| Pirates Raise The Bar To Lift Derby Match Spoils | |||||||||||
Cornish
Pirates 30 Exeter Chiefs 23
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| Digging deep collectively in what was always likely to be an absorbing contest, the Cornish Pirates deserved to take the spoils in this hard fought 'derby' match fixture against a very good Exeter side. This was a game that had all the ingredients necessary for en epic encounter: a near top of the table clash, a local 'derby' and much more besides - not forgetting also that the Pirates had beaten the Chiefs to win the EDF Energy National Trophy at Twickenham last April. Exeter travelled west across the Tamar unbeaten after five games, including in their squad four former Pirates in brothers Mark and Alaifatu Fatialofa, who formed the centre partnership, loose-head prop Dan Parkes, and replacement Wade Kelly.
In the ninth minute, after hard yard runs by Exeter skipper Richard Baxter and lock James Hanks, Gray had the opportunity to post Exeter's first points of the match on the board, for which he duly obliged, the Pirates at the same time having to make an early change in personnel when Nick Buckley replaced injured centre Steve Winn. Thirteen minutes on the clock and Steenson was successful with his second penalty of the match to put the Pirates 10-3 up. The on field ferocity was at times incredible to witness, this a bodies on the line display by both teams - mostly legal, occasionally not - and no surprise that referee Mark Wilson showed yellow to Alaifatu 'Junior' Fatialofa for a dangerously high tackle on Pirates skipper Tim Cowley. Steenson kicked the resulting penalty and extended the lead still further soon after with a fine effort from 43 metres out on the left.
Exeter looked happier when playing it tight for a spell, one eventually broken when centre Paul Devlin and full-back Ollie Thomas combined on the right to take play within 15 metres of the scoreboard corner. The visitors needed to score next to keep in the match, them responding immediately with a try scored on the left flank by winger Josh Drauninui and converted by Gray after Pirates lock Bruce Cumming had been yellow-carded. The Pirates cam back strongly before the break, Steenson almost making the line after a wonderful passage of play before he shortly after notched up his fourth penalty of the match to give the Cornish team a thoroughly deserved 19-10 half-time lead. This was an enthralling encounter that had everything to excite the large crowd, who were further entertained during the interval with the usual half-time mini rugby display and music from the remarkably gifted Camborne Youth Band.
As the minutes ticked away Fairhurst, who had played remarkably well in his first outing for the Pirates, made a burst through midfield to force Exeter on the back foot, and when, with the last play of the game, replacement wing Jimmy Moore kicked ahead on the left, he won the chase to make the touchdown and thus nail down this worthy victory at the end of another memorable game of rugby football played on an especially memorable rugby weekend! Cornish Pirates Replacements (not used : S. Heard, R. McAtee. Yellow cards: B. Cumming, I. Motusaga. Exeter Chiefs Yellow cards: M. Fatialofa, A. Fatialofa. Scorers:- Cornish Pirates Exeter Chiefs Man of the Match: Dan Seal (Cornish Pirates) Referee: Mark Wilson Attendance: 4,867
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