1 week Ago
Playing this Round 15 home game in the Championship against Cambridge on Sunday, in glorious sunshine, the Cornish Pirates emerged comfortable winners. In the process, they also moved up a place to fifth in the league table. Despite the visitors being presently the basement side in the Championship, the Pirates were taking nothing for granted against the ‘Blood & Sand’ (as Cambridge are nicknamed), remembering that they lost 29-22 in the away fixture played back in October.
There were three changes in the Cornish Pirates’ starting line-up from the one that ran out at Bedford the previous weekend. Wing Arthur Relton and hooker Sol Moody were injured in that match, so their places were filled respectively by fit-again Robin Wedlake and Harry Hocking. In the second row, Charlie Rice was selected to play alongside Josh King, with Alfie Bell on this occasion named on the bench.
The replacements also listed backrower Michael Etete and young prop Ben Woodmansey, who had each made their debuts for the club in the recent fixture against the Royal Navy. Finally, another fresh face, keen to make an appearance, was Exeter Chiefs’ scrum-half Will Becconsall. Arriving at the Mennaye Field during the week on loan, the 22-year-old Cornishman started his career as a youngster at Falmouth and is a nephew of Garry Becconsall, formerly of Leicester Tigers, who made a dozen appearances for Penzance & Newlyn RFC back in 2002/03.
As for the early match action, it was the visitors who opened the scoring in the sixth minute when hooker Morgan Veness squeezed in at the old Western National corner. Their skipper and fly-half Louis then landed a fine conversion. The response from the Pirates was to hit back with three tries, two of which were scored by industrious hooker Harry Hocking, plus there was one for prop Jay Tyack.
Fly-half Bruce Houston kicked a single conversion. A scintillating run from full-back Will Trewin gave hope that the Pirates would add to their points tally, but it was Cambridge who scored next through wing Will Glister, who has featured in the past for Northampton Saints. Swift passing was the key that ended with him breezing in at the Newlyn gate corner.
So, Cambridge had offered the threat that it was felt they posed, especially after Glister notched up his second converted try, which followed a superb bonus point providing fourth for the Pirates which had been scored by wing Robin Wedlake. Thankfully, by the break, the Pirates carried it up a level with strong play ending with forward Matt Cannon powering over the line and then scrum-half Dan Hiscocks running in try number six. The Pirates carried on in try-scoring mode shortly after the restart, as space was created to enable Wedlake to apply the burners and touch down a converted try at the Newlyn gate corner.
To their credit, the ‘Blood & Sand’ played with considerable spirit when able. The centre pairing of Matt Williams and Matt Hema threatened, as did former Pirates’ scrum-half Ruaridh Dawson when he was introduced to proceedings. Also, at number 8, Reuben Logan, son of former Scotland international Kenny and TV presenter Gabby, stuck to task.
The Pirates would, though, extend their lead with a spectacular try from wing Matt McNab, a close-range effort from prop James French, and a run-in for Houston who also converted each..
