Cornish Pirates 32 Newport 18
The Cornish Pirates completed their pre-season preparations ahead of the start of the new RFU Championship Season running in five tries in a feisty affair against Welsh Premiership side Newport, writes Dick Straughan.
The Black & Ambers pushed the home side all the way but Pirates Head Coach Ian Davies was happy afterwards that his team are ready to face Jersey in their season curtain raiser next weekend.
He said: "We are ready. We saw winning rugby here which wasn't pretty and in patches we were good and in patches we were bad, but the endeavour we showed gave us the right result and we came out with the win."
Davies added: "We won't see as much off the ball stuff in Jersey as we did today, but when we played with tempo here Newport couldn't live with it."
Two Tom Hancock penalties helped Newport to an early 6-3 lead before the Pirates hit back with tries from David Lyons and Kieran Hallett.
Hallett converted both and added his second penalty before the Welsh side claimed a deserved try from Adam Frampton in first half stoppage time.
The Pirates increased their advantage further early in the second half as trialist Jamie Forrester took a huge midfield mis-pass from Tom Riley to make it 25-11.
Newport's Craig Everett claimed their second try following a strong break by Leadbetter and then added the extras to bring them back within a score of the Pirates.
But with four minutes to go, and having survived being down to fourteen with Rob Elloway in the sin bin, Pirates flanker Phil Burgess forced a turnover on the Welsh ten metre line before grabbing the ball and racing in under the posts to score. Aaron Penberthy`s slotted a simple conversion to complete the scoring.
Cornish Pirates
Nowell (Forrester h/t, Tellwright, Riley, Bedford, Kessell (Cheesman h/t), Hallett (Penberthy 46), Cattle (capt) (Kessell 67); Andrew (Joyce 63), Semmens (Elloway 22, sin bin 66-76), Prescott (Storer 52), Lyons (Burgess 52), Barry, Johnson, Marriott (Andrew 68-76), Ewers (Maidment 60)
Tries – Lyons 24, Hallett 30, Forrester 44, Burgess 76
Cons – Hallett 24, 30, Penberthy 76
Pens – Hallett 8, 35
Yellow Cards – Elloway
Newport
O'Driscoll, Frewen, Robinson, Davies, Awcock, Hancock, Downes; Pattison, Brown, J.Jones, R.Jones, Frampton, Waldron, Townsend, Coombs
Replacements (all used) – Lavender, Prosser, Jeffries, Rosser, Randall, Everett, Griffiths, Quick, Leadbetter, Snedden, Richards, Hodnett, Broad, Hewett
Tries – Frampton 40+1, Everett 60
Cons – Everett 60
Pens – Hancock 4, 10
Referee – R.Campbell (RFU)
Half-time – 20-11
