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.