Just three days after Dicky Evans outlined his plans for a new stadium near Truro what better advert to bolster his ideas than the fantastic televised game at the Mennaye on Sunday when the Cornish Pirates gave leaders Worcester Warriors another terrible fright, having won at Worcester’s Sixways ground 23-21 earlier in the season to inflict their sole defeat in the Championship thus far, before eventually going down by 33-30.
It was certainly the best advert this season for the RFU Championship a full house at the Mennaye and a pulsating match, which ebbed and flowed with the Cornish Pirates arriving at half-time 25-7 up having scored three quite wonderful tries in which winger Wes Davies featured prominently. A provider for the first two before scoring the third himself. Two breaks putting first flanker Phil Burgess in, good to see the flanker back in harness and straight back to his best form and then to feed Grant Pointer in at the Newlyn gate corner. Davies claiming the Pirates’ third try following a break from Matt Hopper, who was unlucky not to have been awarded a try earlier during the first half when he looked to have grounded the ball.
Worcester to their credit worked their way back into the game through their forwards aided by a yellow card for hooker Dave Ward to lead 26-25 , also the bizarre decision to go to the TMO to check on Goode’s conversion attempt, which both asssitant referees felt had not gone through the posts. So much for the referee’s decision being final!!
Pirates looked to have won the game when Rob Cook went over late on for their fourth try but once again the Warriors hit back through the forwards with Pat Sanderson getting his second try of the game, it was a good afternoon to be watching down at the Newlyn end of the ground seven out of the nine tries were scored down at that end. Goode this time had no such problems putting the ball through the uprights, however he was lucky to be on the pitch as he clearly held on to James Doherty’s foot when on the ground and as such out of the game a clear professional foul missed by the officials!
So will the Pirates meet the Warriors again in the play-offs? Well if those games are as good as the last two then we are all in for another treat and that can only make the call for the new stadium that much louder.
