Westholme, Alexandra Road,

Penzance, Cornwall, TR18 4LY

Tel: 01736 331961 Email: [email protected]

Coventry 32

Cornish Pirates 19

22 October, 2022

News & Fixtures

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League / Cup

Championship Rugby Round 6

Stadium

Mennaye Field, Penzance

Attendance

2552

Home

Coventry 32

Away

Cornish Pirates 19

Phil Westren

No Excuses in Defeat

 

Following their last second home win at home against Ampthill, and then a no rugby reserve weekend, the Cornish Pirates would have been aware that travelling to face Coventry at the Butts Park Arena would provide a challenge, and thus it proved.

 

This was a sixth versus seventh Round 6 match in this seasons RFU Championship, with the two teams arriving at the stage separated only on points difference, having ahead of this contest each played 5, won 3, and lost 2 games.

 

Of general interest, Coventry had been boosted with the recent signings of experienced scrum half Will Chudley and back-rower Tom Dodd, who had both joined from crisis hit Worcester Warriors and were selected in the home teams squad.

 

As for the Cornish Pirates, there was just a singlechange in their selected XV from the one that started against Ampthill, with Callum Sirker replacing the injured Robin Wedlake on the wing. Hungry for action off the bench was fit again prop Olly Adkins,who had recovered from an injury sustained in the pre-season match away to Taunton Titans.

 

In front of a large crowd, it was the Pirates who opened the scoring in the tenth minute after full-back AJ Cant linked with wing Callum Sirker whose eye-catching run down the right saw him offload to Alex Everett in support. Having joined the club from Cardiff back in the summer, it was the flankersmaiden try in Pirates colours, to which fly-half Arwel Robson was unable to add the extras.

 

Coventry, however, were swift to hit back and would soon take a lead they would never relinquish.Following a driving maul, the ball was worked wide to enable wing Shea Cornish, a product of the Pirates youth section who is on a season loan from Exeter Chiefs, to score their opening try. Fly-half Pat Pellegrini slotted the conversion as he did to a try next dotted down from close range by Fijian Senitiki Nayalo, formerly of London Irish and Edinburgh Rugby.

 

After the Pirates looked to respond, and wing Tommy Wyatt was unlucky not to score when losing the ball over the line, it was scrumhalf Ruaridh Dawson who showed his pace to score a fine try that Robson this time converted.

 

Conditions at the Butts Park Arena are made for playing open rugby football and thus far the crowd was being well entertained, including when an impressive backs move, with home full-back Louis Brown and wing Will Talbot-Davies involved, saw the latter score an unconverted try out wide.

 

The focus now for Cov was to secure a bonus point providing fourth try, with them perhaps unlucky when a forward pass denied hooker Suva Maasi, who made one appearance for the Pirates in 2019 and who is the son a former Pirates legend Viliami Maasi

 

Late in the half the Pirates were awarded a series of penalties, with the hooker Will Crane to lock Cory Teague line-out delivery functioning well.

Prop Marlen Walker and skipper John Stevens also drove powerfully, but there was ultimately frustrationwhen the Pirates were penalised for a  double movement and half-time arrived with the score reading 19-12.

 

It had been a competitive and entertaining first forty, so what would the second half bring?

 

Penalty given away it was Talbot-Davies, who with a longrange kick attempt from near halfway, soon extended his teams lead, whilst shortly after man-of-the-match Shea Cornish, after selling an outrageousdummy, scored his second and Coventrys fourth try of the afternoon, which Pellegrini once again duly converted.

 

A sudden 29-12 scoreline that looked a tough one for the Pirates to claw back, got even tougher 15 minutes into the second half after Cant was shown a yellow card for making a high tackle at a time when another Coventry score looked on.

 

After Coventry gave a spate of penalties away the Pirates scored from a driving maul through replacement hooker Max Norey. Robson added the extras as the Pirates now went in search of anotherscore, with Cant shortly after returning to the match action.

 

Coventry had been in control for much of the game,but the Pirates were guilty perhaps of not taking certain chances that came their way in the match. Both teams also seemingly each gave too many penalties away, and when a late kick at goal opportunity was gifted Pellegrini his successful strike made the final score 32-19.

 

Speaking honestly, as ever, at the end Saturday’s contest, Cornish Pirates’ joint head coach Gavin Cattle said:

 

For us the outcome playing on what is a faster pitchwas disappointing, and a bit painful to be honest, and at half-time I felt that both teams had left opportunities out there.

 

It seemed that both attacks when they created momentum had it in them to score at will and the crucial moment for us was just before the break when we were penalised for the double movement which, to be honest, I struggled to see how it wasnt a penalty our way. But, having said that, for their performancein the second half I think Coventry deserved their winbecause they won the critical moments, and we have no excuses.

 

Yes, at present it is painful because we just need to be better in every area of the game. There is progressand we do have the belief and endeavour butultimately it just needs to be better, because althoughits all very well looking dangerous, we ultimately didnt exert enough pressure.

 

As yet we have not got the upper hand at the set piece, but we are working incredibly hard during the week and, although I think we got the energy level right today, our accuracy was way off, and credit to Coventry for winning those incisive moments.

Match Officials

Referee:

Adam Wookey

The Line Ups

Coventry Starting 15

15

Louis Brown

14

Will Talbot-Davies

13

Will Rigg

12

Ollie Betteridge

11

Shea Cornish

10

Pat Pellegrini

9

Will Chudley

1

Toby Trinder (C)

2

Suva Ma'asi

3

Harry Seward

4

James Tyas

5

Fred Betteridge

6

Tom Dodd

7

Josh Bainbridge

8

Senitiki Nayalo

Substitutes

16

Ollie Stone

17

Ollie Andrews

18

Jake Bridges

19

Adam Peters

20

Tom Ball

21

Will Lane

22

Evan Mitchell

23

James Martin

Tries

Shea Cornish

12

Senitiki Nayalo

19

Will Talbot-Davies

25

Shea Cornish

48

Conversions

Pat Pellegrini

13

Pat Pellegrini

20

Pat Pellegrini

49

Penalties

Will Talbot-Davies

43

Pat Pellegrini

80

Cornish Pirates Starting 15

15

AJ Cant

14

Callum Sirker

13

Rory Parata

( 23

Shae Tucker)

48

12

Joe Eldekrin

11

Tommy Wyatt

( 22

Carwyn Penny)

58

10

Arwel Robson

9

Ruaridh Dawson

( 21

Tom Kessell)

69

1

Marlen Walker

( 17

Olly Adkins)

58

2

Will Crane

( 16

Max Norey)

60

3

Harvey Beaton

( 18

Jack Andrew)

58

4

Cory Teague

5

Will Britton

6

Alex Everett

7

John Stevens (C)

8

Rusi Tuima

( 20

Seb Nagle-Taylor)

60

Substitutes

16

Max Norey

17

Olly Adkins

18

Jack Andrew

19

James Fender

20

Seb Nagle-Taylor

21

Tom Kessell

22

Carwyn Penny

23

Shae Tucker

Tries

Alex Everett

10

Ruaridh Dawson

22

Max Norey

66

Conversions

Arwel Robson

23

Arwel Robson

67

Yellow Cards

AJ Cant

58