Thank you to The Pirates, Phil Western and Simon Bryant for the match report and photograph. Report taking in full from www.cornish-pirates.com.Cornish Pirates 45-24 Bristol Rugby
RFU Championship Play-Offs Semi Finals 1st Leg
Mennaye Field
Monday 7th May 2012
Phil Westren's Match Report
In the words post match of a doctor with an Irish name, his quote that he'd 'just witnessed a miracle' surely just had to be true!
With a 12.05pm Bank Holiday Monday kick-off this first leg semi-final game in RFU Championship was labelled as rugby's very own version of 'High Noon' in the far south-west, and what a contest it turned out to be.
After the inimitable Falmouth Marine Band had entertained the crowd pre-match, the meaningful on field action began with the visitors first into their stride on the manicured Mennaye Field surface.
The opening exchanges were physical and uncompromising, which was of no surprise, but two early tries, one for flanker James Merriman and another for wing Will Helu, both converted by fly-half Matthew Jones, gave Bristol a 14-0 lead.
With just 10 minutes on the clock it was all a little worrying, and it was therefore a relief when the Pirates registered their first points with a penalty kicked by the trusty boot of full-back Rob Cook.
A successful penalty by Watkins and then a second from Cook kept the scoreboard ticking along, and following surging runs by No. 8 Ben Maidment and centre Sam Hill a third for Cook kept the Pirates in touch.
This game was proving to be a thriller, although there was relief for the Pirates when a foot in touch and then a forward pass denied Bristol from doubling their try tally.
Bristol's Fautua Otto showed himself to be a dangerous operator in midfield, but the Pirates also looked to play with a little enterprise and endeavour themselves, Hill and prop Carl Rimmer were potent spearheads but in general handling errors would for the moment let the Pirates down.
Having arrived at half-time with the score reading 9-17, it was vital that the Pirates emerged in positive mode for the start of the second period, and they did. The level of confidence witnessed was admirable, and with the breeze now on their backs it was not long before they closed the gap to just one point. In the build up a wayward pass proved fortuitous, with Cook gathering the ball and striding to the line for a try to which he also duly added the extras.
The Pirates were very much back in it, with flanker Phil Burgess impressive throughout. Indeed, following one of his trademark bursts and then a kick to the clubhouse corner by fly-half Ceiron Thomas, the Pirates continued to apply pressure and were rewarded when Cook's fourth penalty in the match put them ahead for the first time.
As if to remind all about that they still posed a threat, in the 55th minute Helu crossed for his second converted try in the match to give Bristol back the lead, but little did they know it would prove their last score of the afternoon as the Pirates proceeded to all but totally dominate proceedings.
The running of hooker Ward and Burgess saw momentum maintained by Rimmer, who showed that he's no slouch either, as he charged to the line for a converted try that made it 26-24.
The boys from 'Bris' were buckling and after the Pirates once again applied pressure with a catch and drive on the left, the ball was ultimately slipped to wing David Doherty who stretched to score in the corner. The club's leading try-grabber, it was his fourteenth in the Championship this season, and Cook, in adding the conversion, also took his personal points tally to 1,001 for the Pirates, which is quite some achievement in just three seasons.
A fourth try for the Pirates underlined their dominance, with wing Grant Pointer now in the action and displaying characteristic strength when breaking clear to score from 25 metres out. Cook slotted the conversion to register 25 points in the match, and he was unlucky not to make it 27 when his attempt to convert a second try scored by Rimmer touched, but missed, off the right post.
On an afternoon when all about had witnessed a fascinating encounter on the good old 'Mennaye', the Pirates had emerged decisive winners. They have recorded some great wins over the years and this was surely up with the very best of them, and the scoreline one that surely nobody would have predicted.
Can a miracle happen twice and how many Newcastle fans have suddenly turned their attention to supporting the Pirates? For the moment nobody knows, this game's result one to at first savour before the focus suddenly turns from the Mennaye on a Monday - to the 'Mem' on Sunday.
Cornish Pirates:
R. Cook, G. Pointer (M. Evans 76), S. Hill, A. Suniula, D. Doherty
C. Thomas, G. Cattle (capt, T. Kessell 79), B. Maidment (K. Marriott 44), P. Burgess (D. Ewers 76), C. Morgan
I. Nimmo, L. McGlone, A. Paver (R. Brits 79), D. Ward (R. Elloway 75), C. Rimmer (R. Storer 76).
Bristol Rugby:
J. Goodridge, J. Tovey, O. Fautua, L. Eves, W. Helu
M. Jones (M. James 60), R. Tipuna, D. Montagu, J. Merriman, I. Grieve (H. Vanderglas)
R. Winters, G. Townson (B. Glynn 5), J. Hobson (W. Thompson 27), J. Harris-Wright, M. Irish (M. Lilley 76).
Replacements (not used): T. Slater, T. Channon.
Scorers
Cornish Pirates:
Tries: Rimmer 2, Cook, Doherty, Pointer
Cons: Cook 4
Pens: Cook 4
Bristol Rugby:
Tries: Helu 2, Merriman
Con: Jones 3
Pen: Jones
Referee: J. P. Doyle (RFU)
Assistants: James Minards & Richard Parker-Sedgemore
4th/5th Officials: Ross Campbell & Brian Ravenhill
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