Pirates Need to Tick All The Boxes

Next up for the Cornish Pirates is a trip to the Madejski Stadium, Reading, this Saturday to play London Irish (ko 3pm).

This game will clearly be another tough challenge for the Pirates versus a team they faced and lost four times against in 2016/2017. Their opponents, with former Ireland coach Declan Kidney and Les Kiss at the helm, are also understandably favourites to bounce back into the Premiership from which they were relegated at the end of last season.

To date, with one game in hand, London Irish have won all seven of their league games played and are sat second in the Greene King IPA Championship table on 33 points, just two behind league leaders Ealing Trailfinders. The Cornish Pirates are third with 29.

For the visit to the Madejski Stadium, Callum Patterson returns to the Cornish Pirates side at inside centre and Harry Strong is named on the left wing. Just one change in the forwards sees Tom Cowan-Dickie selected at hooker. Listed on the bench is prop Marlen Walker who, having recovered from injury, will be keen to make a first appearance of the season.

Ahead of Saturday’s encounter Cornish Pirates co-coach Alan Paver said:

We are hurting a little bit following the frustration of last week’s narrow defeat and will want now to get up to the Madejski and deliver all we can against a very good London Irish team.

The quality of their coaching and possessing lots of talented players reflects the ambition of a squad which is a little different to the one we played two seasons ago and is naturally keen to quickly regain their Premiership status.

Our aim will be to pressurise them and see what can happen against the odds. We need to tick all the boxes, go there in the best frame of mind and make sure we play our game, so let’s see what we can do.