Pirates Keen to Perform in Final Home Game

With the Cornish Pirates about to play a Round 9 match in this season’s Greene King IPA Championship at the Mennaye Field on Saturday (ko 3.30pm), this penultimate fixture versus visiting Hartpury will also be their last at home game this season.

Ninth placed Hartpury have won 2 and lost 5 of their seven matches played to date, whilst the Pirates, in fourth place, have won 5 and lost 3.

There are several changes in the Cornish Pirates team that won at Coventry last time out. In the backs, with a fit again Maliq Holden returning on the wing, Will Butler reverts to inside centre. Also, at scrum half, after several appearances off the bench, Jean-Baptist Bruzulier returns to the starting line-up. As for the forwards, Hayden King is to wear the number ‘1’ shirt, whilst Tom Cowan-Dickie, who has made three appearances as a replacement since recovering from injury, will be making his first start of the season. As for the pack’s back five, they remain the same.

Speaking ahead of Saturday’s encounter, Cornish Pirates joint head coach Gavin Cattle said:

Since our win at Coventry, when the team displayed quite considerable character, the boys enjoyed just a few days off.

Our focus in training had gone up a level and, on their return, they again hit the ground running and are hungry to do well.

We still have certain players unavailable because of injury, but there is an internal pressure for us to continue to perform and that will be the aim in our last two games.