Rawlings confident Cornish lads can progress in Kent

001a
Photo – Ian Gordon TASC Hon.Sec presents practice balls to Cornwall coach Mike Rawlings (left) and Cornwall Team Sec. Chris Lea (right)

Having lost agonizingly to Devon with the final kick of the game, Cornwall will have to travel to Kent in the national under 20 quarter-final to played on Sunday 15th February.

It will be a tough ask for the Cornish lads with players such as skipper Todd Prisk and prop Tommy Phillips involved in a National League 2 South game on the Saturday at home against Worthing.

Straight after the final whistle coach Mike Rawlings confirmed the frustration felt by the Cornish boys on a result that they had let slip. He said, “The boys are feeling really fed up and they know that they have let themselves down, all they want to do now is get stuck into Kent and make amends.”

“We got off to a sluggish start and the intensity just wasn’t there. Second half we lifted our heads and started playing round the corner putting decoy runners in and hard pressing their defence and playing what was in front of us.”

“Some of our decision-making on the field was also questionable, when you have points on offer you really must take them in this sort of game.”

“We were also guilty of some indiscipline which really didn’t help our cause having five players sent to the bin is very disappointing from a coach’s point of view.”

“Having said that I felt that the boys dug in and showed great character to come back as they did especially during the early part of the second half and then again at the end when we thought we’d done enough to sneak the win.”

“With Todd and Tommy having played up at Canterbury for Redruth yesterday we knew we would have to manage them today, player welfare is paramount, perhaps we did lose a bit of intensity when they came off but all credit to the boys who came on.”

Turning his thought to Kent Rawlings continued, “I think we can go to Kent and get a result. We have got the calibre of player who can get us through. Hopefully we will have Locryn Williams and Jake Woodward back in the mix. We have a got a great crop of players. I was especially pleased with Sam Fox today who is comfortable on the ball and a good distributer, Rhys Brownfield too at centre these lads are now all playing senior rugby and it shows.”

“We shall be training each week in the lead up to the Kent game with perhaps a practice game thrown in to iron out a few things, we will travel in good heart.”

Posted in Bill's Blog

Older posts