Cornwall v Devon Clash: Will Pirates Sink the Chiefs on Friday Night?

The Cornish Pirates will host Exeter Chiefs tomorrow evening, Friday 12th September, at the Mennaye in what promises to be a lively friendly encounter. It will be the Pirates’ third and final pre-season fixture before league action begins.

A big crowd is expected for the Cornwall versus Devon clash, with the atmosphere set to match the occasion.

Milestone for Josh King

For lock Josh King, the match will be extra special as it marks his 50th appearance for the club. The side will be captained by flanker Alex Everett, who has recently returned from a short-term loan at Harlequins.

Two guest players have also been named on the bench — fly-half Rory O’Kane and full-back Marcus Kershaw.

Coach Looking Forward to the Occasion

Cornish Pirates’ coach Joe Walsh commented ahead of the game:

“We are looking forward to a bumper crowd for what should be a worthy and enjoyable evening for all. The new guys will be able to soak up a heightened atmosphere at the Mennaye after they emerge from the tunnel, and excited to get the best possible team out there we can cast a last eye at the players in a match situation before we go into the first block of fixtures in Champ Rugby.”

The Team

Starting XV:
15 Arthur Relton, 14 Ben Cambriani, 13 Chester Ribbons, 12 Joe Elderkin, 11 Matty Ward, 10 Arwel Robson, 9 Dan Hiscocks;
1 Billy Young, 2 Morgan Nelson, 3 Alfie Petch, 4 Josh King, 5 Charlie Rice, 6 Matt Cannon, 7 Alex Everett (captain), 8 Tomi Agbongbon.

Replacements:
16 Matt Pritchard, 17 Alessandro Heaney, 18 Ollie Andrews, 19 Milo Hallam, 20 Barney Elderkin, 21 Will Rigelsford, 22 Iwan Price-Thomas, 23 Rory O’Kane, 24 Marcus Kershaw.

What’s Next

Once Friday’s fixture is complete, the Cornish Pirates will turn their attention to their first competitive outing in the newly named Champ Rugby. Their opening league game is at home against Hartpury on Saturday 4th October, kicking off at 2.30pm.

For further information about fixtures and all things Cornish Pirates, visit www.cornish-pirates.com