For their Round 19 match in this season’s ‘Champ’ Rugby competition, the Cornish Pirates travelled to play Cambridge away where they recorded this emphatic victory. Making it four pleasing wins on the trot, the result also sees them move into the top six in the league.

Despite the ‘Blood & Sand’, to give Cambridge their nickname, lying 14^th and winless at the foot of the league table, the Cornish Pirates were rightly taking nothing for granted against a team who have pushed opponents close in a good number of games this season.,

The Cornish Pirates selection this week saw three changes in their starting line up from the one that ran out at home to Nottingham the previous Saturday. In the backs, Ben Cambriani slotted back in on one of the wing berths, whilst in the forwards Alfie Petch was named at tight-head prop and a now fully fit Matt Cannon was selected to partner Josh King in the second row.

After Cornish Pirates’ fly-half Louie Sinclair kicked the game off in good conditions at Cambridge’s Ellgia Fields ground, it was the home team who took an early lead. Keen that his side played with spirit it was skipper Dan Eckersley who led by example to run in a try which was converted by former ‘Pirate’ Ruaridh Dawson.

Making a prompt response, it was then the turn of Pirates’ skipper Alex Everett to score, and bursting to the line in accustomed fashion he did, with Sinclair nailing his conversion attempt.

One sensed that it wouldn’t be long before Pirates scored again, and when happening it came in the form of a penalty try to make the scoreline 7-14. Cambridge also saw their Tongan international fly-half, Otumaka Mausia, shown a yellow card.

For Cambridge the alertness of Dawson was always a threat before he left the field injured, but it was a pop-up pass from Pirates’ centre Chester Ribbons that led to wing Arthur Relton scoring a converted try.

In time remaining before the break Cambridge were awarded a penalty try, before the Pirates then took a 28-14 lead into halftime after first a sizzling run on the right by Cambriani, and then Sinclair’s deft kick out of hand which was coolly gathered by Ribbons, who scored a converted bonus point providing fourth try wide out on the left.

Cambridge started the second forty well. However, the Pirates would extend their lead thanks to a converted try scored by Mawson.

Approaching the hour mark, a try touched down by centre Jasper Sorrell, which was converted by replacement scrum half James Thompson, narrowed the deficit for the home team, but only briefly. Pirates’ number 8 Tomi Agbongbon has been in particularly outstanding form of recent, and taking off from forty metres out, he blasted his way to the line for his third try in as many games. Sinclair once again added the extras.

Fifty plus points for the Pirates now looked very much ‘on’, but ultimately it was a final try of the match scored by replacement hooker Morgan Nelson, and converted by fellow replacement Arwel Robson, that saw an end to a hard fought and enjoyable contest.

Speaking after the game, joint head coaches Gavin Cattle and Alan Paver were happy men.

Gavin commented:

“I was very pleased with the result. Cambridge are a proud team and despite their league placing they are determined and nuggetty, so we had to be on it emotionally. Yes, it was ugly at times but there was also some very good play and sticking to task we are delighted with the win and five league points.”

Alan added:

“It was also pleasing that when we were under the cosh we played with great spirit and defended well, plus at present our game management is good, the combinations are firing and we looked very powerful in attack.”

Cambridge:   15 Ben Currie 14 Joe Green 13 Levi Reweti 12 Jasper Sorrell 11 Eli Caven 10 Otumaka Mausia 9 Ruaridh Dawson; 1 Jake Ellwood 2 Jack Doorey-Palmer 3 Billy Walker 4 Jake McCay 5 Gareth Baxter

6 Rhys Fulford 7 Dan Eckersley (captain) 8 Arthur Thomas.

                                                                                                                  Replacements (all used):   16 Dylan Irvine 18 Jake Barry 19 Paul Wulf-Masoe 19 Jack Lawrence 20 Chris Mills 21 Jimmy Thompson 22 Jamie Annand 23 Kesena Izu.

Yellow card:   Mausia

Cornish Pirates:   15 Angus Mawson 14 Arthur Relton 13 Chester Ribbons 12 Harry Yates 11 Ben Cambriani 10 Louie Sinclair 9 Dan Hiscocks; 1 James French 2 Sol Moody 3 Alfie Petch 4 Matt Cannon 5 Josh King 6 Alex Everett (captain) 7 Luke Ratcliff 8 Tomi Agbongbon.

Replacements (all used):   16 Morgan Nelson 17 Ollie Andrews 18 Ben Woodmansey 9 Milo Hallam 20 Rory Suttor 21 Will Rigelsford 22 Arwel Robson 23 Matty Ward.

Yellow card:   Mawson.

Scorers:

Cambridge – tries: Eckersley, Sorrell, Penalty try; cons: Dawson, Mausia

Cornish Pirates – tries: Everett, Relton, Mawson, Ribbons, Agbongbon, Nelson, Penalty try; cons: Sinclair (5), Robson.

Referee:   Ben Simpson

(Cornish Pirates v Harlequins – With no league game this coming Saturday 7^th March, the Cornish Pirates will play the mighty ‘Quins’ at home, ko 2.30pm. Competing for the ‘Tribute Cup’, for more information link to www.cornish-pirates.com)