Pirates Eager for Action

Of no surprise everyone – players, coaches, backroom staff and eager supporters – are looking forward to this Saturday’s Cornish Pirates versus Nottingham match in the RFU Championship (ko 2.30pm). For the home team it will be a first outing in six weeks, remembering that the last Championship game played by the Cornish Pirates was the 26-13 points victory away to Ampthill on the 11^th December. Since then, besides a ‘No Rugby’ weekend and a ‘Bye’ weekend, three games have frustratingly and disappointingly been postponed – with Covid the culprit.

In a team where experienced scrum-half Tom Kessell is named to lead the side, two players making their first starts for the Cornish Pirates are gifted fly-half Harry Bazalgette and physical lock Lewis Pearson. Both have made several Championship appearances off the bench. Another name of interest, who takes a place on the bench, is that of centre Callum Patterson. Having suffered an ACL knee injury just ahead of the Saracens match back in early March, he will be especially keen to enjoy a slice of the action.

Ahead of Saturday’s encounter, Cornish Pirates’ joint head coach Gavin Cattle has said:

“After building momentum ahead of our enforced break, everyone is naturally hungry to now get going again. We have regrouped well this past couple of weeks, and with healthy numbers training have put some very good sessions under our belt. It won’t be easy, but the hope is for us to take off from where we were.”

“We recorded a good result away to Nottingham earlier in the season but, as everyone knows, nothing can be taken for granted. Their former club captain and head coach Craig Hammond is clearly doing a good job and they pushed Ealing really close last week, before losing 21-34.”

Tickets:   Tickets for the game will be available at the gates on the day (open 12.30pm), whilst in the meantime they can also be purchased on-line. For further information please visit www.cornish-pirates.com/tickets

Pop Up Vaccination Clinic:    Supporters attending the match on Saturday are advised that an NHS Covid-19 ‘walk-in’ vaccination clinic will be running in the car park from 1 – 5pm. It will be for first/second jabs and boosters age 12+.