REDRUTH got their season up and running on Saturday with a deserved 38-7 win over Southend who had won their opening two matches.
It’s been a tough few weeks for head coach Ashley Morcom as his side struggled to find form and for the renowned Reds pack to get to grips with the scrum laws.
Also in the run up to the Southend game the fact that two key back row players, Ashley Lawton and Owen Hambly left the club. Lawton has moved on to play for Truro, whilst Hambly has decided to call it a day.
On the plus side No.8 Matt O’Leary has come up from Pirates Amateurs and two players have joined on loan from the Cornish Pirates, both backs, Matt Bodilly and Luke Jones.
All three were in the match day squad to face Southend.
You can read my match report in today’s Western Morning News
in the link.
After the euphoria of their derby win against the Reds last Saturday the Cornish All Blacks came back to earth with a nasty bump away to Canterbury losing 33-25.
The All Blacks were always playing catch-up rugby as they shipped two early tries.
Centre Lewis Paterson (2) and scrum-half Richard Friend scored tries for the visitors with Jake Murphy kicking two conversions as well as a penalty and a drop-goal.
On the plus side, the game saw the return to action of Neilson Webber – following his injury back in June with England Counties in Belgium, also back row Barrie Chapman following his ban which saw him miss the County Final for Cornwall.
In Tribute South West 1 West, Camborne are yet to hit top form as evidenced by their loss last week at Bridgwater; however they had just enough to see off the challenge of Bideford at the Recreation Ground 16-7 to record their second win of the season.
The Cherry & Whites’ only try was scored by full-back Joe Parma, with fly-half Dave Mankee kicking the other points.
St. Austell also have two wins as they defeated Chard 29-10 at Tregorrick Park. Saints ran in five tries for the bonus point win with Matt Shepherd, Ashley Taylor, Curtis Newberry, Ian Venner and Dan Pearce all crossing. Man-of-the-match Shepherd also kicked a couple of conversions.
Wadebridge Camels slipped to defeat at Cleve 37-25. James Grubb scored a try and kicked two penalties and a couple of conversions in a 15 point haul, whilst Jake Grubb and Will Pengelley also crossed for the visitors.
In Tribute Western Counties West, Penryn made it three win on the trot with a 19-13 win over last season’s Cornwall & Devon League Champions Teignmouth. Borough left it late again with Alex Ducker scoring a late try to win the game. Jake Seviour kicked four penalties and the conversion.
Elsewhere it wasn’t such good news for Cornish clubs, St. Ives lost at Alexandra Road 23-21 to Tavistock for a third straight loss. They had a late conversion to tie the scores but sadly for the Hakes the kick was missed. Ben Taylor scored a try and the referee awarded St. Ives a penalty-try, Jacob Ninnis kicked three penalties and a conversion.
Truro lost heavily at Okehampton 39-3. Karl Martin kicked Truro’s only points with a penalty.
Bude also were on the wrong end of a 42-14 loss at Ivybridge. Freddie Saxon scored a try for the Seasiders, whilst Ollie Denford kicked the conversion and another for a penalty-try award.
In London 2 SW, London Cornish won at home against Teddington 47-22. Ben Gilby’s report in the link.
It was a blank day for Cornish clubs in the Cornwall & Devon League, not one win!
Saltash were over-run by Exeter University 103-3 with Max Veneables kicking their only points.
Newquay Hornets’ good start to the season was ended as they lost at the Sports Centre to Tiverton 26-15. Tivvy made the most of a Hornet’s player in the bin scoring three tries!
Brad Rusborough, and Scott Trainor both scored tries for the Hornets with Sam Cullen adding a penalty and conversion.
Pirates Amateurs lost 23-10 at the Mennaye to Honiton. Charlie Goldsworthy and Steve Kent scored unconverted tries for the home side.
Hayle lost at home to Crediton 20-11. Rob Cutter scored the Lions’ only try with Martin Strick landing a couple of penalties.
Finally, Falmouth went down at home to Withycombe 22-20. Tom Spiller and Tony Whittle scored tries for the Eagles with Paul Saberton kicking ten points.
In the Area Final of the RFU Junior Vase, Liskeard & Looe defeated Bodmin 28-8 and will play the winners of the Devon Final on December 21st.
On Friday evening I saw the Cornish Pirates first Friday night game in this season’s Greene King IPA Championship.
It was a cracking atmosphere as you get with an evening game under lights.
Picture – PIRATES’ HEAD COACH IAN DAVIES DOES A POST MATCH INTERVIEW WITH KERNOW KING – PHOTO – SIMON BRYANT IKTISPHOTO
Despite a good start the Cornish Pirates eventually went down 27-20 to Leeds Carnegie with a late second try and conversion salvaging a losing bonus point for the Cornish side.
An early Kieran Hallett penalty was added to with a try from skipper Gavin Cattle which Hallett converted for 10-0.
Some poor first up tackling proved costly for the Pirates as Leeds No.8 Ryan Burrows made a storming run into the Pirates’ 22. The ball was moved wide as the Pirates’ scrambled back to cover before a cross-field kick put centre Fred Burdon in.
More slack tackling helped Leeds to a second try scored by winger Jonah Holmes which fly-half Glyn Hughes converted to put the Yorkshire side 12-10 up.
Hallet and Hughes then swapped penalties to leave Leeds 15-13 up at the break.
With lock Gary Johnson sin-binned early in the second half for the Pirates, Leeds took full advantage with scrum-half Craig Hampson scoring their third try which Hughes converted.
It was then left to Pirates’ Old Boy Dave Doherty to show his renowned pace and seal Leeds the try-scoring bonus point.
It was certainly a match of attrition for the Cornish Pirates as skipper Cattle, prop Max Maidment, flanker Alex Cheesman and hooker Rob Elloway all departed the fray with injuries, Cattle’s neck injury being the most concerning as he was taken off in an ambulance post match.
Picture – Replacement scrum-half Tom Kessell on the break – PHOTO BY SIMON BRYANT IKTISPHOTO
To their credit they rallied and scored a late try through full-back Craig Holland, to which replacement Andrew Sinclair added the conversion for the losing bonus point.
Next weekend Tribute Cornwall 1 & 2 clubs begin their league campaigns.
