Cheshire 13, Cornwall 35

MATT SHEPHERD scored a stunning 20 points for Cornwall as they romped to their fifth County Championship victory at sun-drenched Twickenham on Sunday.

It was the first time that they have won the title in consecutive years after they made a blistering start, scoring two tries in the opening ten minutes to rock their opponents.

Full back Shepherd was instrumental in the first try with less than two minutes on the clock, when he found fly half Billy Searle who charged over for Shepherd to convert.

Flanker Sam Matavesi added another score nine minutes later after a fine drive from the forwards, but this time Shepherd was unable to add the extras.

A Jack Lavin penalty midway through the half put Cheshire on the board and any thoughts of the Duchy cruising to victory were quashed when hooker Paul Millea snuk through a hole after a sustained period of pressure by the forwards. Lavin converted to bring Cheshire to within two points.

Two more Shepherd penalties, the second of which earned Cheshire second row Tom Sanders a yellow card for an infringement on Greg Goodfellow, put Cornwall 18-10 ahead at the break.

Cheshire started brightly in the second half and Lavin's penalty reduced the arrears, before a second effort shortly afterwards bounced off the crossbar.

Then the black and gold took over. Herbie Stupple had the final touch after a great break by Robin Wedlake had been held up close to the line and Shepherd converted to establish some daylight after 53 minutes.

Shepherd kicked another penalty and fittingly he rounded off the scoring with a try out wide in the dying moments, landing a tremendous conversion to underline the Duchy's supremacy in the match.

Cornwall: Shepherd, Vinnicombe, Murphy, Webber, Wedlake, Searle, Goodfellow, Cowan-Dickie, Freestone, Williams, Hilton, Whittle, Marriott (capt), Matavesi, Stupple. Replacements: Webb, Cook, Parsons, Judge, Brown, Fuca, Dawe.

Cheshire: Venables, Leech, Edward, Hayes, Baker, Lavin, Murray, Woods, Millea, Millar-Mills, Marwick (capt), Sanders, Davidson, Broadbent, Parkinson. Replacements: Roddy, Craven, Rushton, Jones, Oakes, Pearson, Harvey (Wirral).

Referee: Jamie Leahy.

Cornwall: Tries: Searle, Matavesi, Stupple, Shepherd; Cons: Shepherd (3); Pens: Shepherd (3).

Cheshire: Try: Millea; Con: Lavin; Pen: Lavin (2).