SUMMER signing Richard Welding plundered two
tries on his debut for the Cornish Pirates as they kicked off their new season
in winning fashion with a 40-20 success over Doncaster at Castle Park .
The former Orrell and Sedgley Park winger wasted little time in showing
his attacking prowess, while hooker Peter Ince, full-back Wes Davies and winger
Matt Jess also found their way over to ensure the all-important bonus point.
However, the match did not start well for the Cornish club, who lost scrum-half
Rhodri McAtee to a serious shoulder injury inside the opening five minutes. He
was replaced by Ryan Westren, who came on to make his maiden National Leagues
appearance.
With McAtee heading for the hospital, Doncaster 's Jonathan
Boden exchanged penalties with Pirates' fly-half Lee Jarvis, before Welding claimed
his first score of the afternoon when he applied the finish - in the right-hand
corner - from a sublime backs move by the visitors.
Boden and Jarvis
exchanged penalties to make it 11-6, before Welding claimed his second try, the
Pirates working off a scrum centre field to feed former Worcester centre Duncan
Roke, whose kick over the top was well gathered by Welding to finish off.
Boden, however, struck a third penalty and missed another just before the
break as the sides turned round 16-9 in favour to the Pirates.
That
deficit was cut just after the restart when former Rotherham winger Michael Wood
latched onto an awkward ball over the top to score. Boden, though, was unable
to add the conversion which would have levelled the game up.
With
just two points separating the two sides, Doncaster - who included former Pirate
Duncan Murray in their starting line-up - were in the ascendancy. Centre Brad
Hunt wasted a good opportunity with only full-back Wes Davies to beat.
It was a let off for the Pirates, who then produced probably their best
spell of the game to edge further ahead courtesy of converted touchdowns from
Ince and Davies to make it 30-14.
Boden did his best to keep his
side in the hunt with two more penalties, but a Jarvis penalty and a late Jess
touchdown, converted by Tom Barlow, ensured that the points headed west.
Doncaster : Try - Wood; Penalties - Boden 5
Cornish Pirates:
Tries - Welding 2, Ince, Davies, Jess; Conversions - Jarvis 2, Barlow; Penalties
- Jarvis 3
Doncaster: J Boden, J Rothwell, B Hunt, D Murray, M Wood
(C Deakin 50); J Benson, L Lane (C Harrison 48); S Bunting (R List 74), J Roddam,
S Baretto (N Tau 48); G Kenworthy, D Cook; R Earnshaw (E Norris 74), S Grainger,
O Cook (D Montagu 60). Replacement (not used): S Plevey
Cornish Pirates:
W Davies; R Welding, D Roke, K James, M Jess; L Jarvis (T Barlow 79), R McAtee
(R Westren 4); A Paver, P Ince (V Ma'asi 77), D Seal (D Parkes 52); W James, J
Beardshaw (T Cowley 54); J Bearman, I Motusaga (S Betty 79), M Evans. Replacement
(not used): S James
Referee: G Copsey (RFU)
