Exciting Start

By Blues Brother
October 13 2014

We can take the last minute defeat if the B & I cup is going to provide thrillers such as this 35-34 try fest ...

It meant we came away fro the Mennaye Field with two bonus points which stands us in good stead in Pool 4.

With a minute or two left it looked like we would get five, but Bertie Hopkin’s try was converted by former Blue Kieran Hallett to deny us.

There was rich entertainment as the lead changed hands half a dozen times.

Pirates took the lead thanks to an interception from Kieran Goss, but we came straight back through Jim Wigglesworth.

Pirates then slotted a pen before Wigglesworth put winger Pat Tapley in for a try which was converted  from wide out Steffan Jones.

The home line-out benefitted from a 6ft 11in giant in Will Carrick-Smith and a catch-and-drive line-out resulted in a touchdown for openside flanker Alex Cheesman to give the Pirates an 18-14 half time lead.

The second half featured  two tries to the Blues from chip and catch tries .  Dean Adamson got the first and the second from Steffan Jones gave us a four point lead with ten minutes to go.

Unfortunately, the game went to uncontested scrums when Pirates' Tyler Gendall had to leave the field,  and the home side took advantage  to spin the ball out for  Hopkin to go over in the corner.  The conversion, it has to be said, was worthy of winning any game.

 Pirates: C Holland (L May 50), K Goss, A Dancer, R James, L Jones, K Hallett, T Kessell, J Ford-Robinson (J Andrew 60), T Channon, T Gendall (B Hopkin 75), W Graulich (A Carpenter 75), W Carrick-Smith (J Atkinson 70), C Morgan (capt), A Cheesman, T Lowry (J Parker 15).

Reps not used: O Snook.

Tries: Goss, Cheesman (2), Hopkin. Cons: Hallett (3). Pens: Hallett (3).

 Blues: J Wigglesworth (O Dodge 65), P Tapley, M Le Bourgeois, V Hakalo, D Adamson, S Jones, D Veeenandaall (P White 70), T Williams (B Moss 45), J Saunders (TJ Harris 55), C Parilli-Ocampo (J Currie 55), H Wells, E Sheriff (M Howard 60), J Vandermolen (J Buggea 60), J Blanchet, N Fenton-Wells (capt).

Tries: Wigglesworth, Tapley, Hakalo, Adamson, Jones. Cons: Jones (3). Pen: Jones.

Yellow cards: Wells 65.