Bill Hooper’s Cornish Roundup

There really couldn’t be a bigger game to start the National League campaign than the National League 1 derby between the Cornish All Blacks and the Cornish Pirates, or for the purists Launceston v Penzance & Newlyn. East versus West with all roads leading to Polson on Saturday, quite what the exodus of holiday makers heading back to England will make of the mass hords of the Pirates’ Press Gang heading up the A.30 is anyone’s guess. I hope that the expedition to the “borders” is plain sailing as far as the traffic goes.

The Cornish All Blacks deserve tremendous credit in getting to National League 1, Saturday will be their first major test not only on the pitch but off it as well as the demands in this league are far higher than anything they will have experienced before. I am sure that the pressure has already been felt with the pre-match ticket sales for this match and the rush to install the tiered terracing opposite the clubhouse and grandstand side of the pitch.

So what of the game, well I am sure that we are going to witness a tremendous tussle between the two sides and I am sure that former Pirates’ players such as Matt Jess and Owen Hambly will be keen to impress against their former club. I would expect the game to be close for 60 minutes before the Cornish Pirates’ pull away during the final quarter to seal all five league points on offer.

There have been some silly remarks this week about the lack of locals in the Cornish Pirates’ side. I have no truck with these ridiclous comments, the Pirates are a professional outfit who are duty bound to find the best players they can on their budget from wherever. They can come from Timbuktu for all I care as long as they do the buisness for the club! That is the reality of professional rugby and aiming for the Guiness Premiership.

In National League 2, Redruth kick-off their season at Nuneaton on Sunday afternoon. The Reds will be looking to get their league season off to a flying start. There is a great deal of optimisim in the Reds’ camp this season having gone close to promotion last time around. With the likes of Rob Thirlby and Lewis Vinnicombe out wide Redruth have a potent attacking option. A minor set back for the Reds this week is the absence of their new Samoan No 8 Faleoni Seve for the trip to Nuneaton. I’ll tip the Reds for a winning start to the new campaign.

Mount’s Bay begin life in National 3 South welcoming Barking to the Mennaye Field on Saturday. It really is a big day for the Bay and a feather in the cap for all concerned with the club to be playing National League rugby in such a short space of time since the formation of the club. Bay have former Barking skipper Jon Marlin playing in the centre one of several new recruits for the new campaign. A win for the Bay but they may not nick the bonus point on offer!

There are a couple of EDF-Energy Senior Vase 1st Round ties featuring Cornish clubs on Saturday, Falmouth entertain Bideford whilst Newquay Hornets travel to Okehampton.

It certainly was a very busy weekend with all four of the Duchy’s National League sides in action on Saturday.

At Camborne the Cornish Pirates played host to now familiar pre-season adverseries Celtic League side Newport Gwent Dragons. Once again the Welsh regional side ran out winners 21 - 13 in the Pirates final runout before their opening League encounter at Polson Bridge on September 1st.

Centre Paul Devlin scored the Pirates only try which was converted by fly-half Gareth Steenson made the score 14-13 to the Dragons. At that point the home fans hoped the Pirates could pull off an improbable win, it was not to be as the Welshmen scored a third converted try to make the final score 21 - 13. Steenson kicked two penalties for the Pirates’ other points.

Up at Polson Bridge the Cornish All Blacks ran up an impressive 68 points without reply against Welsh Premiership side Pontypool. Launceston ran in a total of nine tries with wingers Matt Jess and Marc Dibble scoring a brace each. Other scores came from lock Bryn Jenkins, centre Steve Perry, replacements Ryan Westren, Barry Chapman and Andy Birkett with referee Mr Parker-Sedgemore giving a penalty try in favour of the Blacks. Conversions were kicked by Jon Fabian, Stuart Alred and Mark Scrivener.

Launceston complete their preperations of their league campaign this Friday evening when they take on former Heineken Cup winners Bath at Polson with a 7-00pm kick-off.

National League 2 Redruth entertained Clifton at the Recreation Ground running out comfortable winners by 38 - 7. Rob Thirlby was once again in try scoring mood with two to add to the three he scored at Exeter the Saturday before. Brother Paul also got on the scoresheet with a try and four conversions. The Reds other tries came from No8 Fale Seve, hooker Glen Cooper and winger Lewis Vinnicombe.

Redruth’s Development XV lost to St. Ives on Sunday 17-15, Simon Peters and Jason Pengilly scored tries for Redruth whilst Josh Stevens and Rob Lowe scored for the Hakes.

In an entertaining game down at the Mennaye Field, Penzance, Mount’s Bay beat another Welsh Premiership side Cardiff 9 - 8 with Lee Jarvis kicking three penalty goals for the National League 3 South side.

France completed a pre Rugby World Cup double over the outgoing World Champions England down in Marseille by 22 - 9. France scored just the one try this week through their Toulouse centre Yannick Jauzion. Of concern to England was the injury sustained to their skipper Phil Vickery. I am sure we all wish Phil well to be fit for England’s opening game against the USA Eagles.

CORNISH ALL BLACKS 12 - 16 NEWPORT GWENT DRAGONS

A report in the link from the Western Morning News on last night’s pre-season friendly at Polson Bridge.

The build up to the new National League season continued on Saturday with two of our Cornish clubs in action across the border in Devon.

National League 2 side Redruth travelled to Exeter’s Sandy Park to play the Chiefs taking up also a Development XV to face an Exeter United XV. Whilst the Development XV lost by 78 - 5, the Red’s first XV gave the Chiefs a run for their money losing to the National League 1 outfit by 38 - 19. Rob Thirlby scored three tries for the Reds with debutant fly-half Gareth Griffiths kicking a couple of conversions. An encouraging effort by Redruth and one which will please coach Nigel Hambly although he will be the first to admit that there is still much to be done before the opening game at Nuneaton on Sunday 2nd September notably the lineout. Redruth are back in action on Saturday when they entertain Clifton at the Recreation Ground 3pm.

The Cornish All Blacks were at Newton Abbot winning 34 - 25. Jon Fabian (2), Tom Rawlings, Jake Murphy, Tony Roques and Barry Chapman all scored tries for the Cornish All Blacks. A good runout before they step up a gear on Tuesday evening when they entertain Celtic League side the Newport Gwent Dragons at Polson Bridge kick-off at 7pm.

The Dragons will be based at Tremough, Penryn for their Cornish visit and will be conducting training sessions on Penryn’s Memorial Ground this Thursday with the Borough’s youngsters and first team squad. Saturday the Dragons round off their Cornish visit with a game against the Cornish Pirates at Camborne kick-off 5pm. 

Mount’s Bay were due to play neighbours St. Ives however the Hakes were unable to field a front row and the game was called off. Mount’s Bay hope to be in action during the week at Helston on Tuesday evening, before they take on Welsh Premiership side Cardiff at the Mennaye on Saturday afternoon at 3pm.

England played their second warm up match for the Rugby World Cup taking on host nation France at Twickenham. After the euphoria of the big win against Wales the previous weekend England came back to earth losing to France by 21-15, the Frenchmen scored two tries through veteran lock Fabien Pelous who was equalling Philippe Sella’s 111 cap record for France and Sale Sharks talisman forward Sebastien Chabal. The game also saw the re-introduction of fly-half Frederic Michalak after a long injury lay-off during the second half. For England Cornishmen Olly Barkley kicked four penalty goals whilst skipper Phil Vickerey came on during the final quarter. England travel to the Stade Velodrome in Marseille for a rematch this Saturday evening. Both players have made coach Brian Ashton’s final 30 for the Rugby World Cup RFU link

EXETER CHIEFS 38 - 19 REDRUTH 

NEWTON ABBOT 24 - 39 CORNISH ALL BLACKS

CORNISH PIRATES 28 - 57 LEICESTER TIGERS

The waiting is almost over with the first pre-season friendly being played tomorrow afternoon at the Recreation Ground when the Cornish Pirates entertain Leicester with a 4 pm kick-off.

It will be a chance to see at first hand some of Jim McKay’s new recruits for this season’s campaign. Both sides will be hampered with enforced absences with players away preparing for the Rugby World Cup which stars five weeks today.

Squads for tomorrow’s match.

Cornish Pirates: J Beardshaw, S Betty, R Bolt, P Cook, T Cowley, B Cumming, D Dawiduik, P Devlin, R Elloway, E Gesinde, S Heard, S Hobson, R McAtee, J Moore, I Motusaga, S Parsons, A Paver, D Seal, G Steenson, B Tuohy, S Whatling, J Williams, E Williamson, S Winn, A Winnan.

Leicester Tigers (from): L Abraham, R Blaze, P Burke, M Cornwell, J Crane, T Croft, M Davies, B Deacon, L Deacon, A Erinle, O Finegan, A Goode, B Herring, G Hickie, I Humphreys, B Kayser, A Moreno, F Murphy, J Murphy, B Pienaar, M Smith, O Smith, B Stankovich, T Varndell, S Vesty, M Wentzel, J White, D Young, B Youngs, T Youngs. 

The referee is Mr Tony Spreadbury so that in itself will prove to be very entertaining!

Good to see that the RFU have at last published the England Counties squad for the forthcoming FIRA-AER Tournament in SW France, confirming the participation of the Redruth club’s front row of Darren Jacques, Glenn Cooper and Peter Joyce.

There have been some minor changes to the match venues from my previous posting;

The England Counties XV itinerary is:

September 6: England v Russia in Fleurance, Gers (17.00);

September 10: England v Spain in Morlaas, Bearn (17.00);

September 13: England v France Amateurs in Saint-Paul Les Dax, Landes (18.00).