Pirates Head Coach, Jim McKay, welcomed back influential skipper Tim Cowley from injury (hamstring) to the Number 8 shirt ahead of the game. He was also able to include Irish flyer Brian Tuohy (dislocated finger) on the bench, and gave a first start to summer recruit from Moseley, Ollie Thomas, at fullback and a full debut to Ali Koko on the wing.

Newbury, buoyed by last weekend`s win at Sedgley Park, kicked off on a still afternoon attacking the Medical Centre end of the ground and were rewarded with the first points after just one minute. Having driven the Pirates deep into their own half the Blues captain and fly-half, Tim Walsh, dropped deep and slotted a simple drop goal.

The Pirates shook themselves down and took the fight straight back to Newbury. First Rhodri McAtee fluffed the chance of a try in the Clubhouse Corner when he knocked on twenty unopposed metres from the line. Then in the seventh minute a fine break down the left flank resulted in Nathan Kemp coasting home for his second Pirates try. Steenson converted.

Chances came and went at both ends with McAtee again and former Pirate Jonny Hylton both spurning good try-scoring opportunities. Walsh reduced the arrears to 6-7 with a quarter of an hour played with a 25m penalty following a front row infringement by the visitors, before the Pirates turned the screw once more.

Newbury competed well at the set piece all afternoon but struggled with the pace and power of the Pirates loose play. Only individual errors held the visitors back as Thomas, McAtee, Winn and Cowley found the fluidity of the game to their liking. With Kemp and Cracknell supporting well a score seemed imminent but time and time again wrong options and poor control let Newbury off the hook. Each time there was that man, Steve Winn, covering back and tidying up. The Welsh Centre had a sublime afternoon.

With half an hour played Steenson nosed the Pirates further ahead with a penalty after the Blues were caught offside and he did the same again right on half-time to leave the interval score at 6-20. In between though came a try for scrum-half Richard Bolt engineered by an outrageous through-the-legs pass from Thomas and a sharp break by Steenson. The Irishman converted the try.

Having missed an early penalty attempt after the restart the Blues were made to pay on 49 minutes as a penetrative passage of Pirates play resulted in Chris Cracknell collecting the ball ten metres out and running at an angle that carved open the home defence. His celebrations of his fourth try of the campaign short lived though as he was soon forced from the field with a dead leg.

Newbury were not done and immediately marched the Pirates deep into their own half before driving home a maul for their opening try of the afternoon. The score was initially credited to hooker Paul Fincken but later given to Tim Walsh, who then missed the conversion attempt.

With Gesinde now on for Cracknell and Elloway having replaced Kemp the Pirates gained greater control in the line out. Quick ball, rapid support and flowing lines of attack became the catalyst for three tries that sealed the Cornish objective.

Eni Gesinde was the first to benefit. As Jonny Hylton knocked-on in centre-field the Pirates counter attacked rapidly through Winn, McAtee and Thomas. The rangey Newcastle flanker duly presented with a simple score.

Three minutes later Cowley and Gesinde worked the platform that allowed Steenson to unleash Centre Paul Devlin for the fifth try. Hungry for more, the impressive Devlin then bagged his brace of tries following a superb break by Beardshaw, Elloway and Thomas. Steenson duly converting each try.

The Pirates were then denied further tries for Gesinde and Seal after Referee Williams spotted infringements in the act of scoring before Newbury cam storming back.

The Pirates, guilty of taking their feet off the gas, first saw Matt Styles scurry home from close range and then saw him cross their line again just two minutes later. Walsh`s wretched afternoon with the boot continued. Jonny Hylton fittingly scored the Blues` fourth try off the final play of the match. As the Pirates sought to break out of their own territory the paceman intercepted a flat pass and sprinted home unopposed to touch down beneath the posts. Walsh finally converting.

The slackness at the death from the Pirates was a frustrating blot on the afternoon and one that must be addressed before the visit of Exeter Chiefs to Camborne next weekend. However, there were many positives to be taken from the afternoon and the Chiefs are likely to find a much changed opponent from the one they last met in April.

Newbury Blues

Ashwin, Hylton, Nutt, Perkins, Henderson (Turner 67), Walsh (capt), Smaje (Simpson-Daniel 52), Irish (Faulkener 71), Fincken (Campbell 80), Thompson, Hayter (Ashcroft-Leigh 62), Radbourne, Morgan, Abbott (Styles 67), Brown (Rainbow 52)

Replacements:- Campbell, Faulkener, Ashcroft-Leigh, Styles, Rainbow, Turner, Simpson-Daniel

Tries:- Walsh, Styles (2), Hylton

Con:-   Walsh

Pen:-    Walsh

Drop Goal:- Walsh

Cornish Pirates

Thomas, McAtee, Devlin, Winn (Buckley 71), Koko (Tuohy 59), Steenson, Bolt, Cook (Heard 59), Kemp (Elloway 45), Seal, Beardshaw (Hobson 74), Cumming, Cracknell (Gesinde 52), Motusaga , Cowley (capt)

Replacements:- Heard, Elloway, Hobson, Gesinde, Tuohy, Buckley, Moore (not used)

Tries:-  Kemp, Bolt, Cracknell, Gesinde, Devlin(2)

Cons:-  Steenson (6)

Pens :-  Steenson (2)

 Referee – Nick Williams (RFU)

 Attendance – 520

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