Sedgeley Park 3 Cornish Pirates 55

By Mark Stevo / DC
December 13 2006

7 points up within two minutes of the start saw the Cornish Pirates firmly nail their colours to the mast. A further eight tries and four conversions saw them claim a second successive away win "up north" to keep them in touch with the leaders

Pirates Park & Ride

Saturday 14/10/06 - Sedgeley Park 3 - 55 (3 - 26) Cornish Pirates

The fact that before this double they had lost on their two previous trips to north Manchester had played no part in the build-up to the game.

"It's what you do on the day that counts," said coach Jim McKay. "Past results were not the motivating factors, we didn't really talk about them during the week.

"We know Sedgley are a very spirited side and that we would have to be at our best to get a result, because these kinds of games can be very tricky.

It was a real team effort and I was particularly pleased with not conceding a try and with our set-pieces, although we were not at our best in other aspects."

Jim McKay

Catching the initial kick-off, the Pirates' rolling maul drove the ball 30 metres before it was unleashed out to the backs, with winger Lewis Vinnicombe going over in the left-hand corner and Alberto Di Bernardo adding the extras to give the Pirates a 7-0 lead and a perfect start.


Lewis Vinnicombe	Alberto Di Bernardo

Sedgley fly-half Phil Jones hit back with a penalty goal, but fears of a home fightback were allayed when the Pirates made the most of the man advantage after lock Jaco Swart was sin-binned.

Line-out ball was channeled into the middle, where Duncan Bell and Viliami Ma'asi unleashed Rhodri McAtee who ghosted through the ineffective home defence and Di Bernardo's boot doubled the Pirates' score.

The Italian, together with half-back partner Gavin Cattle, ran the show all afternoon and the pair set up try number three, finished off by Namibian lock Heino Senekal.


Gavin Cattle	Heino Senekal (2)

The home side simply could not contain the Pirates' forward power, half-back poise and the back division's probing, and the bonus point was wrapped up three minutes into time added on at the end of the first half when Di Bernardo and Bell combined to set-up South African powerhouse Matt Evans, who showed the Sedgley cover a clean pair of heels to go over for try number four, with the Pirates taking a 31-3 lead into the half-time break.


Duncan Bell	Matt Evans

Within two minutes of the restart McAtee's confident catch and run took the ball deep into Sedgley territory where it was recycled to Senekal, who again used his power to barrel over from ten metres.


Rhodri McAtee (2)	Duncan Roke

Cattle's run then paved the way for Iva Motusaga to claim try number six before the Pirates' skipper ran Cattle's run then paved the way for Iva Motusaga to claim try number six before the Pirates' skipper claimed a try of his own on 66 minutes - tapping and running a five-metre penalty.

Moments later McAtee claimed his second pouncing on a delightfully weighted inside pass from Di Bernardo - with Duncan Roke completing the rout in the 77th minute.

Victory helped move the Pirates up one place to fifth after Leeds lost at Bedford and with two home games against Bedford and the eagerly awaited Westcountry derby with Exeter coming up, victory in both could see them climb even higher.

Scorers

Sedgley Park - pen: Jones.

Cornish Pirates
Tries: Senekal (2), McAtee (2), Vinnicombe, Evans, Motusaga, Cattle, Roke;
Cons: Di Bernardo (5).

Cornish Pirates - A. Winnan, R. McAtee (J. Moore), D. Roke, D, Bell (S. Winn), D. Roke, A. Di Bernardo, G. Cattle (J. Moore), M. Evans, I. Motusaga (S. Betty), S. McKeen (T. Cowley), J. Beardshaw (S. Hobson), H. Senekal, S. Heard (G. Anderson), V. Ma'asi (O. Hambly), A. Paver.

Referee: Mr. Nick Williams (RFU)

Attendance - 609.