Post by Jamie Crawford on Apr 23, 2019 15:29:18 GMT
Cornish Pirates preview sponsored by Porsche Centre Sheffield (www.porschesheffield.co.uk)
Round 22, Castle Park Sat 23rd Sep, 2017 - 02:30pm
The Knights’ final game of the 2018/19 season is being played at Castle Park, home of Doncaster Knights against the Pirates of Penzance in Cornwall. The Cornish Pirates are fifth with nine wins and twelve losses recorded this season. The Knights are tenth; they have won eight and lost thirteen. The reason for the positional ‘gulf’ between the teams despite just one win v one loss is that the Pirates have scored 18 bonus points (11 try and 7 losing) compared to the Knights’ 10 bonus points (6 try and 4 losing). Only London Irish and Ealing Trailfinders have scored 18 bonus points although theirs are all try… apart from one and two losing bonus points respectively.
You’d image that 11Pirate try bonus points compared to the 6 that the Knights have won would indicate a greatly higher points scored for the Pirates compared to the Knights; unbelievably the Knights have scored 17 more points than the Pirates. Both teams had touched the ball down 62 times after 18 (19) games and by my reckoning each team has scored 68 tries to date. This demonstrates for example that consistently scoring four tries is better for try bonus points being scored than a few multi-try wins when only the first four tries will score a try bonus point. “Nicer problems to have..” if you are scoring too many tries but you get the point; if only it was as easy as being able to choose when you scored them. The Pirates have had a very fortunate season in recording 11 try bonus points from 9 wins. The Knights have had a seemingly unfortunate season in terms of many games that they coulda, shoulda won that were losses; not necessarily close enough to recorded a losing bonus point but a couple of scores against being scored in the dying minutes of a game resulting in a loss without a bonus point. Or perhaps this is just an impression that I have?
The Free Press said on Sun 21st Apr, “Doncaster Knights: ‘I expected us to win but we gave it away’ – Clive Griffiths laments performance in Coventry defeat.
Doncaster Knights boss Clive Griffiths cut a disconsolate figure after seeing Coventry beat his charges 41-33 at Castle Park to claim their first away win of the season….”
Then on Mon 22nd Apr, “Frustration grows as Doncaster Knights continue to press the self-destruct button.
FOR people who have watched Doncaster Knights aplenty in recent years, what they are witnessing now must seem unrecognisable and perplexing.
Saturday was another disappointing performance, full of basic mistakes, some dreadful defence and misdemeanours that you would ordinarily not associate with a Clive Griffiths side...”
Statbunker is two games out of date, I’ll add scoring stats if/when it’s updated.
Following the Knights’ poor performance last Saturday, Griff and the players will be keen to end the season on a high and put in a positive, impressive winning performance. Not only for themselves and the loyal supporters but also for the new Coach and to encourage season ticket sales for next season.
Other fixtures that could alter our tenth-place in the Championship if we win the last game of the season:
Coventry (8th, +4 points) fly over to Jersey’s Stade Santander International to play 4th-placed Jersey Reds. We’d need to score five points and for Cov to not score a point to overtake them because they drew a game that we lost, so they be above us if we had an equal number of league points..
London Scottish (9th, +1 point) welcome already relegated Richmond to their Athletic Ground
Poor Richmond have nothing to play for to prevent relegation because they can’t catch Hartpury College.
Again, we can’t be caught by Hartpury College (11th) if we lose and they beat Carnegie (7th) at Headingley.
Thus we can finish either eighth, ninth or tenth depending on our result plus two others.
The Pirates could drop two places to seventh if they lose and Nottingham and/or Carnegie win or stay fifth if they win; they can’t gain a position.
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
Round 22, Castle Park Sat 23rd Sep, 2017 - 02:30pm
The Knights’ final game of the 2018/19 season is being played at Castle Park, home of Doncaster Knights against the Pirates of Penzance in Cornwall. The Cornish Pirates are fifth with nine wins and twelve losses recorded this season. The Knights are tenth; they have won eight and lost thirteen. The reason for the positional ‘gulf’ between the teams despite just one win v one loss is that the Pirates have scored 18 bonus points (11 try and 7 losing) compared to the Knights’ 10 bonus points (6 try and 4 losing). Only London Irish and Ealing Trailfinders have scored 18 bonus points although theirs are all try… apart from one and two losing bonus points respectively.
You’d image that 11Pirate try bonus points compared to the 6 that the Knights have won would indicate a greatly higher points scored for the Pirates compared to the Knights; unbelievably the Knights have scored 17 more points than the Pirates. Both teams had touched the ball down 62 times after 18 (19) games and by my reckoning each team has scored 68 tries to date. This demonstrates for example that consistently scoring four tries is better for try bonus points being scored than a few multi-try wins when only the first four tries will score a try bonus point. “Nicer problems to have..” if you are scoring too many tries but you get the point; if only it was as easy as being able to choose when you scored them. The Pirates have had a very fortunate season in recording 11 try bonus points from 9 wins. The Knights have had a seemingly unfortunate season in terms of many games that they coulda, shoulda won that were losses; not necessarily close enough to recorded a losing bonus point but a couple of scores against being scored in the dying minutes of a game resulting in a loss without a bonus point. Or perhaps this is just an impression that I have?
The Free Press said on Sun 21st Apr, “Doncaster Knights: ‘I expected us to win but we gave it away’ – Clive Griffiths laments performance in Coventry defeat.
Doncaster Knights boss Clive Griffiths cut a disconsolate figure after seeing Coventry beat his charges 41-33 at Castle Park to claim their first away win of the season….”
Then on Mon 22nd Apr, “Frustration grows as Doncaster Knights continue to press the self-destruct button.
FOR people who have watched Doncaster Knights aplenty in recent years, what they are witnessing now must seem unrecognisable and perplexing.
Saturday was another disappointing performance, full of basic mistakes, some dreadful defence and misdemeanours that you would ordinarily not associate with a Clive Griffiths side...”
Statbunker is two games out of date, I’ll add scoring stats if/when it’s updated.
Following the Knights’ poor performance last Saturday, Griff and the players will be keen to end the season on a high and put in a positive, impressive winning performance. Not only for themselves and the loyal supporters but also for the new Coach and to encourage season ticket sales for next season.
Other fixtures that could alter our tenth-place in the Championship if we win the last game of the season:
Coventry (8th, +4 points) fly over to Jersey’s Stade Santander International to play 4th-placed Jersey Reds. We’d need to score five points and for Cov to not score a point to overtake them because they drew a game that we lost, so they be above us if we had an equal number of league points..
London Scottish (9th, +1 point) welcome already relegated Richmond to their Athletic Ground
Poor Richmond have nothing to play for to prevent relegation because they can’t catch Hartpury College.
Again, we can’t be caught by Hartpury College (11th) if we lose and they beat Carnegie (7th) at Headingley.
Thus we can finish either eighth, ninth or tenth depending on our result plus two others.
The Pirates could drop two places to seventh if they lose and Nottingham and/or Carnegie win or stay fifth if they win; they can’t gain a position.
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
