Having
lost on five of their six previous visits to the Brickfields, there was to be
no seventh heaven for the Pirates in a match which was well within their grasp
to win. The possession
was there, and for much of the match they promised much, but the Devon hosts denied
them when where it mattered and ultimately deserved their victory with an all-important
try scored by flanker Wayne Sprangle. Played under
impressive floodlights on an initially cold and dry evening, the Pirates started
the game in purposeful and probing mood, with their running and handling slick.
 | However,
it all counting for nothing when they gave a penalty away in the fourth minute,
their offence at the breakdown punished by former Ireland U21s fly-half Kieran
Hallett who thumped his kick clean between the posts from 46 metres out. When
the Pirates regained possession soon after the restart, they again looked confident,
and with centre Steve Winn incisive and scrum-half Ed Fairhurst finding space
there were hopes of an immediate response, but it was not to be. Indeed,
as soon as Albion ventured back into the Pirates half, the visitors discipline
again let them down, as Hallett was gifted another early Christmas present penalty
chance which he successfully slotted. |
After
a counter attack by Albion's full-back Geoff Griffiths, the Pirates eased the
pressure when Griffiths' opposite number, Marika Vakacegu, chipped and chased
to the main entry gate corner of the ground. It all looked promising, but when
the Pirates were for penalised for crossing for the second time in the match,
acquired territorial advantage was wasted. Hallett booted
the ball into the Pirates half, and then went close with a drop goal attempt,
before the Pirates this time fought back to create and this time finish off a
fine passage of play which ended with wing Brian Tuohy scoring an unconverted
try wide out on the left. Impressive in the build up were centre Mark Ireland
(twice), hooker Darren Dawidiuk, and skipper Ben Gulliver who was making his first
return to the Brickfields since signing for the Pirates from Albion earlier in
the year.  | The
Pirates now appeared in the ascendancy, and especially so when Fairhurst made
a 30 metres midfield break, but support was unable able to get with him. Wing
Jimmy Moore was also just short with a penalty attempt from 40 metres out, as
the Pirates ship was about to be rocked once more. Not for
the first time this season a sudden interception would cause damage, with Albion's
skipper Arthur Brenton the man who plucked the ball out of the air. His initial
loping run set a passage of play that would end with centre Matt Hopper diving
in for his third try in just two games played in Albion's colours. Hallett added
the extras. |
In the final and somewhat
frantic minutes of the half, Pirates' fly-half Simon Whatling had a drop goal
attempt charged down, and Hallett narrowly missed a penalty shot from halfway,
for the score to remain at 13-5 in Plymouth Albion's favour. The
Pirates looked to claw back the points deficit right from the start of the second
period, as through Whatling and Gulliver they forced Albion to retreat. When Ireland
opened up a gap and sprinted to the line he was surely certain to score, only
for him to be cut down by a high tackle from Tongan centre Keni Fisilau. The referee's
decision was swift, clear, and correct - a penalty try signalled, and 'yellow'
shown Mr. Fisilau. Moore added the conversion. Playing against
a team temporarily reduced to 14 men would give every incentive and chance for
the Pirates to take full advantage, and with there a breeze also now getting up
which was in their favour. Vakacegu and Tuohy threatened on the left, and at scrum
time that followed a try looked a cert, but it all came to nothing.  | Another
chance was created as Ireland, who in the last two games has probably played his
best rugby since joining the Pirates, again made yardage on the right. Unfortunately,
however, his attempted pass to a likely scorer out wide was gratefully intercepted
by an Albion defender. It all though seemed just a matter
of time before the Pirates would get the score that would give them a lead. They
had certainly dominated the third quarter of the game, but the last quarter, unfortunately,
would prove an immensely frustrating one for them and their supporters. |
After
Hallett was just off target with another penalty attempt, the killer blow came
in the sixty-fourth minute when Albion made the Pirates pay for not taking their
chances. The home team for the first time in the half suddenly made yardage into
the Pirates '22' through No. 8 Kyle Marriott, his initial thrust on the right
then taken forward all the way to the line by former Cornish All Blacks flanker
Wayne Sprangle. The conversion was not easy, but Hallett was on target to open
up a telling eight points gap. In the now wet and
slippery conditions the Pirates struggled with their handling, with there a frustration
about that they had not put themselves into a winning position through earlier
dominance. As it ended, the win for Plymouth Albion enabled them to leapfrog their
Pirates into seventh place in the league, and also sadly denied the Cornish team
a bonus point. Plymouth Albion:
G. Griffiths, L. Gibson,
M. Hopper, K. Fisilau, T. Jarvis (J. Mensah-Coker 80+3)
K. Hallett, G. Nicholls,
K. Marriott, M. Denbee, W,. Sprangle (S-M. Stephen 80+3)
A. Brenton (capt),
M. Lewis, J. du Toit, J. Owen (G. Dawe 80+3), R. Hopkins. Replacements (not
used): M. Newman, A. Davies, G. Evans, D. Thomas. Yellow card: Fisilau. Cornish
Pirates:
M. Vakacegu, J. Moore, M. Ireland, S. Winn (T. Luke 62), B. Tuohy
S. Whatling (P. Devlin 69), E. Fairhurst, M. Evans, S. Betty (B. Bedes 67), C.
Morgan
B. Gulliver (capt), H. Senekal (M. Burak 62), S. Heard (D. Seal h/t),
D. Dawidiuk, A. Paver (P. Cook 74). Replacement (not used): R. Elloway. Scorers:- Plymouth
Albion
Tries: Hopper, Sprangle; cons: Hallett (2); pens: Hallett (2). Cornish
Pirates
Tries: Tuohy, penalty try; con: Moore. Referee: Lyr Apgeraint-Roberts
(RFU) Attendance: 5,421 |
