Cornish Pirates

JAMES Moore, National One's leading points-scorer in 2005/06, says the chance to return to full-time rugby and the prospect of playing in the Premiership again were just two of the motivating factors behind his move from Coventry to the Cornish Pirates.

Pirates boss Jim McKay wanted Moore as a replacement goal kicker for Nottingham-bound Tom Barlow after seeing him muster 251 points for Coventry with an impressive success rate of 76 per cent. And the deal to bring the Chester-born player to Penzance was in the bag well before Cov travelled down to Cornwall to play their penultimate match of the season. "When they came in with the offer there was the attraction of going back into full-time rugby," he told Rugby Times. "And it was a two-year deal which gives you some security and obviously it's a nice place to live.

"Jim McKay and (owner) Dicky Evans are also very ambitious and want to go to the Premiership and hopefully I can help get them there. "I think they signed me primarily as a goal kicker, but they also liked the fact that I can play in a few positions across the back line.

"From my viewpoint the ambition of the club was a key reason as well. I'm sure Coventry has got ambitions as well but it seems that next season they are losing a lot of key players and taking, what seems like, a backward step."

Moore cited the loss of second row stalwart Ben Gulliver (Plymouth), winger Dave Tiueti (Viadana) and fly-half Jon Higgins (Pertemps Bees) as examples of why he fears Cov might not be able to make as much progress as they'd like to next season. "I became good friends with Ben and it's good that he gone down to Plymouth because it's only an hour away from me, but it's a blow for Coventry," he added.

"He, and players like Dave Tiueti and Jon Higgins were, in my eyes, key to the foundation of the team.
"The fact that they weren't keeping hold of them made me think, 'if these players are leaving, who could they bring in to replace them'? "In the end it just seemed that the Cornish Pirates had the better package to offer."

Moore arrived in Cornwall last weekend to begin the latest chapter in a rugby career that started as a teenager at Merseyside outfit New Brighton. Moore was then spotted by Sale Academy boss James Wade and spent three years at the Premiership club, split between the Jets (Sale's development team) and the first team squad. But with such prolific finishers as Jason Robinson, Steve Hanley and Mark Cueto in his position, the winger only started two Premiership matches and came off the bench in three others.

"I remember my debut, it was in October 2004 against Northampton," he added. "I scored a try but the referee disallowed it. Jason Robinson said it was a try afterwards and you can't tell me he's a liar!"

Richard Welding's departure to Leeds has robbed the Pirates of one speedster, but they've certainly signed another in Moore.

Moore managed eight tries for Cov and will be confident of improving on that tally in a Pirates regime that preaches attacking rugby. And the vagaries of the fixture list dictate that his skills, both with boot and ball in hand, may come back to haunt Coventry.

"I've been looking at the fixture list and we've Coventry away last game of the season, so it would be nice if I could score the winning try or kick in that game which wins us the league or something like that!"