Cobwebs at Cobham: Blues pay for lay-off
Cobham 26 Chichester 14 London one south
Chichester were beaten on their first outing in a month after heading to Cobham in heavy rain for a game on an artificial pitch.
Will Norton, Ed Grinsted, Tyrese Makasi and Charlie Wallace came into the pack and Ciaran Johnstone returned at scrum half. James Smith, 18, made his first team debut on the bench.
With Cobham looking to avenge the 60-21 defeat they suffered in September, Chichester conceded two early penalties. With only three minutes gone, an attack was stopped illegally by Blues and the referee reducedthem to 14. A kick to the corner, lineout and a series of pick and goes saw Cobham cross the whitewash for their first try, which was converted.
A Chichester infringement was within range of the Cobham fly half ’s trusty boot so it was 10-0.
Blues spent the next 10 minutes in the Cobham half with good runs from Makasi and Matt Mclagan.
A clash of heads saw Blues lose two players because of blood injuries. With half an hour played, a Blues’ scrum was turned over and Cobham ran a try in at the corner for 15-0.
Having kicked a penalty, to make the score 15-3, Tom Blewitt took a catch deep in the Blues’ half which he chipped over the opposition
defence and kicked on, winning a lineout on the 5m line. After a couple of pick and goes Makasi launched an attack down the blindside to score to make it 15-8 at the break.
The second half started with Blewitt missing one
penalty but scoring a second. Further penalty kicks were traded to make it 21-14.
Chichester pressed and a series of pick and goes from the forwards got the ball within six inches of the try line but the pass out was deemed forward.
With less than five minutes left, Blues knocked the ball on, playing it out of defence, and from the scrum Cobham scored a third try.
In the final minutes a Chichester grubber kick found space beyond the Cobham 22m line but the chase ended in a scuffle and both teams were shown a yellow card.
It finished 26-14 and Chichester will be disappointed the scoreline wasn’t closer.
On Saturday Blues host high-flyingcamberley(2pm).