Cornish Pirates

Doncaster Knights 10 Cornish Pirates 21

RFU Championship Round 3
Friday 18th September 2009

Phil Westren's Match Report

Skipper Cowan secures victory

There were many who felt that a third win on the trot from a side selected from an injury-ravaged squad was surely too much to expect, but once again the Cornish Pirates managed to defy the odds.

This outstanding victory not only put them top of the Championship table, with stand-in skipper Blair Cowan scoring two tries, but it also proudly maintained their unbeaten record at Doncaster's Castle Park home.

Playing on a Friday night under floodlights, and with a short turnaround following their game at home to Moseley last Sunday, piled added pressure on the Pirates. However, right from the start they played with a good level confidence, which was important.

A first scoring opportunity came in the sixth minute, it falling to centre Rhys Jones, but his penalty strike went wide of the mark. Continuing to boss events, however, and following a strong carry by mobile prop Carl Rimmer, 'Donny' soon gave another penalty away, which Jones this time comfortably slotted.

Making his debut for the Pirates, former Doncaster Knights player Ben Jones was proving an able replacement for Cattle. Indeed, when his kick ahead was chased by wing Jimmy Moore the 'Knights' looked to be in trouble once more. Another kickable penalty was awarded the Pirates, but the chance went wide of the posts.

The home team responded in a manner that threatened to make the Pirates pay for their missed opportunity, when full-back Roger Davies made yardage, backed up by centre Bevon Armitage, but the danger was thankfully held.

Making his debut for Doncaster was scrum-half Nicky Griffiths, who certainly impressed when playing for the Pirates last season, and following a spark in play that he provided a penalty was shortly after awarded. James Brooks, a close season signing from Leeds Carnegie, stepped forward to kick the goal, but he too was off target as a chance to draw level went begging.

Solid play by makeshift Cornish Pirates lock Laurie McGlone and hooker Dave Ward helped put the pressure back on Doncaster, as when ground was gained a penalty was awarded which enabled Jones to fire the ball between the posts to make it 6-0 to the visitors.

The Pirates were sound at the set piece, and especially so at scrummage time, but when another more difficult chance to increase their lead came, Jones missed the lengthy attempt. The young Welshman wasn't having a consistent evening with the boot, but in every other respect he was having a fine game at inside centre. Supporters asked that perhaps fly-half Jonny Bentley should take over the kicking duties, but he was carrying a niggling injury that restricted him on the night.

Doncaster spurned one chance at goal, preferring to opt for a catch and drive, but when no benefit derived they accepted a second penalty kick opportunity which Brooks successfully hit.

Just before the interval the Pirates rallied once more, for Jones to open up a 9-3 points lead when he landed his third penalty in the final seconds of a half that could easily have seen the Pirates even further ahead.

When play resumed full-back Wes Davies went desperately close to scoring at the corner, as making a return to a club where he spent three successful years, he was having a fine match. Unlucky not to score a try, the Pirates were though provided a potential bonus as referee Mr. Taylorson yellow-carded Doncaster's flanker Andy Boyde

The Pirates were unable to take any immediate advantage, and then had the fright of Roger Davies intercepting and running all but the length of the field, chased by Pirates winger Aisea Havili, only to be called back for a penalty awarded the Pirates.

Chris Morgan secured the ball at line-out time and when collective forward pressure was exerted skipper Blair Cowan was eventually identified as the scorer of the first try in the match. Jones, from wide out, struck the conversion perfectly as the Pirates opened up an almost comfortable looking 16-3 points lead.

Good inter-play from Havili and Jones followed, but an adjudged knock-on denied a chance of further points as Doncaster then hit back to remind all about that the game was not over yet. Having lost their opening two games in the Championship they were always going to be desperate to achieve a win, and their hopes were boosted when replacement Adam Kettle scored a try converted by Brooks.

Now was the time for the Pirates to maintain commitment and composure, and to stay disciplined, the last quester always going to be a mighty test for a side that has already made an enormous effort to date this season.

Havili, Cowan and Davies were involved in an exciting passage of play, but there was concern when looking back to see that Havili had pulled up with an apparent hamstring twinge that led to him being replaced by young Richard Bright.

Both sides were making changes, including for the Pirates a move for Moore to take over the scrum-half berth from Ben Jones who has inevitably lacked match time of recent.

Still dominant at scrum time, replacement hooker Rob Elloway will have been quietly delighted to take one against the head, and when Moore took an angled run off the base, and with Davies in support, a scoring opportunity was almost created.

Centre Mark Ireland was also well in the action, and with the Pirates in control at the breakdown the home crowd, with good reason, feared that their side was staring defeat in the face once more.

Another Pirates penalty miss gave them some hope, and their troops did rally for a brief spell, but right at the end Cowan stretched for his second try of the evening which confirmed that on this occasion, once again, the Pirates were Kings of the Castle.

For supporters who had travelled up from Cornwall – some taking well over 10 hours and not arriving until after kick-off, the journey must have still been tremendously rewarding, with praise also for BBC Radio Cornwall for making the effort to broadcast the whole game live on medium wave back to listeners at home.

Doncaster Knights:
R. Davies, A. Wright, B. Armitage, H. Tonga'uiha, D. Flockhart, J. Brooks
N. Griffiths (M. D'Arcy 74), D. Smith (A. Kettle h/t), S. Grainger, A. Boyde
G. Townson, G. Kenworthy (capt, B. Griffiths h/t), T. Davies (S. Corsar 76)
S. Boden (S. Lawrie 71), S. Corsar (T. Toke 60).

Replacements (not used):   A. Warnock, C. Briers.

Yellow card: Boyde.

Cornish Pirates:  
W. Davies, J. Moore, M. Ireland, R. Jones, A. Havili (R. Bright 62)
J. Bentley, B. Jones (R. Cook 62), B. Cowan (capt), S. Betty, C. Morgan (T. Holmes 68),
L. Collins, L. McGlone, A. Paver, D. Ward (R. Elloway 62), C. Rimmer (R. Brits 62).

Replacements (not used):   P. Andrew, S. Winn.

Scorers:-

Doncaster Knights – try: Kettle; con: Brooks; pen: Brooks.

Cornish Pirates – tries: Cowan (2); cons: R. Jones; pens: R. Jones (3).

Referee: Mr. Andrew Taylorson (RFU)

Attendance: 1,728.