| | | | | Otley
25 Cornish Pirates 31
Saturday September 20th Phil
Westren |
Under clear
blue Yorkshire skies the Cornish Pirates managed to secure the bonus point win
they desperately sought, but only after withstanding a nail-biting last few seconds
at Otley's Cross Green ground. Against opponents
who had made a swift return to National One following their relegation in 2007,
the Pirates struggled to play with any cohesion in the opening quarter, being
initially loose at the line-out and kicking poorly from hand. In
Rob Kitching and Dan Smith the home team had pace aplenty on the wings, with the
Pirates fortunate that winger Marika Vakacegu (twice) and prop Alan Paver were
up to showing their defensive qualities. However, in the eleventh minute pressure
on the Pirates told, Kitching the creator of an unconverted try scored by former
Wharfedale flanker Rob Baldwin. 
| It
was essential for the Pirates to respond, which they gradually did, looking more
settled and playing with increased control to offer hopes of better things to
come. A good scrum position
provided the Pirates with an opportunity to open their account, with No. 8 Bertrand
Bedes an important link for wing Aisea 'Ice' Havili to make the line in a blink
of an eye. Fly-half Rhys Jones,
who was making his league debut for the club, added the conversion, but the Pirates'
lead did not last long, as a penalty was gifted and successfully slotted by Jones'
opposite number Tom Rhodes. | |
Aisea 'Ice' Havili made the line in a blink of an eye. | |
Rhodes
had a relatively simple chance to put Otley further ahead, but his effort missed,
as again the Pirates looked to respond. Full-back and skipper Adryan Winnan, centre
Tom Luke and lock Ben Gulliver were to the fore, with the latter unlucky not to
have taken the chance created. However, then awarded a
penalty, from a catch and drive option the Pirates were clinical and committed
in a drive to the line which ended with Canadian international lock Mike Burak
a try-scorer. Jones was again on target with the conversion. 
| Rhodes
narrowed the deficit when kicking his second penalty of the match right from the
restart, before the Pirates finished off the half with their third try of the
afternoon. It was this time scored by hooker Rob Elloway,
who chose a direct route for a rampaging run to the line, it one where he made
light of brushing off tackles before planting the ball down at the posts. The
conversion from Jones was a formality, with the half-time whistle then sounding
to give the Pirates what looked like a healthy enough 21-11 points lead. | | Rob
Elloway chose a direct route for a rampaging run | |
With
the conditions of the day, and with a plentiful supply of primary possession,
there was every reason to expect the Pirates to further dominate in the second
period, and also, hopefully, waste little time in securing what would be a bonus
point providing fourth try. When play resumed they again
appeared to be in control, but still had to work hard for ground position. When
territory was eventually claimed, immense pressure was applied close to the home
team's line, and it no surprise when referee Mr. Wigglesworth eventually yellow-carded
Otley flanker Nathan Bland. Scrum time was the Pirates choice
with penalties now awarded, there a confidence that they could deliver and score
the important try sought, and it eventually proving right. After having kept it
tight at first, the ball was then worked through the hands of Luke and then Havili
who went in for his second try in the match. It could, and
should have been game over, but Peter Clegg's men refused to buckle and hit back
with a converted try scored by replacement wing Stephen Parsons. It was an apt
reminder that the game was far from over, which indeed it wasn't, even after the
Pirates conjured up a perfectly created try finished off by Vakacegu. When
Parsons notched up a second well converted try there was just six points in it,
and with replacement prop Dan Seal yellow-carded there was a realistic fear that
the Pirates were somehow contriving to throw this one away.. With
the seconds ticking down, Otley looked to be over again for a try which, if converted,
would have given them their first win of the season, but it was not to be. The
referee decided that their last assault to the line had been 'held up', his final
blast of the whistle both silencing the home crowd and providing an enormous sense
of relief to all Pirates. Otley:
I.
Shuttleworth, R. Kitching, J. Buchanan (P. Mooney 43-58, 61), K. Dench (T. Whittaker
72)
D. Smith (S. Parsons 54), T. Rhodes (A. Monks 72), D. McCormack (capt),
M. McComish
N. Bland, R. Baldwin, P. Williams, M. Lewis (S. Burns 68), K.
Fullman
J. Parkes (D. Steele 54), R. Wederell.
Replacement (not used): S.
Trethewey.
Yellow card: N. Bland. Cornish Pirates:
A. Winnan (capt, R. McAtee 72), M. Vakacegu, P. Devlin
T. Luke (S. Winn
72), A. Havili, R. Jones, E. Fairhurst (N. Griffiths 70)
B. Bedes (H. Senekal
67), I. Motusaga, B. Cumming (C. Morgan 55), B. Gulliver
M. Burak, S. Heard
(D. Seal h/t), R. Elloway, A. Paver (P. Cook 62). Scorers:- Otley
- tries: Parsons (2), Baldwin; cons: Rhodes (2); pens: Rhodes (2). Cornish
Pirates - tries: Havili (2), Burak, Elloway, Vakacegu; cons: Jones (3). Referee:
Tim Wigglesworth (RFU). Attendance: 675.
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