Pertemps
Bees 23 Cornish Pirates 27
Saturday January 5th 2008
Report
Phil Westren | |
And
so, for the Cornish Pirates first game in 2008 it was a visit to Sharmans Cross
Road, Solihull, an away win surely on the cards against a side that had only won
two of 17 matches played in this campaign, and who are clear favourites to be
relegated along with the bottom-placed Cornish All Blacks.
Logical
thinking? yes, though at this level there is never any guarantee of victory. The
Bees have also juggled with coaching personnel of recent, and changes, as we all
know, can often bring about a change in fortune. Be assured, it was essential
that the Pirates, who won 43-20 at home in September, took nothing for granted.
The
Pirates once again made a number of changes in their starting line-up, including
recalls in the backs for full-back Adryan Winnan, wing Rhodri McAtee and centre
Steve Winn. In the forwards Rob Elloway was handed the hooking duties and Matt
Evans returned to the back-row.
 | In
an encouraging opening period to this game the Cornish Pirates went 10-0 up with
less than a quarter of an hour on the clock. The first
points came when fly-half Ollie Thomas fired over a penalty, with him soon after
converting a try scored by his half-back partner Ed Fairhurst who darted to the
line after the Pirates had set themselves in a good attacking position with a
scrum close to their opponents line. It was a set-back for
the home side, them needing to score next and doing just that when fly-half Paul
Knight kicked a penalty on offer. |
| "Ed
Fairhurst who darted to the line" | |
As
the weather suddenly deteriorated the Pirates were soon under pressure once more,
and although skipper Tim Cowley looked to have foiled a likely scoring opportunity,
the Bees created sufficient pressure for the Pirates to concede a second kickable
penalty which Knight struck cleanly between the posts.
Despite the conditions
the Pirates were looking purposefully positive, and had a will to give the ball
some air, with centre Paul Devlin making a dashing run with support given by industrious
lock Heino Senekal.
At the set piece Cowley and Fairhurst worked well in
tandem and Winn was delivering with his accustomed defensive qualities.
Approaching
half-time both sides had scoring opportunities, Knight wide of the mark though
with an attempted penalty chance, and the Pirates unlucky when wing Vunga Lilo
almost intercepted.
 | At
the start of the second half the Pirates looked to impose themselves further,
their enterprise duly rewarded when a controlled piece of play was finished off
by McAtee who slid and stretched to score a well taken try in the corner which
was equally well converted by Thomas. On such a day a 6-17
scoreline could be deemed a case of game over, but were the Bees mortally wounded?
If they were, then the Pirates could fancy their chance of seriously striving
for a bonus point. |
As it worked
out the Midlanders were in no mood to collapse, centre Dave Knight always a threat,
and brother Paul soon reducing the arrears with his third penalty goal of the
afternoon.
McAtee appeared injured, his place out wide taken by replacement
Jimmy Moore, but a bigger concern for the Pirates was about to materialise when
referee Mr. Vertigan yellow-carded prop Peter Cook.
Pertemps Bees looked
to reap immediate benefit from numerical advantage, setting up a driving maul
that edged perilously close to the Pirates line. A knock-on gave the Pirates an
opportunity to settle and relieve the pressure, but when the Bees suddenly snaffled
back possession flanker Andy Daish was driven over for a try converted by Knight.
With
there no just one point separating the sides, the home outfit were at a heightened
buzz and keen to immediately re-apply the squeeze.
Travelling supporters
raised noise levels in an effort to lift their side, but it was the home faithful
who were about to be given cause to celebrate when the timber-bulk frame of experienced
lock Mark Gabey crashed his way over the line for a converted try gave the Bees
a 23-17 lead.
It was a dramatic turnaround, the Pirates well and truly punished
for their indiscretions and mightily relieved when Cook trundled back on.
 | The
Cornish team needed to up their effort collectively, and although some poor decision
making almost put them further in trouble, a yellow card now issued to Bees lock
Alex Davidson provided a chink of a chance to make the Bees pay. Tight,
driving play was now the order of the day, before a position was set from where
options were extended, included among them a piece of magic from replacement fly-half
Gareth Steenson who opened up a gaping hole to run and score a try that he also
converted. |
| "A piece of magic from
Gareth Steenson" |
Back in the lead, it looked
like the Pirates were about to relinquish it again all but from the restart. Knight
was presented with a not too difficult chance to nudge the Bees back in front
after the Pirates were penalised at a scrum, but he pulled his effort wide of
the posts.
Soon after, at the other end of a slippery Sharmans ground, it
was a chance for Steenson to show how it's done. As he lined up his kick there
was complete silence about, before an eruption of sound then made it clear that
the Ulsterman's effort was successful.
For the remaining minutes it was
vital that the Pirates kept control both in body and mind, to duly run the clock
down - the period proving though to be immensely tense.
Earnshaw endeavoured
to fire up his troops for one final assault, a severe test a certainty, but the
Pirates holding out as their body-steamed defensive line refused to give way.
Holding
out for victory took super resolve and character, with due credit also to the
spirited Bees who had also played with passion and commitment throughout.
Pertemps
Bees:
M. Vakacegu, R. Spee, A. Maggs, D. Knight, C. Mitchell, P. Knight,
N. Griffiths, G. McComb
A. Daish (W. Kazombiaze 67), R. Earnshaw, M. Gabey,
A. Davidson (sin bin 70-80)
P. Bucknall (J. Redinghuys 79), S. Pearl, M. Long
(P. Osborne 79)
Replacements (not used): J. Aston, J. Higgins, J. Preece,
M. Mangeolles.
Yellow card: A. Davidson.
Cornish
Pirates:
A. Winnan, V. Lilo, P. Devlin, S. Winn, R. McAtee (J. Moore
53), O. Thomas (G. Steenson 56)
E. Fairhurst, M. Evans, I. Motusaga (S. McKeen
67), T. Cowley (capt - S. Heard 56-64), S. Hobson
H. Senekal, D. Seal, R.
Elloway (D. Dawidiuk 60), P. Cook (sin bin 54-64).
Replacements (not used):
S. Betty, R. Bolt.
Yellow card: P. Cook.
Scorers:-
Pertemps
Bees
Tries: Daish, Gabey
Cons: Knight 2
Pens: Knight 3
Cornish
Pirates
Tries: Fairhurst, McAtee, Steenson
Cons: Thomas 2, Steenson
Pens:
Thomas, Steenson.
Referee: A. Vertigan (RFU
Attendance:
670
Press Gang Man Of The Match Tim Cowley
