Moseley 26 - 37 Cornish Pirates
Saturday February 21st 2009

YOG's View Of the Match

They say hard work is good for the soul, if so the Pirates may be on the way to exorcising some of the demons from the previous week with a credible performance against a very determined and well structured Moseley.

It's also said that football (roundball) is a game of two halves, well the Pirates decided to make Saturdays game a game of four quarters. To be honest the first quarter was an absolute shambles, the second quarter was "OK", the third quarter was good, and the final quarter was brilliant.

There was obvious speculation about how the Pirates would perform following the "infamous" match against Nottingham, the loss of Mark Hewitt and the virtual tongue lashing from Dicky Evans. The word amongst the travelling faithful was that the journey up on the players coach and been very quiet and sombre. So were the team going to retreat into their shells, or come out with all guns blazing ? As it happens the answer was that both happened, and it made for a very entertaining, if at times nervous game.

Having not been at Nottingham the previous week, I had to rely on others to relay the horror stories of the occasion, and like all horror stories I had anticipated at least a certain amount of fiction. However the opening twenty minutes against Moseley left me in no doubts about the accuracy of the previous weeks performance. I have never seen the Pirates play such a disorganised game, not even the opening game this season against Coventry could match what was on display in the first twenty.

It was as if fifteen players who had never met each other just happened to turn up as the whistle blew for the start of the game. In one two minute period of play we lost a lineout, kicked out on the full twice and gave away a penalty try. It was at this point I seriously began to wonder how embarrassing the final score could possibly be. I'm not sure which Pirates player conceded the penalty try, but in all honesty they were extremely lucky to stay on the pitch, the incident was very late, dangerous (or it looked it from my angle), and prevented a certain try, in short, a perfect candidate for a penalty try, no complaints at all.

Even though Moseley had the bright and low sun at the backs and were playing downhill during the first half, they certainly were the much better side during much of the first half. Their set pieces were very good, there were obviously a lot of very well rehearsed passing patterns going on, their kicker was superb with both range and accuracy, and most importantly of all, they played as a team. On top of that they were a smart team.

When their tails were up, they played wide open and expansive rugby, when they got close to the Pirate line they played safe but ever forward moving rugby, and when the Pirates at last began to get up a head of steam they resorted to the extremely frustrating pick and fall over rugby that was so slated when they visited Camborne last season, but was very effective at taking the sting out of the opposition, then when the coast was clear they reverted back to wide fast play again.

On the strength of Saturday's performance I have absolutely no idea how Moseley are only one place above the relegation line, it is only when you look at the teams above them that you realise just how incredibly tough next season's Championship really will be. It has rightly been said several times that there are no easy games in Div-1 this season, well looking at who will effectively make up the "weaker" teams of the Championship (based on current league positions), you realise what an achievement it will be for any team to make mid table next season. It's going to be brutal.

Luckily the disorganised Pirates play only lasted the opening twenty minutes of the match, and soon the Pirates began to pull themselves around. As the first half began to draw to a close, and with the Pirates 13-0 down it looked dire, but then the Pirates started to play more like a team, and with that they began to have greater possession of the ball, and then they began to get better field position, and then the began to put points on the board. All of a sudden, with little warning, we had a game on our hands.

At the start of the second half the Pirates began where they left off and began to build confidence and team spirit. The second half was actually like watching six months of team building condensed down to forty minutes.

The more the Pirates played, the more they believed in themselves, the better they played, and the more points they scored. Not once during the second half did Moseley take a backwards step, their standard never dropped, their ambition never wavered, they fought hard right to the end.

The difference was that the Pirates began the match as a poor second place, accelerated to draw level with Moseley, then kept on accelerating to overtake and leave Moseley trailing in their wake. It was one of the most amazing transformations of a team I have ever seen in any single match.

There were a lot of very good performances from the Pirates, especially in the second half. Marika Vakacegu looked dangerous in both halves, where his blinding speed down the wing always spelt danger for his opposite number. Iva again put in a blinding performance, and showed before, during and after the match why he is so much of a supporters favourite.

It was also great to see Bertrand Bedes back to match fitness again, where again he was intimidating and determined for the entire match. Steve Winn was everywhere. He might have lost the ability to pass the ball (that he briefly learnt to do at the end of last season), but his ball carrying was immense, his tackling brutal and assured, and his determination was relentless.

If it wasn't for Nicky Griffiths being on the pitch, Steve Winn would have been an absolute certainty for man of the match. However Nicky played like a man possessed on Saturday, for him every ball that came his way was the potential for a try, every opposition player that stepped in front of him was just there for tackle practice (no matter how big they were), the guy was a little dynamo who looked to inspire those around him to step up a gear and get the Pirate juggernaut moving in the right direction.

Also a special mention needs to go to Jimmy Moore. Jimmy had a great all round game, especially when he took on more of the kicking duties in the second half, and whilst there was little wind at Moseley, Jimmy's goal kicking was some of the best we have seen in recent months.

No match would be complete without officials. Whilst he didn't have a bad game, I can't image that there would have been many supporters from either club who would have lined up after the match to buy Mr. Hall, the referee, a drink. The Ref seemed a little fussy, even overruling his touch judges on a couple occasions as to the position of lineouts, but he was especially fussy in the scrums, spending quite a bit of time speaking to both packs.

Whilst the Pirates seemed to be on the receiving end of Mr. Hall's ire for much of the first half, it was Moseley who got pinged most in the second half. There were a few instances that riled the home crowd during the match, most notably where Moseley players were called back from quick tap n' go penalties where they stood excellent chances of making a lot of ground, if not scoring. Whilst a couple of these tap n' go's were called back because they were taken in the wrong place, another couple seemed to be called back only because Mr. Hall wasn't quite ready himself.

Another official that probably had to pay his own way in the clubhouse afterwards was the touch judge who failed to notice Jimmy Moore receiving a substantial late strike in the face, (with the added possibility of a finger in the eye). Not only did the touch judge not see the incident three yards in front of him, but also managed to completely not see Jimmy Moore when Jimmy tried to complain about it.

Despite the slow and faltering start, it was a great display by the Pirates Saturday, with several players showing a lot of resolve, and perhaps wishing to answer their critics in the best way they could.

Two weeks time against Bedford is going to be an almighty ask for the Pirates, but hopefully the confidence they gained against Moseley, and barring a complete meltdown at Newbury bringing additional confidence, it should see the Pirates be in good form for such a tough match to come.

Cornish Pirates:
A. Winnan, M. Vakacegu, P. Devlin (M. Ireland 73), S. Winn, J. Moore
S. Whatling (R. Jones 56), N. Griffiths (E. Fairhurst 73), B. Bedes, I. Motusaga, S. Betty (C. Morgan 73)
B. Gulliver (capt), H. Senekal (M. Burak 71), S. Heard (D. Seal 53), D. Dawidiuk, A. Paver (P. Cook 63)

Moseley:
A. Binns, A. Bressington, J. Adams, A. Reay (capt), D. Norton,
T. Roberts (R. Vasey 71), J. Pasqualin (G. Taylor 71), J. Rodwell, R. Bignell, N. Mason
R. Stott (P. Arnold 63), A. Mulldowney, T. Sigley, A. Caves (D. Oselton 63), N. Williams (Y. Thomas 73)

Replacements (not used): A. Whitney, P. Cox.

Scorers:-

Cornish Pirates
Tries: Griffiths (3), Devlin;
Cons: Moore (4) pens: Moore (3).

Moseley
Tries: penalty try, Adams
Cons: Roberts, Vasey
Pens: Roberts (4).

Referee: T. Hall (RFU).

Attendance: 965.

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