In preperation for their forthcoming County Shield campaign the CRFU took a squad of players to Brittany for a squad session and to play a friendly against a RC Quimperois XV, at Quimper’s Coat Ligavan ground.
It was good to see the team make the trip to Brittany, an idea mooted a few season’s ago and no doubt re-enforced by the trip made last season by the Bolingy Barbarians who played a veterans match in Quimper. Rugby in Brittany is on the march and improving as each season goes by with RC Vannes being the highest placed Breton club within the FFR’s league structure playing this season in Federale 1, level 3 in France, and looking likely to hold on to this level as I write this article.
The game played on the Saturday was not the most important sporting event in Quimper that day as the Tour du Finistere cycle race also took place on the same day, so Cornwall had to play second fiddle.
It took Cornwall a good 40 minutes to gell as a team by which time they trailled 5-0 to an early try by winger Franck Kersall following a fine break from inside centre Anthony Niclas. It could have been worse as Quimper knocked the ball forward with the line begging. Cornwall also had to adapt to the local variations to the rules played at that level in France especially in the scrummaging where you are only allowed to push for 1.5 meters and not at all once the ball has been won, also tap tackling is not allowed.
During the second half coach Joff Rowe made a few changes as Cornwall began to take a hold up-front and their superior fitness began to tell. Hooker Darren Semmens was able to drive over twice to score fine tries for Cornwall with veteran fly-half Ian Morgan kicking a conversion and two penalties to give Cornwall an 18-5 win.
It would be very good to see relations between Cornwall and Quimper continue on the rugby front, it is to be hoped that Quimper will be in a position to make a trip to Cornwall for a return fixture at some stage. The standard that Quimper play at is probably around SW1/SW2 West level, so a good level of rugby locally.
Cornwall: J. Parma (Camborne), O. Faulkner (Mount’s Bay), R. Ley (Camborne), G Thirlby (St Ives), N Corin (St Ives), I. Morgan (Penryn), B. Keary (Mount’s Bay); T Stevens (St Ives), D Semmens, D. Clackworthy (both Mount’s Bay), B. Jenkin (Plymouth Alb), B. Hilton (Mount’s Bay, capt), L Stevens (St Ives), I. Boase (St.Ives), T. Outram (Mount’s Bay).
Replacements (all used): T. Hurdwell (St Ives/Launceston), J. Wilce (Wadebridge Camels), S, Turnbull (St Ives), K. Martin (St Ives), J. Lawrence (Brixham), B.Collings (Launceston), G Corin (St Ives), M. Woolcock (Camborne).
RC Quimperois XV that played Cornwall. Note Plouzané is a Fédérale 3 club, same level as Quimper, from the Brest area.
1: LABY Cédric (Plouzané)
2: GOALEN Jérémy (Quimper)
3: VIEGAS Henrique (Quimper)
4: ANDRE Jean-Marie (Quimper)
5: LE LAY Tanguy (Quimper)
6: ANDRIEUX Anthony (Plouzané)
7:TROALEN Bertrand (Quimper)
8: ANDRO Gurwan (Quimper)
9: YVINOU Thomas (Quimper)
10: DONNART Erwan (Quimper)
11:KERSALL Franck (Quimper)
12: NICLAS Anthony (Quimper)
13: HERBERT Jérémy (Quimper)
14: QUEFFELEC Fabien (Quimper)
15: TALLEC Morgan (Quimper)
16: PUECH Vincent (Quimper)
17:BOTHEREL Eric (Plouzané)
18:DILASSER (Plouzané)
19: PELTIER Julien (Quimper)
20: GARZUEL Yann (Quimper)
21:GUIVARCH François (Quimper)
22:ANDRIEUX Jérome (Plouzané)
Referee Kevin Bastard, only 18 years of age and one of the best young referees in France.