CALDY suffered back-to-back defeats in the Championship Cup with a 40-15 loss at Richmond on Friday night.

Richmond put the Caldy defence under pressure from the kick-off and deserved to take the lead after just seven minutes when Callum Torpey was able to sneak over the maul.

Torpey was in again on the quarter-hour mark after a kick to the corner saw two good phases allowing the hooker to score his third of the season.

The Londoners’ third try came after 25 minutes when the kick to the corner forced Caldy back on their own try-line again and Alex O’Meera scored after an arrow-kick from James Lennon. With the pressure on, Richmond pushed for a fourth straight from the kick-off and were rewarded when Toby Saysell shrugged off the Caldy defence.

With just five minutes left on the clock before half-time, Caldy managed to get on the scoreboard when great play down the wing saw Nick Royle in to score. This only inspired the home side to step it up a gear and Saysell slid in for his second try just before half-time.

Richmond started the second half as they ended the first with Saysell completing an impressive hat-trick.

Heading into the final quarter of the game, Caldy capitalised on Richmond’s David Massey seeing yellow, and scored from the lineout as the ball went through a number of successful phases and Royle was able to get the ball over the line.

Despite the extra man, Caldy were unable to take advantage in the final minutes although there was time for a hat-trick try from Royle after a great cross-field kick from Rhys Hayes.

The Caldy fans who made the 500-mile round trip agreed the second half performance was better.

and there were lessons to be learnt from the first half.

Caldy have a week off from the Championship before they return to the Capital to face London Scottish for the first time on December 3.