Pirates looking to bounce back against Leeds (From Falmouth Packet)

Pirates looking to bounce back against Leeds

11:46am Friday 1st March 2013 in Sport By Phil Westren

Fifth-placed in the RFU Championship, the Cornish Pirates will travel to Yorkshire on Sunday to play sixth-placed Leeds Carnegie.

Both sides are actually on 41 league points but the Pirates hold the higher place having recorded one extra win than their opponents.

Leeds Carnegie, having experienced issues regarding their new pitch at Headingley Carnegie Stadium, are staging this mightily important Round 17 game at Otley Rugby Club's Cross Green ground, kick-off at 2.30pm.

For the winner it'll boost their chances to make into the top four, and despite winning 21-8 when the two sides met at the Mennaye Field in October, the Cornish Pirates, who have been hampered with injuries, know it'll be much tougher playing Leeds Carnegie away.

Former Pirates David Doherty, James Doherty, Mike Myerscough and Matt Smith nowadays ply their trade at Leeds, and have recently been joined by another former player in the shape of prop James Currie who is on loan from Worcester Warriors. Winger David is the league's top try-scorer with 11, just one ahead of 'Pirate' Matt Evans and Bedford's Josh Bassett.

For this important clash the Pirates are still disrupted with injuries but welcome back to the starting line-up the centre pairing of Junior Fatialofa and Tom Riley, plus fly-half Kieran Hallett and wing Matt Evans. In the forwards there are returns for front-rowers Paul Andrew (making his 99th appearance), Rob Elloway and Ben Prescott, lock David Lyons, and No. 8 Kyle Marriott who will skipper the side.

 

Cornish Pirates:   G. Pointer, A. Smith, T. Riley, J. Fatialofa, M. Evans, K. Hallett, T. Kessell, K. Marriott (capt), A. Cheesman, P. Burgess, G. Johnson, D. Lyons, B. Prescott, R. Elloway, P. Andrew.
Replacements:   R. Storer, D. Semmens, P. Joyce, D. Barry, J. Tyas, G. Cattle, A. Penberthy.