Post by Jamie Crawford on Nov 28, 2023 16:59:46 GMT
Cornish Pirates preview
sponsored by Twenty Four IT Services (www.twentyfourit.co.uk)
Round 6, Sunday 3rd December, Mennaye Field, Penzance KO 2.30pm
The game is also being streamed at a cost of £7 available from their website (thanks John).
The Knights have that looong journey to Penzance again to play 5th placed Cornish Pirates. The Knights may be 2nd and the Pirates 5th but the Pirates have a game in hand which, if they won, would put them 2nd. 2nd outright with a bonus point win, 2nd on points difference if they had a 4-point win. Bedford Blues would also rise above us on points difference if they won their game in hand with a bonus point but all these possibilities are pointless (excuse the pun), you should only concentrate on your own performance.
Last time out the Knights got the job done in the end as Sam Olver commented as he left the club after the game. An entirely accurate, if somewhat downbeat, observation on the game (thanks Sir Spicious). Still, a 5-point win is a 5-point win and Scottish deserved their losing bonus point, they didn’t play like a team that are eleventh.
The Pirates ran in 6 tries in their 24-46 win at Dillingham Park over Ampthill in their first away league game of the season . It was also Ampthill’s first league defeat at Dillingham Park this season.
Pirates tries were scored by left wing Frankie Nowell, hooker Morgan Nelson scored a hattrick, No. 8 Grubb and inside centre Joe Elderkin. Fly half Bruce Houston converted 5 of them and scored 2 penalties. Don’t forget that Ampthill were 2nd in the Championship before the game. It was the definitive game of 2 halves where a 4-try second half blitz by the Pirates saw them overcome a 2 point, 17-15 score at the break.
Nowell initially waltzed his way over the line for the Pirates, then on the stroke of half time Nelson dived over the try line from close range following a dominant rolling maul. Just 3 minutes after the restart Ben Grubb began the Pirate try-scoring from an attack built inside the Pirate’s own half. Nelson then dived over the whitewash after a ‘trademark’ Pirate rolling maul. Then yet another dominant rolling maul finished off by Nelson gave him his hattrick. The nail in the coffin was when Elderkin crashed his way over the line following a scrum in the 72nd minute. As ever the Pirate rolling maul was dominant and directly led to 3 tries being scored and most likely indirectly another.
Ampthill players that breached the Pirate defence were hooker Adejimi, no.8 Strong and scrum half Bracken. First Adejemi forced his way across the line from close range, then Strong forced his way over the whitewash following a sustained attack. Bracken finished off h a well-constructed team try.
Championship games taking place this weekend:
Friday 1st December
Nottingham (3) v Cambridge (10)
Saturday 2nd December
Caldy (9) v Bedford Blues (6)
Coventry (7) v Hartpury University (8)
London Scottish (11) v Ealing Trailfinders (1)
Sunday 3rd December
Cornish Pirates (5) v Doncaster Knights (2)
Pirates, Blues, Cov, Caldy and Scottish have a game in hand.
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
sponsored by Twenty Four IT Services (www.twentyfourit.co.uk)
Round 6, Sunday 3rd December, Mennaye Field, Penzance KO 2.30pm
The game is also being streamed at a cost of £7 available from their website (thanks John).
The Knights have that looong journey to Penzance again to play 5th placed Cornish Pirates. The Knights may be 2nd and the Pirates 5th but the Pirates have a game in hand which, if they won, would put them 2nd. 2nd outright with a bonus point win, 2nd on points difference if they had a 4-point win. Bedford Blues would also rise above us on points difference if they won their game in hand with a bonus point but all these possibilities are pointless (excuse the pun), you should only concentrate on your own performance.
Last time out the Knights got the job done in the end as Sam Olver commented as he left the club after the game. An entirely accurate, if somewhat downbeat, observation on the game (thanks Sir Spicious). Still, a 5-point win is a 5-point win and Scottish deserved their losing bonus point, they didn’t play like a team that are eleventh.
The Pirates ran in 6 tries in their 24-46 win at Dillingham Park over Ampthill in their first away league game of the season . It was also Ampthill’s first league defeat at Dillingham Park this season.
Pirates tries were scored by left wing Frankie Nowell, hooker Morgan Nelson scored a hattrick, No. 8 Grubb and inside centre Joe Elderkin. Fly half Bruce Houston converted 5 of them and scored 2 penalties. Don’t forget that Ampthill were 2nd in the Championship before the game. It was the definitive game of 2 halves where a 4-try second half blitz by the Pirates saw them overcome a 2 point, 17-15 score at the break.
Nowell initially waltzed his way over the line for the Pirates, then on the stroke of half time Nelson dived over the try line from close range following a dominant rolling maul. Just 3 minutes after the restart Ben Grubb began the Pirate try-scoring from an attack built inside the Pirate’s own half. Nelson then dived over the whitewash after a ‘trademark’ Pirate rolling maul. Then yet another dominant rolling maul finished off by Nelson gave him his hattrick. The nail in the coffin was when Elderkin crashed his way over the line following a scrum in the 72nd minute. As ever the Pirate rolling maul was dominant and directly led to 3 tries being scored and most likely indirectly another.
Ampthill players that breached the Pirate defence were hooker Adejimi, no.8 Strong and scrum half Bracken. First Adejemi forced his way across the line from close range, then Strong forced his way over the whitewash following a sustained attack. Bracken finished off h a well-constructed team try.
Championship games taking place this weekend:
Friday 1st December
Nottingham (3) v Cambridge (10)
Saturday 2nd December
Caldy (9) v Bedford Blues (6)
Coventry (7) v Hartpury University (8)
London Scottish (11) v Ealing Trailfinders (1)
Sunday 3rd December
Cornish Pirates (5) v Doncaster Knights (2)
Pirates, Blues, Cov, Caldy and Scottish have a game in hand.
COYK
DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…
