A DOMINANT performance from their pack saw Yorkshire Carnegie run out 29-18 against Cornish Pirates. 

A couple of tries from loosehead prop Ben Harris along with scores for away skipper Ryan Burrows and ex-England international Chris Jones paved the way for the visitor's victory in the opening weekend of the Greene King IPA Championship.

Indiscipline amongst the Pirates' ranks left them rueing, even if they felt very hard done by with a number of the referee's decisions. 

But the more experienced Carnegie showed their talent throughout the game as they bashed open holes in the Pirates defence and kept their attackers at bay.

The match started evenly enough with the teams exchanging penalties before a driving maul pushed Burrows over, which Kieran Hallett would respond almost immediately with a penalty from kick off.

However, the maul would prove crucial during the match for the visitors as it ate up territory on a number of occasions and also saw Harris score his second try of the day.

His first came close to the half time whistle when David Doherty burst through the defence before being stopped by Matt Evans, but the phases went to the right wing and ended with the prop shoving himself over.

Carnegie carried on their momentum early in the second half when a move starting on their own five metre line saw Jones finish with a try after good breaks from Doherty and wing Oli Goss.

Harris' second try seven minutes later out the nail in the coffin of the Pirates as they struggled to get on the right side of the officials and past the Carnegie defence. 

The final quarter of an hour saw the Pirates finally bring some joy to their supporters as first Evans scored a try.

Tom Riley burst through the defensive line before the stand-in skipper gave the ball to Mike Pope, who ended up having to kick after a mini fumble, with his team-mate sprinting for the ball and tapping down.

His Canadian national colleague Aaron Carpenter also got on the scoresheet as the Pirates transferred the ball through several phases deep in Carnegie territory from the left to right before the replacement barged into the try zone.

PIRATES: Evans (c), Goss, Riley, James (Pope, 52), Moyle, Hallett, Kessell; P Andrew (Carpenter, 59), Channon (Ford-Robinson, 57), Jamieson (Gendall, 59), Garratt (Graulich, 52), Barry, Parker, Cheesman, McGlone (Atkinson, 52).

CARNEGIE: McIlwaine, Goss, Clarke, Lucock (Vickerman, 52), Doherty, Hughes (Imiolek, 52), Pilgrim; Benn, Graham (Neilson, 52), Tideswell (Hooper, 52), Casson (Ramshaw, 38), Edwards, Jones, Walker (Barnard, 57), Burrows (c).

SCORERS

PIRATES: Tries - Evans, Carpenter; Cons - Hallett 1/2; Pens - Hallett 2.

CARNEGIE: Tries - Burrows, Harris 2, Jones; Cons - Hughes 3/4; Pens - Hughes.

Attendance: 1,324