Cornish Pirates 55, London Scottish 38

As the Cornish Pirates made it four league wins on the trot, this Round 19 fixture in the Greene King IPA Championship also delivered tries aplenty.

Played in welcome spring sunshine, and with a splattering of sand on a drying Mennaye Field, the Pirates were keen to avenge a 32-26 defeat suffered at the Richmond Athletic Ground last November. The result sought was achieved, but not without occasional concern.

For this contest the Cornish Pirates backline was the same as started at Hartpury the previous week, however there were two changes in the pack. Dual-registered Exeter players Josh Caulfield and Tom Lawday were both unavailable, so Toby Freeman and Dan Lee slotted in at lock and blind-side flanker respectively.

On the bench there were returns for Dan Frost, Rupert Cooper and Will Cargill.

The Pirates started in confident mode, displaying dominance at early scrum time and enterprise with ball in hand. However, it was London Scottish who scored first, a sudden break out ending with flanker Chris Walker scoring a celebratory try on his 50th appearance for the exiles. Fly-half Jake Sharp added the extra two points.

Laurence May responded by slotting his first successful kick of the afternoon, a well-struck penalty effort from some 40 metres out, and the Pirates then took the lead when hooker Sam Matavesi crossed for a converted score.

One was already sensing that this game would prove a high-scoring affair, so it came as no surprise when London Scottish scored from the restart, albeit the Pirates gifting an opportunity that ended wing Alec Coombes crossing out wide.

Deservedly stung, the Pirates suitably reacted. May’s second penalty gave them back the lead, and during a period of control it was then extended, skipper Nicolas De Battista scored a fine try at the old Western National corner, and Matavesi then ran like an unstoppable warrior to record his second. May converted both.

Replacement wing Rob Stevenson latched onto Sharp’s well-weighted cross-field kick to make it 27-17 at the break.

Energised at the start of the second forty, the Pirates' back three of Alex O’Meara, Kyle Moyle and Matt Evans provided spark, and then, on a drive to the line, it was flanker John Stevens who got on the scoresheet for a second week running. May converted the bonus-point-providing effort, as he did when the Pirates soon scored again, this time through full-back Moyle.

As if to maintain this game’s tit-for-tat scoring sequence, ‘Scottish’ captain Danny Kenny’s crossed for a converted try, which also delivered a bonus point, and then Moyle responded with his second for the Pirates. It was also his eleventh in the Championship this season.

Converted tries score by replacement forwards Dino Waldren and Ed Milne brought the visitors right back into the match and with a quarter of an hour to go there was just eight points in it.

Man-of-the-match May landed three successful kicks at goal to ease the tension. Indeed, in a game that ended with six tries apiece, it was his boot that proved all-important, as he accumulated a personal tally of 25 points.

Cornish Pirates: 15 Kyle Moyle, 14 Alex O’Meara, 13 Dan Koster, 12 Nicolas De Battista (capt), 11 Matt Evans (Toby May 56), 10 Laurence May, 9 Alex Day; 1 Marlen Walker (Jack Andrew 50), 2 Sam Matavesi (Dan Frost 58), 3 Christian Judge (Alan Paver 60), 4 Toby Freeman, 5 Brett Beukeboom, 6 Dan Lee (Chris Morgan 65), 7 John Stevens (Rupert Cooper 50), 8 Tom Duncan. Replacement (not used): Will Cargill