Cornish
Pirates V Coventry Sunday December 21st
Kick Off 2pm | |  |
Frustrated
following the postponement of their scheduled match at Newbury last weekend, the
Cornish Pirates will be hungry for action when they this Sunday play Coventry
at the Recreation Ground, Camborne (ko 2pm). The
Cornish Pirates and Coventry have played out some really good contests during
the past six seasons. Of games played, the Pirates have won 9, and Coventry 3,
but the points ratio is a much closer 251-227. Prior to
this season, when the Pirates were 'nilled' 16-0 at Coventry's Butts Park Arena
ground, their two previous defeats were both in 2004-05, when in away games they
exited the Powergen Cup 31-20, before disappointingly losing 30-3 in the league. As
the Pirates headed home following the postponement of their match at Newbury last
weekend, 'Cov' were suffering a narrow 7-6 points home defeat to Plymouth Albion.
Now tenth in the league, Coventry's present Director of
Rugby is former Pertemps Bees boss Phil Maynard, who is in charge of a squad that
has changed little from last year. Leading performers include their skipper Henno
Venter, a flanker who recently passed the 100 games mark for the club, No. 8 Laurie
McGlone (their top try-scorer with 7), hooker Chris Whitehead, who was last season's
Players 'Player of the Year', and backs Ben Russell and Myles Dorrian (their top
points scorer with 69). Prop Laurence Ovens, who joined Coventry on loan from
Bath, also had a spell last season on loan to the Cornish All Blacks. The
Pirates chosen backs for Sunday are the same as started at London Welsh two weeks
ago, but in the forwards there are a number of changes. Chris Morgan is selected
at No. 8 in place of an injured Bertrand Bedes, him flanked by Sam Betty and Iva
Motusaga, and in the second-row Mike Burak pairs up with skipper Ben Gulliver. Heino
Senekal is named on the bench - it a strong one that also includes Rob Elloway
and Nicky Griffiths, who are both making a welcome return from injury. The
Pirates team below is the official selection, but the one received from Coventry
is a 'best guess' line-up which was provided for programme printing purposes.. Cornish
Pirates:
M. Vakacegu, P. Devlin, M. Ireland, T. Luke, B. Tuohy
S. Whatling,
E. Fairhurst, C. Morgan, I. Motusaga, S. Betty
B. Gulliver (capt), M. Burak,
S. Heard, D. Dawidiuk, A. Paver. Replacements:
R. Elloway, D. Seal,
P. Cook, H. Senekal, N. Griffiths, S. Winn, J. Moore. Head Coach: Mark Hewitt. Coventry:
B. Russell, W. Hurrell, G. Dixon, D. Sanders, O. Winter
M. Dorrian, N. Jones,
L. McGlone, J. Miller, H. Venter (capt)
D. Lyons, C. Burgess, R. Brits, C.
Whitehead, L. Ovens. Replacements:
S. Pearl, R. Dugard, S. Herrington,
D. Clayton, T. Slater, T. Hayes, B. Pons. Director of Rugby: Phil Maynard Referee:
Adrian Hartwell (RFU)
Assistants: Richard Parker-Sedgemore & Lloyd
Jackson Mascot: Sam Cohen-Angove Match Sponsor: Beacon Plumbing &
Heating
Match Ball Sponsor: Boosters
|
