In
their final away game of the season the Cornish Pirates bagged the five league
points sought, but had it far from all their own way against an already relegated
home side. Sedgley Park went into this match having lost 12 games on
the trot, including a sequence of shipping 50 points plus in their previous four
outings, so they must have been extremely grateful that the Pirates gifted them
an opening try scored in just the second minute by fly-half Mark Atkinson.
It was a sudden and welcome piece of acquired good fortune, added to when even
the conversion, kicked by their skipper Phil Jones, only made it through the posts
after bouncing up from and over the cross bar.  | It
was a poor start by the Cornish side, but with five minutes on the clock they
thankfully hit back when linked play through lock Heino Senekal and scrum-half
Nicky Griffiths enabled wing Aisea Havili to score ten metres to the left of the
posts. It was the Tongan's sixth try scored in what was his eighth league game
for the Pirates. Fly-half Simon Whatling was unable
to add the extras to Havili's try, but he shortly after put the Pirates ahead
with a well-struck penalty. Playing against opponents who
wore pink shirts for the day, in support of the 'Genesis Appeal', the Pirates
looked to take control. | | |
Senekal
and hooker Rob Elloway, who was returning to the club where he played his youth
rugby, were to the fore, but too many mistakes were made as too often the team
appeared to shy away from the basics. It looked as if Sedgley
Park's good luck would continue when Atkinson was given a clear run to the line,
but it then cruelly deserted them, and Atkinson in particular, when the ball dropped
from his hands. However, Jones followed up with a penalty shortly after, and at
10-8 with a quarter of the game gone the Tigers must have felt pretty pleased
with themselves. On the half-hour mark Jones had an
opportunity to extend his team's lead, but after his penalty attempt missed it
was the Pirates who edged ahead once more when Whatling was on target with his
second succesful penalty Having retaken the lead, the Pirates soon
extended it, as following a fine run by Havili, full-back Adryan Winnan and Senekal
lent support which culminated in a first try of the season for the latter. To
score again before half-time would surely break the Tigers, but their response
was one whereby you had to admire not only their resolve, but also the skills
displayed as it was they who hit back right on half-time. A clever
cross field kick was taken by wing Peter Swatkins who offloaded to Riley whose
unconverted try made the scoreline 15-16 at the break. | |  |  | From
the start of the second half the Pirates played with purpose and control previous
lacking, and they soon gained their just reward. Unlucky
to score one moment, a second opportunity was taken as Mark Ireland held the ball
and timed his pass perfectly to fellow centre Paul Devlin who crossed for a converted
try near the posts. Shortly after the restart the
Pirates pressed strongly again through flanker Blair Cowan and Devlin, and maintaining
momentum through Griffiths and replacement Brian Tuohy, wing Rhodri McAtee applied
the pressure to a bonus point providing fourth try. | | |
Following
the sin-binning of opposing hookers Johnny Roddam and Elloway, both sides were
reduced to playing 14-a-side for a spell, whilst the Pirates also notched up their
try fifth try - awarded to skipper for the day Mike Burak who stretched every
inch of his 6' 7" frame to score. Whatling added the conversion. Leading
by 20 points, the Pirates would surely finish the game off in style against likely
tiring opponents, but it was not to be. Player/coach Tim Fourie came off the bench
for the Tigers and it was likely he who galvanised the Park's effort as they narrowed
the deficit with late tries scored by lock Glen Townson and wing Phil Largen (converted
by Jones), that gave them a fully deserved bonus point. Although
the five league points for the Pirates were most welcome, it was a pity that they
lost their composure in the last quarter, which is something that cannot afford
to do in their eagerly awaited last three matches of the season, at home against
Plymouth Albion (12th April), Doncaster (19th April) and London Welsh (25th April).
Sedgley
Park:
M. Riley, P. Swatkins, S. O'Hare ( L. Stringer 75), P. Jones (capt),
P. Largen
M. Atkinson, C. Wilkinson, O. Cook (M Lamprey 73), A. Newton (D.
Livesey 75), J. Crous (T. Fourie 61)
G. Townson ( D. Williams 76), B. Lloyd
(G. Roberts 59), P. Du Plessis, J. Roddam, D. Greenhalgh (A. Livesey 59). Yellow
card: J. Roddam. Cornish Pirates:
A. Winnan (B. Tuohy h/t), R.
McAtee, M. Ireland, P. Devlin, A, Havili
S,. Whatling, N. Griffiths, B. Bedes
(M. Evans 53), S. Betty (C. Morgan 53), B. Cowan (D. Dawidiuk 61-70)
M. Burak
(capt, B. Gulliver 68), H. Senekal, S. Franklin (S. Heard 73), R. Elloway (D.
Dawidiuk 70), A. Paver. Replacement (not used): E. Fairhurst. Yellow
card: R. Elloway Scorers Sedgley Park
Tries:
Riley (2), Townson, Largen
Cons: Jones (2)
Pen: Jones. Cornish
Pirates
Tries: Havili, Senekal, Devlin, McAtee, Burak
Cons: Whatling(2)
P
pens: Whatling (2).
Referee: Luke Pearce (RFU). Attendance:
524. |
