Cornwall looking to break Herts
By Bill Hooper
Cornwall go into their second Bill Beaumont Cup group game this Saturday buoyed by an opening day win at Kent.
Hertfordshire, last season’s finalists in the Cup, will also travel to Redruth in good heart having scored a bonus point win at Hampshire 29-20.
However, the defeat against Hertfordshire in the final pool game last season 50-0, and it’s something the Cornwall team would like to set the record straight.
Both sides will look very different from the teams that lined up last May with both counties fielding players in their first season of Championship rugby.
Ahead of last night’s busy training session at Redruth I spoke with both Graham Dawe and Marek Churcher. Dawe said. “I haven’t gone into too much analysis since Saturday, I think my initial assessment on the game is about right. These lads know how to play rugby, Ben Hilton is a fine leader. We might need to add a little experience to the side this Saturday, a little more leadership in certain areas and continue to fine tune our game.
“We need to make sure we are on the same wavelength as the referee this week, a few times last week we had to challenge his interpretation but at the same time he’s got to be your best friend!
Dawe also has no worries about last season’s result up there. “I was proud of the players that went up there last season and did a job in difficult circumstances. Saturday is another game, we can’t influence the past but we can the future, that’s all I am interested in.”
There were certainly a few experienced heads helping out at training last night, apart from Craig Williams and Edd Pascoe, Mike Rawlings and Dan Sanderson all assisted and participated in the session along with squad players Declan Matthews, Aaron Simmonds and Andrius Zacharovas.
Matt Shepherd comes into the side at full back whilst Kyle Speare comes in on the wing with both Rhys Brownfield and Dean Bonds reverting to the bench in the only two changes to the starting XV from Kent.
On the bench Craig Williams and Edd Pascoe come in replacing Charlie Nicholson and Rupert Edwards, whilst Taron Peacock is unlucky as is Edwards to miss out.
Marek Churcher said. “I was really pleased with our performance up at Kent, it would have been nice to have got the bonus point, but having said that to see the guys come together as team so quickly was the big plus. I thought Dan Job was outstanding last week and shows what talent there is playing further down the leagues in Cornwall.
“We are looking forward to playing at Redruth on Saturday in front of a big crowd getting behind the lads.”
Cornwall Team to play Hertfordshire Saturday 11th May
15 Matt Shepherd (Plymouth Albion)
14 Kyle Speare (Bude)
13 Jack Simmons (Redruth)
12 Jon Dawe (Plymouth Albion)
11 Alex Ducker (Camborne)
10 Fraser Honey (Plymouth Albion)
9 Jack Oulton (Redruth)
1 Dan Job (Lanner)
2 Rob Elloway (St. Ives)
3 Jess Tompsett (Redruth)
4 Ben Hilton (Capt) (Barnstaple)
5 Tony Whittle (Camborne)
6 Grant Randlesome (Penryn)
7 Sam Stevens (Redruth)
8 Brad Howe (Redruth)
16 Matt Ballard (Wadebridge Camels)
17 Craig Williams (Redruth)
18 George Jones (Penryn)
19 Edd Pascoe (Redruth)
20 Rhys Brownfield (Camborne)
21 Dean Bonds (Redruth)
22 Richie Kevern (Redruth)
Reserves: Rupert Edwards (Wadebridge Camels), Andruis Zacharovas, Taron Peacock (both Camborne)
Head coach: Graham Dawe
Backs coach: Marek Churcher
Hertfordshire released their side Friday lunchtime, here it is.
HERTFORDSHIRE
15. Josh Rudling (Northumbria Uni)
14. Alex Ricci (Old Albanians)
13. Kyle Lemon (Hertford)
12. Richard Streets (Hertford)
11. Sam Barnes (Tring)
10. Sam Cappaert (Bishop’s Stortford)
9. Mike Sargent (Hertford)
1. Ben Harrison-Price (Bishop’s Stortford)
2. Mike Bond (Old Albanians)
3. Jack Flanagan (Tring)
4. Rob Conquest (Cambridge) (Capt)
5. Harry Green (Tring)
6. Nick Radley (Tring)
7. Harry McCartney (Tring)
8. Chris West (Harrow).
Replacements;
16. Tim Matthew (Hertford)
17. Douglas McGregor-Smith (Fullerians)
18. Oscar Nicholson (Tring)
19. Josh Milton (Welwyn)
20. Jack Elston (Hertford)
21. Ben Creasey (Bishop’s Stortford)
22. Iwan Dawes (Hertford)