Cornish Pirates 7 Esher 16
Sunday March 15th 2009

YOG's View Of the Match

There couldn't have been more of a contrast between this Sunday's match against Esher and the previous weeks match against Bedford as far as the weather and style of rugby was concerned, unfortunately in some other respects there were a number of things the two matches had in common, including the result.

In contrast to the previous week's gale-force winds and biting cold, Sunday's match conditions were ideal for rugby, dry, bright sunshine, low winds and firm underfoot, in fact, just the sort of conditions the Pirates relish. And that is how the game began, with what was described as the Pirates best try of the season. I say "described", because for the second week in a row, the Pirates points count for the entire game were scored in the opening two minutes, which is approximately how long it takes me to get from the front ticket desk to my seat.

Having yet again missed the opening try, I settled down to watch what I expected to be a veritable feast of tries from the Pirates, a view which was bolstered by the team's attitude from the second re-start. The Pirates looked up for it, they were playing with confidence, pace and were running some really nice lines. Surely it would just be a matter of time.

There isn't any doubt, the Pirates dominated the first forty minutes, and whilst it's true that the Esher try had a certain amount of inevitability about it once they had built the momentum, it's also true that in the first forty just about all the play was between the Esher ten and twenty-two yard lines, with the Pirates having several VERY good chances at scoring. There were at least four or five golden chances for the Pirates to score during the first half, based on some really good build-up work, some smart running and an apparent belief that scores were there to be had. But all too often these chances came to an abrupt halt, usually as a result of a wayward pass to the last man in the chain or the inevitable knock-on. As the half drew to a close, the number of missed chances began to take there toll on players and fans alike. The team became a little less inventive in their play, generally more conservative, and looked prepared to grind out a win rather than romp away with a fantastic victory. Unfortunately, as with all matches, the other team had ambitions of their own.

Right from the start of the second half, it was apparent that the Pirates had retreated back to the more conservative style of play that had been instilled into them during previous coaching regimes. Whilst there was certainly no lack of physical effort, it was all predictable route-one style of play, that Esher had already shown they could withstand. By comparison Esher were beginning to play with increased belief, they had weathered the earlier Pirates storm, and now decided that they could take charge of the game. Now increasingly it was the turn of the Pirates to spend most of their time defending, which ironically produced one of the highpoints of the game for me. Esher attacking, closing in on the Pirates line, the ball is spun wide quickly, the ball is with one of Esher's wings, he only has one man to beat for a clear try, he is at speed and has enough room to give himself plenty of options and confuse the defender, the lone Pirate defender ? …… Sam Heard. My head dropped, this would have been a tough ask for Adrian, Rhodri or any of our other better backs, but Big Sam ? But luckily the big man showed no such doubts in himself, even a couple quick changes in direction by the Esher wing didn't put Sam off, he lined the guy up, waited patiently, adjusted for likely changes in direction, then hit the guy dead centre, preventing what was an otherwise certain try.

Unfortunately for Pirates fans, that would be the final highpoint of the game. During the last quarter it certainly looked as though Pirate heads were dropping, and it was purely down to inattention that Esher scored their second try. Another penalty against the Pirates, players walking back facing their own line rather than the ball, a quick re-start and Esher were across the line.

Whilst I was disappointed that we lost to Bedford the previous week, I wasn't too disappointed with that result. We were playing a statistically better team in hurricane like conditions, and we nearly beat them, to the extent we came away with a losing bonus point. However, I was/am far more disappointed in our loss to Esher. Whilst it is true that Esher have been on the ascendancy in recent weeks, it is also true that they are low enough to still be in the relegation zone, and despite consisting mainly of part-time players, they certainly gave the Pirates a lesson in how to play the basics well. Just about everything the Pirates did wrong, Esher did right. Esher gave away very few penalties (none at all inside kickable range), they always managed to off-load before going to ground (I can't remember the Pirates managing to do it all game), and they competed at every breakdown, whereas the Pirates seemed reluctant to commit any players to the breakdown, at least three or four times the Pirates gave up the ball or conceded penalties because they failed to commit sufficient numbers and protect the ball carrier. These are all basic skills, but they are the same skills we have failed to get to grips with all season. The game was all about one team playing with masses of effort, but without a clear idea on how to channel that effort, and the other team that quietly got on with it, using skill and thinking to overcome their opponents. Whilst the first half definitely belonged to the Pirates, if only for the level of effort being put in, I'm pretty sure a neutral spectator would have mistook which was the professional and amateur teams in the second half.

Going into the game I had a few worries about the Ref, David Rose, remembering how he "officiated" our two games against Moseley last season, but I have to say the officials had a good game. Sure, there was the odd thing they missed, and the odd bout of silence from the touch judge, but in the main the decisions were fair and consistent.

As said I thought a lot of the Pirates players put in a lot of physical effort, but in all honesty the physical aspect is the easiest part, the hard part is being able to think well when tired or under pressure, and it was this aspect that began to slip more and more as the game went on. I thought Steve Winn had a very mixed game and was as much a villain as he was a hero. Steve probably put in more physical effort than most, but he had a tendency to either not pass or off-load when he should have, or when he did pass it was often wild, snuffing out some very promising moves. Matt Evans and Sam Betty had good games, as did the front row players. Blare Cowan also had a good showing. Both Adrian and Rhodri were both keen to try and move forward, but in truth both only got the ball when there was a wall of opposition players in front of them.

I think the one thing that lost the game for the Pirates was belief. So many very good chances failed to deliver because of the smallest things going wrong, that I wonder if a few of them had gone right, whether the team would have got stronger as the game went on. If the last pass had been a good one. If the ball hadn't been knocked on with less than a metre to go. If Steve Winn had just once managed to avoid that last gasp shirt grab as he went past an Esher player. If the ball had just bounced the other way when kicked on. But then again, "if" is a big word.

There are a number of very tough games to go before the end of the season, and if the players can just match the mental effort needed with the physical effort they showed on Sunday, we might just see some celebrations in Pirate shirts to match the celebrations shown at the end of the game by the Esher players.

Cornish Pirates:
A. Winnan, R. McAtee, M. Ireland (P. Devlin 59), S. Winn, B. Tuohy
S. Whatling (R. Jones 53), E. Fairhurst (N. Griffiths 70), M. Evans, S. Betty, B. Cowan
B. Gulliver (capt), H. Senekal, S. Franklin (S. Heard 62), D. Dawidiuk (R. Elloway 53), A. Paver.

Replacements (not used): M. Burak, S. Raven.

Yellow card: Fairhurst.

Esher:
S. Ulph, D. Flockhart, C. Amesbury, S. Jewell (T. Clouston 65), T. Lozides (T. Clouston 37-42)
D. Slemen (capt), R. Shaw (I. Barnes 65), S. Renwick (L. Starling 44), S. Stitcher, J. Waterhouse (S. Gaynor 76),
A. Ayling (M. Blakeburn 65), P. Barker, I. Elosu, K. Corrigan (S. Goldsmith 79), A. Rogers (T. Tunnicliffe 76).

Scorers:-

Cornish Pirates try: Whatling; con: Whatling.

Esher - tries: Ulph, Flockhart; pens: Ulph (2).

Referee: David Rose (RFU)

Man of the Match: Adryan Winnan.

Attendance: 1,874.

Matchday Pictures On offy Site

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