Richmond’s first fixture of their 150th season was an away trip to Southend, fourth in this league last year. Both sides showed a number of changes, only four players in the Richmond fifteen having started the 2009 fixture. Richmond had high hopes of getting off to a good start, having impressed in the last friendly against Blackheath (who in turn beat high spending London Scottish in their first league game).
On the day, Southend started much more strongly than their visitors based on their abrasive and physical pack. Southend dominated early possession and play was centred almost exclusively in the Richmond half. Luke Cousins and Peter Clarke soon contributed important tackles in a stretched defence. It was no surprise, therefore, when the visitors were penalised for holding on after five minutes, and full back Andrew Frost kicked Southend into an early 3-0 lead. Two minutes later, the score was extended to 10-0 when centre Mike Stanley dodged and weaved his way to the line. Frost added the straightforward conversion.
Plans were further disrupted minutes later when Jonan Boto had to be replaced after a leg injury. Substitute Tom Platt was the sixth of seven new Richmond starters on the day. After twenty minutes, Richmond gave away another penalty, winger Mark Billings having breached the defence again and forced the offence.
Finally, after twenty-five minutes, Richmond started to build some pressure and established a good position in the Southend 22. Unfortunately they were then penalised, just as Guillaume Schueller promisingly picked up from a scrum, only five yards out. Southend took immediate advantage of this reprieve. Loose tap ball from the resultant line out was seized by the home team, who swarmed into the Richmond half. Retaining possession well, Southend pulled in Richmond’s defence and soon worked an overlap to put centre Chris Vaughan in at the corner, Frost adding an admirable conversion for an imposing 20-0 lead.
In the final minutes of the first half, Cousins at last opened the Richmond scoring with a deserved penalty as Southend went offside in defence. This momentum was maintained in the early stages of the second half, as the Richmond forwards started to run with much greater purpose and to break the gain line against a previously staunch opposition defence. Punches were thrown as the dominant Southend pack came under pressure. Against the run of play Southend blind side Chris Green seized another loose line out ball to run forty metres unopposed for the third try and a match winning 27-3 lead.
Richmond had a mountain to climb but it was to their credit that they had the spirit and fitness to score three tries to one in the final half hour. Following another Southend penalty for a scrum offence, Daryl Marfo, Tom Gregory, Tom George, Johnny Wehbe and James Brooks all contributed well before Tom Drewe scampered across the posts to set Luke Cousins on a clear line to touch down the first try under the posts.
Southend needed one more try to earn a bonus point and their backs combined beautifully to achieve this, excellent running lines and slick passing setting up Mark Billings for the crucial try. But Richmond were now taking more and more control and running a flagging Southend off their feet. The outstanding James Greenwood almost scored a try from his own 22 before Joe Trayfoot took a quick tap penalty for his first try. Johnny Wehbe completed the scoring in the last minute, running a lovely inside angle to step and slip his way to the line past a bemused defence.
A final score of 35-22 was not the result which Richmond wanted but there was plenty to build on in the second half performance
Tries: Cousins, Trayfoot, Wehbe
Conversions: Cousins (2)
Penalties: Cousins
Team: J.Wehbe, J.Greenwood, T.Gregory, J.Brooks, J.Bobo (T.Platt), L.Cousins, T.Drewe (T.Henry), D.Marfo, D.Burr( D.Simmons), M.Berry, J.Aston, T.Wesley, T.George, G.Schueller (J.Trayfoot), P.Clarke. |
