Cornish Pirates Academy/Development team matches
By Dotcom
December 13 2006
The prospect of some quality mid week rugby under the Mennaye lights looks very likely this season. The Pirates have a series of Academy/Development team fixtures planned for the season, including matches against representative teams from the Premiership.
Pirates Academy/Development team matches
Exeter
United 5 Cornish Pirates /AcademyDevelopment XV 34
04/12/06
Despite the often horrible weather experienced to date this season, supporters have still been able to witness some fine games of rugby, as was the case on Monday evening when this match was played at Exeter's impressive new Sandy Park Stadium.
Playing the first half with the wind and rain on their backs, it was vital that the Cornish side took advantage of the elements in the first period, which they did with telling effect.
Hooker Darren Dawiduik, who had made his National 1 debut as a replacement against Waterloo the day before, scored two tries, with one a piece also for prop Grant Anderson and livewire scrum-half Rhodri Wells.
Fly-half Mike Provis, in fine kicking form all night, slotted three conversions and a penalty, whilst in reply the United team managed just one try scored by No. 8 Jamie Fleming.
Besides Dawidiuk, young open-side flanker Duke Seymour was an outstanding performer and Fijian prop Ravuama Samo an effective ball carrier.
Conditions underfoot were unbelievably good, but playing into the strong wind in the second half meant that Academy coaches Robin Cowling and Ricky Pellow had to make sure that their charges applied the right tactics demanded in the second forty, and they need never have worried.
The Cornish Pirates representatives kept things tight, refused to kick away any ball, and all but denied the hosts any possession for the first twenty minutes. The team showed immense control, the opportunity also taken to introduce younger players to proceedings from the bench.
The Exeter side were understandably frustrated, being denied any second half points, the Pirates completing a good evening's work when skipper and No. 8 Adam Nicholls crossed the line for his team's fifth and last try of the night.
Scorers:-
Exeter - try: Fleming.
Pirates
Tries: Dawidiuk (2), Anderson, Wells, Nicholls
Cons:
Provis (3); pen: Provis.
Pirates Team
L. Webb, A. Waller, O. Faulkner,
S. Parsons, L. Vinnicombe, M. Provis, R. Wells, A. Nicholls (c)
D. Seymour,
M. Rawlings, S. Hobson, S. McLean, R. Samo, D. Dawidiuk, G. Anderson.
Replacements
(all used)
G. Tedstone, L. Varney, S. Black, J. Eddy, N. Hitchens, S. Bryant,
J. Morrison.
Pirates Academy 13 - 17 Bath U21s
23/10/06
Having recently beating their counterparts from Leicester Tigers, the Cornish Pirates Academy side took on the might of an older and physically bigger Bath U21s team at the Mennaye Field on Monday evening.
Camborne's Frank Butler, who is the Academy Manager at Bath, was in charge of the welcome visitors, him assisted by former Bath and England player John Palmer.
A good-sized crowd turned out on the night, these matches proving a popular addition to the Pirates fixture list, with the home supporters given plenty to cheer about in the first quarter.
Fly-half Mike Provis once again the points provider, with the pack in front of him also impressive at the driving maul.
However, when Bath started to find their feet, making their first visit into the Pirates '22', they were awarded a penalty try converted by fly-half Luke Cozens.
It was advantage taken after home flanker Sam Betty had been yellow-carded, and just after the half-hour the visitors went further ahead with a try scored at the clubhouse corner by flanker Adam Clayton.
The effort was again converted by the impressive boot of skipper Cozens, who also added a penalty to put Bath 17-6 up at the break.
It was felt that Bath would add more points to their tally in the second half, but the Cornish side were having none of it, and when Clayton was also shown yellow by referee Adam Pearce they seized the opportunity to create a super try of their own.
Provis handled beautifully before weighting a kick perfectly to touch on the right, his half-back partner Rhodri Wells then making the telling break which supporting skipper Adam Nicholls finished off. Provis added the conversion and there now just four points in it.
In the last five minutes the Pirates strived hard to record an unlikely victory, their efforts no doubt applauded by watching President Dicky Evans, a passionate supporter of the Pirates Academy system. That they failed to deliver was no disgrace, the whole squad performed with considerable merit.
Scorers:-
Cornish Pirates - try: Nicholls;
con: Provis; Pens: Provis (2).
Bath - tries: Clayton, pen. try; cons: Cozens
(2); pen: Cozens.
Cornish Pirates - L. Webb, A. Waller, B. Rule,
S. Parsons, J. Morrison, M. Provis, R. Wells, A. Nicholls ©, S. Betty, M.
Rawlings, S. McLean, S. Hobson, L. Varney, O. Hambly, G. Tedstone.
Replacements
(all used) - D. Semmens, D. Dawiduik, S. Black, S. Bryant, K. Martin, M. Bowden,
J. Eddy.
Pirates Academy 14 - Leicester Tigers Academy 10
13/10/06
Following their two openers against the Westcountry Warriors and a Launceston Development XV, the Cornish Pirates Academy side took on the challenge of Leicester Academy on Friday evening.
Played under the Mennaye Field's recently boosted floodlights, the two U19 representative teams were expected to provide a good level of rugby entertainment, and they did not disappoint.
Leicester Tigers have a significant history of providing quality home-grown talent, producing legends of the game in Martin Johnson and Graham Rowntree, and more recently younger England players such as Ollie Smith, Louis Deacon and Harry Ellis, the latter three who have all come up through their Academy system.
In charge of them for this game was Neil Back, another legendary figure, his presence confirming that a genuinely serious contest was to be expected between the two sides.
Playing towards Newlyn the young Pirates had the best of the early exchanges, the boot of fly-half Mike Provis keeping the Tigers deep in their half.
Winger Johnny Morrison almost scored to the left of the posts following good work by No. 8 Adam Nicholls and scrum-half Karl Martin, with Martin then involved once more to send a determined Provis in for a try at the Newlyn gate corner, to which he also added the extras.
If the vistors had looked sudued in the first quarter of an hour, then they quickly made amends to immediately draw back level, centre Will Lawson cutting a fine line to sprint in from thirty metres. Full-back Rickie Aley added the extras and then proceeded to put his side ahead with a simple penalty from in front of the posts.
It was certainly a fascinating contest, a buzz in the crowd was made even more apparent when the Cornish pack bullied their way over for a try on the right. And the scorer? Well it took a while to identify, but it was no surprise when dynamic young flanker Duke Seymour was duly named - the number seven's effort one out of Mr. Back's own textbook.
The conversion from out wide was not easy, but Provis, who has been in superb kicking form while on loan to Camborne, made light of it, his effort making it 14-10 at the break.
In a scoreless second half the Cornish Pirates showed superb technique with their ruck and maul game, frustrating physically bigger opponents, and there was also much to commend in their defensive effort. Yes, Leicester had their chances, but surprisingly poor handling let them down, there being absolutely no argument about the final result.
Scorers:
Cornish Pirates - tries: Provis, Seymour;
cons: Provis (2).
Leicester Tigers - try: Lawson, con: Aley; pen: Aley.
Cornish
Pirates
L. Webb, B. Harriss, B. Rule, S. Parsons, J. Morrison, M. Provis,
K. Martin, A. Nicholls (c), D. Seymour, M. Rawlings, C. Armstriong, S. McLean,
L. Varney, B. Taylor, G. Tedstone.
Replacements (all used) - A. Knight, M.
Tarby, B. Fox, N. Simmons, S. Bryant, N. Hitchens, A. Waller.
Launceston
Development 12 - 39 Pirates Academy/Dev
Monday 18 September
The Cornish 'All Blacks' welcomed the Cornish Pirates Academy/Development team to a fine Polson Bridge on Monday evening, the visitors taking the wise opportunity to mix their squad with their Academy players and other promising Cornish youngsters to play alongside a number of more experienced senior players in need of game time.
In the forwards, both Owen Hambly and Scott Hobson, young forwards who have already appeared at National 1 level this season, again made their mark, whilst in the outsides Jonny Hylton, James Moore and Steve Winn had important run outs.
Hylton showed his elusive pace to cross for two tries for the Pirates, with one a piece for Winn and young flanker Mike Rawlings. Fly-half James Moore, showing the form that made him National 1's top points scorer last season, kicked three conversions and a penalty.
For the 'All Blacks', replacement scrum-half Ryan Westren and hooker Sam Roberts crossed for tries, with fly-half Mark Scrivener notching one conversion.
This was another worthwhile fixture
following the Pirates opener against Westcountry Warriors last week, the next
game is scheduled against Leicester U19s back at the Mennaye Field, Penzance,
on Friday, 13th. October.
Cornish Pirates
Academy/Development XV 0 - Westcountry Warriors (Plymouth Albion) 34
11/09/06
A pre-match look at the respective teams indicated that a healthy win for the visiting team was always on the cards, and so it proved.
However, that is not say that the young Pirates side, boosted by the inclusion of a number of SWERA players, plus one or two other gifted local youngsters, did not play their part in an entertaining match, showing a good mix of both commitment and skill.
The Warriors, a representative Plymouth Albion team, also had a good number of young players in their line-up, but to boost them there were several experienced performers that they called upon, including former Pirates Nat Saumi and James Owen.
Owen must have thoroughly enjoyed his return to the Mennaye Field, looking a lively leader who crossed for both of their tries scored in the first half, one of which fly-half David Delaney converted.
The tight five strength in the Devon team was a telling factor, but the Pirates still had their moments with hooker Owen Hambly, prop Peter Joyce, and the half-back pairing of Rhodri Wells and Mike Provis doing well.
The Pirates continued the second period still not in awe of their opponents, tackling aggressively, and managing to hold off any meaningful onslaught, until the last quarter when their defence suddenly faltered. Wing Steve Johns scored a third try for the Warriors at the scoreboard corner, converted by Delaney who then slotted a simple penalty chance on offer.
Two late efforts from replacement wing Jon Fabian and No. 8 Jake Childs then followed, the latter’s try converted by Delaney to wrap up an ultimately comfortable win for the Albion representatives.
Westcountry Warriors
Scorers: tries: Owen (2), Johns, Fabian,
Childs; cons: Delaney (3); pen: Delaney.
Cornish Pirates –
15
Lewis Webb, 14 John Cook, 13 Paul Texeira, 12 Sam Parsons, 11 John Morrison, 10
Mike Provis,
9 Rhodri Wells, 8 Toby Freeman, 7 Chris Quick, 6 Mike Rawlings,
5 Stuart Crew, 4 Scott McLean,
3 Doug Woods, 2 Owen Hambly ©, 1 Peter
Joyce.
Replacements (all used) – Steve Bryant, Ollie Faulkner, Nick Hitchens, Karl Martin, Ben Fox, Trystan Nolan, Dan Job, Darren Dawiduik, Matt Tarby.
Westcountry Warriors
15 Nat Saumi, 14 Darren Ritchie, 13
Aaron Cruickshank, 12 Ross Allen, 11 Steve Johns, 10 David Delaney
9 Matt Newman,
8 Jake Childs, 7 Chris Lowrie, 6 Frederico Genoud, 5 Bryn Jenkins, 4 Ed King,
3 Tim Mathias
2 James Owen ©, 1 Gareth Evans.
Replacements (all used) – Andy Swainson, Brian Venables, Jon Fabian, James Titihas, Rob Bowles.
Referee – Mr. Nigel Higginson