As always, thanks to the Pirates and Woll for the match report and also Simon Bryant for the photograph.
Cornish Pirates 26-24 Nottingham RFU Championship Round 17
Sunday 8th January 2012
Mennaye Field Penzance
Woll's Match Report
Chris Stirling had every right to feel proud of his charges, as they emerged victorious from a pulsating game that could so easily have run away from them well before half time.
Up against the wall and fourteen points in deficit after half an hour; sensible pundits may have concluded that the Pirates were in a bad place and on the verge of something worse. Unless…
A first minute penalty from Arlidge had provided an early boost for the visitors who; like their hosts; were looking to quickly bounce back from a New Year loss of their own.
The Pirates to their credit responded well enough to this early setback but, unlike their opponents in these initial exchanges were unable to find any accuracy when it matteNot unsurprisingly then when the blue and white clad ‘Green & Whites’ made further in roads towards the Penzance End, it was they who enjoyed the spoils.
Not for the first time in his career, it was Socino doing the damage, as he exploited the only gaps available to provide firstly Lewington; whilst Locke was down after a clash of heads; and Streather, with a couple of tries and some breathing space. Arlidge easily added the extras on both occasions and all things were seemingly rosy for Delaney’s merry men.
But nothing stays the same in sport for long even in the length of a rugby match and, slowly if not surely at first; the Pirates began the process for easily their best recovery from adversity to date this season.
Eventual man of the match, Dave Ward was never far from the action and began to create havoc at the breakdown. Quell surprise! This gave impetus where none had been present before and, backed up ably by a pack with Cowan at last firing in a manner we have seen before but not for a while; it was the Pirates pack who stepped in and asserted themselves.
For the first time Nottingham creaked and quickly buckled as, despite some illegal intervention at maul time from Levi, which earned him a spell on the plastic garden furniture; it was the hosts who ended the half with a surge and some points, to add to Cook’s solitary penalty hitherto.
Importantly there was no time for a riposte as Mr Campbell called a halt and only now seven points in it, courtesy of Cowan’s manhandling over the line.
The swing in ascendancy had come with some collateral damage though as Locke left the field of play just prior to the try. The centre clearly in discomfort with a collar bone injury which, post- match, was confirmed as not being too serious.
For the purpose of the exercise though, this enabled the introduction of the ever improving Sam Hill whose impact was immediate; defensively and offensively. Indeed when joined by debut boy, Penberthy; this youthful pairing began to impose themselves as they played without fear. Something that is often so elusive, but so effective when it comes off.
Nottingham meanwhile had even less options available as Wilson had to get Levi to budge up on the chair, following his careless upending of Cowan with only two minutes of the second period completed.
Cook’s penalty reduced the gap to only four now and the self-belief was now palpable both on and off the park.
Hammond’s remaining troops were now reduced to slowing things down but were unable to execute to the same infamous level as Moseley did a few seasons ago. The Pirates however were in no mood not to capitalise on this two man advantage this time round, as the Midlander’s stifling tactics quickly came unstuck in the face of some fierce work at the breakdown from the Cornish forwards.
With half an hour remaining the Pirates finally got their noses in front; briefly at least, when Pointer was eventually put through wide in the Clubhouse Corner.
Suddenly we could believe, but confirmation was put on hold after a bizarre sequence of events. In the aftermath of Cook’s touchline conversion attempt just running out of puff; both Levi and Wilson trotted back on with a couple of replacements as cover we suspected.
Either way, Nottingham were back to their full complement and immediately back in front, as Kalamafoni impressively impersonated some kind of heavy plant. The back row monster ploughing his way through a legion of Pirate defenders and leaving three of them motionless and requiring the smelling salts before taking further part in proceedings. Rather appropriate given it being Plough Sunday!
But that was as far as they could go as Nimmo’s intervention to a faltering ruck sent a clear message of intent as to which way this game would likely go.
Penberthy’s introduction signalled further improvement as Thomas made way for the Cornish youngster’s first taste of Championship rugby. Barring one charge down, which came to nothing anyway, the teenager more than coped and linked well with Cattle and Hill to earn himself a notable tick in his copy book.
Momentum then was with the home side and, with the final quarter now upon us, it was time for the pack to light the wick once more. A series of scrums had the Notts men on the back foot and a penalty try surely imminent as, with Mr Campbell signalling advantage after a 5 th push-n-shove went awry, Doherty went over in the Scoreboard Corner to almost level it.
Cook’s second touchline attempt faded and what would surely have been the lead from arguably a pot from in front of the sticks, went begging. It mattered not.
Five minutes later and it was the human bulldozer, Kalamafoni, who now found himself under pressure as McAtee caught him napping in his own 22. The resultant penalty from Cook was good, and the lead regained; albeit by only two points.
Delaney’s chaps were now rattled and it showed as their penchant for committee meetings before a lineout, and any other restart for that matter; finally got the man in the middle’s ‘goat’; Mr Campbell reversing a throw in to the hosts, in a dangerous field position as well.
Time and territory finally ended any hope of another lead change and it was the Cornishmen who ended with the points, in the sort of contest that can change a course of a season. Esher beckons next and we all can recall what can happen there but, should the Pirates return with another ‘W’ from there…watch out London Welsh.
Cornish Pirates15 R. Cook 14 R. McAtee 13 G. Pointer 12 D. Locke (20 S. Hill 36mins) 11 D. Doherty
10 C. Thomas (21 A. Penberthy58 mins) 9 G. Cattle (capt) 8 B. Maidment (19 K. Marriott 68mins) 7 C. Morgan 6 B. Cowan
5 M. Myerscough 4 I. Nimmo 3 A. Paver (1 P. Andrew77mins) 2 D. Ward 1 P. Andrew (16 C. Rimmer 58mins)
Replacements: un-used 17 T. Cowan-Dickie, 18 M. Smith, 22 J. Doherty
Tries: Cowan, Pointer, Doherty
Cons: Cook
Pens: Cook 3
Nottingham15 A. Savage 14 A. Lewington 13 T. Streather 12 J. P. Socino 11 J. Cobden
10 J. Arlidge 9 S. Romans (21 F. Barnham 71mins) 8 R. De Carpentier (19 L. Morley 51mins) 7 B. Wilson 6 S. Kalamafoni 4 C. Hammond (20 R. Cooper 71mins)
5 F. Levi 3 M. Shields (17 B. Prescott 51mins) 2 J. Duffey (capt) 1 M. Parr (18 M. Holford 28mins)
Replacements: un-used 16 O. Taylor, 22 J. Munro
Tries: Lewington, Streather, Kalamafoni
Cons: Arlidge 3
Pens: Arlidge
Yellow: Levi, Wilson
Match Officials
Referee: Ross Campbell (RFU)
Assistants: Jonathan Healy & Steve Leyshon
Attendance: 2,026
Man of the Match: Dave Ward
Hull Wasps got the New Year off to a good start with a comfortable 79-60 victory at Oldham Titans on Saturday evening.
