Cornish Pirates

Cornish Pirates 34 - 20 (20 - 13) Exeter
October 29nd 2006

EXETER'S hopes of robbing the Cornish Pirates of their unbeaten home record for a second successive season ended in disappointment as the Chiefs headed home with scant reward from their trip to Camborne yesterday.

Just like it was in January, Exeter's Jason Luff scampered over for another injury-time try. However, this time the wing wizard's touchdown was merely a consolation, unlike his memorable match-winning effort at Kenwyn.

Indeed, Luff's late score merely helped add a bit of respectability to the scoreline for the Chiefs, who for large parts of this game had to play second fiddle to their Cornish hosts.

As has been the norm at the Rec this season, the Pirates pack flourished, while behind the back division - again ably marshalled by fly-half Alberto Di Bernardo - offered a cutting edge which the Chiefs struggled to hold.

With both sides making changes from their previous outings - the Pirates brought in loan signing James Inglis for Heino Senekal at lock while the Chiefs added experienced quintet Sam Blythe, Ollie Hodge, Alan Miller, Kevin Barrett and Mark Fatialofa to their line-up - neither side were willing to give an inch early on.

However, it was the Chiefs who drew first blood, fly-half Tony Yapp firing them ahead on eight minutes when home winger Lewis Vinnicombe had been penalised for holding on in the tackle.

That lead was to prove shortlived as within five minutes Di Bernardo drew the hosts level with the first offerings of his 17-point haul. Then the Argentinian-born back added the extras to Duncan Roke's opening try, the experienced Pirates centre picking off a somewhat telegraphed pass from former Worcester team-mate Yapp to race half the field and score under the posts.

It was to get no better for Yapp, who then failed with a penalty chance on 18 minutes. His misery was further compounded when opposite number Di Bernardo showed him just how it should be done, punishing winger Tom Bedford's decision to run, rather than kick, the ball out of defence.

Roared on by their biggest home gate of the season, the Pirates continued to dominate proceedings, adding a second try on 26 minutes when Canadian international Stan McKeen was allowed to power his way over from 15 metres out. Di Bernardo converted again for a 20-3 advantage.

It appeared one-way traffic for the Pirates. However, Adryan Winnan's hesitancy following a chip kick through by Luff gifted the visitors a lifeline back into the game. As Luff looked to chase his fly-hack towards the corner, the diminutive speedster was blatantly held back by Winnan, the result of which was a subsequent trip to the sin-bin for the home full-back.

With the man advantage, the Chiefs looked to press on. Two line-out moves on the right failed to reap any joy, but when the ball was worked back inside, there was former Pirate Mark Fatialofa to collect and crash his way over, Yapp converting.

The score clearly lifted the Chiefs, who until that stage had failed to replicate the same pride and passion they had displayed when defeating arch rivals Plymouth Albion earlier this month.

Clearly growing in confidence, an Exeter revival was now high on the agenda. And whilst things did improve for the visitors as the half drew to a close, watching a re-run of the video this week the Chiefs coaching team will know it could have been decidedly more profitable had a sparkling move instigated by skipper Richard Baxter ended in Pete Fisher crossing in the corner.

In the grand scheme of things, this was a big chance, but one which was ultimately blown. Indeed, as Exeter coach Pete Drewett would later reflect: "In games like this, you have to maximise your chances".

Although that opportunity was spurned, the Chiefs did claim the final points of the half, Yapp firing over a second penalty to make it 20-13 at the interval.

With both sides having gained their half-time breather, it was the Pirates who were first to show on the resumption. A cute Di Bernardo kick over the top caused problems in the Exeter defence, then Duncan Bell's bullocking through the centre brought him within yards of the line.

The third score, however, was not far in coming. Just as they did to Bedford the week previous, the home pack turned the screw in the scrum, allowing No.8 Matt Evans to burrow over for his third try of the season.

Di Bernardo obliged with the easy conversion, then repeated the feat when Roke was the beneficiary of some comical passing from the Chiefs inside their own 22 four minutes later.

Replacements aplenty flowed from both dug-outs as the game petered out into a more processional pace. Di Bernardo added to his tally with a third penalty on 67 minutes, before Luff's late intervention rounded things off.

Afterwards, Pirates coach Jim McKay said: "Obviously I'm pleased with the result, but I was a little disappointed with some of our completion sets. We showed what we could do in patches, but then we eased off a bit.

"Fair play to them, they kept coming at us and they were always a threat. Our focus is very much about performance and at times our play was a little sloppy and it allowed them back into the game. We must make sure we sort that out, but we'll take the five points as Exeter are a very good side."

With tough trips to Nottingham and Rotherham next up for McKay and his men, this latest result is the ideal tonic ahead of what promises to be a tough fortnight for the Cornish club.

In the opposite camp, Drewett admitted his side had been left "disappointed" by the final outcome. He said: "We knew this was going to be a very strong Pirates side. The lads are very disappointed. But for three or four crucial errors it could have been a very competitive match.

"I think for all the lads - both sides - it was a positive, competitive derby match. That's what we want in Devon and Cornwall, this is the sort of stuff we want to see. From our point of view we'd very much like to have eradicated some of those errors, then it would have been more exciting for everyone."

Drewett admitted the Pirates had showed their ruthless streak by punishing the Chiefs at every opportunity. He added: "At this level you get your opportunity and you have to maximise it. Fair play to the Pirates, they did exactly that.

"Now we have to work hard as a squad to make sure we do the same. All the top sides in this division are competitive, but I still believe we can beat anyone on a given day. We just have to put those little bits and pieces together."

Next up for the Chiefs is Saturday's home clash with Moseley.

Cornish Pirates 37

Tries - Roke 2, McKeen, Evans; Conversions - Di Bernardo 4; Penalties - Di Bernardo 3.

Exeter Chiefs 20

Tries - M Fatialofa, Luff; Conversions - Yapp, Staniforth; Penalties - Yapp 2

Pirates:
A Winnan; R McAtee, D Roke (H Barratt 56), D Bell (S Winn 73), L Vinnicombe; A Di Bernardo (J Moore 80), G Cattle (capt); A Paver, V Ma'asi (O Hambly 76), S Heard (G Anderson 68); J Inglis, J Beardshaw (S Hobson 77), S McKeen, I Motusaga (T Cowley 56), M Evans.

Yellow Card: Winnan.

Chiefs:
B Breeze; J Luff, J Fatialofa, M Fatialofa, T Bedford (P Fisher 22-38, 68); T Yapp (A Staniforth 66), K Barrett (R Bolt 68); S Bennett (S Jenkins 66), S Blythe (R Liddington 71), J Horn-Smith (Blythe 75); O Hodge (J Hanks 50), I Brown, T Walker, A Miller (M Rickner 71), R Baxter (capt).

Referee: D Newitt (RFU)