Cornish Pirates

Cornish Pirates V Rotherham Titans
Sunday November 18th Kick Off 2pm
Preview By Phil Westren

For our last, and only game at home in November, the Cornish Pirates welcome Rotherham Titans to the Recreation Ground, Camborne, on Sunday

There are a number of team changes in the Cornish Pirates line-up from the one that started at Doncaster, hooker Nathan Kemp and flanker Iva Motusaga replacing Rob Elloway and Chris Cracknell, who are both injured. In the backs, Richard Bolt gets a run at scrum-half ahead of Ed Fairhurst, and wing Brian Tuohy replaces James Moore out wide.

Cornish Pirates head coach, Jim McKay, commented: "Last week was a massive game for the boys and it took quite a bit out of a few of the blokes. From experience, I've learnt that you can't keep slogging the same blokes each week, you need to freshen things up and at the same time give others a shot at the title." After a couple of seasons named as the Earth Titans, Rotherham announced a new sponsorship deal with Complete Technical Services for the 2007-08 season. They are presently eighth in the league, and will arrive in Cornwall on the back of a disappointing 17-3 home defeat to London Welsh - a result which means we will need to beware the threat that these bruised Titans will surely pose.

Jim McKay

Last season the Titans finished runners-up in the division, them just five points behind Leeds Tykes in the closest National One finish since they pipped Worcester for promotion to the Premiership in 2003. Their pack was a particularly dominant force, forcing 12 penalty tries. With South African Andre Bester in charge they beat Leeds twice, but their challenge for top honours was ultimately undone by home and away defeats against Exeter and Doncaster.

Our matches against them resulted in a 24-18 points win at Clifton Lane last November, and a 16-all draw here at the 'Rec' - that an occasion last March when the 'SKY' cameras were present. Their overall playing record was as follows:- P 30, W 23, D 1, L 6 - F 937, A 501. Gareth Steenson was their overall top points scorer with 264, and Brian Tuohy their top try-scorer on 16.

Brian Tuohy	Gareth Steenson
Sponsor: Cornish Pirates 'PRESS GANG' Supporters Club	Sponsor: The 'Logan Rock' Treen

Besides Gareth's and Brian's move south to Cornwall, there were other influential players who decided to journey north up the M1 to Leeds, resulting in a number of fresh faces in their present squad, including former 'Pirate' Neil Chivers.

The new head coach appointed at Rotherham Titans was 'Kiwi' Phil Werahiko, who had forged a good reputation in the Irish leagues and had joined from Clontarf. He would have known that he had a challenge on his hands to maintain last season's standards, the levels to be strived for anything but easy to attain with a new group of players.

Remember, when we played Earth Titans in our first game at Kenwyn we won 43-13, it a scoreline more than reversed when four months later we lost 41-7 away!

However - following recent results and performances - Phil has this week departed by mutual consent, a decision not taken lightly. Former player Craig West takes over the reigns as caretaker head coach for the rest of the season. We wish Craig and Rotherham well.

Cornish Pirates
O. Thomas, B. Tuohy, V. Lilo, N. Buckley, A. Koko, G. Steenson, R. Bolt, M. Evans, I. Motusaga, T. Cowley (capt), H. Senekal, J. Beardshaw, D. Seal, N. Kemp, P. Cook.

Replacements
D. Dawidiuk, A. Paver, B. Cumming, S. Hobson, E. Fairhurst, J. Moore, R. McAtee.

Head Coach: Jim McKay

Rotherham Titans:
E. Claassens, J. Blackwood, M. Lawson, R., Connolly, S. Grissing, T. Allen, N. Chivers
M. McCormack (capt), N. Cochrane, A. Dunlop, L. McGowan, J. Waterhouse, P. Boulton
N. Conroy, S. Walsh.

Replacements
K. Corrigan, A. O'Donnell, J. Sutton, C. O.Connor, B. Wade, C. Hallam, G. Griffiths.

Caretaker Head Coach: Craig West

Referee: Mr. J.P. Doyle (RFU)

Touch Judges: Steve Harland & Mark Summerhayes

Assessor: Ian Hamilton

Mascot: Sam Rodda

Last time Pirates 16 Rotherham 16 Sunday March 18th 2007