Bill Hooper’s Cornish Roundup

Ever since Redruth’s win at the Recreation Ground against the Cornish All Blacks back in October, the Polson faithfull have been waiting the return fixture to make amends, and in fine style to with an impressive 19-8 win over their old rivals from down the A.30.

A spectacle of running rugby it was not, yet it was full of passion, pride and toil and played for the most part in good spirit, both on and off the pitch! You can read my full match report on the main site via the link here.

Mount’s Bay suffered another defeat at the Mennaye at the hands of high flyers Cambridge with all the scoring completed in the first half at 28-3. It’s been a tough week for Mount’s Bay with news that the “credit crunch” has hit the Penzance club hard. They however been given some good fortune when the news came through that Esher who had defeated Bay at the Mennaye in the 4th round of the National Trophy had been thrown out of the competition for fielding an ineligable player, thus handing them a plum home tie in the 5th round at home to London Scottish.

Sunday afternoon saw the Cornish Pirates take on bottom side Manchester in National League 1. The Camborne pitch it has to be said is not at it’s best at present, especially with all the bad weather we have had in recent days. It made goal kicking a lottery, with not one kick at goal succeding. All the points came from tries with the Pirates running out winners 25-10. For the Pirates tries were scored by Rhodri McAtee, Brian Tuohy(the pick of the bunch), Iva Motusaga, Marika Vakacegu and recent signing Blair Cowan. In truth it wasn’t a five star performance and the Cornish Pirates looked to be playing well within their capabilities. They will miss McAtee and Tuohy when they both go off on 7’s duty with Wales and Ireland respectivley. Hopefully a few players will be back soon, I spoke to Bertrand Bedes before the game and he is resuming training this week and is raring to get back playing as soon as possible. Allez Bertrand!

The presentation last Monday in Penzance for the fund raising via the supporters for the Cornish Pirates went well with one piece of news to emerge that Chris Stirling will be returing to the club in the new role of High Performance Manager on a 2 year contract.

In the regional Tribute leagues, in South West 2 West, a good win for St. Ives who are comming good once again. Visitors St. Mary’s Old Boys were out to the sword 52-3. Will Dirksen maintained his fine scoring record with another couple of tries, with Kyle Armstrong, former Red, Craig Williams, Ben Taylor, Hino Robin and Karl Martin all crossing for the Hakes. Martin added seven conversions and a penalty to complete the rout.

It wasn’t a good day for Cornish clubs in Western Counties West with all four sides losing. In the battle between second and third, Kingsbridge got the better of Wadebridge Camels 13-10, a late drop goal giving the South Devon side the win.

League leaders Cullompton defeated Newquay Hornets 27-14 to maintain their top spot. Rob Ley scoring the Hornets try with Sam Cullen kicked three penalties.

Bude played the other Hornets (Weston), losing once more 39-17. Will Kingdom and Martin Green scored tries for Bude with Ollie Raynor converting both scores and a penalty.

Camborne’s poor season continues and the prospect of relegation looms as a real possibility! They lost for the eigth time this campaign the latest reversal at home to Devonport Services 27-23. Nigel Endean and Andrew Notman scored tries for the Town, both converted by Dave Mankee who also added three penalties.

After their Senior Vase exit last week, London Cornish hoped to bounce back in the league at home to Winchester in London 3 SW, instead they lost 14-11. DoR Dickon Moon’s report will be in the link.

Better news from the Cornwall & Devon league where leaders Penryn bounced back from defeat at Bideford to win at previously second placed Okehampton 15-14. A late try from Chris Mann sealed a great comeback from 14-0 down at half-time. Mann scored the Borough’s opening try as well with Darren Pellow also touching down.

Truro move up to second after a big win at home to Plymstock, 67-3. Tim Gay scored a hat-tick of tries with Mark Lea and Matt Trevail each scoring a brace. Other scores came from Ross Martin, Michael Patterson, Justin Irons and Scott Martin.

Hayle lost at home to Crediton 11-3, Paul Lello kicking a penalty for the Lions.

Saltash completed a league double over Falmouth to register only their second win of the season 26-8.

The CORNISH PIRATES did the buisness on Sunday afternoon at Camborne safely dispatching National League 2 side Southend 24 - 0 to advance into today’s 5th Rd EDF-Energy National trophy draw at HQ. Tries by TASC’s Cornwall U,20 player for 2008 prop Paul Andrew, who yesterday made his senior debut for the Pirates, Iva Motusaga, Nicky Griffiths and Rhodri McAtee saw the Pirates home in difficult playing conditions, Jimmy Moore added a couple of conversions. Good to see club skipper Addy Winnan make a welcome return after injury also a debut for young Kiwi flanker Blair Cowan who signed this week from Wellington.

All eyes and ears will be on tonight’s EGM at the St. John’s Hall in Penzance when Dicky Evans will outline the funding package for next season to members.

NATIONAL TROPHY 5TH RD DRAW, NOTTINGHAM V CORNISH PIRATES

Not such good news for the two other Cornish clubs who played in the 4th Rd. The Cornish All Blacks lost their tough tie at home to Birmingham & Solihull 15-10 after extra time. No. 8 Sam Hocking, TASC’s player of the year in 2008, opened the scoring with a try in the first half. The visitors levelled in the second half before Ryan Westren put the All Blacks ahead once more, before the Bees levelled again before nicking the tie with a third try in extra-time.

The result was more clear cut at the Mennaye were National League 1 side Esher proved too powerfull for Mount’s Bay running out comfortable 43- 5 winners, Mike Molloy scoing Bay’s only try near the end.

Cornish representation ended in the EDF-Energy Senior vase as both Camborne and London Cornish bowed out at the 5th Rd stage. Camborne found Western Counties West league leaders Cullompton too hot to handle losing 28 - 9. Dave Mankee kicked three penalties for the Cherry & Whites. London Cornish lost to Trojans 16 - 0, a side who play in league below them.

Better news in the EDF-Energy Junior Vase 6th Rd where both Cornish sides still in the competition progressed. Liskeard & Looe defeated Gloucester 2 side Bream 16 - 0, whilst St. Austell defeated Gloucester 1 Chipping Sodbury 28 - 13.

There was also local cup rugby with a 1st Rd tie in the Skinners Brewery Cornwall Cup where St. Ives knocked out the holders Wadebridge Camels 42 - 0, scoring six tries, to avenge a 50-13 defeat to the Camels last season in the same competition.

There were also two Skinners Brewery Cornwall clubs cup quarter-finals played at the weekend with Helston defeating Lankelly-Fowey 11-10 and Stithians defeating Veor 25-17.

One game played in the Tribute Western Counties West league involving Cornish clubs, as Newquay Hornets travelled to Bude and won a close game 7-5. Sam Cullen scored and converted his own try for the Hornets, whilst Ollie Mounce got a try for Bude.

In the Tribute Cornwall & Devon League, leaders Penryn travelled to Bideford only to lose 17 - 13. Syd Savaas scored a try for the Borough. which Taron Peacock converted, Peacock also added a penalty and Marek Churcher a drop-goal.

Truro fared little better at Tavistock were they lost 17 - 10 scoring a couple of tries through Chris Gilbert and Tim Gay.

In retrospect perhaps the cold snap should have contined a little while longer as all three of our National League clubs involved in action over the weekend lost!

Wharfedale’s last gasp win at Redruth on Saturday has opened up the National League 2 title chase once again. The Dalesman 15-14 win was a deserved victory, both sides came to play rugby, sadly for Redruth they gave an error-strewn performance, though I do feel that Redruth’s head coach is a little hard on himself shouldering the blame in his post match comments after the game. At the end of the day once, the players cross the whitewash it’s up to them to play the game, I feel sure that they will look at their performance and agree it was not one that they will be proud of, and will be keen to put matters right Saturday week up at Polson against the Cornish All Blacks. As Hambly went on to comment it’s only a game of rugby with far worse things happening in the world.

Sadly Hambly’s comments didn’t have to stretch from the world of rugby this weekend as less than 24 hours after Redruth’s defeat, news came across the channel of the sad death of a rugby player in a French Federale 1 game between Cahors and Perigueux. Perigueux’s Tongan back row player Feao Latu, 28 years old, collapsed after 17 minutes of the game from a suspected heart attack. I am sure everyone connected with Cornish rugby will wish to send their condolences to the player’s family and the Perigueux club at this very sad time.

The Cornish All Blacks made the long trip to Tynedale as their game survived a late pitch inspection to go ahead. The northeners as you would expect adapted far better to the conditions to race into a 29-7 half-time lead. The visitors had a Jason Luff try and a Mal Roberts conversion on the board. An early second half penalty by Roberts cut the deficit before they were awarded a penalty try, Roberts adding the extras but that was as close as they got as Tynedale claimed all five points.

On Sunday the Cornish Pirates almost pulled off a win at Meadow Lane against Nottingham with Dicky Evans looking on from the stands. Leading 19-9 with fourteen minutes to go the Pirates coaching team made a triple replacement, which disturbed the balance of the team , allowing Nottingham to score two converted tries to pinch the game 23-19! For the Pirates Rhys Jones kicked four penalties and a conversion whilst scrum-half Nicky Griffiths knicked in for a try.

A very much reduced program in the Tribute regional leagues due to the weather. In South West 2 West, St. Ives went down to another defeat in South Devon losing at Torquay Athletic 24-15, Will Dirksen and Louis Stevens scored tries for the Hake with Karl Martin kicking a conversion and a penalty.

In Western Counties West, just one game involving a Cornish club was played as third placed Wadebridge Camels hosted first placed Cullompton. In a close exciting game the Devon side came out on top 20-5, Rob Hawkey getting the Camels only try.

Only one game in the Cornwall & Devon League played at Falmouth where Hayle won 10-0 with flanker Steve Pointon scoring the Lions’ try with Paul Lello adding the conversion and a penalty.

It was a cold but sunny Saturday afternoon in Camborne for the Pirates first home league match of 2009 and as has been the norm this season it was another one of those rollercoaster afternoons with as many twist and turns in the plot as you find in a good Agatha Christie novel. The press benches were somewhat deserted with it being a Saturday coupled with the call of the FA Cup 3rd Rd, which saw our fellow scribes visiting the Emirates and the not so grandly named Plainmoor. Interesting though with the EDF-Energy National Trophy 4th Rd ties to be played in two weeks time to draw a parallel with soccer and rugby’s take on Cup competitions, a theme that Mark Stevens touched on in today’s Western Morning News. Rugby has struggled with the concept of cup competions at a national level ever since the RFU introduced a National KO Cup competion back in the early 1970’s, in fact the cup wasn’t even a cup, it was a lump of wood with an engraved plaque on it!!! Then of course the Cup got a sponsor, John Player were the first, and a cup. The trouble though was every time a new sponsor came along, they had to have a new cup, so whilst everyone knows that the FA Cup is the FA Cup, no one could remember what the Rugby Cup looked like. This is one of the reasons why Rugby and Cup competions are a complete shambles, you need tradition to build up an image of an event.

I digress, the Cornish Pirates eventually put the disappointment of their heavy defeat up at Exeter Chiefs behind them dispatching Otley 55-13, despite playing most of the match with only 14 men after prop Dan Seal got his marching orders from referee Mr. Knowles after 30 minutes for punching. You can read my match report along with head coach Mark Hewitt’s reactions post match on the main site match reports in the link.

In National League 2 a mixed bag of results, the Cornish All Blacks enjoyed a morale boosting win defeating Waterloo 103 - 5 at Polson scoring 16 tries in total, with loanee signing Jason Luff helping himself to a hat-trick. It is very sad to see a famous club like Waterloo in such dire straits and to see the club hammered like this gives no pleasure to true rugby fans. I hope that the corner can be turned and that the club can re-build once more. In these difficult financial times there are many who will privately think “There but for the grace of God…..”

Redruth made the first of their “long trips” away, to Blaydon and came away with a 13-13 draw, after trailing 13-3, they hit back with tries from Mark Bright and Paul Thirlby to tie the scores, a late drop-goal attempt by Mark Scrivener cannoned off a post, so it could have been all four points ! With many games being postponed, fixture backlogs will do nobody any favours, Redruth stretched their lead at the top by another two points.

Mount’s Bay lost the game they had to win at home to Stourbridge 14-9 to complicate their ever decreasing chances of survival in National League 2, or at this level for next season! With a trip to Birmingham next up and then the visit of Cambridge, January looks like a hard old month for the Bay, not to mention Esher in the Trophy, tough, very tough!

Only one re-arranged game in the Tribute league with St. Ives finally playing Brixham and losing out 16-11 in the South West 2 West encounter.

Two Preliminary Round Skinners Brewrey Cornwall Cup ties played, Falmouth won for the first time this season defeating Saltash 37-19 at the Rec, whilst Hayle defeated Newquay Hornets 13-10 in a tight affair. Falmouth now face Bude and Hayle will entertain Camborne in the 1st Rd proper, other ties will see Truro host Penryn and St. Ives face holders Wadebridge Camels, ties to be played by 18/01/09!

I read in the Rugby Times this week that scrummaging guru Keith Roach has called on Cornishman Phil Vickery to lead the Lions in South Africa. Well after watching the “Raging Bull” in action for Wasps against Harlequins on Sunday I wouldn’t be surprised if Martin Johnson appoints him as England skipper during the 6 Nations and he goes on to lead the Lions, he’s right back to the old Vickery that we have followed through thick and thin over the years.