It is fortunate that Cornwall is such a nice place for a weekend visit as we seem to be off there every other week...
Games between the Blues and Pirates are always interesting.
We played them four times last season with an average of something like 70 points a game. In the B & I cup we won 41-40 at home but lost 65-14 away. Then, in the league encounter down in Penzance, we lost by an embarassing 65-14 and finally suffered a 21-31 reverse at home.
So there's certainly something to prove this Sunday (kick off 3.00) and with Pirates unaccustomedly languishing in bottom place we must fancy our chances. They've won only twice and have just 11 points - so if we are to lay the bogey now is the time.
Once again there are changes with Pat Tapley, Tom Griffiths and George Perkins in the backs and Phil Boulton, Mark Flanagan and Nick Fenton-Wells up front.
Blues:15. Piers O’Conor 14. Pat Tapley 13. Michael LeBourgeois 12. Tom Griffiths 11. George Perkins 10. Jake Sharp 9. Jordan Burns 1. Alex Lundberg2. Sam James 3. Phil Boulton 4. Mike Howard 5. Mark Flanagan 6. Nick Fenton-Wells (c) 7. Josh Buggea 8. Joel Conlon.
Reps: Charlie Clare, Camilo Parilli-Ocampo, Harry Wells, Paul Tupai, Pete White, Myles Dorrian, Steffan Jones
Pirates: 15 Toby May, 14 Jack Arnott, 13 Tom Hendrickson, 12 Rheon James 11 Matt Evans, 10 Laurence May, 9 Alex Day; 1 Tyler Gendall, 2 Rob Elloway, 3 Adam Jamieson, 4 Laurie McGlone 5 Will Graulich, 6 Alex Cheesman, 7 Joe Atkinson, 8 Aaron Carpenter (capt).
Reps: Tom Channon, Jack Andrew, Alan Paver, Brett Beukeboom, Matt Bolwell, Stuart Townsend, Kieran Hallett.
I have previously have said .....'we perform better against a team which we perceive are stronger than us but struggle against lesser opposition......'
With the Pirates are bottom of the league and there are loads of points between us.........my forecast we will struggle to win..........
Conlon is our signed player. Having signed for Saracens in the close season we then signed him. I would suspect it got around DR issues in squads and Saracens will sign him back if he performs but they run the risk of another club snatching him away.
TryBlue are you certain.........we would be third IF we win with a bonus point AND by a mass of points.......or am I yet again proving my lack of rugby knowledge......
BFY - Dean Richards is the ref today. Very windy down here, kicking will be fun, not...... Not sure if they still have Pirates TV so you can watch over the Internet, check out.
Another old adage 'snatching defeat from the jaws of victory'. luckily the 2 points were taken. The Pirates supporters could not believe their luck, especially as the final conversion did not go over, you could only see it if you were dead in line with the kicker, as we were. Posts are too short at the Mennaye. Never mind Pirates really went for it at the end and deservedly got over. Had we taken the easy 3 points just before.....ah well bring on Doncaster.
This is where the early season defeats against Welsh and Scottish are going to come back to bite us. Most teams have recruited a few additions in the previous weeks and look stronger now coming to the business end of the season. Getting very close and now the pitches are getting wetter this is the time of year we may struggle. Lets face it Pirates were bottom of the table yesterday. If we really want to be in the top 4 this season we should be beating them by more than one score. A very ordinary team playing to the conditions.
Can't really comment on the final kick, but two very doubtful calls went Bedford's way earlier in the game. We were directly behind both kicks. One from Bedford clearly missed and was given, then later, from the virtually same position, a Pirates kick went through, but was not given. Maybe the ref assistants had their contact lenses in the wrong eyes!
We may be an ordinary team, but good enough on the day!
Hope all who made the long journey had a great trip and enjoyed the weekend despite the last gasp disappointment.
Thanks Stalwart; really enjoyable weekend met some great people and at least took something home. Looks like we both suffered from myopic officials, bless them.
compo simonite I have previously have said .....'we perform better against a team which we perceive are stronger than us but struggle against lesser opposition......'
With the Pirates are bottom of the league and there are loads of points between us.........my forecast we will struggle to win..........
Regretfully I was.......but if my observations are correct, the team, those involved and us the fans getting right behind them both.........the team will raise their game and surprise Doncaster on Saturday........
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