| | | | | Cornish
Pirates 23 Exeter Chiefs 32
Sunday September 14th2008 Phil
Westren |
In a match when the Cornish Pirates
looked down and out at half-time, there was much to admire in their second half
performance. Indeed, having come back to take a one point lead after
being 22-3 down at the break, an unlikely chance of victory was genuinely theirs
before the Chiefs found their form again at the end to ultimately emerge deserved
winners. 
| For
the Pirates, wing Aisea Havili was making his league debut for the club, whilst
Matt Evans was selected on the blindside flank in place of fellow South African
Bruce Cumming, who was named on the bench. In opposition,
two former Pirates, fly-half Gareth Steenson and flanker Chris Cracknell were
making a quick return to the 'Rec' following their move east across the Tamar
in the close season. Match underway, it was the Pirates
who made a good start and had an opportunity to post the first points of the match
on the scoreboard, but fly-half Doug Sanft's eighth minute penalty kick from 38
metres fell just short of the posts. | | Former
Pirate flanker Chris Cracknell | |
Play
flowed from end to end, with Sanft's pass to Havili on the left providing an opportunity
for the large crowd to witness an example of the pace expected from the powerful
Tongan. However, when the Chiefs countered the Pirates
were penalised for not releasing, it gifting an opportunity for Steenson to now
open the scoring. His penalty strike from 35 metres out was well within his range,
it successfully slotted, as was also a second penalty chance that soon followed. 
| This
mid first half period was one when the Pirates were well and truly under the cosh,
the midfield running of Exeter centre Matt Cornwell, a former Leicester and England
U21s player, creating havoc as he set up a converted try scored by full-back Sean
Marsden. Fiji and Royal Navy winger Josh Drauniniu, playing
in his second season for Exeter, was again making an impression, his running setting
alarm bells ringing once more, and when the Pirates strayed offside a third Steenson
penalty put the visitors 16-0 up. | | Josh
Drauniniu again making an impression | |
The
Pirates endeavoured to respond through the efforts of Havili, No. 8 Bertrand Bedes,
lock Heino Senekal and scrum-half Ed Fairhurst, and when a position was created
from where a penalty chance was awarded in front of the Exeter posts, Sanft duly
kicked the points on offer. Three points gained, from the
restart sadly it was a case of three then being given away, as Steenson was given
another penalty opportunity, which he took, as he did with the very last kick
of the half, that a thumper of a penalty struck from over five metres inside his
own half, which made the scoreline read 3-22. The home crowd
were understandably despondent, knowing now that if their team was to have any
chance of getting back into this match then they would need to score early in
the second half. When the action resumed, there were immediate
signs that a likely half-time 'pep' talk had done no harm, with determined wing
Marika Vakacegu unlucky not to gather the ball and go clear to the scoreboard
corner.  | From
pressure maintained, Sanft was given another penalty chance which he successfully
kicked, it now clear that if the Pirates could score quickly again then morale
about would be given a mighty boost. The Pirates were now
playing their best rugby of the match, them transformed and about to deliver a
try craved for, it scored by replacement flanker Iva Motusaga.
Sanft added the extras and then kicked three points after Exeter skipper Richard
Baxter was yellow carded. | | Replacement
flanker Iva Motusaga | |
Down
to 14 men, the visitors could then quite easily have then had a second player
sent off, which would have really made it interesting, but awarded a penalty the
Pirates were at least able to apply themselves with continuing force and vigour
at the clubhouse corner.  | A
second try scoring opportunity looked 'on', and it one taken when Motusaga slipped
defenders to snipe over for a score that was joyously celebrated. Now
just a point behind, there was complete hush about when Sanft lined up a difficult
conversion from out wide. He would have been forgiven if
it had missed, but he did not disappoint, and the Pirates were quite amazingly
23-22 ahead. | | Motusaga
slipped defenders to score |
|
Could the home team hang on? The answer, unfortunately,
was no, as the match was to end with the Pirates cruelly denied even a bonus point
after a converted try from Drauniniu was followed up by a sixth penalty of the
match from Steenson. This Saturday the Pirates will literally make a flying
visit to Otley, knowing that they must display more of what was seen in the second
half against Exeter, and realising also that it is a game that they simply must
win. Cornish Pirates:
A. Winnan (capt - R. McAtee78),
M. Vakacegu, P. Devlin, T. Luke (S. Winn 62), A. Havili
D. Sanft, E. Fairhurst,
B. Bedes, C. Morgan (I. Motusaga 51),
M. Evans (I. Motusaga 21-28 B. Cumming
44), B. Gulliver, H. Senekal
S. Heard (D. Seal 44), R. Elloway (D. Dawidiuk
67), A. Paver. Replacement (not used): N. Griffiths. Exeter
Chiefs:
S. Marsden, N. Sestaret, B. Rennie (S. Ward 73), M. Cornwell,
J. Drauniniu, G. Steenson
K. Barrett (C. Stuart-Smith 67), R. Baxter (capt),
A. Miller (R. Pugh 78)
C. Cracknell (T. Johnson 69), D. Tuohy (T. Skelding
76), L. Stevenson, J. Andress (D. Parkes 78
N. Clark (S. Alcott 57-57, 79),
C. Budgen. Yellow card: R. Baxter.
Scorers Cornish
Pirates - tries: Motusaga (2); cons: Sanft (2); Pens: Sanft (3). Exeter
Chiefs - tries: Marsden, Drauniniu; cons: Steenson (2); pens: Steenson (6). Referee:
Rowan Kitt (RFU) Man of the match: Bertrand Bedes Attendance:
4,913
Match Day Sponsors: Ocean BMW and Midas Construction Match
Ball Sponsor: Western Electrical |
