Welcoming Worcester Warriors to the Mennaye Field on Saturday for an important fifth versus second contest in Elior Champ Rugby, in front of a capacity crowd the well-resourced visitors showed their strength to win with a bit to spare.

The two sides arrived at Round 21 of the competition having scored points aplenty the previous weekend. The Pirates won 66-13 away to Richmond, and the Warriors were 76-10 winners at home to Cambridge.

There were four changes in the Pirates’ starting line-up from the one that ran out at the Richmond Athletic Ground. In the backs, Joe Elderkin partnered Chester Ribbons in the centre and Matty Ward was selected on the wing, whilst in the pack Sol Moody slotted in at hooker and Josh King in the second row.

Making his 50^th appearance for the Pirates was prop forward Alfie Petch, who proudly led the Cornish side out on what was a sunny and breezy afternoon at the ‘Mennaye’.

Although a not ideal start saw the Cornish Pirates reduced to 14 men in the fourth minute following the sin-binning of flanker Luke Ratcliff, an excellent charge down by Ribbons enabled the Pirates to apply pressure that went close to them scoring at the Newlyn gate corner. It would, however, prove a threat only because after the visitors won back possession they promptly cleared the danger.

A first score in the match soon materialised and it was a familiar face of former ‘Pirate’ Will Trewin, playing at full-back for the Warriors, who made a telling midfield burst. The ball was worked swiftly to wing Siva Naulago, a former Bristol ‘Bear’, who sped in at the clubhouse corner. Fly-half Will Reed slotted a fine conversion.

A second try for the visitors was not long coming, with centre Rory Taylor running well and passing to try-scoring scrum-half Lloyd Williams. It was an effort not converted thanks to Pirates full-back Angus Mawson running with pace and determination to successfully charge the kick down.

As the half progressed the Pirates defence was further tested and it looked as if they might prevent leaking any further scores before the break. However, with two minutes to go flanker Tim Anstee forced his way over the line at the old scoreboard corner to make it 0-17.

The Warriors, with players of Premiership and international experience were showing their class, and all but from the start of the second forty they extended their lead when swashbuckling lock forward Obinna Nkwocha scored a converted try to the left of the Newlyn posts.

Besides Trewin and lock Hallam Chapman who made one appearance for the Pirates when with Exeter Chiefs in 2023/24, one other former Pirate, Hugh Bokenham, had by now entered proceedings as a replacement for the Warriors, where he is presently on loan from Gloucester.

To their credit the Pirates battled away with such as man of the match skipper Alex Everett leading by example. Also, following some slick play down the left involving centre Chester Ribbons, his perfectly timed pass enabled wing Matty Ward to joyously score a try to which fly-half Arwel Robson added the conversion. It was no more that the Pirates deserved for their at least non-stop effort.

There would be just one more score in the match, when just past the hour mark space was created to enable Worcester’s Uruguay international replacement Juan Gonzalez to dot the ball down at the Newlyn gate corner.

This was a contest where both sides gave their all, as appreciated by equally by both sets of supporters, but with the visitors taking the spoils.

Speaking at the end contest, Cornish Pirates’ joint head coach Gavin Cattle commented:

“Reflecting on the match, credit is due to Worcester. The early yellow card didn’t help us, though I thought we coped with it quite well.

“They proved to be excellent in and around the collision and had the upper hand in what is an important area. They also applied early pressure and a handling error by us also gave them a leg up that we didn’t need to give them. Then, after their well worked later try before the break, we were always chasing the game.

“The wind was tricky, which made it hard for those longer passes, and there were also some handling errors that didn’t help us, which were uncharacteristic of our boys.

“Overall, I thought we were there physically, but we didn’t give the best of ourselves, although again you had to give it to Worcester because around that contact area they took play to a level that we haven’t witnessed in recent weeks.

“Of no surprise the experience of someone like former international backrower Matt Kvesic was evident, as he always plays it on the edge, and as for Will Trewin, we hate to see him playing against us, but he is a superb player and a cracking lad who had a fine game .”

Looking at remaining games, Gavin commented:

“Despite defeat our aim is still to make the play-offs as it is not game over by any stretch of the imagination, but we do have to take a couple of scalps.”

Cornish Pirates:   15 Angus Mawson 14 Arthur Relton 13 Chester Ribbons 12 Joe Elderkin 11 Matty Ward 10 Arwel Robson 9 Dan Hiscocks; 1 James French 2 Sol Moody 3 Alfie Petch 4 Matt Cannon 5 Josh King 6 Alex Everett 7 Luke Ratcliff 8 Tomi Agbongbon.

Replacements:   16 Morgan Nelson 17 Billy Young 18 Ben Woodmansey 19 Rory Suttor 20 John Stevens 21 Will Becconsall 22 Louie Sinclair 23 Harry Yates.

Yellow card:   Ratcliff.

Worcester Warriors:  15 Will Trewin 14 Siva Naulago 13 James Short 12 Rory Taylor 11 Josh Bassett 10 Will Reed 9 Lloyd Williams; 1 Cam Miell 2 Austin Wallis 3 Fraser Balmain 4 Hallam Chapman 5 Obinna Nkwocha 6 Tim Anstee 7 Matt Kvesic (captain) 8 Matt Rogerson.

Replacements:   16 Archie Vanes 17 Livai Natave 18 Ashley Challenger 19 Hugh Bokenham 20 Thabo Ndimande 21 Jake Garside 22 Tiff Eden 23 Juan Gonzalez.

Scorers:  

Cornish Pirates – try: Ward; con: Robson.

Worcester Warriors – tries: Naulago, Williams, Anstee, Nkwocha, Gonzalez; cons: Reed (2).

Referee:   Jamie Parr.

Tribute ‘Man of the Match’:   Alex Everett.

Thatchers ‘Try of the Match’:  Matty Ward.

Attendance:   3096