Cornish Pirates

Cornish Pirates 30 Exeter Chiefs 23
Sunday October 7th 2007
Report By Phil Westren

Digging deep collectively in what was always likely to be an absorbing contest, the Cornish Pirates deserved to take the spoils in this hard fought 'derby' match fixture against a very good Exeter side.

This was a game that had all the ingredients necessary for en epic encounter: a near top of the table clash, a local 'derby' and much more besides - not forgetting also that the Pirates had beaten the Chiefs to win the EDF Energy National Trophy at Twickenham last April.

Exeter travelled west across the Tamar unbeaten after five games, including in their squad four former Pirates in brothers Mark and Alaifatu Fatialofa, who formed the centre partnership, loose-head prop Dan Parkes, and replacement Wade Kelly.

New faces in Exeter's colours included the half back pairing of Clive Stuart-Smith (ex Llanelli Scarlets) and Danny Gray (ex Bristol), plus several other experienced and very able performers. One man making his debut for the Cornish Pirates was scrum-half Ed Fairhurst, who had just arrived in Cornwall from World Cup duty with Canada, whilst loose-head prop Alan Paver was gifted his first league outing this season after having been injured in the 'friendly' against Leicester Tigers. Kicking the game off towards the clubhouse corner, the Cornish Pirates had a perfect start, Fairhurst cleverly flipping a pass back through his legs to wing Ali Koko who made a determined blunderbuss charge to the line. Halted just a few metres short, support was needed, it arriving on time in the shape of another former Samoan international, flanker Iva Motusaga, who jetted his way over for a try converted by fly-half Gareth Steenson. It was a super-charged beginning, the ground an electric cauldron and several minutes passed before things settled down - just a little.

"Ali Koko's determined charge to the line"

In the ninth minute, after hard yard runs by Exeter skipper Richard Baxter and lock James Hanks, Gray had the opportunity to post Exeter's first points of the match on the board, for which he duly obliged, the Pirates at the same time having to make an early change in personnel when Nick Buckley replaced injured centre Steve Winn.

Thirteen minutes on the clock and Steenson was successful with his second penalty of the match to put the Pirates 10-3 up.

The on field ferocity was at times incredible to witness, this a bodies on the line display by both teams - mostly legal, occasionally not - and no surprise that referee Mark Wilson showed yellow to Alaifatu 'Junior' Fatialofa for a dangerously high tackle on Pirates skipper Tim Cowley. Steenson kicked the resulting penalty and extended the lead still further soon after with a fine effort from 43 metres out on the left.

"The on field ferocity was at times incredible to witness"

Exeter looked happier when playing it tight for a spell, one eventually broken when centre Paul Devlin and full-back Ollie Thomas combined on the right to take play within 15 metres of the scoreboard corner.

The visitors needed to score next to keep in the match, them responding immediately with a try scored on the left flank by winger Josh Drauninui and converted by Gray after Pirates lock Bruce Cumming had been yellow-carded.

The Pirates cam back strongly before the break, Steenson almost making the line after a wonderful passage of play before he shortly after notched up his fourth penalty of the match to give the Cornish team a thoroughly deserved 19-10 half-time lead.

This was an enthralling encounter that had everything to excite the large crowd, who were further entertained during the interval with the usual half-time mini rugby display and music from the remarkably gifted Camborne Youth Band.

When play resumed it soon reached the frantically ferocious levels seen in the first period, Cowley making a fine tackle on Exeter wing Jason Luff when the speedster looked to have space to go clear. Gray and Steenson were both on target with penalty kicks at goal, and both teams again had players sent to the 'sin bin' - Mark Fatialofa for the Chiefs, and Motusaga for the Pirates. Tension levels were upped still further as the half unfolded, an unconverted try from Exeter flanker Chad Slade making it 22-18. Needing some relief, home supporters were delighted when they next saw a Steenson penalty attempt fall the credit side of the cross bar after after striking a post, but the Chiefs had not given up the fight, and when counter attacking from a wayward Pirates kick out of hand, Fijian flyer Drauninui scored again. Gray's conversion would have brought the scores level, but he surprisingly missed the relatively simple conversion attempt once more. From the restart Drauninui took off on a run which could have ended in a hat-trick, it took a magnificent tackle from man of the match prop Dan Seal to bring him to ground.

Ed Fairhurst making his debut for the Pirates

As the minutes ticked away Fairhurst, who had played remarkably well in his first outing for the Pirates, made a burst through midfield to force Exeter on the back foot, and when, with the last play of the game, replacement wing Jimmy Moore kicked ahead on the left, he won the chase to make the touchdown and thus nail down this worthy victory at the end of another memorable game of rugby football played on an especially memorable rugby weekend!

Cornish Pirates
15 O. Thomas, 14 B. Tuohy, 13 P. Devlin, 12 S. Winn (N. Buckley 9), 11 A. Koko (J. Moore h-t)
10 G. Steenson, 9 E. Fairhurst, 8 T. Cowley (capt), 7 I. Motusaga, 6 C. Cracknell (S. Hobson 40)
5 B. Cumming, 4 J. Beardshaw, 3 D. Seal, 2 N.Kemp (R. Elloway 69), 1 A. Paver (P. Cook 69)

Replacements (not used : S. Heard, R. McAtee.

Yellow cards: B. Cumming, I. Motusaga.

Exeter Chiefs
15 G. Kingdom, 14 J. Luff, 13 M. Fatialofa, 12 A. Fatialofa, 11 J. Drauninui, 10 D. Gray, 9 C. Stuart-Smith
8 R. Baxter (capt), 7 A. Miller, 6 Chad Slade, 5 L. Stevenson (T. Johnson 54), 4 J. Hanks
3 C. Dunlea (J. Andress 54), 2 S. Nelson (S. Blythe 54), D. Parkes (S. Kingsland 66).
Replacements (not used): G. Willis, T. Yapp, W. Kelly.

Yellow cards: M. Fatialofa, A. Fatialofa.

Scorers:-

Cornish Pirates
Tries: Motusaga, Moore
Con: Steenson
Pens: Steenson 6

Exeter Chiefs
Tries: Daruninui (2), Slade
Con: Gray
Ppens: Gray 2

Man of the Match: Dan Seal (Cornish Pirates)

Referee: Mark Wilson

Attendance: 4,867