Cornish Pirates

RFU Championship Round 2

Sunday 13th September 2009
Kick-off 3pm

Phil Westren's Preview

Jimmy Moore, who was unavailable last week because of family reasons, replaces young Richard Bright on the wing, whilst Rhys Jones is named to partner Mark Ireland in the centre because Nick Jackson picked up a slight leg injury at Nottingham.

Changes in the pack from the eight that started last weekend provide a starting role to prop Paul Andrew because Rudi Brits has not fully recovered from an injury he has picked up.

Chris Morgan steps sideways into the middle of the back-row in place of No. 8 Blair Cowan, who drops to the bench. Sam Betty comes into the side to take up the blind-side berth.

It is no secret that injuries are still very much an early season concern for the Pirates, but there is welcome news that Rhodri McAtee, who has also been unavailable for family reasons, is at least named on the bench.

 

In the potentially dangerous Moseley team, try-scoring full-back Nathan Bressington is one to watch, and at scrum-half they have acquired the services of former Welsh international Andy Williams.

With the bonus of a good forecast, a big crowd is expected on Sunday to hopefully get behind a home side that'll hope once more to have the commitment, ability and fitness to perform, as they'll also look to overcome any perceived set backs.

The referee for the match is Mr. David Rose, who was last week in charge of the Sale versus Leicester match in the Guinness Premiership

Cornish Pirates:
W. Davies, J. Moore, M. Ireland, R. Jones, A. Havili
J. Bentley, G. Cattle (capt), C. Morgan, T. Holmes, S. Betty
L. Collins, L. McGlone, A. Paver, D. Ward, P. Andrew

Replacements:
R. Storer, R. Elloway, C. Rimmer, B. Cowan, R. Bright, R. McAtee, R. Cook.

Moseley – team as named for the programme:
N. Bressington, M. Gillick, B. Keys, A. Borgan, J. Mensah-Coker
T. Roberts, A. Williams, R. Wilson, H. Rowland, N. Mason
A. Hall (capt), A. Muldowney, T. Sigley,A. Caves, N. Williams

Replacements:
R. Harden, D. Oselton, D. Lyons, R. Stott, L. Silver, E. Read, C. Macburnie.

Referee: David Rose
Assistants: Luke Pearce & Nigel Higginson

Mascots: Dylan Newton & Jago Ford

Match Day Sponsor: Speedy Hire

Match Preview

This Sunday will see the Cornish Pirates play their first home game in the new RFU 'Championship' competition – kick-off 3pm at Camborne.

This season promises to be extra special, and a large crowd is expected as the Pirates will extend a welcome to all of their sponsors and supporters, and especially their visitors from Moseley.

'Mose' finished eighth in the league last season but the highlight, of course, was their EDF National Trophy win at Twickenham, when they beat clear favourites Leeds.

It was a tremendous result under the guidance of head coach Ian Smith, which not only confirmed the revival of a famous old club, but has also made the point that anyone who finishes in the top eight this season is in with a chance of winning the Championship title.

New faces arriving at Moseley's Billesley Common base include a familiar one to the Pirates in Rob Thirlby, the former England Sevens player who has joined from Redruth and has played for us in the past, whilst Canadian international wing Justin Mensah-Coker has joined from Plymouth Albion.

As has been the case of recent, it is also likely that Sunday's visitors will have a number of players in their ranks who are dual registered with Premiership side Gloucester.

The 'Brummie' club went down 50-25 at home to confident Exeter in last weekend's opening round of the Championship, which was no surprise.

The Chiefs were always going to be fully focused to banish any possible repeat of last season's shock result at Billesley Common when Moseley emerged 32-24 victors in a match that doubled up as a league and EDF Energy National Trophy semi-final match.

The Moseley club was founded in 1873, it adopting their signature red and black colours a year later. One of their best known players was England international Peter Cranmer, who gained 16 caps as a centre between 1934-38, in addition to also captaining Warwickshire at cricket.

Of many others we must mention the name of Sam Doble, a full-back who died of cancer back in 1977 at the age of just 33. In the 1971/72 domestic season Sam scored an astonishing 581 points for Moseley on his way to a career total of 3,651, him the top scorer in senior British rugby for five seasons.

Sam Doble and former club President Jan Webster were also in the same England team as our own 'Stack' Stevens when the 'Springboks' were beaten 18-9 at Ellis Park, Johannesburg, 1972. Also, of course, Jan and 'Stack' were influential in another historic England victory a year later, the 'All Blacks' beaten 16-10 at Eden Park, Auckland.

In 1996, at the dawn of professionalism, Moseley became a limited company, but after over stretching its financial resources they went through turbulent times and in 2003 were relegated from National One after 12 seasons.

They departed their legendary 'The Reddings' ground in 2000, had a spell playing at the University of Birmingham, and then in 2005 played a first league match at their present Billesley Common home.

Moseley returned to National One in 2006, and during the period since we have met on seven occasions (includes one 'Cup' encounter). We emerged comfortable winners of the first three encounters (a points ratio of 142-31 in our favour), but the last four, which has included one win for Moseley, have been very close (points ratio 91-77).

And what of Sunday? We'll soon find out......................