Gravesend went into the game as the marginal favourite having secured one more victory this season, including a decisive win the previous week against CS Rugby 1863. In contrast Cobham had lost their last three games and needed to restore their confidence.
With centre Charlie Rooke failing a late fitness test Arran Cowell celebrated his 150th first team appearance, a tremendous achievement that may prove difficult for another to emulate.
As might be expected from two evenly matched teams the play in the fifteen minutes was between the two sides' twenty two lines as they tested each others' defences to find the first gap. Aves showed his pace on the Cobham wing early on but Gravesend's back line demonstrated that it would need to be contained if they were not to break through themselves
At different times both teams had the better of the scrums but Cobham's line out play was marginally superior all afternoon.
An infringement by Cobham allowed Gravesend to get the first points by a easily collected penalty by fly half Dave Dorton 0-3 but Cobham were first over the line when the existential threat posed by centre Matt Goddard tore through the defence to set up Alex Aves for the first try which fly off Ollie Weir converted 7-3.
Back row Matt Koep always looked menacing from the scrum or line out and after twenty minutes pressure on the visitors line this was rewarded by James McDonald crossing 12-3. Dorton secured a penalty to keep Gravesend in the match 12-6 but it was Goddard once again scoring his second under the posts that enabled Weir to convert 19-6 and then pull further way with a penalty 22-6.
That should have been the half time score but Gravesend demonstrated the threat they posed by using several phases of play to gain territory and enable back row Geoff Marshall to cross in the corner 22-11 Half Time.
Gravesend had no intention of allowing Cobham to extend their lead and from the whistle put Cobham under pressure and only an adjudged forward pass prevented a breakthrough. Cobham came back with the first of many successfully executed rolling mauls only for the final pass to be wasted. Hooker McQuade set up Brown only for him to held up but the next score was for the visitors as Koep was yellow carded for a high tackle and Dorton took the points 22-14
With the extra player advantage Gravesend winger Temi Okenla run over for a well taken try which Dorton converted and within ten minutes a comfortable advantage had been lost 22-21.
With Koep back on it was now Cobham's opportunity to benefit from the extra man as Gravesend second row Glen Rademan was yellow carded. Cobham had no intention of squandering this game and in the final ten minutes put together some of the best attacking rugby they have played all season with first Goddard going over 27-21 and then after Aves was brought down a turnover scrum provided substitute Joe Davis to run over for a convincing fifth try. Weir converted 34-21.
Director of Rugby Steve Pope said after the game '
1.Richard Phillip
2.Jake McQuade
3.Ben Joyce
4.Tom Hilton Stevens
5.Julian Kunkler
6.Ali Porter
7.Rob Fleming
8. Matt Koep
9.Robbie Kennard
10.Ollie Weir
11.James MacDonald
12.Arran Cowell
13.Matt Goddard
14.Alex Aves
15. Jean Louis Gravier
Substitutes :-
16. Josh Brown
17. Joe Davis
18. Ryan Saunders
Tries:- Goddard (2) MacDonald, Aves Davis
Conversions :-Weir (3)
Penalties:- Weir
