The Cornish Pirates wrapped up their home Championship program going down to promotion favourites Worcester Warriors 69-8.
The Warriors ran in ten tries in a comprehensive win, which shows the gap facing the Pirates’ at the moment.
People will point to the win against Bristol and to a degree they have a point, there were however extenuating reason for that performance fuelled by some unwise comments in the Bristol camp pre-match.
Lee Hall’s match report in the link for WMN
The Pirates wind up their season next Saturday with a trip to Leeds to play Yorkshire Carnegie looking for a 6th place finish.
Focus is now on next season and it was good to hear this week of the signing of scrum-half Alex Day from Northampton Saints. Day, who turned 22 this week, was a member of the England Under 20 side that won the World Championship in Vannes two seasons ago.
Plymouth Albion’s fate was sealed yesterday as they lost 29-0 at Moseley.
Sad to see the Devon side slip into National League 1 next season, it remains to be seen what impact their relegation will have with players being loaned out from Championship sides. No doubt Redruth and Launceston will watch developments keenly.
I am sure that this time last season Plymouth Albion supporters will have thought that their side was too good for relegation, food for thought!
Battling Lydney proved too hot for a depleted Redruth as the home side ran out winners 29-17 to keep their survival hopes alive in National League 2 South.
Lydney will be hoping that the Reds can do them a favour next Saturday in defeating Southend and denying them any points, whilst a bonus point win at Shelford would see them safe.
Ed Bawden’s WMN match report in the link
The Cornish All Blacks succumbed at Polson to play-off chasing Taunton 30-19, however the Cidermen will rely on a heroic effort from the All Blacks at Bishop’s Stortford to deny the Essex side a play-off berth.
Suzanne Cleave’s match report from the WMN
Launceston remain 3 points ahead of Redruth so next Saturday will settle a mid-table finish bragging rights!
The Tribute regional leagues were wrapped up yesterday. In South West 1 West, Cleve have long been crowned Champions with Ivybridge as runners-up and facing a play-off against South West 1 East runners-up Towcestrians next Saturday.
Camborne’s defeat at North Petherton 52-26 sees them finish the season in a disappointing 6th position, a far-cry from the hopes and aspirations of head-coach Liam Chapple. The injury list at the club has not helped at all but nevertheless hopes had been high of a better performance this season. Next season Camborne will be Cornwall’s sole representatives at this level with their nearest opposition being potentially Bideford and Teignmouth!
St. Austell’s two season stay at this level ended with defeat at Bridgwater 31-14. They will look to re-group next season in Western Counties West. Before that they will be hoping to land their first Tribute Cornwall Cup against Camborne at Truro on Monday 4th May.
In Tribute Western Counties West, Truro pulled off a good win at play-off bound Kingsbridge 27-25. Mark Carlyon, Theo Gayton and a penalty-try converted by Jake Champion who also landed the other two conversions and two penalties made up the Truro haul. A good finish for Truro who end up the top Cornish side finishing fourth. That said both coaches Josh Lord and Mark Richards will be disappointed that they weren’t stronger contenders in the promotion battle.
Wadebridge Camels finished a good fifth after a poor start to the league campaign blew away any hopes of an immediate return to South West 1 West. They finished the campaign going down to Exeter University 44-15, a side, who in the final analysis ended up losing the most with their massive points deduction.
Penryn will feel disappointed not finishing higher than eleventh and they will hope to climb the table next season under a new coaching regime. For the record Borough slipped to a 37-28 defeat at Sidmouth in their final game.
It’s been a torrid season for St. Ives as they finished bottom of the table. A 52-0 loss at Devonport Services in their final game pretty much summed up their season. Hopefully the Hakes can re-build next season in the Cornwall & Devon League.
The Tribute Cornwall & Devon League had it’s grand finale yesterday when the top two sides played at Crediton. The home side defeated Saltash 23-12 to claim the title. Both sides were already assured of promotion to Western Counties West next term.
Pirates Amateurs ended up in fourth following a 48-36 win at Exeter Saracens.
Falmouth’s win at home to Paignton 32-17 saw them finish sixth. Tom Spiller, Ashley Searle, James Dobson and Alex Sutheridge all crossed for tries in the bonus point win.
Bude also finished on a high beating relegated South Molton 35-24. The Seasiders ended up seventh.
Bodmin, in their first season at this level, finished a very respectable eighth following their 26-22 win over early pace-setters Withycombe.
Hayle ended up ninth, perhaps a final placing that is a little disappointing but they ended on a high defeating OPMs 64-19.
Liskeard-Looe’s brief stay at this level ended with conceding their game at Honiton.
A mention for St. Columbia & Torpoint who ended up third in Devon 1.
The Tribute Cornwall Clubs Cup final will be between Lanner and Veor. Lanner defeated last season’s finalists Perranporth 16-8 at Ponsmere Valley, whilst Veor, who last won the cup in 2013, beat Illogan Park 23-16 at Paynters Lane.
For Lanner, only re-formed this season, it will be a first appearance in a Clubs Cup Final.
The Cornwall Cups Finals will be held at Truro RFC on Monday 4th May. The Clubs Cup final will kick-off at 1:30 pm, whilst the Senior Final will kick-off at 4:00 pm.
Congratulations to Camborne Colts and to Saltash Colts who will play in the final of the Colts Knock Out Cup on Friday evening at Wadebridge.
Next Saturday in the promotions play-offs sees Veor host Plymstock Albion Oaks for a place in the Cornwall & Devon League next season, whilst in the South East London Cornish travel to Medway RFC looking for a place in London 1 South next season.
