Cornish Pirates 15 Moseley 7 - Match report

On A Bleak Sunday In December

Match Sponsor Skinners Brewery

Cornish Pirates 15 Moseley 7
Sunday December 2nd 2007
Report Phil Westren
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On a bleak early Sunday in December, supporters gathered at the 'Rec' surely knew that any realistic chance of witnessing a display of open running rugby was all but a dream. As it worked out, those who thought that were right, though they could be forgiven the frustration felt when any glimmer of expanse was stifled through the game plan implemented by the visitors.
However, after a first half that could only be described as being a non-event, there was at least a pick up for the home faithful in the second half, it a period when the Cornish Pirates conjured up two fine tries to ultimately emerge deserved winners.
For the Cornish Pirates, there were a number of pluses going into this match, them in a position to welcome back several players from injury, a couple of whom were immediately gifted places in a starting line-up that showed five changes in total from the side that ran out at the Brickfields the previous weekend.
The two itching at the bit to go were centre Steve Winn, who was injured early in the match against Exeter Chiefs a month ago, and flanker Stan McKeen. It was Canadian international Stan's first game of the season, him cruelly troubled with an Achilles injury which forced him to miss playing for his country in the Rugby World Cup.
Other changes saw Chris Cracknell selected at open-side ahead of Iva Motusaga, Joe Beardshaw replacing Bruce Cumming at lock, and Sam Heard starting at tight-head prop in place of Dan Seal.
In the absence of Tim Cowley, prop Alan Paver captained the side, one which also included former Moseley star Ollie Thomas at full-back.

MOTM Chris Cracknell
At kick-off time the pitch looked immaculate, but it did not take long before the area of the field at the clubhouse corner started to show the effects of wear and tear as Moseley took control of possession and encamped themselves in happily acquired territory for lengthy spells
Nine minutes into the game the visitors had an opportunity to take a lead when the Pirates were caught off-side in front of the posts, but the penalty strike from fly-half Greg Macdonald missed - it a day when no kick at goal could be deemed a formality.

As the half developed the Pirates had limited possession, with there just the occasional lift given when scrum-half Ed Fairhurst showed a willingness to pep up the action. One rare snipe into the Moseley half raised hopes, with support given by McKeen, but a knock-on at the '22' line dashed any hope of a home score.
Before and when half-time eventually arrived, the crowd let their feelings be heard with chants of 'boring, boring' directed at the opposition. Having paid good money, one could perhaps understand their understandable frustration, but in a way there was also a slight touch of admiration in the way 'Mose' had implemented their pre-planned, scrooge-like approach.
They had given away nothing, them troddling off to the changing rooms no doubt more than happy with their performance, one dominated by bringing forward runners into narrow channels to the sides of rucks and mauls - not pretty, but it certainly effective.

Words of a song say 'things can only get better', and they certainly did for the Pirates and their supporters just four minutes into the second period.

Gifted a penalty a few metres inside Moseley's half, Gareth Steenson quick-tapped the ball for it to soon reach the hands of Vunga Lilo who stretched his legs to go clear for a touchdown at the scoreboard corner.