Cornish Pirates

POOL A

Plymouth Albion 19 Cornish Pirates 14

Website match report /www.cornish-pirates.com

The Herald www.thisisplymouth.co.uk/albion

Bristol 41 Bedford Blues 32

Despite a rousing second half comeback the Blues fell short of securing their place in the semi-finals and now need a further point from their last match at home to Plymouth Albion on May 1^st.

Myles Dorrian could have snatched a second losing bonus point for Bedford but his late conversion attempt was wide of the target. But five second half tries after trailing 24-3 at the break will have left Mike Rayer`s side confident of making it over the last hurdle.

After Jason Spice’s converted try for Bristol and a Dorrian penalty for Bedford the game exploded into life in the second quarter as Junior Fatialofa and Roy Winters added further tries. Adrian Jarvis slotted a penalty but there was concern for the home side right on half-time as hooker Ross Johnston was stretchered off with an ankle injury.

The Blues were back in the game straight after the restart with a try from Duncan Taylor only for Fatialofa to respond for Bristol with his second score of the game.

Sam Walsh for Bedford and Adrian Jarvis then exchanged tries as both teams continued to slug it out and with fifteen minutes to go Dorrian ran in under the home posts only for Lee Robinson to reply immediately for Bristol to make the score 41-22.

Walsh grabbed the bonus point for Bedford with his second try and Nick Walshe added a fifth score for the visitors deep in injury time.

Bedfordshire on Sunday report www.bedfordshire-news.co.uk

POOL B

London Welsh 16 Exeter Chiefs 15 (at Esher RFC)

Despite a long injury list coming into the game London Welsh rode their luck to snatch victory against the Chiefs and keep alive their own hopes of making the semi-finals.

Danny Gray could have won it for the visitors with the final kick of the match as he attempted to convert Mark Fosters try but his effort was wide and the Welsh took the spoils.

Gray and Thomas had exchanged early penalties in the contest before Exeter seized on a loose ball after twenty four minutes and Brian Rennie set up Matt Jess to race home and score. Gray converted for a 10-3 half-time lead.

London Welsh fought back strongly after the break and were awarded a penalty try on 49 minutes as the Chiefs buckled under intense pressure close to their own line. Thomas converted to level the scores.

Gordon Ross landed a drop goal for the home side as they took the lead and Thomas increased it to 16-10 with nine minutes to play with his second penalty.

Exeter battered away at the Welsh defence in the closing stages and eventually broke through as Foster found some space in the corner to score only for Gray to miss the conversion attempt.

The Chiefs now need one point from their final play-off match at home to Nottingham in two weeks to qualify for the next stage. London Welsh need to win at Doncaster to be sure of their place in the semi-final.

Nottingham 14 Doncaster 25

The Green and Whites were left rueing mistakes and indiscipline as Doncaster Knights executed a perfect smash and grab raid on Meadow Lane.

Nottingham now need to win at Exeter in their final match to have any realistic chance of progressing in the Championship after the Yorkshire side registered the surprise result of the weekend.

Andy Wright’s interception try converted by James Brooks got the Knights underway only for Greg Tonks to score for Nottingham. Dave Jackson’s conversion levelled the scores.

But Doncaster went back in front right on the stroke of half-time as Bevon Armitage squeezed over in the corner. The conversion was missed by Brooks leaving the interval score at 12-7.

Nottingham pressed hard after the break but were hit by two sucker punches as Dougie Flockhart extended the lead to 18-7 with a brace of penalties. The second offence saw prop Peter Cook sin-binned as the home side’s problems became even bigger.

Scrum-half Nicky Griffiths broke away to put in Wright for his second try and Brooks` conversion effectively killed the game at 25-7. Tim Streather bagged a consolation try for Nottingham with Jackson converting.

Nottingham Evening Post report www.thisisnottingham.co.uk

POOL C

Rotherham Titans 29 Moseley 33

Craig West’s final home game in charge of the Titans ended in disappointment as Moseley stormed back to win with two late tries at Clifton Lane

The Midlanders breathed life into their fight against the drop as tries from Ali Muldowney and Rupert Harden thwarted the home side after they had clawed their way back from 23 points down to lead.

Andrew Reay and Nathan Bressington scored converted tries for the visitors inside the opening 23 minutes. Three Tristan Roberts penalties bumped the lead up to 23-0 to Moseley and Rotherham, who were already safe from relegation, were on the ropes.

But two tries in five minutes late in the half from lock Matt Challinor shook the Titans into life leaving the score a more respectable 23-12 at the break.

Full-back Mike Whitehead and hooker Ross Batty added further tries with Nick Buckley landing a conversion to edge the Titans into a 24-23 lead after 52 minutes. But back came Moseley through Muldowney and Harden.

An unconverted try from Ryan Burrows made it 33-29 with five minutes to play but the Midlanders held on to secure a massive victory.

The Star www.thestar.co.uk

Birmingham Postwww.birminghampost.net

Birmingham & Solihull 35 Coventry 38

Coventry twice came from behind at Sharmans Cross Road to secure a massive victory in their fight against relegation as they shared ten tries with the Bees.

A penalty from Fangatapu Apikotoa put the visitors ahead before the Bees responded with a converted try from Simon Hunt. Apikotoa put in MacKenzie for Coventry’s first try after 16 minutes only for Adam Clayton to reply immediately for the Bees.

Referee Greg Garner then awarded the Bees a penalty try as Coventry struggled in defence and Hunt raced home for a fourth Bees try in the 40^th minute to increase their lead to 28-10.

Crucially for Coventry Apikotoa was then to the fore again in stoppage time as Joe Merrigan touched down. The Tongan converted to make it 28-17.

The visitors kept up the momentum after the break with Nathan Jones and Apikotoa both claiming converted tries. But Anthony Elliott got the Bees back in front as he scored their fifth try of the afternoon and Hunt bagged the extras.

Dai Maddocks claimed the match winning score for Coventry with ten minutes to play and Ben Russell converted.

Coventry Telegraph report www.coventrytelegraph.net

Maynard delight as Cov win www.coventrytelegraph.net

The views expressed by High Tackle are his own.