Impressive Chiefs Let Loose
By Phil Westren

Cornish Pirates 7 Exeter Chiefs 68

For their opening game in this season’s Premiership Cup, on an evening perfect for playing rugby, and in front of a sell-out crowd, the Cornish Pirates extended a warm welcome to Exeter Chiefs.
An exciting and entertaining contest was expected, and it was, but with the power game applied by the Devon team’s Premiership performers, and their slick finishing, setting up a comfortable victory. Star man was full-back Josh Hodge, who with two tries and nine conversions scored 28 points in the match.
Both sides have been less than their best in their league campaigns to date, so this Premiership Cup fixture provided each with an opportunity to regenerate a good feel factor.

There were just two changes in the Cornish Pirates starting XV from the one that ran out in the match away to Cambridge last time out, and both were in the forwards. At hooker, Harry Hocking was making his first start of the season following Morgan Nelson having joined Gloucester, and in the back row Josh King was named in place of the injured Alex Everett.

Under the glow of Friday night floodlights, the Chiefs showed their intent all but from the start, when they were quick to attack inside the Pirates half. From a penalty award, hooker Dan Frost – one of seven Exeter players who has played for the Pirates in the past – was cleverly involved, before the ball reached the hands of former Coventry centre Will Rigg who ran strongly to score near the Penzance posts. It was the first of 10 tries registered by the Chiefs in the match, to which full-back Josh Hodge added the conversion.
It was a great start for the visitors, who would soon score again. Wing Paul Brown-Bampoe did well to secure a bouncing ball, and he immediately took off to run in at the Penzance posts. The conversion for Hodge was a formality.

The Pirates responded to drive close to scoring at the old Western National corner, but without any joy, and they were grateful to full-back Iwan Price-Thomas who shortly after tidied up well on his ‘22’. However, a third try for the Chiefs was not long coming, with Brown-Bampoe this time latching on to fly-half Will Haydon-Wood’s delicate chip kick. Hodge slotted the difficult conversion from out wide.
So, after being a bit of a one-sided affair thus far, the Pirates broke their duck midway through the first half. It initially looked as if fly-half Bruce Houston was going to pass the ball wide to the left, when he suddenly dummied and scored a try which he also converted.

Unfortunately, from a Pirates perspective, the Chiefs would record their bonus point fourth try right from the restart when Hodge gathered possession and ran 40 metres for another converted score.
In general terms the Pirates were not lacking for effort, with centre Joe Elderkin, and locks Eoin O’Connor and Charlie Rice catching the eye, but the Chiefs would conjure up two more tries as halftime approached. Frost applied the necessary pressure for the first, which was unconverted, and then there was a second converted score of the match for the impressive Rigg, that gave the Chiefs a 40-7 points advantage at the break.

As the teams emerged from the tunnel for the start of the second period, with the Chiefs again led out by their former Sharks player Jacques Vermeulen, further scores were anticipated. Well, a number did materialise, but it was not until the 58th minute that the services of the scoreboard operator were again required.

Play was more evenly contested before Pirates’ prop Jay Tyack was shown a yellow card by referee Sara Cox, and after being camped in the Newlyn gate corner for a considerable spell it was Exeter’s replacement fly-half Harvey Skinner who slid over the line. Man of the match Hodge added the extras, as he did to his second try of the game.

In time remaining further converted tries for Exeter were scored by replacement hooker Jack Innard and wing Brown-Bampoe, his second hat-trick against the Cornish Pirates this season, following a similar effort in the pre-season friendly at Sandy Park.

Commenting at the end of the game, Cornish Pirates’ joint head coach Gavin Cattle said:
“You wake up optimistic every morning, but we knew we were up against it when the Chiefs selected such a strong side.

“They had players who are experienced Premiership starters week in and week out, whereas our lads are on a journey. It was though great exposure for them, there was some real good learning, especially up front, and I am proud of their effort.

“Science took over with the size and power at Exeter’s disposal, with their power game enabling them to ultimately create the space to show both their athleticism and how clinical they can be. There was credit due in that we strived to stick in there and prior to the sin binning were making a good fist of it in the second half. Also, looking at aspects of our game, I thought our line-out was much improved.

“It was the first in a long time that we have had to face an out and out Premiership team, who have just missed out on a few wins this season and have been a little unlucky, and I guess we caught the wrong end of their frustration.”

Cornish Pirates: 15 Iwan Price-Thomas 14 Matt McNab 13 Tom Georgiou 12 Joe Elderkin (23 Will Trewin, 40)11 Arthur Relton 10 Bruce Houston (22 Iwan Jenkins, 52) 9 Dan Hiscocks (21 Cam Jones, 40); 1 Billy Keast (17 Billy Young, 53) 2 Harry Hocking (16 Sol Moody, 63) 3 Jay Tyack (18 Ollie Andrews, 69) 4 Charlie Rice (19 Matt Cannon, 58) 5 Eoin O’Connor 6 Josh King (18 Ollie Andrews, 57; 6 Josh King 69) 7 Will Gibson (20 Tomi Agbongbon, 69) 8 Hugh Bokenham (captain).

Yellow card: 3 Jay Tyack (57).

Exeter Chiefs: 15 Josh Hodge 14 Paul Brown-Bampoe 13 Ben Hammersley (23 Joe Hawkins, 63) 12 Will Rigg 11 Tommy Wyatt 10 Will Haydon-Wood (22 Harvey Skinner, 53) 9 Will Becconsall (21 Stu Townsend, 53); 1 Will Goodrick-Clarke (17 Kwenzo Blose, 42) 2 Dan Frost (16 Jack Innard, 52) 3 Ehren Painter (18 Jimmy Roots, 52) 4 Rusi Tuima (19 Joe Bailey, 63) 5 Lewis Pearson 6 Ethan Roots 7 Jacques Vermeulen (captain; 20 Martin Moloney, 54) 8 Greg Fisilau.

Scorers:
Cornish Pirates – try: 10 Bruce Houston (22); con: 10 Bruce Houston 23).
Exeter Chiefs – tries: 12 Will Rigg (02, 39) 14 Paul Brown-Bampoe (08, 16, 73) 15 Josh Hodge (26, 62) 2 Dan Frost (36) 22 Harvey Skinner (58) 16 Jack Innard (66); cons: 15 Josh Hodge (03, 09, 17, 26, 39, 59, 63, 67, 74).

Referee: Sara Cox Assistants: Iain Kiy & Kevin Williams
‘Tribute’ Man of the Match: Josh Hodge
Attendance: 2,700