The previous couple of weeks had looked very positive at Westcombe Park but Richmond turned out to be more of a handful than their previous showings had suggested. Apart from the first half-an-hour the relentless pressure Combe had to endure not only saw them again reduced to fourteen for team infringement but give away eight penalties that saw Richmond draw away.
Not many packs have got the better of Combe this year but Richmond’s did and that, it would seem, was much of the source of the pressure.
Combe opened the scoring after fifteen minutes with a Luke Giles penalty, and it took another six minutes for Richmond to get on the board when back-row Guy Thompson crossed the line. Shortly after the try Combe again took the lead with another penalty. This is how it stayed until five minutes before the break.
Ross Broadfoot kicked three penalties in almost as many minutes and the pattern was set with the teams reaching the interval separated by eight points 6—14.
The pressure continued in the third quarter with Broadfoot missing two penalties before slotting a further two.
Then, for good measure, with fifteen minutes left, in the space of four minutes, Richmond added two tries. The two penalties, and Tom Hayman’s try coming while Combe were reduced to 14. Inside centre, Euan Sadden scored the last try and Broadfoot converted both.
There was no more scoring in the remaining ten minutes but Combe won’t want to be under the whip for so long many times this season, particularly some of the new, young bloods on show, and would have been grateful to hear the final whistle.

Westcombe Park: Luke Giles; Kieran Leeper, Nathan Lambden, Niki Davies, Graham Purdy; Jamie Stevenson, Matthew Spelman; Ben McKinnell, David Brooks, Jordan Mitchell; John Chance, Dave Watkins; Cliff Street, Tom Street, Zane Winslade. Replacements: Adam Preoconin (40 mins), Dylan Alexander (50), Hamish Barton (50), Neil Brown (67), Mike Adeniya (72).

Next week Westcombe Park travel to Ealing Town and return to Goddington Dene on 23rd October, to face the new West country opposition, Taunton.