Match Report: Cornish Pirates 46-14 Coventry Rugby

Coventry’s Cornish Pirates hoodoo extends another year after the Pirates claimed a convincing 46-14 win at Mennaye Field.

Liam Richman scored all 14 of the visitors’ points but the Blue-and-Whites conceded four scores before the break and three more in the second period to a home side whose pack was littered with stand-out performers.

By contrast injury-hit Cov found their lineout under pressure and far too many mistakes in a performance that belied the outstanding unbeaten start to the league season that delivered seven straight wins.

Playing into the breeze Cov absorbed plenty of early pressure prior to Pirates’ opening score which was eventually touched down by second row Charlie Rice after the hosts kept possession through multiple pick-and-drive phases.

Bruce Houston added a simple conversion and Pirates’ Irish no.10 soon split the uprights for a second time after flanker Will Gibson finished off a very similar move.

This left Cov with a hill to climb which became even steeper when Will Lane was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock down.

The hosts took full advantage of their temporary numerical superiority to send prolific winger Matt McNab over for their third try which he claimed courtesy of an excellent finish.

And the hosts had a bonus point in the bag late in the second quarter when Houston’s neat chip sat up perfectly for Charlie McCaig who sent McNab racing to the corner.

Now restored to full strength, Cov gave themselves a chink of light when a fluent move ended with Richman twisting to the left corner for his first Coventry try which he also converted with a fine touchline kick.

However, a pair of lost lineouts inside the home 22 early in the second half stalled this momentum before Will Trewin’s superb 60-metre kick earned Pirates a 50-22.

And the home side claimed a fifth try shortly before the hour mark when on-loan Exeter flanker Martin Moloney broke a tackle a charged 30 metres for a score that Houston upgraded.

Richman’s second try followed Charlie Robson’s break down the right wing and some good handling which left him with a simple finish on the other flank.

Cov’s full back also added another fine conversion but that proved to be the last highlight of a disappointing afternoon for the visitors.

Houston kicked a routine penalty from 35 metres before replacement scrum-half Cam Jones scorched down the touchline after some neat handling to claim Pirates’ sixth try.

Replacement hooker Sol Moody then had the last word when he powered over from a close-range lineout for a score which Houston converted.

Cornish Pirates: Will Trewin (Robin Wedlake 72); Arthur Relton, Charlie McCaig, Chester Ribbons (Iwan Price-Thomas 72), Matt McNab; Bruce Houston, Dan Hiscocks (Cam Jones 70); Billy Young (Oisin Michel 58), Harry Hocking (Sol Moody 53), James French (Jay Tyack 39); Charlie Rice, Lewis Pearson (Matt Cannon 64); Martin Moloney, Will Gibson, Hugh Bokenham (Josh King 74)

Coventry: Liam Richman; David Opoku (Charlie Robson 50), Ryan Hutler, Da-Rhys Tiueti, Jimmy Martin; Tommy Mathews, Will Lane (Josh Barton 50); Toby Trinder (Jevaughn Warren 53), Jordon Poole (Will Biggs 53), Matt Johnson (Eliot Salt 15); James Tyas, Obinna Nkwocha (Dan Green 53); Tom Ball, Aaron Hinkley (Chester Owen 53), Senitki Nayalo (Dan Okeke 53)

Referee: George Selwood

Half-Time: Cornish Pirates24-7Coventry Rugby

Attendance: 1555

Scorers:

Cornish Pirates:

Tries: Rice (16), Gibson (24), McNab (29) (37), Moloney (55), Jones (72), Moody (78)

Conversions: Houston (16) (24) (55) (78)

Penalty: Houston (70)

Coventry:

Tries: Richman (39) (58)

Conversions: Richman (39) (58)

Penalties: