Back to league action this weekend, the Cornish Pirates travel to play London Scottish at the Athletic Ground, Richmond, for what is an important Greene King IPA Championship encounter.

As fifth plays sixth and both teams strive to achieve a victory to keep them in touch with the top four, it will be remembered that games between the sides are invariably close.

The Pirates won 16-8 at the Mennaye Field, Penzance, in November, after having lost 20-17 at home earlier in the year, whilst on their last two visits to the 'RAG' they won 25-23 in 2011/12 and lost 25-24 last season.

Selected to make his 50th appearance for the Cornish Pirates on Saturday is lock Darren Barry, who joined the club from Bristol for the start of the 2012/13 season.

Darren is one on several changes to the starting line-up from the one that ran out against Ulster Ravens in the Cup last weekend. Indeed, the only forward remaining in the starting XV is Aaron Carpenter, who this week moves from hooker to No. 8.

The return of fly-half Kieran Hallett means that the club's top points scorer in the Championship, with 75 points, will partner Tom Kessell, who with 8 tries is the club's top try-scorer.

Mike Pope moves from scrum-half to wing, and at full-back, where Matt Evans played and picked up a slight injury last week, there is a return to the side for Craig Holland to wear his familiar number 15 shirt.

Speaking ahead of Saturday's important encounter, Cornish Pirates' Head Coach Ian Davies said: “We are naturally expecting another tough battle against a very good team which is making a serious challenge for the top four.”


Cornish Pirates:   15 Craig Holland, 14 Mike Pope, 13 Tom Riley, 12 Alex Dancer, 11 Kieran Goss, 10 Kieran Hallett, 9 Tom Kessell; 1 Jack Andrew, 2 Rob Elloway, 3 Ben Prescott, 4 Will Graulich, 5 Darren Barry, 6 Chris Morgan (capt), 7 Alex Cheesman, 8 Aaron Carpenter.

Replacements:   16 Tom Channon, 17 Shane Cahill, 18 Jake Parker, 19 Joe Atkinson, 20 Angus Sinclair, 21 Junior Fatialofa, 22 Kyle Moyle.