Camborne School of Mines 17 Roseland 30
By Nick Slyvester
Roseland’s final league game of the 2018-19 season was an away trip to Penryn to take on CSoM. Fortunately the rain stayed away although the teams did have to contend with an influential fresh wind blowing diagonally across the pitch.
It was clear from an early stage that it was going to a battle between between the pace and ambition of the students versus forward ascendency and experience of the visitors, hence an obvious need to execute an appropriate game plan. Roseland made a great start and found themselves 0-5 in front after just 2 minutes when Andy Harris’s excellent catch and counter set up an attacking opportunity from which Christian Benbow went over in the corner. The advantage was, however, short-lived when Roseland’s over ambition in their own 22 resulted in a simple interception and the score was levelled at 5-5. After 14 minutes, Tom Day put Roseland back in front with a penalty goal. A period of back and forth followed before an increasing penalty count against Roseland led to a CSoM converted try on the half hour. By now the extra bulk and experience of the Roseland pack was giving the students a torrid time at the set scrum with Scott Pearce acquitting himself particularly well as a stand-in prop.
From one such scrum Nathan Chapman scored a pushover try shortly before half-time to give the visitors a narrow 12-13 advantage at the break.After a mixed first half performance, game management was doubtless at the core of the halftime chat with Roseland making a better job of playing to their strengths in the second period.
After 53 minutes Chapman added his second pushover try, magnificently converted by Tom Day from wide out, to make it 12-20. Credit is due to CSoM as they continued to counter at each and every opportunity with their expansive game which was rewarded on 64 minutes. Once again, with Roseland conceding a worryingly high penalty count, the students closed the gap with an excellent try to potentially create an exciting final quarter of an hour.
However, the combination of a mounting CSoM injury count, and an experienced Roseland replacements bench, meant that the visitors closed the game out with further tries from Sam Glanville and Tom Day to secure a maximum 5 league points.
With a season’s tally of 20 league points, Roseland is confirmed as finishing in 7th place above Helston who have finished bottom.
For the diary, there is currently no game until Saturday 23rd March when we travel to take on a much improved Lankelly/Fowey side in the Plate competition. Further Plate competition games are to follow against St Agnes (30th March at home) and Helston (6th April at Helston).