The first full Saturday of the league rugby season brought a mixed bag for Cornish sides. Camborne and Redruth both won on the road, St Austell edged their Regional 1 opener at home, and Penzance & Newlyn ran up a big score, while the Cornish Pirates and Launceston came away from Coventry and Trowbridge with defeats.
The Championship
Coventry 73 - 40 Cornish Pirates. After winning their opener 45-19 against Doncaster Knights, the Pirates were beaten at Coventry despite a lively first half. Scrum-half Dan Hiscocks opened the scoring for the second week running, and Milo Hallam, Alessandro Heaney and Harry Ascherl also crossed before the break, leaving them 33-26 behind at half-time. Coventry then ran in six more tries after the restart, with Jack Reeves and Jordon Poole each grabbing two in total, while fly-half Bruce Houston, a former Pirate, landed nine conversions. Replacements Matt Pritchard and Jamie Clark scored late tries for the visitors, with Arwel Robson kicking five conversions. Joint head coach Gavin Cattle pointed to two yellow cards as the turning point.
National League 1
Sheffield 24 - 26 Camborne. Camborne made it three away wins in a row in National League 1, edging a tight game at a Sheffield side who had been unbeaten for almost two years. Harry Larkins scored the opener, and after the hosts twice moved ahead, hooker Ben Priddey scored twice to keep Camborne in touch, with full-back Frankie Nowell also crossing. Fly-half Fraser Honey landed three conversions, the last of them to level the scores at 24-24, and Camborne held on for the two-point win.
National League 2 West
Exeter University 19 - 34 Redruth. Redruth stayed top of National League 2 West with a bonus-point win at Exeter University. Tom Cowan-Dickie scored a hat-trick of tries, with Rob Baragwanath, Sam Bray and Jarrold Hambly also crossing, and Joe Cummins kicked two conversions. Redruth led 22-7 at half-time, and Exeter’s three tries, two of them from full-back Billy Benson, made the final margin look closer than the game was. Taunton are next at the Rec.
Regional 1 Tribute Ale South West
St. Austell 19 - 15 Chew Valley. St Austell were 14-0 up inside 12 minutes thanks to early converted tries from Max Bullen and Charlie Nicholson. Cam Taylor added a third try, and although Chew Valley, through Max Dorrington and Harry Stride, pulled back to within four points, the Saints defended stoutly to hold on.
Trowbridge 33 - 28 Launceston. Launceston lost their league opener in a five-point game at Trowbridge that was reported as a game of two halves.
Regional 2 Tribute Ale South West
North Petherton 27 - 19 Wadebridge Camels. Wadebridge were beaten by eight points on the road.
Penzance & Newlyn 62 - 7 Teignmouth. The Mennaye hosted ten home tries in a season opener that was all one way. Callum Walsh, Sam Carter and Wes Eddy each scored twice, with John Stevens, Dan Rhys Evans, Harvey Stone and Rhys Brownfield also crossing, and Brownfield kicked six conversions. They led 31-7 at the break, and full-back Evans took the man-of-the-match award. Faolan Lidstone got Teignmouth’s try.
Counties 1 Tribute Ale Western West
Camborne II 29 - 10 Saltash; Redruth II 29 - 29 Devonport Services II; St. Ives 14 - 22 Paignton; Truro 15 - 22 Kingsbridge.
Counties 1 Surrey/Sussex
London Cornish 37 - 27 Old Caterhamians.
Counties 2 Tribute Ale Cornwall
Bude began the new campaign in flying style with a 64 - 5 win over St. Austell II. The other results: Launceston II 31 - 33 Liskeard-Looe; Perranporth 34 - 35 Penryn; St. Agnes 28 - 18 Newquay Hornets; St. Just 38 - 19 Falmouth; Wadebridge Camels II 13 - 39 Helston.
Counties 3 Tribute Ale Cornwall
Camborne School of Mines were awarded a home walkover against Bude II; Helston II 0 - 16 Penzance & Newlyn II; Illogan Park 17 - 29 Veor; Lankelly-Fowey 36 - 24 Hayle; Roseland 75 - 14 Falmouth II; Saltash II 57 - 38 Redruth Albany; St. Ives II 26 - 10 Bodmin.
Women’s rugby (Sunday)
Championship South West 2: Newbury Women 72 - 19 Launceston Ladies. NC 1 South West (West): Penryn Ladies 46 - 5 Paignton Ladies. NC 2 South West (West): Bude Ladies 5 - 20 Truro Women; Devonport Services Ladies 17 - 0 Camborne Women. NC 3 South West (West): Plymouth Argaum Women 12 - 15 Falmouth Women; St. Austell Ladies 53 - 10 Plymouth Albion Ladies; Helston Women 24 - 5 Wadebridge Camels Women.
Full fixtures and results are on our Full Cornish page.
Scores from englandrugby.com and trelawnysarmy.org/full-cornish. Match colour from the Cornish Pirates website (cornish-pirates.com), CornishStuff, the Camborne and Redruth club websites, St Austell RFC’s club website, the Cornish Times and The Post.
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