IN
years to come the 2005/06 league season will be one that is well remembered by
those who care to follow the fortunes of the famous Pirates.
Not
only was it the season when the Cornish club recorded its best-ever finish in
the National Leagues, but it was also the season which showed the first glimpse
of club president Dicky Evans' bold vision for the future.
Cast your
minds back to late May of last year and it was Evans who addressed a packed St
John's Hall in Penzance to outline his innovative plans for his hometown rugby
club.
To some the plans - which included relocating the Pirates from
their traditional playing base at the Mennaye Field, as well as a change of name
to that of the Cornish Pirates - were just too radical for a number of diehard
followers to accept.
For many others, however, the vision was gracefully
welcomed, as was the transfer of their home ground to Kenwyn on the outskirts
of Truro.
Despite a hectic schedule to ensure their new venue was
fit for action, the Pirates opened up with successive away victories over newly-promoted
sides Doncaster and Newbury, before delivering a five-star performance on their
Kenwyn debut against Rotherham in mid-September.
Since then results
- in the main - have been good for head coach Jim McKay and his side, who ensured
themselves of third place in National One last week with a hard-fought 28-21 victory
at Coventry.
Now McKay is looking for one final push from his team,
who will be back at the Mennaye as league rules state all the final National One
fixtures must take place tomorrow at 3pm.
Such a ruling has meant
that the Pirates were forced to cut short their stay at Kenwyn - and as yet it
is not known whether they will be back there come the start of next season.
That is a decision Evans and other senior figures at the Pirates will make
in the coming days and weeks, but the evidence collected from their Truro venture
is sure to show plenty of positives, the biggest of which was the 6,000 sell-out
for their clash with league champions Harlequins.
It underlined the
potential a successful Pirates outfit could bring to the rugby-mad county of Cornwall,
but the club know they must strike while the iron remains hot.
Aussie
McKay is certainly keen to build on the success of this season and has already
begun detailed preparations for next season's assault on the Premiership.
A number of new faces - Duncan Bell, James Moore and Rhodri Wells - have
already pledged themselves to McKay's cause, along with a new batch of Academy
recruits and eight current first-team members who have agreed new contract extensions.
However, on-field success has also brought about attention from outside
clubs - and it means a number of tomorrow's squad will be pulling on a Pirates
jersey for the final time. Among those heading for pastures new are top try-scorer
Richard Welding [Leeds], fly-half Tom Barlow [Nottingham], winger Matt Jess [Newport-Gwent
Dragons], Dan Parkes [retiring] and long-standing forward Joe Bearman [Newport-Gwent
Dragons].
The quintet will certainly be missed, but before they depart
McKay is keen for each and every one of them to ensure it's a happy send-off.
"We're very determined to finish the season with a win," said McKay.
"It will be a tough game, London Welsh are a good side and they are in a bit of
form at the moment. They like to play rugby and they'll look at coming down here
with nothing to lose. That said, our form has been very good recently and I'm
looking for us to pick up from where we left off at Coventry last week. Our aim
is to finish the season well and to create a platform from which we can build
next season."
Team changes see Tongan international Vili Ma'asi coming
in at hooker, while Sam Betty starts at openside flanker in place of Tim Cowley,
who has returned home to New Zealand. Academy youngster Owen Hambly gets his first
call-up on the bench.
Pirates: R McAtee; R Welding,
D Roke, W Kelly, K James; T Barlow, G Cattle (capt); D Parkes, V Ma'asi, D Seal;
H Senekal, S Hockings; J Bearman, S Betty, M Evans. Replacements: A Paver, N Adams,
O Hambly, J Beardshaw, N Chivers, L Jarvis, M Jess.
