Cornish Pirates 38, Nottingham 19
The Pirates entered this game with their focus to secure a bonus point win to keep
them in contention to secure a place in the quarter-final stage of this season’s British
& Irish competition, and quickly into gear they opened the scoring in just the fourth
minute, hooker Tom Channon burrowing over for try that was converted by fly-half
Laurence May. 7-0.
Four minutes later the home side doubled their tally with a well worked converted try.
Centre Tom Riley flicked a pass backwards, skipper Matt Evans and Channon lent
support, and after momentum was made into Nottingham’s ‘22’ flanker Sam
Simmonds made telling yardage for the ball to be then worked left. Following a loan
spell at Redruth, as if to celebrate his return to ‘Pirate’ colours wing Kyle Moyle
dotted the ball down at the scoreboard corner. 14-0.
But for an adjudged forward pass the Pirates might well have extended their lead,
however it was Martin Haag’s side who would score next through lock Rupert
Cooper, who followed up a chip ahead to make a touchdown at the Newlyn posts.
Fly-half Laurence Rayner added the extra two points. 14-7.
Seemingly reawakened, in all but an instantthe Pirates were soon back in scoring
mode when man-of-the-match centre Tom Hendrickson burst through midfield,
pinned back his ears and ran 40 metres to the line. May’s conversion reopened a 14
points gap. 21-7.
A bonus point fourth try was now very much in focus, and from another effective
driving maul it was than man Marlen, prop Marlen ‘Magic’ Walker who followed up
his hat-trick at Rotherham with his fourth try in eight days. May was again on target
with his conversion attempt. 28-7.
To end what had been an entertaining first half, played on a pitch that was in better
condition than many had feared, there was time for one more score, and it a
celebratory first for the Pirates by jubilant scrum-half Alex Day. 33-7.
Bolingey Barbarians held their annual match day collection during the interval, their
excellent efforts helping raise monies for youth charities in Cornwall, and all gathered
looked forward to witnessing still more exciting rugby in the second forty.
The visiting ‘Green & Whites’ had arrived at the Mennaye Field having failed to win
any of their previous four games in Pool 4, meaning the clash was a dead rubber
from their point of view. To their credit, they had though played some good rugby,
and with the benefit of the elements would outscore the Pirates in the second period.
Nottingham’s cause was helped somewhat when the Pirates were reduced to 13
men. Lock Jake Parker was the first man sent to the sin bin, and flanker Sam
Simmonds followed him just a few minutes later. Visiting captain Matt Everard took
the opportunity to register an unconverted try. 38-12.
To have any hope of upsetting the Pirates, Nottingham would have needed to score
twice more whilst they had numerical advantage. They didn’t. Indeed, just before
Parker’s return the Pirates would notch up their sixth try of the afternoon, scored by
No. 8 Tom Duncan. 38-12.
The final points of the afternoon went to Nottingham, as No. 8 Rob Langley caught
everyone by surprise by sneaking down the blind side to cross at the scoreboard
corner. Rayner converted well from out wide. 38-19.
Pre-match the Pirates had been keen to build on the momentum created in the lead
up to the Christmas period, and with everyone keen to play for the shirt they had
succeeded. It was also the third time in their last six matches that they had scored 38
points.
All eyes will now glance firmly forward to Old Deer Park, and this coming Saturday’s
all-important final Pool 4 game against London Welsh. The ‘Dragons’ are top, and
the Pirates second, with just two points separating the teams. The top side in each of
the five pools will progress to the quarter-final stage, plus the three best runners-up.
There are various permutations that can arise from the final set of pool games, so
already heightened interest is guaranteed to rise still further through to next
weekend.
Cornish Pirates: 15 Matt Evans (captain, Alex Dancer 51), 14 Jack Arnott, 13 Tom
Riley, 12 Tom Hendrickson, 11 Kyle Moyle, 10 Laurence May, 9 Alex Day (Jack
Oulton 69); 1 Marlen Walker (Tyler Gendall 51), 2 Tom Channon (Rob Elloway 58), 3
Adam Jamieson (Jack Andrew 63), 4 Jake Parker, 5 Brett Beukeboom (Will Graulich
61), 6 Dan Lee (John Stevens 63), 7 Sam Simmonds, 8 Tom Duncan.
Yellow cards: Parker, Simmonds.
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