Cornish Pirates 34, Titans 5

This was yet another truly terrific league match win for the Cornish Pirates.

The home side had no recognised locks in the absence of Brett Beukeboom (away on international duty with Canada) and captain Chris Morgan (a late withdrawal because of injury), so back-rowers Jake Parker and birthday boy Dan Lee formed the second-row pairing.

Replacement hooker Jack Innard had to slot in at blindside flanker, and during the match Bar Bartlett, who is normally a centre, entered the fray to play in the back-row.

For the Pirates, the first three line-outs in particular proved a problem area, however with clean possession secured at a fourth attempt, the Pirates rumbled their way over the line through their driving maul, with stand-in skipper Tom Duncan registering his eighth try in the Championship this season. Fly-half Laurence May slotted a fine conversion and was soon after successful with a penalty from 30 metres out.

Gifted a number of penalty awards enabled the Titans to threaten deep inside the Pirates half, and from their own catch-and-drive they would score what would prove to be their only points of the afternoon.

Flanker Tom Calladine was identified as a try-scorer at the old Western National corner but fly-half Lee Millar was luckless with his conversion attempt.

The Pirates extended their lead on the half-hour mark thanks to Tom Channon’s converted try. It followed another potent driving maul, one that manoeuvred its way some 12 metres to the line.

Hooker Channon was unfortunately injured soon after, demanding a shuffle in personnel, however the half still finished on a high for the Pirates when man-of-the-match flanker John Stevens picked a perfect line to score to the left of the Penzance posts. May’s conversion gave the Pirates a 24-5 lead at the break.

Playing into the wind, and what would develop into a wet second half, one penalty attempt from May rebounded off a post, only for another attempt to soon after sail cleanly through the posts. In the context of the game, opening up a 22-point gap left the Titans with a somewhat tough hill to climb.

The superb home defence also held tight following prop Paul Andrew being sin-binned, and when back to a full 15, the mission was simply to aim for a fourth try to earn the bonus point.

Emptying their bench meant that for the Pirates coach Alan Paver made his 354th appearance for the club.

It looked as if the Pirates would ultimately have to settle just for a straightforward victory, until in the 79th minute a period of applied pressure ended with centre Nicolas De Battista securing the bonus point score. Replacement fly-half Will Cargill converted and it was game over.

Cornish Pirates: 15 Toby May, 14 Alex O’Meara, 13 Tom Hendrickson (Max Bodilly 75), 12 Nicolas De Battista, 11 Kyle Moyle, 10 Laurence May (Will Cargill 75), 9 Alex Day (Mike Pope 75); 1 Marlen Walker (Alan Paver 69), 2 Tom Channon (Bar Bartlett 39, Jack Andrew 58), 3 Paul Andrew (Bar Bartlett 67), 4 Jake Parker, 5 Dan Lee, 6 Jack Innard, 7 John Stevens, 8 Tom Duncan (capt).