Penzance & Newlyn vs Wadebridge Camels – Match Report

Pirates Fall to Dominant Camels

By Phil Westren

Penzance & Newlyn 17 – Wadebridge Camels 34

A six to three try-count in favour of Wadebridge Camels underlined their general dominance against Penzance & Newlyn in this third round Regional 2 South West league encounter. Okay, although not having it all their own way, few, if any, would argue that the visitors did not deserve to take the spoils.

It being 80 years since Penzance & Newlyn played their first ever game, which was at the Mennaye Field against Guy’s Hospital on the 22^nd September 1945, in the build-up to Saturday’s match special welcomes were extended to Becky Gartrell, and to Phil Monckton and Mike Uren. Becky’s father Peter had skippered the Pirates against ‘Guy’s’, and both Phil and Mike’s fathers Bill and John had also featured on that historic occasion.

Back to the present, after early rain had all but stopped, playing towards Newlyn the Pirates started in lively fashion. A score from the start looked ‘on’, but after displaying admirable defensive qualities the Camels in a flash took play to near halfway from where wing Will Pengelly ran in a try to the right of the Penzance posts. Scrum half Harvey Orchard also added the conversion.

At line-out and scrum time the Pirates looked sound. However, they were being tested in the tackle area and were guilty of making a few too many basic errors.

A second try for the Wadebridge side, unconverted, was scored by hooker Callum Bate, but the Pirates then managed to hit back with a try of their own. Skipper and fly-half Oscar Marr executed a fine cross-field kick, and wing Sam Cahill gathered to touch the ball down at the old Western National corner. Full-back Ben Wragg’s successful conversion made the scoreline 7-12, which is as it stayed to halftime.

The opening period of the second forty proved disappointing for the Pirates, as all but from the outset it was Camels’ centre Jack Sander who made it to the line for a converted try scored at the Newlyn posts. 

Confirming their general dominance, and looking more experienced and streetwise, two more tries followed for the visitors. The first was scored by wing Dom Hawkey on the left, and then there was one for flanker Will Symons who cantered over at the Newlyn gate corner.

It was surely time for the Pirates to now show spirit and hopefully score again, which they pleasingly did. Centre Josh Semmens showed his usual determination with ball in hand, wing Joey Norways, who throughout looked dangerous with limited opportunities, scored out wide, and young backrower Kaea Griffiths, a product of the Pirates youth section who was on loan from Camborne, impressed.

A third try for the home team would soon materialise, which followed Wragg’s fifty metres penalty kick out of hand that landed close to the clubhouse corner. Winning the resultant line-out, backs then joined forwards on a drive to the line, and when the ball was moved back right it was Cahill who registered his second try of the afternoon.

There was certainly credit to the Pirates who played some enterprising rugby in the last quarter. However, it was the Camels who deservedly had the last say when prop Ollie Derry scored the final try of the match.

Speaking after the game, Penzance & Newlyn‘s head coach Murray Westren said:

“Having gained promotion at the end of last season, it is clear we need to find our feet performing at a higher level.

“Wadebridge played with physicality and an intensity that we’ll have to ultimately match for a full eighty minutes, but these things don’t happen right away. We had spells in the game when we played well, but we simply weren’t consistent enough.”

Penzance & Newlyn:   15 Ben Wragg 14 Sam Cahill 13 Josh Semmens 12 Rhys Brownfield 11 Joey Norways 10 Oscar Marr (captain) 9 Rhodri McAtee; 1 Dec Prowse 2 Wes Eddy 3 Joe Best 4 Ben Martin 5 Nick Nowell 6 Kaea Griffiths 7 Tom Hutton 8 Sam Carroll.

Replacements:   16 Ben Taylor 17 Zak Chenoweth 18 Harris Eddy.

Wadebridge Camels:   15 Ollie Haggis 14 Will Pengelly 13 Jack Sander 12 Owen Howell 11 Dom Hawkey 10 Danny Thomas (captain) 9 Harvey Orchard; 1 Rich Treleaven 2 Callum Bate3 Ollie Derry 4 Josh Slater 5 Mark Grubb 6 Henry Tucker 7 Will Symons 8 Adam Blackmore.

Replacements:   16 Charles Bryon 17 Aidan Cullis 18 Ben Johnson.

Scorers:

Penzance & Newlyn – tries: Cahill (2), Norways, con: Wragg

Wadebridge Camels – tries: Pengelly, Bate, Sander, Hawkey, Symons, Derry; cons: Orchard (2).

Referee:   Danny Robins

Next up for Penzance & Newlyn’s 1^st XV is a Tribute Regional 2 SW league match away to Wellington on the 4^th October, which will be followed by a home encounter versus Winscombe on the 11^th October.

📷Wing Sam Cahill scored two tries for the Pirates