Cornish Pirates (rearranged) preview
Jan 3, 2023 14:57:49 GMT
martinc, Sean O'Loinsigh, and 1 more like this
Post by Jamie Crawford on Jan 3, 2023 14:57:49 GMT
Cornish Pirates (rearranged) preview
sponsored by Twenty Four IT Services (www.twentyfourit.co.uk)
Rearranged Round 10 from Sunday December 18th. Now Saturday 7th January, the Mennaye, Penzance, Cornwall. KO 2.30pm.
The great British weather made the initial fixture against the Pirates unplayable; this rearranged fixture is virtually three weeks later.
As our website alluded, a fast-paced and high-scoring game against Caldy will surely put the Knights squad in the right, positive frame of mind as they head into the second half of the season in 2023 with this fixture.
Last time out the Knights ran-in eight tries to Caldy’s two on Boxing Day. Eighth-placed Pirates lost 22-16 to the now sixth-placed Hartpury, they also lost their previous game by a point, 15-14 away against Caldy. They, like every team will want to start 2023 with a win (not another losing bonus point.)
Pirate Full Back AJ Cant (also plays on the Wing) scored their try away against Hartpury. Pirate Fly Half Harry Bazalgette converted the try and kicked three penalties. Bazalgette was a late alteration for usual Fly Half Arwel Robson who missed out through illness.
Fifth-placed Knights have scored exactly 100 points more than the Pirates but the Pirates’ legendary strong defence has conceded 29 fewer points. Only first-placed Ealing Trailfinders have conceded fewer points than eighth-placed Pirates. Hopefully the Knights’ support staff will have identified weaknesses and scoring opportunities. The same is true with tries conceded, after conceding 27 tries (just two more than Trailfinders), the Pirates have conceded seven tries fewer than the Knights but scored 17 fewer.
Catch-up games being played on Saturday 7th January are:
Caldy (11) v Ealing Trailfinders (1)
Cornish Pirates (8) v Doncaster Knights (5)
London Scottish (12) v Hartpury RFC (6)
Ampthill (10) v Nottingham (7) hasn’t been posted.
A Knight ‘W’ would see them rise to fourth above Bedford Blues; a Knight ‘L’ wouldn’t affect our league position because Hartpury RFC need a win with a bonus point to draw level on league points. Both teams will have won and lost the same number of games but we’d have scored more points and have already conceded fewer therefore would remain above. I reckon that we’d rise to fourth, above Bedford if we drew or scored two bonus points but better a ‘W’ to be certain!
If we drew, we would still rise to fourth and I think the same is true if we scored two bonus points, anyone? In this case, Bedford have scored four tries and 49 points more than us after playing an extra game but they have conceded 120 more points, so our points difference is 71 better. Do we need to score at least four tries and 49+ points?
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
sponsored by Twenty Four IT Services (www.twentyfourit.co.uk)
Rearranged Round 10 from Sunday December 18th. Now Saturday 7th January, the Mennaye, Penzance, Cornwall. KO 2.30pm.
The great British weather made the initial fixture against the Pirates unplayable; this rearranged fixture is virtually three weeks later.
As our website alluded, a fast-paced and high-scoring game against Caldy will surely put the Knights squad in the right, positive frame of mind as they head into the second half of the season in 2023 with this fixture.
Last time out the Knights ran-in eight tries to Caldy’s two on Boxing Day. Eighth-placed Pirates lost 22-16 to the now sixth-placed Hartpury, they also lost their previous game by a point, 15-14 away against Caldy. They, like every team will want to start 2023 with a win (not another losing bonus point.)
Pirate Full Back AJ Cant (also plays on the Wing) scored their try away against Hartpury. Pirate Fly Half Harry Bazalgette converted the try and kicked three penalties. Bazalgette was a late alteration for usual Fly Half Arwel Robson who missed out through illness.
Fifth-placed Knights have scored exactly 100 points more than the Pirates but the Pirates’ legendary strong defence has conceded 29 fewer points. Only first-placed Ealing Trailfinders have conceded fewer points than eighth-placed Pirates. Hopefully the Knights’ support staff will have identified weaknesses and scoring opportunities. The same is true with tries conceded, after conceding 27 tries (just two more than Trailfinders), the Pirates have conceded seven tries fewer than the Knights but scored 17 fewer.
Catch-up games being played on Saturday 7th January are:
Caldy (11) v Ealing Trailfinders (1)
Cornish Pirates (8) v Doncaster Knights (5)
London Scottish (12) v Hartpury RFC (6)
Ampthill (10) v Nottingham (7) hasn’t been posted.
A Knight ‘W’ would see them rise to fourth above Bedford Blues; a Knight ‘L’ wouldn’t affect our league position because Hartpury RFC need a win with a bonus point to draw level on league points. Both teams will have won and lost the same number of games but we’d have scored more points and have already conceded fewer therefore would remain above. I reckon that we’d rise to fourth, above Bedford if we drew or scored two bonus points but better a ‘W’ to be certain!
If we drew, we would still rise to fourth and I think the same is true if we scored two bonus points, anyone? In this case, Bedford have scored four tries and 49 points more than us after playing an extra game but they have conceded 120 more points, so our points difference is 71 better. Do we need to score at least four tries and 49+ points?
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
