Pirates Expect Another Mighty Challenge

For their second Premiership Cup match of the seasonin Pool E of the competition, the Cornish Pirates will travel to play Gloucester away on Saturday (ko 3pm).

It will be a first time visit to Kingsholm, to play a side that secured a hard-fought 31-26 bonus point victory away to Hartpury in their Cup opener last weekend.

The Pirates side, which lost 68-7 at home to Exeter Chiefs in their first Cup game of the season, showsseveral changes in their starting line-up for this week. In the backs Will Trewin is named at full-back, Robin Wedlake returns on the wing, Cam Jones is selected at scrum half, and in the absence of an injured Joe Elderkin it is Harry Yates who will partner Tom Georgiou in the centre. As for the forwards, from the off, hooker Harry Hocking will have Billy Young and James French as his propping pair.

Commenting ahead of Saturday’s challenge, Cornish Pirates’ coach Joe Walsh has said:

“Firstly, last Friday was naturally tough against the Chiefs, but although it is at times difficult to take positives from such a hefty defeat I feel as a group we did. The attitude of the boys was especially good. At halftime there was still a lot of fight in us, and right to the end of the game we impressed with our tackling and in some of the collisions.

“For this weekend another mighty challenge is inevitably in prospect, and we will be prepared for full intensity and noise. In training, with available bodies we have worked on improving our systems and executions and keen to give a good account of ourselves will endeavour to apply our learning.”

The Cornish Pirates full selection for Saturday is as follows:

Cornish Pirates:   15 Will Trewin 14 Robin Wedlake13 Tom Georgiou 12 Harry Yates 11 Matt McNab 10 Bruce Houston 9 Cam Jones; 1 Billy Young 2 Harry Hocking 3 James French 4 Charlie Rice 5 Eoin O’Connor 6 Josh King 7 Will Gibson 8 Hugh Bokenham (captain).  

Replacements:   16 Sol Moody 17 Oisin Michel 18 Jay Tyack 19 Matt Cannon 20 Tomi Agbongbon 21 Dan Hiscocks 22 Iwan Price-Thomas 23 Charlie McCaig.