Not so as it turned out as the Pirates, still under immense pressure in the remaining ten minutes of the half, managed to plug the gaps one by one that their hosts had exposed so ruthlessly in a relentless fifteen minute spell, that realised three tries and nineteen points. Cook in particular stood out with some defensive heroics that could later be added to his attacking qualities, to combine for my Pirate Man-of-the-Match accolade.

And yet a bright start from the Pirates in the opening 10-15 minutes had seen Bristol initially pegged back in their own half and seemingly unable to achive any kind of foothold. Even when they did at last break out from siege and venture into Pirate territory, this appeared only a temporary state of affairs. Robinson's try and Jarvis' first of three successful conversions came against the run of play, a feeling confirmed by the Pirates text book response barely ninety seconds later.

The Pirates restart was politely returned in kind with the pill eventually finding it's way into Cook's hands, whose run took his side positively into the Bristol 22. Quick ball from the resulting breakdown gave skipper Cattle just the space he required to then dart over the line un-opposed to level the try count immediately. It even seemed to matter little that Cook's conversion attempt drifted across the uprights and leave a two point deficit. We had a game on our hands with every possibility of it being a real try fest.

Then from nowhere came the ultimately decisive 3-try burst from Norton (2) and Arscott that turned the game on it's head and threatened a rout. At this point the Pirates seemingly had no answers as the Championship leaders created space and ran lines that any Back Three would dream of on the practice ground, let alone a competitive match.

The small ray of daylight came with Jarvis' missed extras from the bonus point securing fourth try. The Cornishmen marshalled by their talisman Cattle, who was by now carrying a knock and would be replaced at half time by Doherty, managed to regroup somehow until Mr Doyle signalled the interval. But the pack, despite the efforts of Gulliver, McGlone and Morgan were creaking at the seams and cover hooker, Wordlsey was getting a rather rude introduction to this level of rugby. 5-26.

Perhaps no surprise then that Ward joined the fray to add his own 'little something' and dynamism to the loose and hopefully a little more accuracy to the lineout. At the resumption of play it became apparent that the visitors were in no mood to just rollover and accept their fate even with the fresh combantants. Consequently it was the Pirates who immediately took the game to their hosts with the first attacking play of the half. The reward, a straightforward pot at goal for three, which Cook took nonchantly to make it 8-26.

Frustratingly at this point, 4th Official Mr Reay managed to fumble with the electronic number board preventing Cowans introduction before the restart. The Kiwi back rower waited patiently for another couple of minutes for his chance but the signs were already showing a slow but sure shift in balance of power. Labuschange made way after a disappointing forty minutes and is clearly in need of a big performance soon, if only for his own peace of mind. I suspect the rehab from his earlier injury may be playing it's part too.

The need for a 7-pointer soon was obvious and with the white shirted Pirates keen to keep pressing , a perhaps predictable aerial ping pong stalemate began to develop briefly instead. Whether by design or chance this stifled any further Pirate points chances in the third quarter and allowed Bristol to press themselves once again.

Pressure on the Pirate line at the Blackthorn Stand end grew with Bristol intent on nabbing a fifth and surely game clinching try of their own. Two clear Bristol chances from penalty kicks to the corner came and went being as they were met with stern defence that cleared it's lines on both occasions.

A foot in touch then erased the home crowds' delight (relief?) to keep the scoreboard as it was, just as the only contentious point of the match did as Arscotts chip through into space saw the full back suspiciously denied a real chance to score as his trajectory was abrubtly halted. The lines...touch judge saw something and flagged his 'spot', which Mr Doyle overruled to everyones surprise.

It mattered not as Philips ultimately did the honours from a throw to the front of a lineout which caught the Pirates napping for a soft score. Replacement Giddens did however scuff his conversion attempt wide; but with a 23 point margin and twenty minutes to play the result seemed beyond doubt by now.

Everyone that is but the Pirates seemed to accept this inevitable conclusion as the final quarter became all theirs. Fresh legs from both sides and maybe initially a hint of stepping off the gas by the home side may have all contributed. But the Cornishmen finished with a flourish that saw Doherty, Morgan and Holmes all come frustratingly close to scoring as Bentley orchestrated the territorial stuff.

No surprise then when Cook ended the contest with a burst of speed that left the defence unable to keep up as he won the chase for his kick through and score a deserved, if too late to make any difference, second Pirate try. Bentley added the extras comfortably for a more respectable scoreline and that teasingly 'whatif' thought couldn't help but surface about what could have happened but for Bristols defence managing what Albions' couldn't last time out.

A back to back win of this magnitude would have been nice, but overall the result did see justice done. No point therefore on dwelling too long on this particular disappointment, as avenging that thumping defeat at Old Deer Park back in October will not only be the ideal tonic next Sunday; but more or less seal the Pirates place in the play offs. No-one at the Memorial Ground wearing blue would begrudge that, nor expect a third meeting to be anything short of epic. We'll see.

In the meantime some quiet thoughts are in order on Monday for Rhodri and Hannah, at a time when perspective should be all that bit easier to appreciate. 

Cornish Pirates: 15
15 R. Cook 14 R. Bright 11 N. Jackson
13 M. Ireland 12 R. Jones 10 J. Bentley 9 G. Cattle (capt)
8 L. McGlone 7 T. Holmes 6 C. Morgan
5 R. Lambuschange 4 B. Gulliver 3 R. Brits 2 L. Wordsley 1 C. Rimmer

Replacements: 16 P. Andrew 17 D. Ward 18 A. Paver 19 S. Pammenter 20 B. Cowan 21 P. Doherty 22 S. Winn

Tries - Cattle, Cook
Con - Bentley
Pen - Cook

Bristol: 31
15 Tom Arscott 14 Lee Robinson 11 Dan Norton
13 Luke Eves 12 Junior Fatialofa 10 Adrian Jarvis 9 Robbie Shaw
1 Mark Irish 2 David Blaney 3 Wayne Thompson
4 Mariano Sambucetti 5 Roy Winters (C)
6 James Phillips 7 Iain Grieve 8 Dan Montagu

Replacements: 16 Ross Johnston 17 Darren Crompton 18 Nathan Budgett 19 Redford Pennycok 20 Jason Spice 21 Sam Giddens 22 Jack Adams

Tries - Robisnson, Arscott, Norton 2, Philips
Cons - Jarvis 3

REFEREE: JP Doyle
TJ 1: Richard PARKER-SEDGEMORE Bristol
TJ 2: David GRASHOFF Northamptonshire
TJ Coach: Ashley REAY Somerset

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