Match report taking in full and with thanks from www.cornish-pirates.com. Match report supplied by Woll and picture by Simon Bryant.Sports:Pulse will pay tribute to those who have lost their lives serving their country through the week, as we approach Remembrance Sunday. We would like to add to the many who have offered their thoughts and prayers, to those who died and were injured and their family and friends, on the horrific crash on the M5 on Friday evening.
Cornish Pirates 30 Rotherham Titans 13
RFU Championship Round 10
Sunday 6th November
Woll's Match Report
The cloudless skies and perfect late autumn weather, proved the ideal foil for the performance of the season so far by the Pirates; whose efforts justly earned them the right to end the day sitting at the top of the Championship pile. Few in attendance would have confidently predicted such as they silently paid tribute in Remembrance and so many other recent sadness.
It was an incisive showing which combined pace and control; particularly in the first half, that punished a Titans side who’s form coming into this match threatened an awful lot more.
Their coach Andre Bester had played down Rotherham’s renaissance perhaps a little too queasily in the lead up to the clash; preferring instead to compare the hosts with something called the X Factor. And yet the blood-curdling close season culling had clearly done some good, otherwise, how would the men from Clifton Lane be seriously looking at returning oop north as league leaders themselves?
After a promising opening 5-10 minutes for the Titans that didn’t really threaten much, it was the Pirates who seized the initiative thinking that Pointer had done the business over in the Nursery Corner. A forward pass by Locke erasing that particular celebration but not for long.
Two tries in the opening half hour from the eventual man of the match Doherty, had Dickinson and his cohorts coming up for air way too soon; and provided the lynch pin for what was to unfold. Their huge pack regretted no doubt the early ambition to try and run the ball out of their own 22 on both occasions, in the face of some aggressive Cornish tackling, intent on doing their defending on Titans soil.
Jonny Bentley’s involvement in all things attacking; particularly for the first try and his so subtle grubber in the Old Western National Corner; is worthy of a mention in dispatches and an article in its own right. Not that Thomas’s response after his introduction in the second half, was any less notable. The luxury of having such two fine stand-offs is mouth-watering as they and their team mates look to be straining at the leashes.
A trademark sniping try by Cattle provided the filling of the flying winger’s sandwiching brace; whilst Cook and Law traded goals to complete the scoring as Mr Gamage appeared to be gasping for his half time refreshment, whistling as he did pretty sharpish with clock still ticking through the seconds of the final minute of the half. (20-6)
Amply re-hydrated,
the officials and combatants returned to the fray as the conditions continued to add to the relaxed feeling in the stands. A feeling that roused the crowd like not before this season, as the Pirates continued where they left off at the start of the second period.
This early endeavour however produced no further points despite further pace and power, a point not lost on the visitors who carved an opportunity of their own to get right back into the game with half an hour remaining.
A huge penalty touch finder by Law, created the platform. From which Taulava swatted through some backs in Pirate colours after it seemed the threat had been doused. Law then added the extras to make it a seven point game.
Yorkshire hopes were not last as another near miss by Pointer signalled the writing was being scribbled on the wall by Ceiron who cultured right peg was causing all sorts of problems.
One such befell Foden, as the full back was caught all at sea by the bounce just inside his own 22. The Welsh fly half then played further part in this latest ‘nail’, with a delicious miss-pass to Locke who was flying down the left wing at exactly the right time. Drewe had little option then but to finish his run under the posts and all but seal the Titan’s fate as the final quarter hove onto the horizon.
A solitary Cook penalty with ten minutes left did the rest, to pack the league leaders off on to their travels for the next three weeks. Rotherham meanwhile perhaps pondered a final restful few minutes on the Promenade wall, before boarding their coach and the long journey back to lick their wounds.
Cornish Pirates
15 R. Cook 14 G. Pointer (22 R McAtee 64mins) 13 D. Locke 12 A. Suniula (18 P. Burgess 74 mins) 11 D. Doherty 10 J. Bentley (21 C. Thomas 56mins) 9 G. Cattle (capt) (20 T. Kessell 74 mins) 8 B. Maidment (19 B. Cowan 78mins) 7 C. Morgan 6 D. Ewers 5 I. Nimmo 4 L. McGlone 3 C. Rimmer (L. Fairbrother 56mins) 2 D. Ward (17 R. Elloway 67mins) 1 R. Storer (3 C. Rimmer 74 mins)
Replacements: all used
Tries: Doherty 2, Cattle, Locke
Cons: Cook 2
Pens: Cook 2
Rotherham Titans
15 T. Foden 14 E. Tellwright 13 S. Hamilton (22 C. Hodgson 62 mins) 12 P. Nonu 11 S. Monahan 10 G. Law 9 M. Rhodes (21 J. Williams HT) 8 S. Taulava 7 S. Dougall 6 R. Copeland 5 B. Maddison (19 A. Griffiths 44mins) 4 S. Dickinson (capt) 3 R. O'Donnell 2 D. Baines 1 S. Cahill (17 J. Kilbane HT)
Replacements: un-used 16 T. Stagg, 18 R. Stout, 20 C. Kirwan
Tries: Taulava
Cons: Law
Pens: Law 2
Match Officials
Referee: Darren Gamage (RFU
Assistants: Paul Kimber & Richard Parker-Sedgemore
Man of the Match: David Doherty
Attendance: 2506
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