Report by Bill Hooper, photos Simon Bryant.
Photo – Grant Randlesome in action for Cornwall Development XV earlier this season
Cornwall’s selectors have opted for a mix of the proven and experimental to face Devon in this season’s Tamar Cup fixture at St Austell’s Tregorrick Park next Tuesday evening 26 April, kick-off 7:30 pm.
There are ten players from Redruth in the match-day squad, which is again captained by Kyle Marriott, who lifted the Bill Beaumont Cup at Twickenham last May.
Just two of Graham Dawe’s former players at Plymouth Albion are included for this game: last season’s Trelawny’s Army Player of the Year Matt Shepherd will start on the bench, whilst winger Jon Dawe is included in the starting XV.
Photo – Graham Dawe looking to retain the County title
There are deserved call ups for Penryn’s back row stars Grant Randlesome, who has had a terrific season despite the Borough’s lowly league position, and club skipper George Jones, who has spent most of the season on the sidelines, and has just recently begun playing again but shown good form with limited game time.
The Bude duo of full back Dan Pearce, who has been in fine form this season for the North Cornwall side in their promotion campaign and centre Duncan Tout, a prolific try scorer this season, both fully justify their selection.
Former Redruth player Todd Prisk, who began this season playing in National League 1 playing for Fylde before returning to St. Ives in November, is another young forward with great potential; he was Cornwall Under 20 captain last season.
Fellow Hake and club captain Ben Taylor get a deserved call up on the bench as replacement hooker.
Photo- Camborne’s Richie Kevern a deserved call up
Camborne provide a couple of bench replacements in the shape of lock Ben Kemp and centre Richie Kevern, both of whom have enjoyed an outstanding season in Town’s successful return next season to the National Leagues.
CORNWALL (Redruth unless stated): D Pearce (Bude), L Vinnicombe*, D Tout (Bude), N Webber*, J Dawe (Plymouth Albion), D Mankee, R Friend (Cornish All Blacks); T Cowan-Dickie*, R Brown, C Williams*, T Prisk+ (St. Ives), B Hilton* (Cornish All Blacks), G Randlesome, G Jones (both Penryn), K Marriott (Capt).
Replacements: B Taylor (St. Ives), L Chapman (Cornish All Blacks), P Joyce*, B Kemp (Camborne), BJ Chapman (Taunton), C Fuca, M Shepherd* (Plymouth Albion), S Parsons, R Kevern (Camborne)
*England Counties player
+England Counties U20 player
DEVON (Exmouth unless stated): Charlie Briant (Ivybridge), Tom Goodman (Brixham), Dean Squire (Brixham), Lewis Paterson (Ivybridge), Ollie Rice, Dan Powell, Matt Ryan; Jon Morgan (Ivybridge), Chey Bryce (Brixham), Matt Dowrick (Newton Abbot), Jack Fahy, Dom Lomes (Ivybridge), Dan Williams (Torquay Ath), Wayne Sprangle (Tiverton), Ross Morshead.
Replacements: Isaac Dalton, Nigel Berry, Alex Priest (Bideford), Dean Folland (Bideford), Mark Wathers, George Mears, Olly Wickets (Bideford), Mike Cox (Ivybridge), James Martin.
