Penzance & Newlyn vs North Petherton – Match Report

Pirates Sneak It At The End

By Phil Westren

Penzance & Newlyn 24 – North Petherton 21

Playing their first home game in 2026, it seven weeks since they last ran out at the Mennaye Field, the Pirates of Penzance & Newlyn recorded this welcome win. Also, in the process, the Pirates gained revenge for their 34-32 loss away to ‘Pethy’ in October.

Despite many days of rain, ground conditions at the Mennaye Field were surprisingly good. It was also welcomingly sunny, and pleasingly so, because following recent well documented serious storm damage the main grandstand was out of use for spectators.

After full-back Ben Wragg, who was proudly making his 100^th appearance for the club, had the honour of leading the Pirates out for this eighth versus tenth contest in Regional 2 South West, he and his colleagues were then lively right from the start. An early score looked likely, and one came, though it went the way of the visitors when the Somerset side’s inside centre Jack Rees intercepted and ran clear to the Penzance posts. For good measure he also added the conversion.

Former Cornish ‘Pirate’, and present day Bath hooker Dan Frost began his career at North Petherton. It is a respected club, but the Pirates were keen to quickly hit back, and they did. Given the call to play at scrum half, Trevelyan Dugdale was keen to get the backline moving, and it was not long before created space enabled wing Callum Walsh to breeze in for a try at the Newlyn gate corner. Several of the young prodigy’s family members have a long association with the Pirates, and it was fly-half Rhys Brownfield who added the extras to level matters.

📷'Pirate' Jamie Eddy receives the man of the match award from Martyn Bodilly.

North Petherton would regain the lead thanks to a converted try scored by hooker Sam Williams, and Wragg next celebrated his special day with an unconverted try that made it 12-14 at the break, and there clearly all to play for.

Into the second half, it was a try from Pirates’ winger Jack Keogh that saw his team back in front, only for Pethy flanker Will Eccleston’s converted try giving the visitors a four points advantage.

The Pirates were guilty of making too many errors and giving penalties away, though at the very end of the contest they showed their true spirit. Having been under pressure in their own ’22’, and with two personnel in the sin bin, a welcome penalty award signalled their way, and then a North Petherton march back 10 metres for something presumably said, enabled them to mount a catch and drive at the clubhouse corner. With just seconds left on the clock, it gave them a chance to snatch a victory, and with the various mechanics involved working smoothly, they commendably did just that, albeit helped by a little extra weight from their backs. Hooker Wes Eddy was identified as the scorer of the bonus point providing try, and for good measure Brownfield slotted the conversion.

📷At the end of the game Penzance & Newlyn RFC's President, Phil Westren (left), presented a Pirates' 100 games merit tie to Ben Wragg, which was an honour similarly bestowed upon his grandfather Walter Tonkin (right) back in the early 1970s.

Speaking after the game, Pirates’ head coach Murray Westren said:

“I thought we played really well in the first half, which I hoped would pay dividends as the game could open up in the second half. However, the total opposite played out.

“We found it hard to relieve pressure inside our own half and it all became a little scrappy. North Petherton were very opportunistic, and it looked as if we may fall on the wrong side of a close one, but to at the end show that belief and desire to progress up the pitch and ultimately score from the final maul of the game provided a fantastic grandstand finish to the game.

“It was a really important win, as some close calls have not gone our way this season, and to start 2026 with back-to-back victories is nothing less than deserved during what is a period where gaining momentum with the schedule can be very difficult.”

Penzance & Newlyn:   15 Ben Wragg 14 Callum Walsh 13 Josh Semmens 12 Rhys Brownfield 11 Jack Keogh 10 Oscar Marr 9 Trev Dugdale; 1 Ben Taylor 2 Wes Eddy 3 Joe Best 4 Nick Nowell 5 Stan Somers (captain) 6 Tom Hutton 7 Sam Carroll 8 Jamie Eddy.

Replacements:   16 Dec Prowse 17 Ben Martin 18 Ted Hocking.

North Petherton:   15 George Rowe 14 Michael Stevens 13 Damian Griffin (co-captain) 12 Jack Rees 11 Joey Redman 10 Ben Astbury 9 Ben Conybeare; 1 Lewis Phillips 2 Sam Williams (co-captain) 3 Owen Holmes 4 Louis Robin-Seniloli 5 James Taylor 6 Oli Washer 7 Will Eccleston 8 Carl Thompson.

Replacements:   16 Tom Parry 17 Callum Regan 18 Lewis Lloyd-Jones.

Scorers:

Penzance & Newlyn – tries: Walsh, Wragg, Keogh, Eddy; cons: Brownfield

North Petherton – tries: Rees, Williams, Eccleston; cons: Rees (3).

Man of the Match:   Jamie Eddy.

📷Wing Callum Walsh is about to score the Pirates first try of the match.