In Round 14 of the Championship, playing this 2^nd versus 6^th contest away against Bedford Blues on Saturday, the Cornish Pirates succumbed to an ultimately disappointing defeat.

Matches against the Blues always provide a challenge, especially on the road, and facing a team that always demands respect an inevitable tough encounter was expected.

The Pirates line-up showed just a single change in their starting XV from the one that faced London Scottish at home the previous weekend. Then replacement Billy Young was named at loose-head prop, with his place on the bench taken by fit again prop James French.

After the Blues lost the toss, with the Pirates opting to play up the slope in the first half it was winger Arthur Relton, about to proudly make his 50^th appearance for the club, who led the team out.

In front of a bumper crowd at Goldington Road, after Bedford kicked the game off through their fly-half Will Maisey, the Pirates secured possession through centre Chester Ribbons who ran some eighty metres to score. There were just 27 seconds on the clock before fly-half Bruce Houston then stepped forward to land their conversion.

What a start? What a start, indeed! However, quick to respond, the Blues wasted little time to level matters. Following an attacking line-out Maisey fired off a pin-point pass to dangerman wing Matt Worley whose try was also converted by Maisey.

A run and solid hand off by Pirates’ wingman Matt McNab ended with scrum half Dan Hiscocks being denied a score by an excellent tackle. Pressure was though kept up close to the Bedford line, with strong carries initially from forwards Sol Moody and Matt Cannon, a run from Relton, and then a try by McNab whose short powerful burst took him over the whitewash. Houston added the extras.

Games between the two teams are often high scoring affairs and the ingredients appeared to be already boiling up when Bedford hit back again. Holding possession, Maisey first nudged the ball ahead to then follow up and score a try at the posts that he also converted.

After a series of pick and goes Bedford would soon threaten once more, as flanker Joe Howard went close. The chance to secure another try was real, and when materialising it was number 8 Fred Tuilagi, a member of the famed Tuilagi family, who on the blind side gave a try-scoring pass to Plymouth born Hong Kong international Worley, whose second five pointer of the match was once again converted.

Finishing the first forty strongly, the Blues were keen to keep the scoreboard ticking, and after the Pirates were deemed guilty of not rolling away a Maisey penalty made it 24-14. That was how the half ended, but with the Cornish side also reduced to 14 men following the sinbinning of lock Alfie Bell.

When play resumed the Blues, still with an extra player advantage, soon increased their lead when full-back Louis James hit ‘space at pace’ to score. It was also their bonus point providing fourth try of the afternoon, which was converted from to the right of the posts.

With what appeared a suddenly growing penalty count against the Pirates, from one award a quick tap by Bedford’s Howard saw him make the line for the faultless Maisey to again add the extra two points.

Good handling, initially involving Pirates’ full-back Will Trewin, saw McNab score his second try in the match, which was unconverted, providing a glimmer of hope that at least a fourth bonus point try could be scored. Then, when Bedford lost their skipper Michael Le Bourgois to the sin bin, hopes were raised still further, but there would be no immediate score. However, pleasingly eventually it did thanks to replacement centre Harry Yates’ also unconverted effort, but it was the Blues who had the last say when replacement Luke Frost scored the game’s final try and Maisey was yet again successful off the tee, his final tally an impressive 20 in the match.

Speaking after the match, Cornish Pirates’ joint head coach Gavin Cattle said:

“It was a high scoring game but naturally not the result we wanted. Also, of course, we were on the wrong side of the penalty count, not helped in part by a lack of physicality. We were letting the breakdown evolve without taking care of it ourselves, so it’s something we need to work at.

“I do think the score flattered them a bit, but you have to hand it to them, as their maul dominance told, and we creaked a bit when we had a man in the sin bin.

“We also had extra scoring opportunities at times, and looked sharp, but ultimately we weren’t accurate enough and Bedford deserved their win and managed the game a little better. Yes, the four try bonus point was pleasing but we just conceded 45 points so that is something we need to look at as well.”

Gavin added:

“Overall, it’s important that we deal with the travel, be right and ready in terms of flow of energy, and we improve our physicality. Our defensive mauling was not a match for Bedford.”

Bedford Blues:   15 Louis James 14 Matt Worley (23 Jake Garside, 54) 13 Lucas Titherington (22 Alfie Garside, 70) 12 Michael Le Bourgeois (captain) 11 Dean Adamson 10 Will Maisey 9 James Lennon (21 Alex Day, 48); 1 Jamie Jack (Joey Conway, 48) 2 James Fish (16 Tommy Hernan, 60) 3 Oisin Heffernan (18 Beltus Nonleh, 60) 4 Ed Prowse 5 Alex Woolford 6 Archie Benson (20 Luke Frost, 53) 7 Joe Howard (19 Rory Ward, 70) 8 Fred Tuilagi.

Yellow card:   12 Michael Le Bourgeois (59).

Cornish Pirates:   15 Will Trewin 14 Arthur Relton (21 Will Rigelsford, 65) 13 Charlie McCaig 12 Chester Ribbons (23 Harry Yates, 49) 11 Matt McNab 10 Bruce Houston (22 Iwan Jenkins, 55) 9 Dan Hiscocks; 1 Billy Young (17 James French, 65) 2 Sol Moody (16 Dylan Irvine, 44) 3 Jay Tyack (18 Ollie Andrews, 53) 4 Alfie Bell (19 Charlie Rice, 49) 5 Josh King 6 Matt Cannon (20 Fintan Coleman, 53) 7 Alex Everett (captain) 8 Tomiwa Agbongbon.

Yellow card:   4 Alfie Bell (39).

Scorers:

Bedford Blues – tries:  14 Matt Worley (3, 30) 10 Will Maisey (23) 15 Louis James (46) 7 Joe Howard (52) 20 Luke Frost (80); cons: 10 Will Maisey (4, 24, 31, 47, 53, 80); pen: 10 Will Maisey (35).

Cornish Pirates – tries: 12 Chester Ribbons (1) 11 Matt McNab (19, 54) 23 Harry Yates (72); cons: 10 Bruce Houston (2, 20).

Referee:   Charlie Gayther

Assistants:    Mike Hudson & Gregg Dawson

Attendance:   3503