The Cornish All Blacks secured their quarter-final berth with a ten try romp over National League side Blackheath winning 61-15. The Monday draw at Twickenham has given them a tough assignment as they must travel to inform Nottingham on the 23rd of February.
Three players scored a brace of tries, Ryan Westren, Matt Jess and Sam Alford with Marc Dibble, Wayne Sprangle, Tom Rawlings and Josh Lord also getting on the scoreboard. Jon Fabian kicked four conversions and a penalty.
If the Cornish All Blacks can take this current form into their next league matches then they will be in with a chance of staving off relegation.
The only other “National” cup match was in the Junior Vase where Cornwall’s last represenatives in the competition St. Austell went out at Chiswick by 40-7.
There were a few catch up league matches with the most notable being in Western Counties West with Wadebridge Camels taking on Sidmouth, the Camels maintained their current un-beaten home league record with a last gasp try by Tom O’Donnell to earn a 13-13 draw. Alisdair MacLennan scored the other points for the Camels with a try and a penalty.
Penryn were once more well-beaten this by Tiverton at the Memorial Ground 37-8.
Hayle had a survival battle with fellow strugglers Devonport Services, which ended in a draw 15-15. Richard Spear and James Jago scored tries for the Lions with Adam Keverne kicking a penalty and conversion.
In the Cornwall & Devon league, Falmouth had a fine win over Wessex 40-0, with winger Darren Pellow scoring a hat-trick of tries.
So much for my attempts to predict the 6 Nations result from last weekend. Wales laid to rest their 20 year wait for a win at Twickenham with remarkable comeback to win 26-19 over a lackluster England during the second half. Trailing 19-6 with a little more than a quarter of the game remaining, the Twickenham crowd were silenced by stirring Welsh recovery aided by a complete English capitulation! The selection for Sunday’s match in Rome will be very interesting from an English point of view.
Ireland only just did enough at Croke Park to beat a spirited though limited Italian side 16-11.
And so to the game on Sunday were France showed glimpses of promise with a deserved win over a disappointing Scotland 27-6. The new caps played very well and I for one was impressed with the Montpellier fly-half Francois Trinh-Duc showing a willingness to run with the ball that has been sadly lacking from recent French sides.
So on to this weekend’s predictions;
Wales vs. Scotland, Wales to carry on in front of their home crowd, though I expect Scotland to play much better, Wales to win 24-14
France vs. Ireland, I expect France to motor at the Stade de France 32 – 10.
Italy vs. England, if England play like they did in the second half against Wales then they will lose to Italy, that thought alone should spur them on to a narrow win 17-12 to England.
