Westholme, Alexandra Road,

Penzance, Cornwall, TR18 4LY

Tel: 01736 331961 Email: [email protected]

Cornish Pirates 26

Jersey Reds 13

27 February, 2021

News & Fixtures

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League / Cup

Pre Season Friendly

Stadium

Mennaye Field, Penzance

Attendance

Home

Cornish Pirates 26

Away

Jersey Reds 13

Martin 'Woll' Woollatt

Fifty weeks without a ruck take it’s toll. Thirteen more days, without so much as a kick & chase at The Mennaye, doesn’t help matters either. A year like no other in living memory therefore, has come at a price. Several if we’re honest and most that humbly puts sport – rugby included – into stark perspective.

Today’s visit of Harvey’s Jersey Reds therefore is of some relief – albeit behind closed doors. The bright sunny conditions did though add a certain something to cheer up proceedings. Proceedings that began only after tribute was paid to a true gentleman, Dave Muirhead, who sadly passed on Wednesday.

Fitting it was then, that both sides’ approach to this friendly didn’t follow the sort of pattern often found in such a fixture – and were ‘at it’ properly from Mr Foley’s first whistle – if a little rusty at first. More so the Pirates it has to be said as the visitors outing v Coventry a couple of weeks showed them as a little more switched on.

That being so – there were only two penalties chalked up on the scoreboard in the opening quarter, from Reds’ fly half, Cope, to show for their sound start.
This though seemed to be the catalyst to spark the Pirates into life – a shift in balance, that never really altered for the remainder of a satisfying work out for the hosts.

The turning tide began the moment prop Tyack, finally found the measure of his opposite number, Richardson – who hitherto had had Jay in all sorts of trouble at scrum time. Some wise words from Paves seemed to be the magic.

Attacking probes from Cornish forwards – Stevens & Frost – gave hope. Dan in particular going onto to prove to be a real menace to the blue clad Reds. But the final penetrating phase eluded until JB finally crossed the line just into the second quarter. Eventual Man of the Match – loanee Luke Scully – crisply slotted the first of his tally of 9 points from out wide. The Welsh lad well worth his accolade.

The hosts were now in control – their second try from No 8, Duncan emphasising this perfectly – which rounded off the half at 14-6, once Luke had added the extras.

At the turnaround the Pirates seamlessly picked from where they left off and were quickly onto the offensive. Replacement forward, Kiri Kiri, announced his presence immediately, launching Frosty into Jersey territory at the Newlyn End.

Pressure mounted and the Reds could do little more than concede penalties in reply. Antonio’s quick tap and go provided the platform for Scully to round off an excellent debut, for the fly half to run diagonally into the Old Western National Corner for a try of his own – barely two minutes in. The Pirates weren’t to look back from here.

Cue the expected raft of changes from both sides – which unusually perhaps didn’t upset the flow of the game. Not so for those covering the game whose job thus became ‘interesting’.

This mattered little to those watching on stream – or listening on the wireless – as a fourth score was surely imminent. Step up Kiri Kiri for another tap & go – and another sequence of phases involving Caulfield amongst others – finally concluded with prop Andrew emerging with his arms in the air, to the right of the posts. Replacement fly half Bazalgette, easily slotted the two extras to make it a 20 point game, with less than fifteen minutes left.

Harvey’s charges did however respond immediately – albeit from some more Pirates attacking play breaking down in the Reds’ 22. Centre, Dan Barnes enjoying a 70 odd metre gallop to dot down at The Penzance End unopposed.

Bader Pretorius’s conversion was good and the visitors sniffed perhaps something more. Unfortunately for them – the Pirates’ Purple Defensive Wall had other ideas.

Match Officials

Referee:

Tom Foley

AR1:

Nick Marshall

AR2:

James Milliner

The Line Ups

Cornish Pirates Starting 15

15

Maliq Holden

14

Robin Wedlake

13

Callum Patterson

12

Nico De Battista

11

Alex O'Meara

10

Luke Scully

9

JB Bruzulier

1

Marlen Walker

2

Dan Frost

3

Jay Tyack

4

Fa'atiga Lemalu

5

Danny Cutmore

6

Josh Caulfield

7

John Stevens

8

Tom Duncan

Substitutes

16

Jack Andrew

18

Sam Rodman

20

Tom Channon

21

Cory Teague

22

Matt Bolwell

23

Charlie Wright

24

Antonio Kiri Kiri

25

Paddy Ryan

26

Rhodri Davies

27

Alex Schwarz

28

Harry Bazalgette

29

Shae Tucker

30

Rory Parata

31

Tommy Wyatt

32

Harry Davey

Tries

JB Bruzulier

22

Tom Duncan

35

Luke Scully

41

Jack Andrew

61

Conversions

Luke Scully

23

Luke Scully

36

Harry Bazalgette

62

Jersey Reds Starting 15

15

Tom Williams

14

Ryan Hutler

13

Brendan Owen

12

Dan Barnes

11

Lesley Klim

10

Brendan Cope

9

James Elliot

1

Dan Richardson

2

TJ Harris

3

Ciaran Parker

4

Zak Farrance

5

Sean O'Connor (c)

6

Max Argyle

7

Kyle Hatherall

8

Tim Grey

Substitutes

16

Jack Macfarlane

17

Ollie Dawe

18

Zei Alexis

19

Rory Bartle

20

Josh Bainbridge

21

Cam Nordli Kelemeti

22

Bader Pretorius

23

Apakuki Ma'afu

24

George Spencer

25

Jack Roberts

Tries

George Spencer

65

Conversions

Bader Pretorius

66

Penalties

Brendan Cope

13

Brendan Cope

18