THE new-look Cornish Pirates warmed up for the
new National One campaign by outgunning Duchy rivals Launceston 33-50 in their
opening pre-season fixture.
In a formidable first half display, the
Pirates tore into their hosts plundering six tries inside the opening 25 minutes.
Joe Bearman started the ball rolling in the second minute, before
Joe Beardshaw, Nick Makin, Will James, Oscar Osir and Duncan Roke all followed
suit to put the West Cornwall club up 36-0.
The Pirates superior
power and ball handling was too much for their hosts. However, injuries to Beardshaw
and prop Nick Adams (both rib) forced them out of the action and makes them both
doubtful for Saturday's home friendly with Redruth.
Another concern
is over Dan Parkes - a summer signing from Plymouth Albion - who also picked up
an injury in the game.
The reshuffling certainly caused a bit of
disruption to the Pirates and it was Launceston who finished the half the stronger.
Back-row forward Will Sprangle crashed over on 32 minutes for their opening score,
then referee Steve Harland penalised the Pirates for persistent infringing with
a penalty try, converted by Steve Perry, to make it 12-36 at the turn.
With replacements aplenty for both sides in the second half, it was the
Pirates who were first to show, Kenyan Oscar Osir seeing a try ruled out within
minutes of the restart for a foot in touch.
Launceston's made the
most of the let-off and it was the returning Steve Dyer who cut the deficit with
their third try on 45 minutes, again converted by Perry.
Richard
Welding restored the Pirates advantage with a superb score, converted by last
season's top points-scorer Lee Jarvis, who finished this game with five conversions
to his name.
However, Launceston continued to get stronger and their
efforts were rewarded with further converted scores from Kieran Lewitt and Julian
Wilce to leave just ten points between the sides.
The Pirates were
not to be denied and late on sealed victory when scrum-half Gavin Cattle made
the most of a charged down kick to score.
Launceston, Tries - Sprangle,
Penalty Try, Dyer, Lewitt, Wilce; Conversions - Perry 3.
Pirates,
Tries - Bearman, Beardshaw, Makin, W James, Osir, Roke, Welding, Cattle; Conversions
- Jarvis 5
