Esher 29 Launceston 3

On a mild spring afternoon, Esher extended their unbeaten run to 13 games with another solid performance against a battling Cornish All Black team.

With the pitch dry and no rain forecast, it was perfect weather for running rugby and Esher didn’t disappoint.

Launceston got the game under way and secured possession from the kick-off.

From the breakdown, the ball was passed quickly to their midfield were their inside centre ran straight and hard into tackle.

After a couple of snipes around the side of the ruck, their scrum-half Ben Turner passed out to Lewis Webb at fly half whose pass was intercepted by Shawn Renwick, he stormed home from halfway and dived over for Esher’s first try of the match. Esher 5–0 Launceston.

Sam Ulph converted the try and the score with a little over two minutes gone was Esher 7–0 Launceston.

Launceston restarted and kicked long into Esher’s 22, Shawn Renwick caught the ball and drove on a few yards, the pack secured the ball and Esher cleared the ball to halfway.

After a short kicking duel, Launceston started to put a few phases together, again going for a couple of snipes around the edges of the ruck and then passing the ball out to the backs to hopefully create gaps in Esher’s defence.

The breakdown was being hotly contested - sometimes illegally - and Esher were beginning to rack up their penalty count.

But with all the possession that Launceston had they just couldn’t find a way through the Esher line.

After some great work at the breakdown, Esher stole the ball. Seb Jewell cleared down into the Launceston 22, were the Launceston full-back knocked on.

From the resulting scrum, Esher started to build some momentum, with David Sleman nearly releasing Ulph on the right wing.

Esher started to ship the ball wide and were looking dangerous. Jewell stepped inside his man and broke through their defence, and it looked likely that he would scored but a try-saving tackle five yards short and unfortunately the ball was knocked on.

Even though Launceston were able to clear their line from the scrum, Esher continued to mount an assault and, from some crisp back play, scored their second try.

From a penalty at the breakdown, Esher took a quick tap and Garrick Cowley passed to his left for James Campbell to rumble over from 10 yards out.

Ulph missed the conversion from the left to leave the score at 12–0.

The next 15 minutes passed by uneventfully, with the neither team finding a way pass the defensive lines.

Esher were running good, straight lines and setting their defenders before passing outside, but Launceston were making their tackles and committing to the breakdown and were slowing the ball down well.

Esher continued to play expansive rugby and the handling was good. The game needed a spark.

With 25 minutes gone, the game was given a new edge as Tom Warren and Tim Mathias were yellow-carded for what appeared nothing more than handbags.

Launceston were given the penalty and Lewis Webb dissected the uprights to make it 12–3 to Esher at half-time.

Esher restarted the match and the pack retained possession.

Cowley was marshalling his forwards at the breakdown to gain a couple of extra yards before firing the ball out to the backs.

With three minutes gone in the second half, Esher scored their third try.

Launceston appeared to have cleared their line as they kicked just passed halfway.

Cowley ran back to collect the bouncing ball and, with his back to the onrushing Launceston team, he pop-passed the ball to his right, where Jonny Hylton hit the line at pace and ran a diagonal slant through the Launceston defence.

He galloped away and looked certain to score when Launceston’s full-back caught up with him.

However, he passed to his right just before the tackle and James Copsey (on for Ulph) finished the move off and dotted down beneath the posts.

Ross Chisholm converted to put Esher 19–3 ahead.

Esher remained dominant for the next 10 minutes - they constantly probed around the breakdown and the backline were gaining valuable yards, obviously in their minds was scoring the all important forth try.

Launceston were defending resolutely but you could feel that it would only be a matter of time before Esher would score again.

After sustained pressure, Launceston gave away a penalty at the breakdown and Chisholm stroked home the kick to make it 22–3.

From the restart, Esher continued to push for the forth try with lovely interlink play between the forwards and the backs.

They continued to hit the rucks on masse and handling continued to be good along the back line.

With 18 minutes gone in the second half, Launceston were reduced to 14 men for the second time in the match for a professional foul by Lewis Webb.

He cynically slapped the ball down from a possible try scoring pass. The 14 men of Launceston kept their workrate up and were putting the bodies on the line to stop Esher from achieving another bonus-point win.

However, they could only hold out for another four minutes.

Esher got their bonus point after some bruising forward play was finished off with a simple backline move.

From a lineout on the 22, Esher threw to the back of the line and rumbled the ball up to the 5m line.

From the base of the ruck, Cowley fired a quick ball inside to Jewell, who burst through a two half-hearted tackles and scored directly underneath the posts.

Chisholm converted the try.

With the maximum points in the bag, Esher appeared to ease off.

Launceston started to have more possession, and were winning the breakdown and were holding their own at the set-pieces.

However, the hard work they were putting in wasn’t bringing them closer to the Esher tryline, and the match ended at 29–3.