that they would assert themselves. Captain Cameron Keller led from the front as they looked to break the Cobham defence.
During one of these attacks, a Will Palmer immersive tackle dislodged the ball and with Davison stealing possession, the ball was fed along the line by O'Leary and Dellapina for Palmer to break, only for his pass to Penfold to be adjudged forward. However, Cobham did not have to wait long before they crossed the line again; this time it was flanker Olly Fox offloading in the tackle for Penfold to collect and score his second (19-0).
Two weeks ago Cobham lost their unbeaten run against Twickenham, which hurt, and after the draw against Weybridge Vandals, Cobham desperately wanted to return to their expansive free-flowing rugby style and the recently aerated main pitch was providing that opportunity. KCS withstood the pressure but a relieving kick to full back Will Stephen was anything but, as he ran through the defence, kicked ahead and collected an awkward bounce to touch down and convert his own bonus point try (26-0).
From the restart, KCS created pressure and although the forwards were denied, a cross kick from their fly half found winger George Pickens to touch down for their opening score (26-5). Offside from their own kick-off, KCS received possession for the consequent scrum and for the second time, a kick ahead was not only collected, this time by winger Taylor Burnett, who ran 30 metres and then passed outside to Fin Savill, running in to score under the posts, which Stephen converted (33-5).
From the kick-off, Davison recovered the ball who passed to Palmer. Savill and Dellapina contributed to the move, before Macquire ran 60 metres to score (38-5). KCS knew that they needed to score another try before half-time; from a lineout and quick tap penalty, Captain Cam Keller was held up, but prop Benoit Israel could not and he drove over for a converted try (38-12).
Although KCS had most of the territory and possession for what remained of the first half, it didn't stop Captain Lippiatt taking his opportunity to kick ahead and emulate his backs. Although that effort came to nothing, fly half Dellapina did recover another kick ahead to make it seven tries in the first half for Cobham to turn around 43-12 ahead.
It was always going to be a difficult half-time talk when you are facing that deficit, but credit to the KCS coach and the squad for coming straight back out to steal the ball from the Cobham kick ahead. It was fed to Captain Keller to score under the posts for a converted try (43-19).
Cobham's response looked to include virtually the whole team, as the ball was passed from one wing to another. Perhaps it was reflective of the hard yards that were being put in that the final pass was from hooker McQuade to number eight Davison (48-19). Within a couple of minutes, strong runs from Westgarth-Taylor and Aujla provided Davison with the territory and space for him to set up flanker Louis Porter to go over for a converted try (55-19).
It is a sign of great team spirit that KCS were showing considerable resilience and from a well-taken lineout and maul, Keller went over for his second and KCS’ bonus point try, which was converted (55-26). Ensuring the momentum was maintained, Cobham spun the ball wide for Will Palmer to score a well-deserved try, Cobham's tenth (60-26). Having avoided any serious injuries in the first half, Senior Coach Dan Walsh knew he had the opportunity to use his substitutes in the second half. Ross Munro had hardly been on the pitch before Captain Lippiatt set him up to race down the line and score (65-26).
There was nearly ten minutes before the next score; following a Davison break, substitute Alex Blackwood feed Penfold who collected his kick ahead for his hat-trick (70-26). Once again KCS responded, this time when substitute Agbolade made a break from the back of the line and created the pressure for Fergus Keegan to go over for their fifth try (70-31).
With time running out, Penfold looked to put Stephen over but was ultimately on hand to provide support and touch down (75-31). There was just time left for the game to nearly finish as it had started, with McQuade breaking three tackles and running 50 metres on very tired legs. He looked inside to find Penfold in support, who score under the posts for his record-breaking fifth try, which Stephen converted (82-31).
This was KCS' second highest points score this season in the highest point-scoring game of the whole season (113 points). If someone could suggest to the teams coming up another Dover 0-0 Cobham result, it would be appreciated.
Twickenham and Weybridge Vandals squeezed their away victories by just one score, but Old Ruts won comprehensively, so Cobham remain fourth in the league. Cobham have a week off before they are away to Eastbourne on 1st March.
Cobham 1st XV Squad:
1. Chris Lippiatt (Capt.)
2. Jake McQuade
3. Ryan Aujla
4. Luke Westgarth-Taylor
5. Will O’Leary
6. Louis Porter
7. Olly Fox
8. Tom Davison
9. Rory Penfold
10. Connor Dellapina
11. Taylor Burnett
12. Fin Savill
13. Will Palmer
14. Henry MacQuire
15. Will Stephen
Substitutes:
16. Gabriel Clark
17. Alex Blackwood
18. Ross Munro
Scorers:
Tries: Penfold (5), McQuade, Stephen, Palmer, MacQuire, Dellapina, Davison, Porter, Savill, Munro
Conversions: Stephen (6)
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