While he may not have made it on to the scoresheet himself in Saturday's 36-7 pre-season win over Loughborough's students, Tom Kessell's man-of-the-match performance bodes well for the new season.
The 22-year-old scrum-half is about to begin his second year at the Cornish Pirates after moving west from Brickfields last summer and proved to be a real handful for the students at the Mennaye Field.
Quick reactions, a good turn of speed and a sound ability to read the game saw him set up three of his team's tries and Kessell was happy with the opening run out.
"It was good," he said. "We always knew that they would be a tough outfit. They all know each other really well being a uni team and they like to chuck the ball around which they did here.
"They tested our defence trying to find holes by playing such a rapid game and that high tempo made it a really good challenge."
The Pirates' squad has been worked hard by the coaches during a condensed pre-season following their involvement in last season's Championship final at the end of May.
The many gruelling sessions on the punishing sand dunes near Hayle, however, appear to have paid off as the Pirates looked fit and sharp. Kessell himself played on for the full 80 minutes after skipper Gavin Cattle reported a tight hamstring before the game, but the Cornishman said he felt good throughout the match.
"I was more than happy to get the run out and didn't need to come off," he explained. "Pre-season training has gone well and I think the work on the sand dunes paid off for me. We looked fit, I felt fit and I think the team played well on their first time out."
Kessell's ability to steal more opposition ball helped the Pirates into a 29- point lead before the students got on the scoreboard. But he was typically modest about his own contribution.
He said: "Pre-season is about all training together and having a look at set pieces, playing against the forwards and working out ways to get over the gain line.
"We tried a lot of things today and I feel that on the whole things went pretty well. We kept attacking them which is a good thing and they also kept us on our toes."
Following the summer departure of James Doherty to Leeds, Kessell now has a straight fight for selection with club skipper Cattle and few would bet against him surpassing his 25 appearances and five tries last season.
Kessell, though, refuses to get carried away and is aware he remains the understudy. "I'm still learning off [Cattle] and I will just take my opportunities when I get them. That is all I can try and do," he said.
Next up for the Pirates is the now annual warm-up game against the Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park on Saturday. Last year Chiefs won 58-3 in Cornwall.
