Richmond and Caldy fought out another nail biting game in a sequence that goes back to 2012 and a battle for promotion to National One. This time Richmond edged the result to claim their first win of the season, but it was a mighty close thing. Playing some thrilling rugby in the first half, Richmond scored five tries to take a 35-5 lead. But Caldy dominated the second half, closing the lead to just six points and only some heroic defence by Richmond ensured their first victory of the season.

The result lifts Richmond up one place in the Champ table, with Hartpury now in fourteenth place. Just two point separate the bottom five sides, showing the importance of every point earned under the new Champ rules.

After an extra week off, Richmond made six changes to their starting XV, three in the backs and three in the forwards. On the bench Mattias Woollard, who played for Richmond as a young Harlequin, made a welcome return after a couple of games for the Vikings.

‘A fast start’ was part of Richmond’s plans and they got it with a try after just three minutes. Caldy conceded the first of just four penalties all game and Richmond kicked to about twelve metres. The pack mounted a well-controlled drive, and Hocking claimed the touch down.

Frustration followed as four penalties in the next eight minutes handed prime opportunity to Caldy to get their opening score, their imposing pack lumbering over from similar distance, with Adam Kelly the scorer. Crucially the Caldy kicker failed to kick the conversion, the first of three misses which were to split the teams. By contrast, Callum Grieve kicked five out of five for Richmond including three excellent touchline efforts.

For the next twenty minutes, Richmond had a real purple patch, scoring four tries to set up a 35-5 lead. The first of the four was a spectacular effort as Richmond moved the ball to the wide left setting up Josh Addams in limited space on the touchline. The winger nudged the ball ahead and quick hands gave Jared Cardew the chance of running in the try from twenty metres. However, it did look as if Cardew was bound to step over the touchline first. Somehow, he avoided this by almost tip toeing inside the line before finally accelerating away for the try.

Five minutes later, Cardew was on the scoresheet again. It was Fred Hosking who provided the initial momentum, cantering clear on a forty metre run and doing well to wait for support rather than lose the ball. Caldy scrambled back in defence but had to concede a five metre scrum. The Richmond pack, with man of the match Vaughan showing the way, took full advantage.

Leading 21-5, Richmond were soon reminded that they couldn’t get careless. A clearance kick to half way was just kept in by Caldy full back Charlie Hyde and he weaved past a number of unprepared defenders into the 22. Hyde was eventually hauled down by Tom Riman, but Caldy kept the ball alive and would have been clear on the left wing were it not for a forward pass.

Unfortunately, at this stage, Riman, who had been outstanding in the centre, went down injured and had to be helped off the field. His replacement was James Langston, who was making his own return from injury and let nobody down. Richmond now claimed their fourth try, once worth a bonus point but not anymore. From a scrum around half way, Richmond moved the ball at pace and a neatly stabbed kick to the corner was well taken by Paddy Case who arrowed in at the corner.

Finally, a fifth try followed just after the half hour. A pumped up Richmond side followed up a kick ahead to crunch the Caldy defender. The loose ball was hacked on before it was regained and sent down the line for Grieve to run in to the corner for his fifteenth point of the game. 35-5. It was heady stuff and surely the game was now decided. But it certainly wasn’t.

Richmond had an immediate chance to increase their lead after working their way to the posts. However, just as a score seemed inevitable, referee Ben Wood signalled a Caldy penalty. Four more followed in rapid succession before Ollie Hearn finally took advantage, giving his side a morale boosting second try to take in for half time.

Having conceded eight first half penalties, Richmond were undoubtedly told to cut the count in the second half. It would then have been extra frustrating to be pinged twice in the opening two minutes. The result was that Caldy were immediately swarming under the posts and, despite desperate home defence, the squat figure of Monty Weatherby was able to ride a tackle and get the touchdown, converted by substitute Charlie Attis.

Caldy now looked full of confidence, and a rattled Richmond seemed to have lost all attacking ambition . After 54 minutes, a kick ahead bounced horribly for a Richmond defender, giving Caldy possession. In the follow up, a kick to the corner was well judged and claimed by Hyde who dived for the corner. Did he get the touchdown before the ball went dead? Referee and linesman conferred and the try was given. 35-24 with 25 minutes to go.

It was now a very different game. With the front rows changed, Caldy briefly claimed advantage after two penalties in their favour. The pressure mounted and the Richmond defence was fully tested. In the 60th minute Caldy came mighty close but somehow Richmond held and then cleared. It seemed a big moment but there was more to come yet.

Richmond were now giving up penalties far too frequently and, by the end of the game, these totalled sixteen. With a glut of extra possession, Caldy kept up the pressure. After 70 minutes, Richmond were pinged for not releasing and given a yellow card. Alex Burrage was the random perpetrator identified. Almost immediately, Caldy were able to score their fifth try to get within one score. The prolific Matt Gallagher got the try following a short range line out.

A man down, Richmond had seven minutes to hold out. Nerves were taut, and Richmond drew a knock on from the otherwise excellent Caldy full back. For a few precious moments Richmond had possession, but it was never going to be straightforward. It was Richmond’s turn to knock on next, and the visitors worked their way forward. Aided by a scrum penalty, they finally advanced into the 22. Phase after phase followed. The home defence was truly magnificent as the line of defenders kept on tackling, getting up and tackling again. A couple of line breaks looked ominous but each time the attacker was then hailed back.

Surely, Caldy would mishandle at some stage. To their credit, for a long time, they didn’t. But finally, the ball did indeed go loose. Richmond had the ball and it was Addams who was able to boot the ball dead as the cheers of relieved Richmond supporters took over.

Rob Powell commented afterwards: ‘ I’m hoping that, now we have got the win, we can relax a bit and be a bit more composed. I said to the lads ‘you saw the best and the worst of us today’. For 30 minutes, absolutely outstanding in all areas. Actually, being so far ahead, counter-intuitively made us panic. Caldy do the same every time. Around half time they start to fight through. At the end it was some of that old school Richmond defending through 25 or 30 phases which stopped them getting the penalty they wanted to get another maul. I though that effort at the end, if you could bottle that, we’d really be alright’.

Team: C. Grieve, A.Brosch, P.Case, T.Riman, J.Addams , A.Burrage, A.Schwarz, T.Bevacqua, H.Hocking, B.Vaughan, C. Bell, F.Hosking, J. Monson, M.Wakeling, J.Cardew
Subs W.Goffey, C.Freeman, A.Griffin, M.Woolard, X.Hastings, I.Coyle, M.Marsh, J.Langston

Tries: Hocking, Cardew (2), Case, Grieve
Conversions: Grieve (5)