Bedford Blues, Continue Season Preparations

A really good build up to the start to the new 2025-26 season, could this be Bedford's season

Bedford Blues continued their pre-season campaign by scoring six tries at one of their happy hunting grounds in The Mennaye, as they impressively beat Cornish Pirates 38-26 on Friday night (29 August).

A cagey and error-ridden first half exploded into life in the second, as the Blues scored four tries in 16 second half minutes to take the game away from the Pirates, who were only saved from a clinical defeat thanks to a late surge of three late scores.

These two sides will come to blows twice in Champ Rugby this season; and the Blues will look to improve on a decent record in Penzance in recent years, including victories in the past three league campaigns.

Bedford dominated this game for large periods, and were comfortable victors after a second half blitz that will leave Mike Rayer and his men smiling all the way back to Goldington Road.

The Pirates were on the scoreboard first as Arwel Robson completed a fine move with a try under the sticks, but Bedford responded quickly with an equally adept riposte, began by Louis James and ended by Ryan Hutler for his first try in Blues colours since his return.

Will Maisey missed his conversion to leave the Pirates 7-5 ahead in the early stages.

First half mix of joué and mistakes

The sin-binning of Fred Tuilagi for a cynical tackle off the ball temporarily reduced the Blues to 14 men, but they continued to be typically enterprising in attack as a number of offloads took them close to a second try, before a Pirates interception stopped them in their tracks.

The rest of the first half was punctuated by the somewhat expected pre-season errors, as knock ons and the official’s whistle dominated proceedings – including a yellow card for Pirates lock, Matt Cannon – but unlike the home side, the Blues made them pay.

Dean Adamson was the beneficiary, running in the second try as the spare man on the left wing, and when Maisey slotted an impressive conversion, the Blues led 12-7 at half-time despite a disallowed try for the Pirates on the stroke of forty minutes.

A much-changed Blues began the second half as they ended the first; on the front foot and gaining territory as they battered the Pirates try line and were rewarded as one of the replacements in Joey Conway crashed over.

The fourth try – and the imaginary bonus point – came five minutes later as a bounce of the ball fell kindly to James Lennon, and as quick as a flash, Will Maisey was sprinting clear to dot down, although he failed to convert his own try to leave the score at 24-7.

A Pirates penalty missed touch, leaving the Blues’ excellent hands to fashion another score, finished by Nicholas Finch for his first Blues try, and the sixth try was not long in coming as Tui Uru bundled over following another brilliant Bedford counter attack.

The penalty count kept mounting against Cornish Pirates, stifling any chance of attacks for most of the second half until a stunning burst of late scoring saved a lot of their blushes, triggered by a yellow card for Bedford’s, George Worth.

Alessandro Heaney picked up off the back of a rolling maul to reduce the deficit to 38-14, before two more late tries gave the scoreboard a more respectable look from a Cornish view, although they will be disappointed with their overall performance.

For the Blues, there were flashes of the form that saw them to second in the Championship table last season, and they will look to take that confidence into their toughest pre-season game against European finalists, Northampton Saints at Goldington Road next Friday (5 September).