With Premiership Cup games completed, and a useful friendly played at home against the Royal Navy last weekend, the Cornish Pirates return to Championship action this Friday evening for the first time since late January.

London Scottish will be in opposition for the sixth versus seventh Round 13 clash (ko 7.30pm), which is inevitably expected to be close, remembering too that the exiles side won their home encounter 26-15 against the Cornish Pirates last October.

As per last weekend, fit again flanker Alex Everett will skipper the Pirates, who name Dylan Irvine among the replacements. A young Kiwi hooker, he made his debut for the team off the bench last week against the Royal Navy.

Speaking ahead of Friday’s game, Cornish Pirates’ joint head coach Gavin Cattle has commented:

“It has been a long break since our last Championship league match. However, our friendly encounter against the Royal Navy last week at least gave us some much-needed game time.

“They were competitive, but we ultimately won with a bit to spare despite naturally being a little ring rusty.

“One thing we can be certain of this week is that London Scottish will provide us with a big challenge, so it is hoped that areas of our game where we have felt necessary to work on will prove beneficial.

“They deservedly beat us at their home earlier in the season, when their physicality got the better of us, and they can always be quite clinical with ball in hand. For supporters and everyone involved it should prove an interesting and very entertaining game.”

The Cornish Pirates full selection is as follows:

Cornish Pirates:   15 Will Trewin14 Arthur Relton 13 Charlie McCaig 12 Chester Ribbons 11 Matt McNab 10 Bruce Houston 9 Dan Hiscocks; 1 Oisin Michel 2 Sol Moody 3 James French 4 Alfie Bell 5 Josh King 6 Matt Cannon 7 Alex Everett (captain) 8 Tomiwa Agbongbon.

Replacements:   16 Dylan Irvine 17 Oisin Michel 18 Jay Tyack 19 Charlie Rice 20 Fintan Coleman 21 Will Rigelsford 22 Iwan Jenkins 23 Joe Elderkin.

Referee:   George Selwood

Assistants:   James Milliner-Woodcock & Kevin Williams

Official 4:   Paul Box

PR Coach:   Steve Leyshon & Phil Watters

Match Day Sponsor:   Nevada Construction

Match Ball Sponsor:   Southern England Farms

Match Day Collection:   Bolingey Barbarians