Richmond would have come to Goddington Dene expecting to rack up a substantial points difference, after all on a recent visit they scored 80 odd. This season they had eight wins from eight and eight bonus points to boot.
In contrast Combe were facing the side at the very top of National League Two (S) while we were rooted firmly at the bottom along with the spectre of the debacle that was the last home game. So what transpired out on the pitch would have been a surprise to both sides and all but eradicated the memory of that game.
Westcombe Park caught Richmond cold (how often have I been able to write that!) when Kieran Leeper swept down the wing outstripping opposition and colleagues alike in the first minute. Luke Giles narrowly missed the conversion in what was otherwise an awesome display of kicking.
The five point lead lasted the best part of ten minutes before fly-half Mat Keville landed a penalty for Richmond but Giles soon cancelled that out with another penalty.
A minute later the scores were level when Keville benefited from good work by his forwards from the restart and crossed for the try.
The next ten minutes should go down in Combe folklore! The first six minutes was just both sides mixing it in midfield but then in short order Giles added a penalty and the conversion to Leepers second try when he jinked his way through a defence turned dizzy. Giles kick was probably his best.
At 18—8 Richmond must have wondered what was happening but they don't occupy top spot for nothing. It took them some minutes to shake off their bewilderment and regroup.
Then they started to make amends with a Keville penalty, but he failed to add the points on either of the tries that followed before the break. First the full-back Tom Chesters came into the line in a flowing move from halfway and then inside centre Nick Moore crossed in another flowing move that showed some good handling.
Both try scorers were to leave the combat with injury. Chesters soon after his try and Moore early in the second half.
Richmond would have been less than happy at the interval with a lead of just three points 18—21 despite having scored three tries so were well on their way to yet another bonus point and everyone at Westcombe Park, happy as they were at Combe's performance, were haunted by the memory of the previous second half at Combe.
Neither sets of supporters need have worried. From early in the second half it was evident that Combe were a side that had learned a big lesson, despite being under a lot of pressure they withstood for ten minutes.
Then, almost inevitably, Richmond added their bonus try with a rampant No. 8 Chris Davies getting the touchdown. Keville added the conversion and cemented the win with a penalty three minutes later.
Twenty-five minutes left during which time it was Richmond that looked the more dangerous with Combe expending a lot of energy in defence particularly in the set pieces. But it was all to good effect although the only hope for Combe came from an ambitious penalty attempt halfway through.
That was until the last couple of minutes.
Combe were mounting some pressure around Richmond's 22 which didn't really look like going anywhere until the explosive force that is Kieran Leeper sealed his hat-trick of tries right next to the post. There was just time for the conversion attempt—normally a formality from here and Luke Giles, looking the coolest man on the park, but I bet he wasn't, stepped up to secure a bonus point.
Richmond will not be too distressed at conceding probably their first “away” point but to Westcombe Park it has huge significance for the rest of the season.

Match Reporter: Mike Attewell

Combe's Team: Chris O'Neill; Niki Davies, Gideon Roux, Ben Hough, Kieran Leeper; Luke Giles, James Askew (Mike Adeniya 66m.); Jordan Mitchell, Harry Fry, Dale Bellinger (Marlon Rainford 53m.); Jon Wright, Nick Coles (Tom Clarke 53m.); George Blomfield, Hamish Barton, Gavin Wallis (James Catlin 66m.) Sub. Alex Foster.