Pirates Expect a Tough Contest Against the Blues

With just two Pool 3 games remaining in the new Championship Cup competition, the Cornish Pirates will be keen to secure a place in the quarter-finals.

This coming Saturday the Pirates play Bedford Blues away (ko 3pm), and then it will be an eagerly awaited home clash against London Irish on Saturday week, the 15th December, when the kick-off will be at the earlier time of 2pm.

The Pirates won 22-20 at home against the Blues in their Championship Cup opener and will expect it to be nothing but tough and likely close once more this coming weekend. A win would, however, see them through to the quarter-finals.

One change in the backs from the side that started at Hartpury last weekend sees Alex Day selected at scrum-half, whilst in the forwards there are returns for hooker Tom Cowan-Dickie, prop Jack Owlett, the second-row pairing of Toby Freeman and skipper Brett Beukeboom, plus back-rowers Matt Bolwell and Tom Duncan.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s important encounter, Cornish Pirates’ co-coach Alan Paver has said:

Having built nicely in this new Cup Competition, I feel we are where we need to be at this moment in time in the group stage, and we also understand what is ahead of us with two tough games remaining.

Following on from our win last week at Hartpury, we have gone strong this week and expect Bedford to select similarly, so the game will likely look a bit more like a Championship contest.

We are raring to go.