Not bad as they say with two wins from two. The Cornish Pirates followed up their opening day win at Nottingham with a convincing 57-24 demolition of Moseley at Camborne on a bright sunny Sunday afternoon. The Pirates had the try scoring bonus point wrapped up after only 17 minutes as they went on to score nine tries in all.

No. 8 Chris Morgan opened the try-fest after only 61 seconds before grabbing his second after 54 minutes. With Wes Davies and Rhys Jones also grabbing a brace each other scores fell to Jimmy Moore, Aisea Havili and Carl Rimmer. Fly-half Jonny Bentley slotted five conversions with Rhys Jones adding a sixth.

Despite being overrun Moseley stuck to their task and were rewarded with a try scoring bonus point of their own with scores from Nathan Bressington, Andrew Borgen, Ryan Wilson and Justin Mensah-Coker, Tristan Roberts adding a couple of conversions.

So a fine start for the Pirates who now turn their attentions to Friday night fixture up at Doncaster Knights, who currently prop up the table after two games. The only major worry for the Pirates is their already lengthy injury list which has now seen club skipper Gavin Cattle added to it!

Derby day action in National League 1 saw Redruth travel to Launceston. A great game of rugby for the spectators as both sides each scored 4 tries as the Cornish All Blacks won 32-26. Both coaches will not have been too happy with their sides defensive performances. The Cornish All Blacks took the game by the scruff-of-the-neck just before half-time, leading 6-0 thanks to a couple of Tony Yapp penalties and the 40 minute mark fast approaching two quick-fire tries scored by the irrepresable Kieron Lewitt both converted by Yapp put the homeside 20-0 and in the driving seat.

Redruth showed great spirit to comeback early in the second half with a try by Craig Bonds, converted by Mark Scrivener. However the All Blacks hit back with a third try from centre Ed Lewsey again converted by Yapp to restore their 20 point margin. Unbowed Redruth scored a couple of tries through Owen Hambly and Lewis Vinnicombe with Scrivener adding just the one conversion to make it 27-19. Under pressure Redruth conceeded a fourth try as Mark Richards attempted clearence was charged down by Sam Hocking, the No. 8 scooping up the ball and scoring. Surprisingly Yapp missed the conversion allowing Redruth to claim a couple of bonus points as Paul Thirlby scored their fourth try with Scrivener converting. A fuller match report can be found in the link.

A good start to the campaign for Launceston with 10 points from 2 games, though a tough test awaits on Saturday when they travel to Richmond to face London Scottish.

Redruth will look to regroup and lick their wounds with serious injuries to both Sam Parsons and Nathan Pedley picked up as they entertain early league leaders Esher at Redruth on Saturday.

In the Tribute regional leagues, in South West 1 West, St. Ives bounced back after their opening day loss at Clevedon to defeat Cullompton at Alexandra Road 30-17 with John Navin and Ben Taylor amongst the try scorers.

In Western Counties West, Newquay Hornets followed up their opening day win over Penryn with a 36-20 win at Tavistock. Hornets scored five tries through Fraser Kellythorne, Luke Bazeley, Rob McIntyre Dan Pearce and Stuart Williams with Sam Cullen kicking the other points.

Camborne also made it two from two with a 12-8 win up at Bude. James Rapson and Dave Roberts scored “Town’s” tries with Dave Mankee adding a conversion. For Bude Matt Trewin scored a try and a penalty.

Wadebridge Camels made up for their opening day reversal at Camborne with an emphatic 63-6 win over Devonport Services on their Molesworth Field ground. Camels scored eleven tries with Rob Hawkey and Dan Briskham both getting a brace. Adam Flide, Richard Treleaven, Matt Ballard, Alisdair MacLennan, Cameron Lees, Matt Angwyn and Ben Collings also crossed for tries.

Penryn got back to winning ways with a 28-12 win over visitors North Petherton. Prop Dan Boothgot a couple of tries with Richard Hambly and Chris Mann also scoring. Peter Gregory bagged all four conversions.

Truro had a nasty shock at home as Kingsbridge underlined their potential with a 48-12 win at St. Clements.

Up in London 2 South West, London Cornish suffered an opening day defeat at home in their league program going down 14-13 to Guildford, Dickon Moon’s match report can be found in the link.

In the Cornwall & Devon League, St. Austell kept up their 100% record with a 33-9 win at home to Liskeard & Looe. Mishak Eisen scoring a couple of tries for the Saints with Ian Venner and Matt Shepherd also scoring. Andy Ashwin kicking the other points. For the Lions Marcus Hill kicked three penalties.

Saltash defeated cross-Tamar rivals OPM’s 28-10 at Moorlands with tries from Richard Skinnard, Kevin Hurrell, Ben Devonport and Morgan Toms.

Falmouth got a good win at home to Plymstock Albion Oaks 34-5 scoring four tries through Steve Instance, Matt Bevans and Steve Roe (2), Matt horton’s boot added the other points.

Finally Stithians, after their horrendous debut at this level last week at Wellington salvaged a creditable home draw with Hayle 10-10 with Martin Strick’s last gasp conversion of Andrew Creedon’s try. Strick had earlier landed a penalty. For Hayle two tries from Scott Powell and the evergreen Adrian Bick.

By tea time on Sunday we will have an idea on how the last few weeks preperations have gone, as all our sides will have completed their opening league encounters, except of course for Cornwall league teams who start their campaign the following weekend along with London Cornish.

Last Saturday saw the Cornish Pirates travel to the Twickenham Stoop to take on troubled Harlequins from the Guinness Premiership, the result an encouraging 47-17 defeat, which bodes well for the forthcomming Championship campaign and the opening day fixture next Sunday at Nottingham. It looks like the Pirates have at long last un-earthed a playmaker at 10, which was cruelly lacking at times last season. Kiwi Jonny Bentley looks to the answer to the Pirates’ prayers. It’s also good to see winger Aisea Havili playing with renewed confidence after the torrid time he endured last season under the old regime. Outscored by 7 tries to 2, Bentley and Havili scoring their tries, the Pirates also have one or two injury doubts as they prepare to travel to Nottingham as centre Steve Winn and lock Ben Guillver suffered injuries during the game.

The Cornish All Blacks played on Friday night up at Taunton winning 20-3. A tough league opening for the Cornish All Blacks as they travel to Cinderford on Saturday.

Redruth had Development fixtures over the weekend against Penryn and Bude as they look to finalise their preparations for Saturday’s opening day fixture against Cambridge, with the trip to the Cornish All blacks the following Saturday and the visit of Esher the weekend after that Redruth’s opening program is challenging to say the least!!! There should be a big crowd on Saturday at the Rec as Redruth look to overturn the result in Cornwall last season when these two sides met. A 1 point win for the Reds will do nicely!

St. Ives have an intersting fixture at Clevedon in Tribute south West 1 West, whilst it’s Cornish derby time already in Tribute Western Counties West as Camborne host Wadebridge Camels and Newquay Hornets take on Penryn with Truro and Bude also in the league there will be no shortage on Cornish derbies to savour in this division this season!

So the waiting is nearly over……..Let battle commence…Good luck to all Cornish clubs this season.

A good sized crowd for the Cornish Pirates one and only pre-season game at Camborne, just under 2,500 saw the new look side crush Welsh Premiership side Cardiff by 60-13 as they let rip during the second half.

A tighter first period saw the visitors take the lead with a try scored by winger Ryan Howells with Gareth Davies adding the extras.The Pirates hit back with a couple of tries before the break from prop Paul Andrew and centre Mark Ireland with fly-half Jonny Bentley adding a conversion and a penalty in reply to Davies’ penalty for a 15-10 lead.

With scrum-half James Doherty forced to leave the field at half-time, Rhodri McAtee slotted in at 9 and once again showed his versitility. Aisea Havili showed great pace as he set up Andrew for his second try. The tries came at regular intervals as Laurie McGlone, Wes Davies (2) and Jimmy Moore (3) all got in on the act with Rhys Jones kicking five conversions. All Cardiff could muster in reply was a second Davies penalty.

Forwards coach Ian Davies was pleased with his side’s first outing “I think we saw the boys express themselves after a really hard pre-season. We looked to play some football, we scored some really good tries from phase playas well as some fron unstructured play. The cohesiveness was certainly there as well, we’ve brought in 14 new guys and 3 new coaches, but it looked like the guys had really, really gelled.”

Next up for the Pirates a trip to the Twickenham Stoop and Guiness Premiership side Harlequins!

Redruth travelled up to the Brickfields for the re-match with Plymouth Albion, who fielded a much changed line up from a week ago. In the end Albion ran out winners 21-7 thanks two late tries from forwards Sean-Michael Stephen and Wayne Sprangle. Kieran Hallett added the other points with the boot. For Redruth former Albion player No.8 Gareth Evans scored a fine first half try, converted by Redruth’s latest recruit Wihan Neethling. Reds head coach Nigel Hambly there was satisfaction and acknowlegment that there is still work to do. “I think the big thing we can take is that our defence was excellent, we were a little bit disappointed with the way we attacked, but when you are trying to put togeather a side for a new season the attack side of things will come later. It’s defence you need to get right first.”

At Polson Bridge a whole day of various entertainment was capped by the Cornish All Blacks first run out with a 48-0 win over Barnstaple. Coach Jon Hill was pleased with his side’s first effort. “We played some really good rugbyin the first-half , but missed quite a few opportunities. The forward confronation was there for all to see, but we ran away with it in the second half as our fitness and skill levels told, our ability to raise the intensity of the game meant we created we created a lot of opportunities.”

I took the opportunity on Sunday to watch Camborne play London Cornish over 4 x 20 minutes. The match was the annual Arthur Hunt Memorial Plate, which the exiles play each season against Cornish opposition. Camborne won the encounter by 24-17. town got off to a fine start in the opening quarter with tries from Dave Mankee and Sam Matavesi both of which Mankee converted. London Cornish gradually fought their way back into the game, scoring a fine try through prop Gibbs with O’Dawes adding the conversion and then a penalty to leave Camborne 14-10 after two quarters. The exiles scored a second try through Rickhall again O’Dawes adding the extras, before Camborne hit back scoring two fine tries through winger Rob Floyd and centre Tom Hinds, to cap a fine display. An entertaining game, no doubt both sides will take plenty of positives as they build for their respective league seasons.

In another pre-season match at St. Ives, the Hakes defeated Liskeard & Looe 68-0.

Having been unable to make Camborne on Saturday evening I had to watch the Pirates game via the web on Pirates TV. This season fans will be able to watch home games live on Pirates TV, if they have paid their £20 / month sub to get this service as part of the overall package as part of the Pirates Crew. For moment it’s on “freeview” as they trial the product, then there will be a 4 week notice period before it becomes “subscription only”. With rugby reporter and BBC radio Cornwall comentator Dick Straughan behind the mic it was an intertesting opening day performance. A few niggles during the first half and some sound quality problems during the game, gives the technos a few problems to iron out before the next performance. Injured winger Paul Devlin played the role of pundit and did a fine job. So overall a very interesting innovation, which is most welcome. Hopefully it will go from strength to strength.

Back at long last after the trials and tribulations of getting my computer back and running after it crashed at the end of June whilst I was on my hols. I suppose I should be grateful that I didn’t have to comment on the Mount’s Bay saga! It’s always sad to see any club fold especially in the way that Bay did, what a ten years it was, Bay had more success than some clubs have had in 100 years. There was an inevitability about the whole affair, really as last season progressed the gut feeling was this will not end well, and so it proved. Hats off to Redruth and the other clubs who tried to salvage the club as well as those loyal Bay sevents who tried to re-launch the club. It is a sad fact that Penzance now has no league rugby to enjoy this season. I very much hope that next season the Pirates Amateurs will rightfully be admitted to the league setup to give the Mennaye and the town of Penzance league rugby once again. I am delighted to hear that Bay’s supporters club “The Boarding Party” are to continue and will carry on attending games not only in Cornwall but up country as well with London Cornish and Caldy already pencilled in, they will be most welcome guests as the season goes on.

So rugby is back and I saw my first game of the season on Saturday as Redruth entertained Plymouth Albion. A good win for the Reds 27-13 against a largely experimental Albion XV. Dawsey was keen to run the rule over new and potential signings. For Redruth under new skipper Darren Jacques it was good to see the new boys fitting in well such as Adryan Winnan, Fraiser Clivred, Gareth Evans and Evo, as well as some of the youngsters getting a taste Tom Duncan and Stuart Crew.

No doubt Albion will roll out the “Chiefs” on Sunday for the re-match at the Brickfields, but it was still nice to put one over Albion!!!

Next Saturday sees the new look Cornish Pirates play their first pre-season match against Welsh Premiership side Cardiff RFC at Camborne with a 5pm kick-off. The following day Camborne entertain London Cornish for the Arthur Hunt Memorial Shield, this should be an entertaining match kick-off is at 12-30pm.

COMETH THE HOUR, COMETH THE MAN, no doubt about it Cornwall’s very own Raging Bull did the buisness at Newlands on Saturday as he captained the British and Irish Lions to an important win over Western Province, just a week before the first test against the Springboks. If Phil Vickery isn’t wearing the No. 3 shirt next week there will be another Cornish uprising that’s for sure!!

Phil’s gone about his buisness in his usual calm manner and has peaked at the right time to stake his claim to be in the starting XV. The lions are comming to the boil just at the right time, next Saturday’s test match is sure to be a cracker.

Well done to Peter Joyce and Owen Hambly who both had a fine tour with England Counties to South Korea and Japan as the Counties won all three matches.

Last Saturday night I watched a great final in the French Top 14 as Perpignan won the famous Bouclier de Brennus for the first time since 1955, beating poor old Clermont Auvergne, once again the bridesmaid as they lost their 10th final!

A famous win for the French today as they beat the New Zealand All Blacks in Dunedin in the 1st test.

Very much a first game of a tour performance is the best you could describe the British & Irish Lions’ opening win of their 2009 tour of South Africa at an almost deserted Stadium in Rustenburg. For 60 minutes the unthinkable was on the cards an opening match loss against a side that will be the weakest opposition on tour. Trailing 25-13 to the Royal Bank XV, the Lions managed to claw their way out of a deep hole, thanks in part to their replacements, which included Cornishman Phil Vickery to finally run out 37-25 winners. Full back Lee Byrne was the pick of the Lions with skipper Paul O’Connell leading by example. Much work to do on the training paddock before their next match against the Golden Lions on Wednesday, they will need to shift up a few gears to win that one for sure!

The various County Championship competitions reached their finales yesterday with the northern counties completing a clean sweep. In the plate final Durham saw off Kent 29-14, whilst at Twickenham in the early kick-off 10 am, Cheshire beat Hertfordshire 30-22 in the Shield final before Lancashire won the Bill Beaumont Cup defeating Cornwall’s conquerors Gloucestershire 32-18 to win the title for an 19th time. Jeff Probyn writes an interesting article in this week’s Rugby Paper that the County game must be run purely for amateurs and that academy players from the professional teams should not be allowed to play. I think he is correct.

The main event in South Africa was of course the final of the Super 14 played in Pretoria, which saw the Blue Bulls thrash Waikato Chiefs 61-17, the gauntlet has been well and truely thrown down to the Lions with a performance like that!!

An England XV lost to the Barbarians at Twickenham 33-26 in an entertaing game whilst over in Canada, Wales defeated their hosts 32-23, with former Pirate Ed Fairhurst scoing one of Canada’s tries.

Next Saturday sees the final of the Top 14 French Championship with Clermont Auvergne playing their 10th final having lost the previous nine against Perpignan who last won the Bouclier de Brennus in 1955. Can USAP make it a Catalan double after Barcelona’s win the Champions League final last Wednesday?? It will be colourful for sure with eurosport 2 showing the game live in the UK from 8pm next Saturday. For the record Clermont beat defending champions Toulouse on Friday night 19-9 in Bordeaux, whilst the following day Perpignan saw off Stade Francais 25-21 in Lyon.

Finally good luck to Redruth’s Peter Joyce and Owen Hambly as they set off today to the Far East with England Counties for their matches in South Korea and Japan. I reckon Joycer would look some smart in one of those Samurai outfits!!!!

Gloucestershire will play the Bill Beaumont Cup Final next week at Twickenham after defeating Cornwall 34-19 at Cinderford on Saturday.

Jaike Carter was the hero for Gloucestershire as he ran in three tries, with Jonny May scoring a fourth for the home side, whilst Birmingham & Solihull fly-half Mark Woodrow kicked all four conversions and a couple of crucial penalties.

For Cornwall Sean Hawkey, Luke Collins and Hano Dirksen all scored tries with Adryan Winnan adding a couple of conversions.

So not to be this season, but a big hand for the Cornish players who have given us a great few weeks. Well done lads you’ve done Cornwall proud.

CORNWALL followed up the fine win over Devon last Saturday with an impressive display against Somerset at Redruth in this season’s Bill Beaumont Cup, winning by 38-0, scoring six tries. Sean Hawkey capped a fine display with a hat-trick of tries, with other scores comming from hooker Owen Hambly, fly-half Lewis Webb and winger Hano Dirksen. Adryan Winnan kicked four conversions in tricky kicking conditions.

Cornwall travel to Cinderford next Saturday to take on Gloucestershire, who face Devon on Sunday at Kingsholm, to decide the Southern Group and who goes on to play the final at Twickenham.

For those in Black & Gold on Saturday afternoon at Plymouth Albion’s splendid Brickfields stadium, it was a day to remember as Cornwall knocked the County Championship kings these past few seasons off their lofty perch. OK granted Devon are not the reigning champions but three wins out of the last five finals is pretty impressive, Cornwall have only got three wins in 125 years of trying!

Head coach Dave “Benji” Thomas has got a magic formula, which tends to get the very best from the players he gathers around him. He gets the boys to “buy into” the Cornwall ethos despite comming from various clubs who as in the case of Redruth and Launceston have been league rivals all season. Cornwall skipper Ryan Westren made a telling remark about the crowd and the atmosphere on Saturday “That was like how I remember the County Championship being when I was a kid. The support was fantastic.”

The players had big smiles on their faces after the match and they were entitled to them after a job well done. Mark Bright. a Kiwi, felt elated after gaining his first Cornwall cap just talkiing to him you could see that mean’t a great deal. Lewis Webb who had a fine game at fly-half admitted to feeling nervous before his first senior apperence for Cornwall and paid tribute to scrum-half Mark Richards who guided him through his first cap. “One and All, Onen hag Oll”, that’s the Cornish motto and that’s the Cornish spirit.

There were some big performances in the Cornish side on Saturday, none less that the man who has been Trelawny’s Army Player of the Year on no less than three occassions, Richard Carroll. Richard led that Cornish pack by example in a commanding performance. In the backs Mal Roberts kicking with that of Richards were key components in our win, but the tackling in mid-field was awesome, skipper Ryan Westren, Paul Thirlby and Lewis Webb put in some big hits to stop the opposition dead, Tom Rawlings was there to putting in the big hits when it mattered.

The Devon match is now history, what counts now is the next match against Somerset on Saturday at Redruth. The boys deserve a big crowd to get behind them and act like a 16th man. It has always been said that the crowd at Redruth is worth a five point start for Cornwall. So let us all do our bit on Saturday and get behind the team and support them as only a Cornish crowd can. It’ll lift the team to greter heights.

To reach a Twickenham final is a marvellous achievement, despite losing Saturday’s EDF-Energy Junior Vase final to Brighton Blues by 32-20, Liskeard /Looe are to be congratulated on a fine season that has seen the club win promotion to the Cornwall & Devon League next season and also win the Lockie Cup. It was a marvellous day out for the fans from the SE Cornwall towns and one that will not be forgotten. You did Cornwall proud.

15. Malcom Roberts (Cornish All Blacks & Army), 14. Willem Dirksen (St. Ives), 13. Ryan Westren (Cornish All Blacks, Captain), 12. Paul Thirlby (Redruth), 11. Sean Hawkey (UWIC & Wadebridge Camels), 10. Lewis Webb (Cornish All Blacks), 9. Mark Richards (Redruth), 1. Darren Jacques (Redruth), 2. Owen Hambly (Redruth), 3. Sam Heard (Unattatched), 4. Luke Collins (Cornish Pirates), 5. Richard Carroll (Unattatched), 6. Sam Hocking (Cornish All Blacks), 7. Tom Rawlings (Cornish All Blacks), 8. Mark Bright (Redruth).

Replacements: 16. David Pascoe (Penryn & Navy), 17. Brett Rule (Redruth), 18. Peter Joyce (Redruth), 19. Damien Cook (Redruth), 20. Chris Fuca (Redruth), 21. Danny Clackworthy (Hayle), 22. Scott Hobson (Bath).

To travel: 23. Jason Bolt (Cornish All Blacks), 24. Ben Hilton (Cornish All Blacks), 25. Steve Kenward (Redruth).