Cornish Pirates vs Doncaster Knights – Match Report

Pirates Have to Settle for a Draw

By Phil Westren

Cornish Pirates 15   Doncaster Knights 15

For their Round 3 fixture in ‘Champ’ Rugby against Doncaster Knights on Saturday, having narrowly lost their two opening games at home to Hartpury and away to Ampthill, the Cornish Pirates were eager to secure their first league win of the season. As it worked out it was not to be, both sides having to settle for a draw.

Changes in the Cornish Pirates selected 23 from the previous weekend saw a late withdrawal of unwell skipper Alex Everett, whose place at number 8 was taken by Tomiwa Agbongbon. Aussie backrower Luke Ratcliff, passed fit and ready to make his debut, slotted in on the bench to take the seat vacated by Agbongbon, and following a knee injury suffered in the game at Ampthill, Matt Cannon’s place in the second row was taken by Alfie Bell who was called up for his first outing of the season.

On what was a dull, damp and breezy afternoon, after the Knights kicked the game off playing towards Newlyn, it was not long before the Pirates sparked into attack mode and through excellent running and handling, with wing Ben Cambriani and full-back Iwan Price-Thomas involved, the latter scampered over for a fine opening try to the left of the Penzance posts. Fly-half Arwel Robson was luckless with his conversion attempt.

The visitors did not take long to respond, however, when following slick work by former Bath scrum half Ollie Fox and his halfback partner Russell Bennett, the ball was moved right for the familiar frame of former ‘Pirate’ Matt McNab to suddenly pick a line that saw him run and dive for a spectacular try scored at the posts. Bennett added the extra two points to give Doncaster a narrow lead.

📷Dan Hiscocks - Photo credit: Jack Tyler

This was a match in which Agbongbon impressed though when running with ball in hand, and wing Arthur Relton next went close to scoring a Pirates second try. The home team at this stage looked right up for the challenge, and it was one of several impressive bursts from man of the match centre Chester Ribbons who ran, stepped and timed his pass perfectly for Hiscocks to score the try of the match. Robson converted well, whilst it was his terrific penalty strike from 43metres out that further extended the Pirates lead before the break.

Play had been quite evenly contested, and a little feisty at times, but the Pirates held the score advantage, helped that they at times had defended with real determination.

It was still all too close to call, and especially when the Knights added to their account in the second half with an unconverted try scored at the old scoreboard corner by lock forward Morgan Jones, a former Scarlets and Wales under 20s player.

The Yorkshire side, which was littered with talented performers, would on the hour mark lose the services of Bennett to the sin bin for what appeared a cumbersome tackle on Agbongbon, but the Pirates were unable to add to their tally despite their supporters also getting behind them with decibel raised chants of ‘Pirates! Pirates!’

Welshmen in hooker George Roberts and flanker and skipper Ben Murphy, were two of several industrious personnel in Doncaster’s ranks, who were also able to call upon the services of replacement prop Logovi’i Mulipola, capped over 30 times for Samoa.

As the clock ticked down, a successful Bennett penalty kick from 40 metres out levelled matters, and he also had a chance to win the game in the 79^th minute with a penalty attempt from just inside his own half. It missed, and on reflection the 15-all draw was a fair result.

Of interest, the Pirates last drawn league game was also against Doncaster Knights, a 27-all result away in March 2024.

Commenting at the end of the match, Cornish Pirates’ joint head coach Gavin Cattle said:

“Look, it was a tough game, and conditions made it difficult at times, and especially for us in the second half.

“It was a good arm wrestle, and our scrum was under a bit of pressure towards the end partly because of the experience they brought on. However, overall, I am proud of the lads and their physical effort, as we played some really good stuff in the first half.

“We did get a little stuck in the middle third and perhaps overplayed a little in the conditions, but again we are always learning. Also, to their credit, Doncaster adapted in the second half tactically and made it difficult for us to get a foothold possession wise.

“There are a couple of areas that we need to work on, but as for individual performances a lot of the boys stood out, including Tomi (Agbongbon) who did well coming into the starting XV. Dan (Hiscocks) also led by example and played really well.”

Cornish Pirates:   15 Iwan Price-Thomas 14 Arthur Relton 13 Chester Ribbons 12 Harry Yates 11 Ben Cambriani 10 Arwel Robson 9 Dan Hiscocks (captain); 1 Billy Young 2 Morgan Nelson 3 Alfie Petch 4 Alfie Bell 5 Josh King 6 Rory Suttor 7 Jack Forsythe 8 Tomiwa Agbongbon.

Replacements: 16 Sol Moody 18 James French 19 Milo Hallam 20 Luke Ratcliff (used); 17 Alessandro Heaney 21 Will Rigelsford 22 Louie Sinclair 23 Matty Ward (not used).

Doncaster Knights: 15 Telusa Veainu 14 Jordan Olowofela 13 Joe Margetts 12 Connor Edwards 11 Matt McNab, 10 Russell Bennett 9 Ollie Fox; 1 Conor Davidson 2 George Roberts 3 Joe Jones 4 Josh Williams 5 Morgan Jones 6 Ben Murphy 7 Rhys Tait 8 Jasper McGuire.

Replacements:  17 Andrew Turner 18 Logovi’i Mulipola 19 Ehize Ehizode 20 Ben Chapman 22 Morgan Bunting 23 Zach Kerr (used); 16 Fred Davies 21 Will Wootton (not used).

Yellow Card:   Bennett. 

Scorers:

Cornish Pirates – tries: Price-Thomas, Hiscocks; con: Robson; pen: Robson. 

Doncaster Knights – tries: McNab, Jones; con: Bennett; pen: Bennett.

Referee:   Joe James

Assistants:   Andy Wigley & Jack Sutton

‘Tribute’ Man of the Match:   Ribbons.

‘Thatchers’ Try of the Match:   Hiscocks.

Attendance:   1627.

📷Iwan Price Thomas - Photo credit: Jack Tyler