Another match report from our beloved Seniors sponsors, Menzies, written by Paul Hickson, Partner and all round bon oeuf for travelling on a dank and miserable Saturday to Maidstone.
If I am being completely honest I wouldn't have been at Maidstone if the second XV game at Cobham hadn't been cancelled, indeed I even called the fixture secretary at Maidstone to check if the game was still on such was weather. The mobile reception wasn't very good so he only heard "Cobham ..and checking the game was still on?" which caused him some angst as it was 1.30 and he thought I was the team! Having assured him the bus would already be on its way his anxiety levels didn't improve when the bus still hadn't arrived at 2pm for a 2.30 kick off.
Its not entirely clear whether Maidstone are orchestrating M25 traffic jams and town centre roadworks to work to their advantage but it certainly did because for the first thirty minutes Cobham looked to still be on the bus (or as was slightly unkindly suggested on the touchline that they may have had too much chicken korma the night before). Indeed if Maidstone had defied the cross wind and slotted over two penalty attempts and the Ref had played advantage when Maidstone's 6ft 6in winger captain, Mark Ryan, collected his own kick ahead, Cobham would have been trailing. As it was with half time approaching it was 0-0 (could this be a repeat of last seasons Dover scoreless draw?).
It was at this point the Cobham supporters realised just how much territorial advantage Maidstone had enjoyed when, for the first time, we found ourselves walking up the sideline into the Maidstone half for a Cobham forward drive inside the home team's 22. I think I counted 12 separate drives that were rebuffed but just when it looked like it it was all in vain Mr Franks sold an outrageous dummy to touch down. Half time 5-0.
Maidstone FC ( They are not RFC because, I was informed in the bar, they were founded in 1880 before football had arrived in Maidstone so FC meant Rugby club) first XV had only won one match this season, against local rivals, Aylesford but they were certainly not playing at that level. Would Cobham start the second half as they had finished the first, would Paddy Seymour resume hostilities with the Maidstone hooker, why has Heinrich ( Dupuy) grown a beard? These were the questions on everyone's mind.
As the second half started it was clear however, that someone had said something at half time because Cobham's pack and line out started to gain control (I think I have worked out Billy's line out code now because the numbers were just slightly different when it went to Tristan Lee at the front) and provide the back line with some consistent ball. Captain Jack exploited some confusion behind the the Maidstone try line to touch down, converted wide out by Tim Green and Rob Smedley finished off some swift passing with a try in the corner 17-0. However 'Stones' were not to be denied their moment of glory when in a rare excursion into Cobham territory they scored an unconverted try.
We only started to see some smiles on the Cobham faces after Matt Johnson, maintaining his try quota in front of a proud dad, completed another forward drive to make it 22-5 and finally, with an exceptional solo try from Disco (who I have finally worked out after three seasons is really David McCallum ) scoring under the posts to make the conversion by Tim straight forward or..........well it was very windy.
And that's how it finished Cobham 27 - Maidstone 5. On another day, without road works and gusting winds it would have probably been more like 40-15 but a win's a win and when it occurs on the same day your rivals lose its even more important.
Second in the league and all to play for.
Paul Hickson
